♫musicjinni

Sweden riots: Far-right group's plans to burn Koran spark riots in several cities

video thumbnail
Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube

Plans by a far-right group to publicly burn copies of the Koran have sparked violent clashes with counter-demonstrators in Sweden.

Three people in the Swedish city of Norrkoping needed medical attention after being hit by police bullets during clashes between police and protesters over the Easter weekend.

In some places counter-protesters attacked police ahead of planned right-wing extremist demonstrations.

A bus and car were set on fire in a series of incidents in the southern city of Malmo on Saturday night, police said in a statement.

"The situation calmed down towards 3:00 am (1am GMT)," police spokeswoman Kim Hild told SR public radio, adding that no officers were hurt, but a number of members of the public were injured.

Nearly 20 complaints had been filed, including for vandalism.

There have been similar clashes in recent days over plans by the anti-immigration and anti-Islamic Stram Kurs (Hard Line) movement led by Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan to burn copies of the Koran in public.

The clashes broke out after a rally by the group's supporters on Saturday.

Three police officers had to be taken to hospital after a riot broke out in the city of Linkoping in eastern Sweden on Thursday. Two people were arrested at that protest.

On Friday, nine police officers were injured in similar clashes in Orebro in central Sweden.

In the wake of the string of incidents, Iraq's foreign ministry said that it had summoned the Swedish charge d'affaires in Baghdad on Sunday.

It warned that the affair could have "serious repercussions" on "relations between Sweden and Muslims in general, both Muslim and Arab countries and Muslim communities in Europe."

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has condemned the violence.

Paludan plans to hold further rallies at two other cities in Sweden, but the demonstrations have not received the go-ahead by police.

Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.
#Sweden #Far-Right #Protests

Sweden riots: Far-right group's plans to burn Koran spark riots in several cities

Disclaimer DMCA