A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to 40 hours of community service for incitement after shouting homophobic death threats during a WorldPride event at Mercatorplein in Amsterdam, reports AT5. The verdict was delivered through a fast-track legal process, less than 24 hours after the incident occurred.
The event, an open-air cinema showcasing queer films, was disrupted on Thursday evening when the man began harassing two women. According to witness statements, a verbal altercation ensued, culminating in the man shouting, 'Alle homo's moeten dood' ('All gays must die').
During his court appearance on Friday afternoon, the man denied the accusations. However, his denial was contradicted by testimony from two witnesses and footage from municipal security cameras positioned around the square, which had captured the incident.
The public prosecutor argued that the man's statement was deeply offensive and, given the context of a WorldPride celebration, constituted a necessary restriction on his freedom of speech. "The statement is offensive and the context of World Pride creates a need to limit the suspect's right to freedom of expression," the prosecutor stated. "Bystanders could be incited by this statement to commit criminal acts."
While the prosecutor also requested a one-week prison sentence, the judge did not grant this, opting instead for an unconditional 40-hour community service order. The rapid trial and sentencing highlight a swift response to public acts of hate speech during the city's major LGBTQ+ festival.
