Sweden: three police hurt in riot before demo where Qur’an was to be burned
Three police officers have been taken to hospital after a riot broke out in a Swedish town where a demonstration that included a Qur’an burning was planned.
Footage from the scene in the city of Linkoping on Sweden’s east coast showed a car burning and dozens of masked people attacking police cars.
“The mood has been aggressive and there have been attacks against police at the scene,” police spokesperson Asa Willsund told broadcaster SVT on Thursday, adding that things had calmed down after police had backed off.
Two of the officers had minor injuries, but the condition of the third was unknown, police said in a statement, adding that two people had been arrested.
The riot started before a planned demonstration by anti-Muslim Danish politician Rasmus Paludan and his party Stram Kurs (Hard Line) that was meant to include a burning of the
While Stram Kurs had been given permission to hold their demonstration in the Skaggetorp neighbourhood – where more than 50% of inhabitants were born abroad – they were not able to start it as police were dealing with the rioters.
“There are masked individuals at the scene that are throwing rocks at police,” a statement from regional police said, without identifying if they were part of the scheduled protest or counter-protesters.
Videos posted on social media showed young men smashing in windows of police cars and shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest).
The demonstration was scheduled to start at 3.30pm (1330 GMT) but according to police they had still not been able to carry it out just before 5.00pm local time.