Swedish police arrested two individuals and detained approximately 10 others during a violent riot that unfolded at a protest involving the burning of the Koran, according to

police reports.

The protest, organized by Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, has sparked outrage in the Middle East due to its public desecration of the Muslim holy book.

The demonstration took place in a square in the southern city of Malmo, which has a significant immigrant population, with around 200 spectators in attendance, as reported by public broadcaster SVT. "Some onlookers have shown upset feelings after the organizer burned writings," police stated. The mood grew heated at times, eventually culminating in a "violent riot" at 1:45 pm.

According to the police, the event concluded when the organizer departed, but a group of individuals remained at the scene. Roughly 10 people were detained for disrupting public order, and two were arrested on suspicion of violent rioting.

Local media reported instances of onlookers throwing rocks at Momika, and videos captured some attempting to breach the cordon before being stopped by the police. In another video, a man was seen trying to halt the police car transporting Momika by standing in its path.

Through a series of demonstrations, Momika has stirred anger directed at Sweden and ignited diplomatic tensions between Sweden and several Middle Eastern countries.

While condemning the desecration of the Koran, the Swedish government has emphasized the country's constitutionally protected freedom of speech and assembly.

In July, Iraqi protesters twice stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, setting fires within the compound on the second occasion. Swedish diplomats have also been summoned in various Middle Eastern nations.

In mid-August, Sweden's intelligence agency raised its terror alert level to four on a scale of five, citing Sweden's shift from being considered a legitimate target for terrorist attacks to a prioritized target. Photo by LordHarris, Wikimedia commons.