On Thursday, the Stockholm police granted Paludan’s application to hold a public meeting near the Turkish embassy at 1 pm on Saturday. There he plans, true to his habit, to burn a copy of the Muslims’ holy book.
According to Paludan, the aim is to “mark some freedom of expression” against Turkey. This after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s anger after last week’s action outside Stockholm’s city hall, when the organization Rojava Committees hung a doll representing Erdogan at the feet.
Turkish demonstration
At the same time as Paludan’s Koran burning, the pro-Turkish organization Union of European Turkish Democrats, UETD, has received permission for a demonstration in support of Turkey and President Erdogan outside the embassy.
– The basic principles provide strong protection, and one must assess the value of being allowed to demonstrate and the freedom of expression weighs heavily. That is what was taken into the balance, Ola Österling, press spokesperson at the police, explains the decision.
He says that the police have a good dialogue with both groups and that they have intended an adapted resource for the gatherings. He cannot go into how big that resource is, but points out that there are demonstrations in Stockholm every Saturday.
– Every Saturday we have an adapted resource that we judge to be sufficient for us to be able to handle it. A permit is a contract that we will ensure that every member of the general assembly will be able to express their opinion.
Hundreds are expected to attend
At Norra Bantorget, a few kilometers away, hundreds of people are expected to gather for a long-planned demonstration in protest against Erdogan and the Swedish NATO accession.
The organizer, the organization Kurdish Democratic Community Center, expects between 500 and 600 participants in the train that ends at Medborgarplatsen. Among the participants are also the Rojava committees.