Sweden has seen streets riots before. The country has witnessed attacks on police and rescue workers. But what played out this Easter weekend has left Swedes in shock.
Rasmus Paludan, a Danish politician on the extreme right who also holds Swedish citizenship, decided to tour the country last week, seeking out immigrant neighbourhoods where he could stage public burnings of the Quran. Paludan’s support in Sweden is isolated to the very fringes of the extreme right, especially since it was alleged last year that he had written sexually explicit messages to underage boys online. But there is no prohibition against blasphemy in Swedish law, which is why the police granted him permission for his rallies.
Chaos erupted almost everywhere he went. In neighbourhood after neighbourhood, police were pelted with rocks by furious rioters. In the southern town of Örebro, a police vehicle was hijacked and driven around in triumph by masked men.
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