The demonstrations became violent in many cities on Thursday, resulting in injuring 26 police officers and 14 citizens, the police announced at a press conference on Monday. The unrest was sparked by the leader of the anti-immigration and anti-Islamic group Hard Line, Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan, who aims to rally support ahead of the September elections. Paludan – who intends to run in the September elections but does not yet have the necessary signatures to secure his candidacy – made a declared “tour” in Sweden, visiting cities and towns with large Muslim populations to burn copies of Quran during the holy month of Ramadan. Clashes with police broke out during anti-group demonstrations on Thursday afternoon, starting in the cities of Linkoping and Norrkoping. They spread to the city of Malm,, where a school was set on fire during a second night of riots Saturday-Sunday. “The perpetrators took advantage of the situation to show violence against society, with nothing to do with the protests,” National Police Chief Anders Thornberg told a news conference on Monday. “We are very few. “We grew up, but we have not grown at the same pace as the problems in the heart of society,” he said, calling for more resources for the police. People burn branches to block a street before a demonstration in Norrköping on Sunday. Photo: TT / Reuters As protesters burned cars and threw stones to the police in Sunday conflicts, police officers responded, said the head of Police Special Forces Jonas Hysing. “About 200 participants were violent and the police had to respond with weapons to legitimate self-defense,” he said. Police had earlier said that police officers injured three people after warning shots were fired during Sunday’s “riot”. Eight people were arrested in Norrköping and 18 were detained in the neighboring town of Linköping for the violence. Following the incidents, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Swede to Baghdad on Sunday. He said the case could have “serious implications” for “relations between Sweden and Muslims in general, as well as Muslim and Arab countries and Muslim communities in Europe.” The official Saudi news agency reported that the kingdom “condemned the extremists in Sweden and their provocations against Muslims”. In November 2020, Paludan was arrested in France and deported. Five other activists were arrested in Belgium shortly afterwards, accused of trying to “spread hatred” by burning a Koran in Brussels.
