Demonstration held in Dutch town after Moroccan family flees home to avoid threats

About thirty people held a demonstration, Friday, outside of the town hall of Urk, central Netherlands, to protest the way authorities had dealt with the threats targeting a Moroccan-Dutch family, NOS reported.

The Moroccan family was forced to leave their house in Urk after facing harassment and attacks triggered by a false accusation against their teenage son.

The family, consisting of a grandmother, parents and three minor children left their home for more than a month and a half after their minor son was wrongly accused of burning Israeli flags.

The demonstrators criticized the way the municipality of Urk responded to the situation. They believe that local authorities have not sufficiently protected the residents, NOS added.

The demonstrators carried banners and Palestinian flags. There was also a counter-demonstration held by Urk residents waving Israeli flags. 

For the record, the teenager became the target of online abuse that escalated into real-world threats and violence. Their house was pelted with stone twice, leaving windows shattered. The family has now scattered, finding refuge with relatives across the Netherlands.