(21 Jan 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Stockholm - 21 January 2023
1. Various of protesters, police
2. Woman holding Swedish flag
3. Protesters
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rasmus Pauldan, leader of far-right party Hard Line:
“Welcome to this protest today. I am Rasmus Pauldan and I am going to start my making an address in English to the people of Turkey and to the Islamist dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”
5. Person filming Pauldan speaking
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rasmus Pauldan, leader of far-right party Hard Line:
“I am, however, completely understanding on the part that Turkey opposes the entry of Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation because there are many Kurdish terrorists in Sweden. I must say, I share this concern but it is only part of the problem. It is true, there are many Turkish terrorists in Sweden but there are not only Turkish terrorists in Sweden, in fact, Sweden has welcomed terrorists from all over the world.”
7. Protesters, police, Pauldan
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rasmus Pauldan, leader of far-right party Hard Line:
"I would also say that the issue that Recep Erdogan has with Sweden’s entry into NATO should not so much be about freedom of speech but rather about the obvious fact that the Swedish government and 70% of the Swedish voters do not really have the will power or purpose to defend their own country."
9. Police
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rasmus Pauldan, leader of far-right party Hard Line:
"This man wants me to go on and burn the Quran immediately and I think that is a completely reasonable request.”
11. Pauldan standing and smoke drifting
12. Mid of Pauldan
13. Pauldan and others leaving
STORYLINE:
A far-right activist from Denmark received permission from police to stage a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday where he burned the Quran, Islam’s holy book.

Surrounded by police, Rasmus Paludan carried out his protest while making disparaging remarks about immigrants and Islam.

About 100 people gathered nearby for a peaceful counterdemonstration.

Turkish officials condemned the Quran-burning protest on Twitter, and Swedish authorities for allowing it.

Swedish officials have stressed that freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Swedish Constitution and gives people extensive rights to express their views publicly, though incitement to violence or hate speech isn't allowed.

Demonstrators must apply to police for a permit for a public gathering.

Police can deny such permits only on exceptional grounds, such as risks to public safety.

Turkey also announced on Saturday it cancelled a planned visit by Sweden’s defence minister on January 27 in response to the Nordic country’s issuing of permits for anti-Turkish protests.

It is the latest backlash from Turkey.

The NATO member has been holding off on approving Sweden’s application to join the military alliance until the Swedish government cracks down on groups that Ankara regards as security threats.

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