Twenty-six people were arrested after violent clashes in Sweden on Sunday between security forces and demonstrators protesting against a planned rally by a far-right group that wanted to burn the Koran, police said on Monday.
"The night was calm after yesterday's riots in Navestad (in the city of Norrköping, center)"
, a district with a large Muslim population.
"The police have taken eight people into custody, suspected of violent riots
," the police said in a statement.
In the nearby town of Linköping, where unrest had also broken out, 18 people were taken into custody.
In both cities, clashes erupted on Sunday, for the second time in four days.
In particular, stones were thrown at the police and cars were burned.
On Thursday, the demonstrators had protested against a rally of the anti-immigration and anti-Islam group "Hard Line", led by the Danish-Swedish Rasmus Paludan.
Read alsoSeveral plans for anti-Muslim attacks foiled since 2013
On Sunday, they demonstrated again to protest against new announced rallies, which Rasmus Paludan finally gave up.
In Norrköping, the police fired warning shots which in turn injured three people.
Rasmus Paludan, who was sentenced in Denmark for racist insults, has made a “tour” in Sweden in recent days, targeting neighborhoods with large Muslim populations to burn the Koran there and generating violent counter-demonstrations in his path.
In Malmö, where he burned a Koran on Saturday, the night from Sunday to Monday was agitated, for the second consecutive time, with in particular a fire starting in a school.
Rasmus Paludan's holding of rallies where he burns the Koran has sparked protests across the Arab world.
Iraqi diplomacy, which summoned the Swedish charge d'affaires, judged that it was an act "
provocative for the feelings of Muslims and offensive for what is sacred to them".
Saudi Arabia also
"condemned the actions of certain extremists in Sweden and their provocations against Muslims",
according to its official agency.