Several hundred people stormed Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad this morning, Thursday, July 20, and set it on fire.
The incident occurred in the early hours after the powerful Shia preacher and politician Muqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to protest over the recent Koran burnings, according to Aftonbladet, citing Reuters.
None of the embassy’s staff was injured in the event, with Iraqi riot police deployed to the scene after smoke was seen rising from the building at around 3:15 am, the news outlet pointed out.
AFP reported the use of electric batons by the riot police who were said to have used water cannons to disperse the angry crowd.
‘We are informed of the situation. Our embassy staff are safe and the Foreign Ministry is in constant contact with them’, stated the Foreign Ministry’s press service early this morning.
Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström, condemned the action
Tobias Billström, the Swedish Foreign Minister, tweeted: ‘The attacks against the Swedish embassy in Iraq are completely unacceptable. It is the second time in a short time that this has happened. Iraq has a responsibility to protect Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad. The government will today summon Iraq’s top diplomat in Sweden’.
Attackerna mot den svenska ambassaden i Irak är helt oacceptabla. Det är andra gången på kort tid som det sker. Irak har ett ansvar att skydda Sveriges ambassad i Bagdad. Regeringen kommer idag kalla upp Iraks högsta diplomat i Sverige. https://t.co/EavAeYZQSG
— Tobias Billström (@TobiasBillstrom) July 20, 2023
He also issued a full statement about the incident.
Speaking with DN, terrorism researcher Hans Brun said he believed that the huge influence that Muqtada al-Sadr has over Shia Muslims may affect how Sweden reacts. He is very powerful they pointed out and his comments should be taken seriously all the time.
Permission was granted for a public gathering outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm
On Wednesday 19, the Swedish police granted an application for a public gathering outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm this Thursday. The application allegedly stated that they wanted to burn the Koran and the Iraqi flag.
Video clips shared on social media claimed to show how the crowd gathered at around 1 am local time. About an hour later, they entered the embassy, with subsequent videos showing smoke coming from a building inside the compound.
BREAKING: Protesters storm Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire in response to Stockholm Quran burning pic.twitter.com/D8wGvLLoId
— BNO News (@BNONews) July 20, 2023
The Iraqi government condemned today’s violent scenes
This morning’s violent scenes were criticised by the Iraqi government. In a statement, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: ‘The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the act in which the Swedish embassy in Baghdad was set on fire’. It promised to ‘carry out an urgent investigation and take the necessary security measures’.
This is the second time in a month that the Swedish embassy has been targeted by angry mobs. Similar scenes occurred on June 29. Protesters entered the compound but they quickly dispersed when security forces arrived on the scene.
On that occasion, they were demonstrating against the burning of a Koran that took place outside a mosque in Stockholm the day before.
The people behind that burning are believed to be the same ones who received permission to carry out the action at the Iraqi embassy this Thursday.
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