Clashes have taken place for a fourth day in several Swedish cities,sparked by the apparent burning of Quran by a far-right, anti-immigrantgroup, reported BBC.
Local media said three people were injured in the eastern city ofNorrköping on Sunday when police fired warning shots at rioters.
Several vehicles were set on fire and at least 17 people were arrested.
On Saturday, vehicles including a bus were set on fire in the southern cityof Malmo during a far-right rally.
Earlier, the governments of Iran and Iraq summoned Swedish envoys toprotest about the burning.
Danish-Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan, who leads the Stram Kurs, or HardLine, movement said he had burned Islam’s most sacred text and would repeatthe action.
At least 16 police officers were reported to have been injured and severalpolice vehicles destroyed in unrest on Thursday, Friday and Saturday inplaces where the far-right group planned events, including in the suburbsof Stockholm and in the cities of Linköping and Norrköping.
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Paludan had threatened to hold another rally in Norrköping on Sunday,prompting counter-demonstrators to gather there, Deutsche Welle reported.
Local police said in a statement that they fired warning shots after comingunder attack and three people were apparently hit by ricochets.
Sweden’s national police chief Anders Thornberg said in a statement onSaturday that demonstrators had shown an indifference to the lives ofpolice officers, adding: “We have seen violent riots before. But this issomething else.”
Protests against plans by Stram Kurs to burn the Quran have turned violentin Sweden before. In 2020, protesters set cars on fire and shop fronts weredamaged in clashes in Malmö.
Paludan – who was jailed for a month in 2020 for offences including racismin Denmark – has also attempted to plan similar burnings of the Quran inother European countries, including France and Belgium.
