Swedish police officers offering testimony during a trial for those who participated in the Easter riots claimed they feared for their lives from the violent mob who reacted to the burning of the Islamic Qur’an by anti-Islam activists.
The police officers spoke in court about their experiences during the riots in the city of Örebro over Easter weekend, which saw 71 of the 135 police officers deployed during the rioting being injured as a result of the violence.
“I was really scared. I was absolutely convinced that I would be beaten to death if I were to fall or something like that,” one of the officers told the court, broadcaster SVT reports.
Officers described the scene of the riots when officers attempted to seek shelter in a police bus but were unable after it had been sabotaged by the rioting mob and said that even warning shots seemed to have little effect on the angry mob who continued to approach officers.
An estimated 1,000 or so people took part in the riots in Örebro, which occurred in the Sveaparken park. While 71 police stated that they had been physically injured during the riots, a further 64 officers reported mental heal problems following the rioting as well.
The Easter Riots took place in several cities across Sweden over a period of several days and were linked to the Qur’an burning demonstrations held by Danish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan and his group Stram Kurs (Hard Line).
Days after the riots, it was reported that at least 104 police officers had been injured, some of which suffered severe injuries such as bone fractures as the rioters pelted police with rocks and stones.
Swedish National Police Chief Anders Thornberg blamed criminal gangs for the violence at the riots stating, “These are not ordinary counter-protesters, we have strong suspicions that those who attack police and emergency services are connected to criminal gangs.”
However, the first person to be convicted of crimes linked to the riots was a 34-year-old immigrant from Tajikistan, who was also subject to a deportation order prior to his arrest for his participation in the violence.