In the netherlands, we have restricted speech. You are not allowed to insite hate or violence. I believe Wilders has done both, especially judging by his followers (although many may have had the same intentions before wilders even became a well known politician).
To be honest, this is a victory for Wilders in the fact that he won publicity, a huge loss for Wilders' opponents (not only the ones who were stupid enough to sue him, which was a lost cause, but also all of his other opponents who have to battle a more secure and supported Wilders in politics now), and a major loss for the Dutch court and Judiciary power, as this has proven how powerless they are in stoping a hate-spewing, semi-idiotic politician, who should've been put into jail just for his hair already, needless to adress any of his "controversial" ideas or his attitude.
Then again, not only was him comparing the Koran to Hitler's Mein Kampf hate/violence insiting, it was also quite ironic, as when Wilders just started coming up in politics I recall my classmates and I comparing Wilders to Hitler in his prosecution of 1 race/religion. However, proving that it is in fact him insiting hate/violence is near impossible, him implying "he had no hard feelings against muslims at all" and how if he were found guilty he'd be "disappointed in the Dutch court" was enough to get him freed from all charges. Talk about a flawed judiciary power. If you have restricted freedom of speech, at least make it so that it is prosecutable, and not this failed piece of legislature we have nowadays.
I can't see any other reason for this guy being so politically popular than all the media attention he has been given, and this trial has just given him more.
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