Protest against deportations to Afghanistan attacked in Stockholm
Police in Stockholm have tightened up security at a sit-down protest against the deportation of asylum seekers to Afghanistan after the group was attacked on Tuesday evening.
A lit flare was thrown at the protestors sitting at Mynttorget, who are a group of young people who came to Sweden as unaccompanied refugees, at around 20:00. Three people suffered minor injuries.
Eyewitnesses said to several Swedish media outlets that the group of attackers were from the right-wing extremist network Nordisk ungdom (Nordic Youth), made clear by their chanting and the prints on their clothing. Police would not confirm that however.
“We've expanded security and will keep it in place at least during the day. Then a new decision will be made,” Jens Mårtensson from Stockholm police told news agency TT.
The Nordic Youth have previously been behind similar attacks, and are thought to be connected to the interruption of the Stockholm Pride parade a few days prior.
READ ALSO: Stockholm pride parade briefly halted by right-wing extremists
The extremist organization wrote on its website that it was at Myntttorget to protest. The group of 15-16 people was removed from the location by the police.
“They were identified and removed. We’ll see how we figure out who has done what,” Mårtensson explained.
The young refugees demonstrating at the square are asking the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) to stop deportations to Afghanistan because it is too dangerous, and want to meet the agency’s general director Mikael Ribbenvik to discuss it in person.
READ ALSO: Refugee youths protest Swedish deportations to Afghanistan
In early May hundreds of people carried out a similar protest at the same location, and Nordisk Youth attacked the protestors, including throwing flares at the crowd.
Witnesses said that the police where passive and initially did not intervene before eventually moving the extremists from the square.
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A lit flare was thrown at the protestors sitting at Mynttorget, who are a group of young people who came to Sweden as unaccompanied refugees, at around 20:00. Three people suffered minor injuries.
Eyewitnesses said to several Swedish media outlets that the group of attackers were from the right-wing extremist network Nordisk ungdom (Nordic Youth), made clear by their chanting and the prints on their clothing. Police would not confirm that however.
“We've expanded security and will keep it in place at least during the day. Then a new decision will be made,” Jens Mårtensson from Stockholm police told news agency TT.
The Nordic Youth have previously been behind similar attacks, and are thought to be connected to the interruption of the Stockholm Pride parade a few days prior.
READ ALSO: Stockholm pride parade briefly halted by right-wing extremists
The extremist organization wrote on its website that it was at Myntttorget to protest. The group of 15-16 people was removed from the location by the police.
“They were identified and removed. We’ll see how we figure out who has done what,” Mårtensson explained.
The young refugees demonstrating at the square are asking the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) to stop deportations to Afghanistan because it is too dangerous, and want to meet the agency’s general director Mikael Ribbenvik to discuss it in person.
READ ALSO: Refugee youths protest Swedish deportations to Afghanistan
In early May hundreds of people carried out a similar protest at the same location, and Nordisk Youth attacked the protestors, including throwing flares at the crowd.
Witnesses said that the police where passive and initially did not intervene before eventually moving the extremists from the square.
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