Updated 2 hours ago
Police dispersed a crowd of protesters in the Rozengrad district of Malmö on Saturday
For a fourth day, clashes erupted in several Swedish cities, sparked by what appears to be the burning of copies of the Qur’an by an anti-immigration far-right group.
Three people were injured in the eastern city of Norrköping on Sunday when police fired warning shots at rioters, local media said.
Several cars were set ablaze and at least 17 people were arrested.
On Saturday, cars, including a bus, were set on fire in the southern city of Malmö during a far-right rally.
Earlier, Iran summoned the Swedish envoy to protest. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish Chargé d’Affairs in Baghdad on Sunday, and warned that this issue might have “serious repercussions” on relations between Sweden and Muslim communities in general.
Danish-Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan, who leads the extremist Stram Kurs, or Hard Line, said he had burned Islam’s most sacred texts and would repeat it.
At least 16 police officers were reported injured and several police cars destroyed in disturbances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at places where members of the far-right group gathered, including in the Stockholm suburbs and in the cities of Linköping and Norrköping.
The head of the Swedish National Police, Anders Thornberg, said the protesters showed a disregard for the lives of police officers, adding: “We’ve seen violent riots before. But that’s something else.”
Anger at the far-right group’s actions – which included burning a copy of the Koran on Thursday, and planning to do so once more at other rallies – has also spread beyond Sweden’s borders.
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Swedish Chargé d’Affairs in Baghdad on Sunday, warning that the issue might have “serious repercussions” on relations between Sweden and Muslim communities in general.
Protests once morest the Ström Koch movement’s plans to burn the Koran have turned violent in Sweden before. In 2020, cars were set on fire by protesters and shop windows were damaged in clashes in Malmö.
Baludan, who was imprisoned for a month in 2020 for crimes including racism in Denmark, tried to plan similar Quran burnings in other European countries, including France and Belgium.
Baludan heads Denmark’s far-right Ström Koch (Hardline) party and was convicted nearly two years ago of posting anti-Islam videos on his party’s social media.
He faced 14 charges, including racism, defamation and dangerous driving.
Baludan, 40, was dismissed for three years as a criminal lawyer and banned from driving for a year.
His party was unable to enter the Danish Parliament in the 2019 national elections, receiving 1.8% of the vote which is just below the 2% threshold needed to enter Parliament.
Baludan insists he supports Denmark’s tradition of freedom of expression.