At least 40 people were injured in Sweden during several days of turmoil caused by a far-right group’s plot to burn copies of the Quran, as police sought extra resources to deal with the violence.
The burning of the Muslim holy book is a well-practised prank by Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan, leader of the anti-immigration and anti-Islam party Hard Line.
Paludan launched a “tour” of Sweden, intending to visit cities and towns with big Muslim populations with the intention of burning copies of the Quran during the holy month of Ramadan, in order to stir up support ahead of Danish legislative elections in September.
Where have there been protests?
On Friday, violent riots erupted in Orebro, Sweden, as counter-protesters attacked police ahead of a planned far-right event.
According to officials, four police cars were set on fire, injuring at least four cops and one civilian. Stones were thrown, while groups of protesters attacked police stations and tore down barriers.
After Paludan set fire to a copy of the Quran on Friday, local media reported disturbances in the Stockholm district of Rinkeby.
At least 34 individuals were arrested in Linkoping and Norrkoping on Sunday, police said after approximately 150 demonstrators threw stones at cops and set vehicles on fire.
Sweden’s national police commander, Anders Thornberg, claimed he had never seen such violent protests.
The disturbance in Norrkoping erupted after Paludan announced that he would host a rally there but did not show up. Three persons were reportedly injured by gunfire, and Norrkoping police said they “fired numerous warning shots” after being attacked.
“Three people appear to have been hit by ricochets and are now being treated in hospitals,” police said. “All three people who were hurt have been arrested on suspicion of committing crimes.”
Later, the far-right party’s head announced that the protest will be cancelled because Swedish authorities had demonstrated that “they are absolutely incapable of safeguarding themselves and me.”
“It would be very terrible for Swedes, Danes, and other northerners if I was gravely injured or murdered owing to the inadequacies of the police power,” Hard Line wrote on Facebook.
A bus caught fire in Malmo after unknown culprits threw a flaming object at it, according to the Swedish network SVT.
Who is Rasmus Paludan, and where did he come from?
Paludan, whose father is a Swedish citizen, rose to prominence in 2017 when he began posting anti-Muslim YouTube videos. In Denmark, he rationalised his antics, such as burning the Muslim holy book wrapped in bacon, as a testament to free expression.
“Islam and Muslims are the adversaries. In a December 2018 video, he stated, “The best thing would be if there was not a single Muslim remaining on this Earth, then we would have achieved our final goal.”
Paludan was sentenced to 14 days in prison in Denmark in 2019 for racist remarks. After being convicted guilty of 14 distinct charges of racism, slander, and dangerous driving a year later, he faced one month in prison plus two months of a suspended sentence.
In the most recent Danish national elections in 2019, Hard-Line, or Stram Kurs in Swedish, failed to secure a single seat. Paludan now intends to compete in the June 2023 election, but he apparently lacks the required number of signatures to ensure his candidacy.
Is this anything you’ve seen before?
Violence has erupted in the past in response to a Danish party’s plot to burn the sacred book. Paludan was at the centre of disturbances in Malmo, Sweden, in 2020, with demonstrators setting cars on fire over similar initiatives. He was barred from returning to Sweden for a period of two years.
Paludan and his Hard Line party were barred from entering Belgium for a year in 2020 due to plans to burn the Quran in a Muslim-dominated district of Brussels. After advocating the same in Paris, he was also deported from France.
