RIOTS ERUPT IN SWEDISH CITY OVER BURNING OF KORAN

Protests against the burning of the Koran have degenerated into riots in the Rosengard district of the Swedish city of Malmö on Friday, the Swedish SVT TV channel reported.

The Russian newspaper Izvestia also reported on August 29, 2020 that only about 300 people took part in the protests, which happened at the main streets of the district and completely blocked the traffic. Police officers who arrived at the scene of the protests faced opposition, with protesters throwing bottles, stones and fireworks at law enforcement officers.

Several police vehicles and at least one rescue vehicle were damaged. Just before midnight, police reported that the situation on the streets was still out of control. During the riots, there was also a fire on Amiralstagan Street, with protesters burning tires and rubbish. In addition, several cars burned down at different addresses in the area. The latter was in the underground garage. Police do not currently know if the fires are related to the ongoing unrest. Police arrested a number of protesters.

A few days ago, street artist and provocateur Dan Park, who was previously convicted of inciting ethnic hatred, asked for permission to hold a demonstration in front of the Islamic Center in Rosengard on the topic of "the consequences of the Islamization of Scandinavia." He planned to hold an action during the Friday prayers of Muslims and invited the leader of the Danish right-wing extremist party "Hard Course" Rasmus Paludan. The burning of the Koran was also planned there, the Russian news agency TASS reported. Paludan was detained at the border with Denmark but his followers burned copies of the Koran at the Emilstorp industrial zone of the Rosengard district.