– This is very worrying, and we will resort to powerful countermeasures. This can not continue, says Sweden’s National Police Chief Anders Thornberg on Saturday.
The statement comes after the Danish politician Rasmus Paludan from the anti-Islamic party Stram kurs was allowed to carry out several celebrations in Sweden where he set fire to the Koran. The marking triggered riots in Örebro, among other places, on Friday, where the police experienced that counter-protesters attacked the police. Several police officers were injured.
On Saturday, several people were injured and one person is charged with attempted murder after driving into the barricades that were set up where Magnus Paludan was to demonstrate at Skånegården in Malmö, reports SVT.
– Indifference to the lives of others
– Several of those who have participated in the riots have been focused on attacking and seriously damaging police officers and police property. We have seen an indifference to the lives of my colleagues and others. We must show that those behind such offenses do not escape. Serious criminal attacks on the rule of law must and must be dealt with quickly, says Thornberg according to a statement on police website.
Thornberg says in the statement nothing about the criticism that has been directed at the police strategy, points out SVT. The TV channel says they unsuccessfully asked for an interview with the national police chief.
Car fires and stone throwing
Aftonbladet reports stone-throwing against the police and burning car tires in Landskrona on Saturday, where around 100 people had gathered. The unrest continued in Malmö.
Paludan had been ordered by the police to move his notified marking away from Landskrona and to a rest area along a motorway south of Malmö. After the Koran was burned, several cars were on fire and stones were thrown, reports NTB via Swedish Television and Aftonbladet.
Three people must be injured. A Danish TV photographer was fired by a protester, and Pauldan himself was hit in the leg with a stone.
Rebel police used pepper spray to prevent counter-protesters from taking over the barricades that had been set up, reports the news agency TT according to SVT.
A car also drove into the barricades that had been set up. No police officers were injured this time.
During the Easter weekend, there have been riots in Linköping, Norrköping, Stockholm and Örebro in the wake of Paludan’s markings, markings Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has called pure provocations and urged the Swedes to remain calm.
In Örebro, the police completely lost control of the situation. Police cars were attacked, and several police officers were injured in the riots.
Too bad to bite the bait
StAtsminister Magdalena Andersson went in a Facebook post on Friday strongly opposed to the protesters’ attacks on the police. At the same time, she asked the Swedes not to bite on Paludan’s provocations:
– This is exactly the kind of violent reactions he wants to see. The purpose is to excite people. It’s a shame to bite that bait. Sweden can do better, was her call.
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