A burnt out light truck is seen on Saturday in the Rosengard neighborhood of Malmo, Sweden following clashes with police. Photo: AFP
At least 10 people were arrested and several police officers injured during clashes in southern Sweden after an anti-Muslim Danish politician was blocked from attending a Koran-burning rally, police said Saturday.
Protesters threw stones at police and burned tires on the streets of Malmo late Friday, with the violence escalating as the evening wore on, according to police and local media.
The demonstration of about 300 people was connected to an incident earlier in the day in which protesters burned a copy of the Islamic holy book, police spokesman Rickard Lundqvist told Swedish tabloid Expressen in a statement.
Between 10 and 20 protesters were arrested late Friday but were all subsequently released, police spokesman Patric Fors told AFP. Several police officers were slightly injured, he added.
The violence had subsided by Saturday morning.
"Those who act like this have nothing to do with Islam," Samir Muric, an imam, said on Facebook.
"It's not right," Malmo resident Shahed told the SVT public broadcaster. "But it wouldn't have happened if they hadn't burnt the Koran," he added.
AFP