Denmark: Police blames media

Police are critical of DR, the Danish public broadcasting company, for broadcasting an interview with one of the rioting youth from Kalundborg.

In the interview the 17 year old said there were about 50 youth rioting in the city, belonging to a group called KLP. They had set fire to a trash container and when the fire brigade arrives, it was met with stones. He said the riots will continue and that cars will go up in smoke later that evening.

Additionally he said the riots were partially caused by frustration with the police and part by the printing of the Muhammad cartoons. He says he himself is very religious. He said that their religion will be respected and that nobody will make fun of their prophet.

Police arrested the youth after the interview for inciting to rioting. They say the media are encouraging the rioting by broadcasting such interviews and by reporting on every small arson attack.

DR's news editor Ulrik Haagerup says the report was relevant and that the media need to report about the riots. There's a gray zone with the public's demand to know why the youth are so angry on the one hand, and their own duty to protect their sources. He says that had he known the police will arrest him, they would have not displayed his picture.

The interview can be seen on DR's site.

Sources: DR 1, 2 (Danish)

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