Scores of people arrested after Quran burning in Swedish city of Malmo

(VOVWORLD) - Swedish police on Sunday arrested two people and detained around 10 people after a violent riot broke out at a protest involving a burning of the holy Quran, police said. 
Sunday's protest was held in a square in the southern city of Malmo, which has a large immigrant population. Around 200 people had showed up to watch the burning.

About 10 people were detained for disturbing the public order and another two were arrested, suspected of violent rioting. Some onlookers threw rocks at the police, and video from the scene showed some trying to break through the cordon before being stopped by police.

The Swedish government criticized the act of Quran burning and also stressed its constitution protects the right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration.

A series of Koran burning recently have triggered anger in Muslim-majority countries and raised “terror” threat in Sweden. On August 17, Sweden’s security service, SAPO, raised its assessment of the level of threat against Sweden to 4 on a scale of 5 amid mounting international tension over the burning of copies of the Quran at demonstrations in the Nordic country. In early August, Sweden tightened border controls over security concerns after Quran-burning controversies.

Sweden and Denmark, where many Quran burning incidents happened in public places, announced that they are considering banning protests involving burning the Quran or other religious texts.

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