Protesters set fire to the Swedish embassy
Supporters of a religious leader denounced a demonstration scheduled for Thursday in Stockholm, during which a copy of the Qur’an must be burned.
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The Swedish embassy in Baghdad (Iraq) was set on fire today, Thursday, July 20, during a demonstration organized by supporters of religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr. The purpose of the rally was to denounce an event scheduled for Thursday in Sweden, where an Iraqi activist is to burn a copy of the Holy Quran, already criticized for burning it.
Smoke billowed from the diplomatic fist, as an AFP correspondent saw from the roof of a building in the neighbourhood, as Iraqi riot police deployed in large numbers, then chased away dozens of protesters who stayed where they were, using water cannons and electric batons.
Embassy staff “in protection”, For its part, announced the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. “We are aware of the situation. Our embassy staff are safe and the ministry is in constant contact with them.”The ministry said in an email.
At the heart of the tensions, the small gathering (with the permission of the Swedish authorities) should be held as planned on Thursday in Stockholm at the initiative of Sloane Momica, An Iraqi refugee in Sweden plans to burn a copy of the Quran and the Iraqi flag in front of the Iraqi embassy. He had previously angered Morocco and Turkey at the end of June after he tore up a copy of the Qur’an and burned it in the Swedish capital.
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