Malmo, MINA – The arrest of a right-wing activist who burn the Holy of Al-Quran in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, sparked violence and riots after more than 300 people gathered to protest, police said.
It came on Friday after an anti-Muslim Danish politician was blocked from attending a rally and barred from entering Sweden for two years.
Rasmus Paludan, who heads Denmark’s hardline anti-immigration party, will travel to Malmo to speak at an event held on the same day as Friday prayers.
Paludan last year attracted media attention and sparked controversy by burning the Quran wrapped in pork bacon.
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The protests in Malmo escalated into further violence as night passed, according to police and local media.
Authorities prevented Paludan’s arrival by announcing that he had been barred from entering Sweden for two years. He was later arrested near Malmo.
Paludan then posted a scathing message on Facebook.
“Sent back and banned from Sweden for two years. However, rapists and murderers are always welcome! ” he wrote.
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“We suspect he will break the law in Sweden,” said Calle Persson, a police spokesman in Malmo.
“There is also a risk that his behavior … will become a threat to society.”
However, his supporters went on to rally and three people were later arrested for inciting racial hatred. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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