On Sunday, Swedish police arrested two individuals and detained around 10 people following a violent riot at a protest where the Holy Quran was burned, according to police reports.
The protest, organized by Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, has sparked outrage across the Middle East due to public desecrations of the holy book. The event took place in the immigrant-populated city of Malmo, with approximately 200 spectators attending, as reported by public broadcaster SVT.
Police stated that “some onlookers have shown upset feelings after the organizer burned writings.” The statement further acknowledged that the protest had ended after Momika left, but a group of individuals remained at the scene, leading to a “violent riot” at 1:45 pm.
Police detained around 10 people for disturbance of public order, while two others were arrested on suspicion of violent rioting. Local media reported that some onlookers threw rocks at Momika, and videos from the scene showed attempts to break through the cordon, which were prevented by the police.
Salwan Momika’s series of demonstrations have not only caused anger directed at Sweden but also led to diplomatic tensions between the country and several Middle Eastern nations. The Swedish government has condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran, while recognizing the constitutionally protected freedom of speech and assembly laws.
As a result of these events, the Swedish embassy in Baghdad was stormed twice by Iraqi protesters in July, resulting in fires being set within the compound on the second occasion. Swedish envoys were also summoned by several Middle Eastern countries.
In response to the situation, Sweden’s intelligence agency raised its terror alert level to four out of five in mid-August, considering Sweden a prioritized target for terrorist attacks. The country also implemented increased border controls in the early part of August.
In late August, Denmark, which has also witnessed a series of public Quran desecrations, announced plans to ban such burnings. Meanwhile, Sweden has pledged to explore legal measures to prevent protests involving the burning of texts in certain circumstances.