Posted on August 7, 2012

Violence Erupts at Anti-Islam Protest in Sweden

The Sacramento Bee, August 4, 2012

Swedish activists clashed with police amid a hail of bottles and fireworks in downtown Stockholm on Saturday as they tried to break through a police line and attack an anti-Islam demonstration.

Police spokesman Kjell Lendgren said around 400 leftists had gathered to heckle the 100-strong demonstration, which was rallying to bring attention to what it perceives is the Islamization of Europe.

He said the leftists shouted and blew vuvuzelas to drown out anti-Islam and nationalist speeches, but then started throwing bottles and lit fireworks at police, injuring two officers.

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Nationalist groups such as the English Defence League were instrumental in organizing the anti-Islam event, which was described on the anti-Islam European Freedom Initiative’s website as the “first worldwide counter-jihad action.”

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