Unrest in Sweden over planned Koran burning
Clashes have taken place for a fourth day in several Swedish cities, triggered by the obvious burning of a Koran by a right-wing extremist, anti-immigrant group.
Local media said that three people were injured in Norrköping’s eastern city on Sunday when the police fired warning shots at insurgents.
Several vehicles were set on fire and at least 17 people were arrested.
On Saturday, vehicles including a bus were set on fire in Malmö’s southern city during a right-wing extremist demonstration.
Earlier, the governments of Iran and Iraq called Swedish envoys to register their objections to the burning.
The Danish-Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan, who leads the Tight Course or Hard Line movement, said he had burned Islam’s most sacred text and would repeat the act.
At least 16 police officers are said to have been injured and several police vehicles destroyed in the riots during Thursday, Friday and Saturday in places where the right-wing extremist group planned events, including in Stockholm’s suburbs and in the cities of Linköping and Norrköping.
Paludan had threatened to hold another meeting in Norrköping on Sunday, which caused counter-protesters to gather there, Deutsche Welle reported.
Local police said in a statement that they had fired warning shots after being attacked and three people were apparently hit by ricochets.
Sweden’s National Police Chief Anders Thornberg said in a statement on Saturday that protesters had shown indifference to the lives of the police and added: “We have seen violent riots before. But this is something else.”
Protests against Stram Kurs’ plans to burn the Koran have previously been violent in Sweden. In 2020, protesters set fire to cars and store fronts were damaged in clashes in Malmö.
Paludan – who was jailed for a month in 2020 for crimes including racism in Denmark – has also tried to plan similar burning of the Koran in other European countries, including France and Belgium.
–BBC