Several demonstrations have been held today in Stockholm revolving around the NATO membership issue and relations with Turkey. Some of the protesters were Kurdish groups demonstrating against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, some pro-Turkish groups, and others against Sweden's efforts to join NATO.
In the midst of it all, anti-Islam activist, Rasmus Paludan, burned a Koran near the Turkish embassy. That did not draw a large crowd.
As of now, everything has gone on peacefully.
The below article from Dagens Nyheter is translated by Fousesquawk.
https://www.dn.se/sverige/demonstrationer-for-och-emot-turkiet/
Demonstrations for and against NATO- application and Turkey
Updated 18:13, posted 15:29
Caption: Demonstration procession through Stockholm
Several demonstrations connected to Turley and Sweden's NATO application are being held in Stockholm on Saturday afternoon. Police have many people out in the town, but so far no reports of disturbances.
At North Ban Square, hundreds of demonstrators gathered to protest against the Swedish application to NATO. The demonstration was organized by the Kurdish Democratic Community Center, and among the participants was the Rojava Committee, the group that hung an effigy of Erdogan at Stockholm's city hall last week.
Caption: Demonstration against NATO application
The atmosphere was calm, and many demonstrators waved red-green-yellow flags of Kurdish organizations, such as YPG and YPJ. Slogans were both critical of Turkey and Recep Tayyip Erdogan and against NATO. Those who gathered chanted, among other things, "Erdogan upside down-No to NATO, yes to peace."
"To join NATO is a big and destructive step. I think it's a little funny that the government wants the gangs to lay down their weapons and not escalate, at the same time the government wants to join the world's largest armed gang," says Lena Bjärskog
Caption: Lena Bjärskog
"There are a few different reasons why people are here, but I am here to show displeasure with the NATO application. I think it is unfortunate that there is too much focus on Erdogan because this issue is much bigger than that," she says.
Nawzar Jabbar is on the scene with his family. He says he is taking part in the demonstration to show solidarity with Kurds in Syria and to show displeasure with the handling of the NATO application. He thinks that Sweden is conceding too much to Turkey and that it was wrong to lift the weapons embargo against the country.
"Non-alignment has benefitted Sweden, and we should not join NATO. It is not just democracies that are in NATO, but also dictatorships and rogue states, not the least of which is Turkey," says Nawzar Jabbar.
Caption: Nawzar Jabbar
When the demonstrators left North Ban Square to go to Citizens' Square, they all steeped on a large picture of Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Earlier, the right-wing extremist provocateur, Rasmus Paludan, held a demonstration near the Turkish embassy in Diplomatstaden (Stockholm's diplomatic quarter). Interest was cool, and when Paludan burned a copy of the Koran, it was mostly police and journalists watching.
In the same quarter, the pro-Turksih organization, Union of Turkish Democrats (UETD), held a demonstration in support of Turkey and President Erdogan.
The demonstrations have gone on peacefully, according to police.
"Everything has proceeded in accordance with the permissions granted," says police press spokesperson for the Stockholm region, Ola Österling.
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