This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/579996-iraq-sweden-embassy-koran/
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Swedish embassy torched ahead of new Koran burning stunt | Swedish embassy torched ahead of new Koran burning stunt |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The incident marks the second chaotic demonstration at the compound in recent weeks | The incident marks the second chaotic demonstration at the compound in recent weeks |
| A large crowd of rioters have stormed the Swedish Embassy in Iraq and set the building ablaze, in a protest against an officially sanctioned protest, with possible Koran-burning, planned outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm. | A large crowd of rioters have stormed the Swedish Embassy in Iraq and set the building ablaze, in a protest against an officially sanctioned protest, with possible Koran-burning, planned outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm. |
| Hundreds of people flocked to the diplomatic mission in the early hours of Thursday morning, after influential Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on his supporters to demonstrate, according to Reuters. | Hundreds of people flocked to the diplomatic mission in the early hours of Thursday morning, after influential Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on his supporters to demonstrate, according to Reuters. |
| Footage from the scene has circulated online, with one clip purporting to show the moment rioters stormed the embassy. | Footage from the scene has circulated online, with one clip purporting to show the moment rioters stormed the embassy. |
| Fire and smoke could be seen in other videos, with black plumes billowing from the embassy’s windows as protesters chanted slogans. | Fire and smoke could be seen in other videos, with black plumes billowing from the embassy’s windows as protesters chanted slogans. |
| BREAKING: Protesters storm Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire in response to Stockholm Quran burning pic.twitter.com/D8wGvLLoId | BREAKING: Protesters storm Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire in response to Stockholm Quran burning pic.twitter.com/D8wGvLLoId |
| A source cited by Reuters said that no embassy staff were harmed during the protest, but offered no other details. | A source cited by Reuters said that no embassy staff were harmed during the protest, but offered no other details. |
| #عاجل- محتجون يضرمون النار بـ #سفارة_السويد في #بغداد#السفارة_السويدية#بغدادhttps://t.co/rpoqKqlfpcpic.twitter.com/4LVvY3qbwX | #عاجل- محتجون يضرمون النار بـ #سفارة_السويد في #بغداد#السفارة_السويدية#بغدادhttps://t.co/rpoqKqlfpcpic.twitter.com/4LVvY3qbwX |
| The demonstration was reportedly prompted by the Swedish government’s approval for an upcoming Koran-burning performance in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm on Thursday. | |
| A similar stunt was carried out last month at the same location, triggering a heated protest in Baghdad which also saw an angry crowd storm the Swedish Embassy. | |
| The governments of multiple Muslim countries also lodged formal protests over the previous Koran-burning, including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco and Türkiye. Al-Sadr, meanwhile, called for the expulsion of Sweden’s ambassador to Iraq, saying he represented a nation “hostile to Islam.” | |
| Russia and the United States also condemned the Stockholm stunt, though Washington maintained that allowing it to take place was in line with Swedes’ rights to free expression. |