Quran burner attacked outside Turkish Consulate in London

An anti-Islam activist was attacked after setting fire to a copy of the Holy Quran outside the Turkish Consulate in London on Thursday. A video of the incident quickly went viral on social media.

In the footage, a man wearing a grey hoodie and backpack was seen holding a burning copy of the Islamic holy book. Suddenly, another man approached from behind, knocked him to the ground, and snatched the Quran from him. The attacker then attempted to assault him with a knife.

During the scuffle, a cyclist kicked the anti-Islam demonstrator, while the attacker spitted on him. The altercation, which took place outside the Turkish Consulate on Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, briefly disrupted traffic.

“This is my religion, you don’t burn it,” the knife-wielding man said as he attempted to confront the Quran burner. The demonstrator sustained minor injuries to his fingers but was not stabbed. He was later taken to the hospital for treatment.

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London police arrested a suspect on charges of possessing a harmful weapon in connection with the incident.

The anti-Muslim activist had announced his plan on X before the incident.

His account, which describes him as a “political traveler, activist, and atheist,” posted on February 13 about his intention to burn the Quran outside the Turkish Consulate. After the act, he reshared multiple posts of the incident on his account.

This incident followed a similar case earlier this month when a 47-year-old man was arrested for burning the Holy Quran at the Glade of Light memorial in Manchester on February 1.

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The act, staged on the anniversary of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, was live-streamed, sparking outrage and prompting authorities to take swift action.

"We understand the deep concern this will cause within some of our diverse communities and are aware of a live video circulating," Assistant Chief Constable Stephanie Parker said.

"We made a swift arrest at the time and recognise the right people have for freedom of expression, but when this crosses into intimidation to cause harm or distress we will always look to take action when it is reported to us."