Three Injured In Riots Over Planned Quran Burning In Sweden

JAKARTA - Three people in the Swedish city of Norrkoping needed medical treatment after being hit by police bullets during clashes between police and protesters, following the burning of the Quran that caused riots in several Swedish cities over the Easter weekend.

In some places, counter-protesters attacked police ahead of planned far-right extremist demonstrations. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson condemned the violence.

"Three people appear to have been hit by the reflection and are now being treated in hospital. The three injured people were arrested on suspicion of a crime," police said in an online statement, adding none of the injuries were life-threatening, citing Reuters, April 18.

Police said the situation in Norrkoping was calm on Sunday evening. Previously, police and protesters had been involved in serious clashes over the past few days in which several police officers were injured and several vehicles had been set on fire.

The violence began on Thursday, after demonstrations organized by Rasmus Paludan, the hardline leader of Denmark's far-right political party. Paludan, which has a permit for a series of demonstrations in Sweden over the Easter weekend, is known for burning Qurans.

According to BBC, clashes have occurred for a fourth day in several Swedish cities, sparked by the burning of Korans by right-wing anti-immigrant groups.

Local media said three people were injured in the eastern city of Norrköping on Sunday when police fired warning shots at rioters. Several vehicles were set ablaze and at least 17 people were arrested. Meanwhile, on Saturday, vehicles including buses were set ablaze in the southern city of Malmo during far-right demonstrations.

Danish-Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan, who leads the Stram Kurs, or Hardliners movement, said he had burned Islam's holiest text and would repeat the act.

At least 16 police officers were reported injured and several police vehicles destroyed in riots on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in places where far-right groups planned arson activities, including in suburbs of Stockholm and in the cities of Linköping and Norrköping.

Paludan has threatened to hold another rally in Norrköping on Sunday, prompting counter-demonstrators to gather there, Deutsche Welle reported.

Meanwhile, Sweden's National Police Chief Anders Thornberg said in a statement on Saturday the demonstrators had shown indifference to the lives of police officers.

"We have seen violent riots before. But this is something else," he added.

Protests against Stram Kurs' plan to burn the Koran have turned violent in Sweden before. In 2020, protesters burned cars, and shop fronts were vandalized in clashes in Malmö.

Paludan, who was jailed for a month in 2020 for offenses including racism in Denmark, has also tried to plan similar Koran burnings in other European countries, including France and Belgium.