Far-right rally clashes for third day running in Sweden
An anti-riot police officer stands next to a city bus burning in Malmo, Sweden, April 16, 2022. (AFP Photo)


Plans by a far-right group to publicly burn copies of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, sparked violent clashes with counterdemonstrators for the third day running in Sweden, police said on Sunday.

Litter bins, a bus and a car were all set on fire in a series of separate incidents in the city of Malmo overnight, police said in a statement.

"The situation calmed down towards 3:00 am," police spokesperson Kim Hild told SR public radio, adding that no officers were hurt.

There have been similar clashes in recent days over plans to publicly burn the Koran at a rally by the anti-immigration and anti-Islamic Stram Kurs (Hard Line) movement led by Danish-Swedish Rasmus Paludan.

Three police officers had to be taken to hospital after a riot broke out in the city of Linkoping on Sweden's east coast on Thursday. Two people were arrested at that protest.

And on Friday, nine police officers were injured in similar clashes in Orebro in central Sweden.