Injuries at 'disgusting' neo-Nazi rally
Two people were injured as protesters clashed with members of the neo-Nazi Swedish resistance movement in Stockholm with the far right rally labelled as "absolutely disgusting" by Sweden's EU Minister.
The skirmishes took place in central Stockholm on Saturday evening as an estimated 80 members of the Swedish resistance movement (Svenska motståndsrörelsen) took to the streets to support Greek extreme right party Golden Dawn.
However, the neo-Nazis were vastly outnumbered by pro-democracy protesters which were reckoned to be 450 according to the police. In scenes described as "chaos" by Expressen there were fireworks, bottles and flares thrown.
One woman, who is understood to not be a member of either group, was struck in the head by glass bottle but her injuries were minor said police.
A member of the Swedish resistance movement was hospitalized with concussion after being struck with an item.
An eyewitness on the counter demonstration told Expressen that events got out of hand when a neo-Nazi threw a flare at the protesters.
"It started when a Nazi threw a banger at us. Somebody then threw back some fiery object and things began to get out of control. They came at us with weapons, glass bottles, paving-stones, flares and bangers," said Jonna Sandell.
The Swedish resistance movement continued their rally to the Greek embassy to show solidarity with neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn after more than 20 members of the Greek party were arrested in a government crackdown.
Sweden's EU Minister Birgitta Ohlsson told Expressen it was "absolutely disgusting" that neo-Nazis had staged a rally on the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht (night of the broken glass) when Nazis waged terror on German and Austrian Jews.
"Kristallnacht was the Nazis brutal dress rehearsal before the Holocaust. It's absolutely disgusting that Swedish Nazis used the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht to demonstrate their repulsive anti-Semitism."
Ohlsson added that the far-right are on the rise in Europe saying that there is an equal number of elected extremist politicians in European parliaments as there was in the 1940s.
Kristallanacht was commemorated in several parts of Sweden on Saturday with torchlight processions in Malmö, Gothenburg and the Rinkeby district of Stockholm.
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The skirmishes took place in central Stockholm on Saturday evening as an estimated 80 members of the Swedish resistance movement (Svenska motståndsrörelsen) took to the streets to support Greek extreme right party Golden Dawn.
However, the neo-Nazis were vastly outnumbered by pro-democracy protesters which were reckoned to be 450 according to the police. In scenes described as "chaos" by Expressen there were fireworks, bottles and flares thrown.
One woman, who is understood to not be a member of either group, was struck in the head by glass bottle but her injuries were minor said police.
A member of the Swedish resistance movement was hospitalized with concussion after being struck with an item.
An eyewitness on the counter demonstration told Expressen that events got out of hand when a neo-Nazi threw a flare at the protesters.
"It started when a Nazi threw a banger at us. Somebody then threw back some fiery object and things began to get out of control. They came at us with weapons, glass bottles, paving-stones, flares and bangers," said Jonna Sandell.
The Swedish resistance movement continued their rally to the Greek embassy to show solidarity with neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn after more than 20 members of the Greek party were arrested in a government crackdown.
Sweden's EU Minister Birgitta Ohlsson told Expressen it was "absolutely disgusting" that neo-Nazis had staged a rally on the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht (night of the broken glass) when Nazis waged terror on German and Austrian Jews.
"Kristallnacht was the Nazis brutal dress rehearsal before the Holocaust. It's absolutely disgusting that Swedish Nazis used the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht to demonstrate their repulsive anti-Semitism."
Ohlsson added that the far-right are on the rise in Europe saying that there is an equal number of elected extremist politicians in European parliaments as there was in the 1940s.
Kristallanacht was commemorated in several parts of Sweden on Saturday with torchlight processions in Malmö, Gothenburg and the Rinkeby district of Stockholm.
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