Protesters break into Swedish embassy in Baghdad after Stockholm Quran burning

From CNN

Demonstrators breached the perimeter of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad Thursday, a day after a protester burned a copy of the Quran in Sweden.

The protests in the Iraqi capital were ordered by the powerful Iraqi Shia cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, who also called for the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador in Baghdad.

Videos circulating on social media showed some protesters climbing over a barricaded wall outside the embassy. It is unclear how far into the building they got, before withdrawing.

Sweden said its staff were safe. “We are well informed about the situation. Our Embassy staff are in safety and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is in regular contact with them,” the Swedish foreign ministry’s press office told CNN in an email.

An Iraqi security source confirmed to CNN that the incident was over. The AFP news agency reported that the protestors were inside the compound for about 15 minutes.

Al Sadr demanded authorities withdraw the Iraqi nationality of Salwan Momika – the organizer of the one-man Quran protest in Stockholm – who immigrated to left Iraq for Sweden five years ago. “If freedom of speech is guaranteed to Iraq and the world, then the believers have to express their views on the burning of the holy books… through massive angry protests against the Swedish embassy in Iraq,” Al Sadr said.

Muslim countries and Islamic organizations had condemned the burning of the Quran in Stockholm. Iran called the act “provocative” and Kuwait said it’s a “dangerous provocatory step”.