Police mounted on horses ride through counter-demonstrators protesting against an election meeting arranged by the neo-nazi party “Svenskarnas Parti”, at a square in central Malmo, Sweden, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014.COPENHAGEN, Denmark – At least three people were seriously injured Saturday when mounted riot police charged demonstrators in southern Sweden, authorities said.
Police spokeswoman Ewa-Gun Westford said officers on horseback chased rock-throwing demonstrators who were “causing violent riots” in Malmo, Sweden’s third-largest city. Swedish media published photos of people on the ground as police horses raced over them down a street.
Approximately 1,000 people had gathered in Malmo to protest an election rally by a far-right group, the Party of the Swedes, ahead of the country’s Sept. 14 parliamentary vote. Those injured were protesters.
Westford said a fourth person was slightly injured after being hit by a police van.
“It goes without saying that we are not happy with what happened today,” Westford said.