Swedish police have dispersed hundreds of people protesting in central Stockholm on Saturday against government restrictions to reduce the coronavirus epidemic.
The demonstration was illegal because it was organized without permission, Swedish authorities said. It was the first major demonstration against coronavirus restrictions in the country.
Swedish police reported that they acted exactly when the number of participants exceeded the limit imposed on public gatherings under Swedish pandemic orders.
In videos published in the Swedish media, hundreds of people without masks were seen gathered in the Medborgarplatsen square in Stockholm, not far from the old town. The local press estimated between 300 and 500 participants.
The Aftonbladet and Expressen newspapers reported that the protesters dispersed quite peacefully, but that six policemen were injured after altercations broke out between the police and some protesters who did not want to leave.
Aftonbladet said the event was organized by a group called Swedish Freedom, which, according to the newspaper, claims that the rules against COVID-19 restrict human freedom.
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Unlike other European countries, Sweden decided at the beginning of the pandemic to keep society largely small, but in recent months the government has taken a more assertive stance.
Sweden recorded more than 13,000 deaths during the pandemic, far more than its northern neighbors Denmark, Norway and Finland.