Members of a Danish far-right group set fire to a copy of the Muslim holy book Koran in Malmo, sparking violent protests in several cities in Sweden over the past two days.
The conflict first occurred in Malmö on Saturday afternoon, after a rally of the extreme right-wing party Stram Kurs (Hardcore) led by Rasmus Paludan.
Demonstrators threw stones at the police and set several cars on fire.
Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right, has announced that he will burn the Koran again.
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At least 16 police officers were injured and several vehicles were destroyed in the riots after the extreme right-wing rallies in the suburbs of Stockholm, as well as Linköping and Norrkoping.
Anders Tornberg, Sweden's police chief, said the protesters showed they had no interest in the lives of police officers.
"We have seen violent protests before, but this is different now," Tornberg said.
The behavior of extreme right-wing groups has caused violent public reactions not only in Sweden, but also abroad.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq invited the chargé d'affaires of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad for an interview.
He warned that recent incidents could have "serious consequences" for relations between Sweden and Muslim countries.
Protests against the plans and moves of the Stram Kurs party have been able to turn violent in Sweden before.
Two years ago, protesters set several cars on fire and damaged the windows of numerous shops in Malmö.
Two years ago, Rasmus Paludan was sentenced to one month in prison in Denmark for various offenses, including racism.
Paludan tried to organize the burning of the Koran in other European countries as well.
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