The Swedish Defence League have announced their intentions to demonstrate on August 4 in Stockholm, during the annual Pride festival which will run from July 31 until August 4.
The announcement has prompted mass criticism as the public question the motives behind the date of the demonstration.
https://twitter.com/OBEYODB/status/227752557097926657
"Who gave the EDL permission to demonstrate during Pride?"
https://twitter.com/tobiasedlund/status/227751662335438850
"The confusion is big on Twitter: What to do in the EDL #Stockholm Pride ? Should they even be there ? Is an Israeli film stopped or not ? #gay
https://twitter.com/thrill_j/status/227674583900241920
https://twitter.com/LundbergEmma/status/227418254572912641
"I worry when I think of the EDL will demonstrate, while Pride in Stockholm. We have to stop!"
The Swedish Defence League is linked to the English Defence League, and may even have been founded by EDL financier Alan Lake. Previous attempts to launch an EDL counterpart in Sweden have failed, the announcement of the demonstration is the latest attempt to establish the group.
The group are calling the demonstration "the first worldwide counter-jihad initiative" and the "First Annual Global Counter Jihad rally". They have also revealed that representatives from Stop Islamization of Nations (SION), Stop Islamization of America (SIOA), Stop Islamisation of Europe (SIOE), the English Defence League (EDL), and allied groups will speak.
The mass criticism of the demonstration comes just days after the one year anniversary of the racially motivated Norway terror attacks committed by Anders Breivik, which has a dramatic impact in Scandinavia and across Europe.
