Several Swedish cities have been the scene of protests over the past four days after an antiIslamic farright agitator announced his intention to publicly burn copies of the Koran. Three people were injured in clashes between Swedish police forces and demonstrators protesting against a farright group in Norrköping, southwest of Stockholm, on Sunday.
1 of 1 The protests began on the 15th after the farright Stram Kurs party announced it would publicly burn copies of the Koran. — Photo: Ulf Wigh/Wighsnews/Handout via REUTERS
The protests began on the 15th after the farright Stram Kurs party announced it would publicly burn copies of the Koran. — Photo: Ulf Wigh/Wighsnews/Handout via REUTERS
“The police fired several warning shots. Three people appeared to have been hit by ricochets and are currently being treated in hospital,” police said in a statement. “All three of those injured were arrested on suspicion of committing criminal offences,” police added.
Several vehicles were set on fire during the clashes and at least 11 people were arrested, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported.
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This was the second series of clashes in Norrköping in the last four days. Tensions are high in several cities across the country as the small antiimmigration and antiIslam party Stram Kurs (“Tough Line”, in Swedish), led by DanishSwedish Rasmus Paludan, is calling for action has announced in recent days that he intends to publicly burn copies of the Koran, Islam’s holy book.
During the night, the southern Swedish city of Malmo was also the scene of violence following protests against a rally by the same farright group. Swedish police said there were fires in several parts of the city.
Violent protests also broke out for the second time in the city of Linköping, where Paludan wanted to hold a rally on Sunday.
On Thursday (14) and Friday (15) nine police officers were injured in clashes with people demonstrating against Paludan in the Swedish city of Örebro.
The actions of the small farright Swedish party also had international consequences. The governments of Iraq and Iran protested Paludan’s announcement that copies of the Koran would be burned.
The Iraqi government said the attempt to burn the Koran was “a provocation to Muslims’ feelings and a grave violation of their sanctity.”
“This issue is having a serious impact on relations between Swedes and Muslims in general, whether in Islamic and Arab countries or in Muslim societies in Europe,” Iraq’s foreign ministry said in a statement.