As reported by Swedish newspaper Aftonblat, Rasmus Paludan, leader of Sweden’s nationalist party Stram Kurs, was to attend a seminar on ‘Islamization in the Nordic countries’ in Malmo city on Thursday.
However, the local administration refused to allow Rasmus Paludan in keeping with law and order. He was arrested when he tried to forcefully enter the city. A day later, on Friday, his supporters burnt some copies of the Quran at a crossroads in Malmo.
Cars were set on fire and shop fronts were damaged in the clashes in the southern city of Malmo which have now been brought under control. There were several arrests.
About 300 people were on the streets of Malmo with violence escalating as the evening wore on, according to police and local media.
“We don’t have this under control but we are working actively to take control,” the spokesman said. “We see a connection between what is happening now and what happened earlier today,” he said.
Several police officers were injured in violence. Between 10 and 20 protesters were arrested late Friday and “have all been released,” police spokesman Patric Fors told AFP.
In one of clip captured in the videos online, It can be seen that rioters chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ while they were recorded in the video.
Paludan last year attracted media attention and incited controversy for burning a Koran wrapped in bacon, a meat that is anathema for Muslims. He had been banned by the Swedish authorities for two years for anti-Islamic rhetoric.
He faced 14 charges, including racism, defamation, and dangerous driving.
In 2019, he was sentenced to 14 days of conditional imprisonment for delivering a racist speech. He is known for posting anti-Muslim videos on YouTube.