Protesters were shot by police in the town of Norrkoping and taken to a hospital for treatment. “Three people seem to have been hit by a ricochet and are now being treated in hospital. “All three injured were arrested on suspicion of crime,” authorities said. Uprisings erupted in several parts of Sweden following demonstrations by Rasmus Paludan, leader of Denmark’s far-right Stram Kurs or Hard Line party. The extremist leader is said to be known for his anti-Islamic activities and was allowed to hold a series of demonstrations across Sweden over the weekend. Swedish authorities said they had fired “warning shots” during the uprising to disperse protesters who had been angry with protesters in recent days. Several counterattacks planned by Mr. Paludan against the protests turned violent after he set fire to a copy of the Koran on Friday. Kim Hild, a police spokeswoman in southern Sweden, said on Saturday that police would not revoke the permit for a demonstration targeting religious minorities because the threshold for doing so was too high in Sweden, as the Nordic country freedom of speech. The right of protesters “to demonstrate and speak is very important and needs an incredible amount to be ignored,” Ms Hildt told Swedish news agency TT. During Saturday’s rally, vehicles, including buses and cars, were set on fire in the southern city of Malmo. Protesters hurled stones at right-wing protesters and police reportedly used pepper spray to disperse them. People burn branches to block a road during an uprising in Norrkoping, Sweden on April 17 (Stefan Jerrevang / ΤΤ News Agency via AP) At least 16 police officers were injured during riots in Linkoping, Norrkoping and the suburbs of the capital Stockholm over the weekend. The leader of the right was hit by a stone in his leg, local media reported. Videos and photos from Orebro showed police cars being set on fire and protesters throwing stones and other objects at riot police. In the southern city of Landskrona, hundreds of mostly young people threw stones and set fire to cars, tires and rubbish bins. Mr Paludan and his party, which is fighting for an anti-immigration and anti-Islamic agenda, had planned a rally in Norrkoping on Sunday but reportedly never showed up. He announced on the party’s Facebook page that he had decided to cancel Sunday’s demonstrations in both locations as Swedish authorities in the area “showed that they are completely incapable of protecting themselves and me”. He added: “If I was seriously injured or killed due to the inadequacy of the police authority, then it would be very sad for the Swedes, the Danes and other northerners.” “We have seen violent unrest in the past. “But that’s something else,” Anders Thornberg, Sweden’s national police chief, told BBC News.
