Rasmus Paludan

Rasmus Paludan (born 2 January 1982)[6] is a Danish-Swedish politician, lawyer and anti-Islam activist.

For the bishop, see Rasmus Paludan (bishop).

Rasmus Paludan
Paludan in 2019
Leader of Stram Kurs
Assumed office
16 March 2017
Preceded byPosition created
Personal details
Born (1982-01-02) 2 January 1982
North Zealand, Denmark
Citizenship
  • Denmark
  • Sweden[1]
Political partyStram Kurs (since 2017)
New Right[2] (2016 – 2017)
Venstre[3] (2010)
Danish Social Liberal Party[4] (RU)[5] (c. 2003)
Other political
affiliations		Alternative for Sweden
For Frihed
June Movement
OccupationPolitician

Paludan is the leader of the Danish political party Stram Kurs ("Hard Line"), which he founded in 2017. He has held numerous demonstrations in which he has burned the Quran, leading to counter-protests, some marked by violence and burning of cars. He is currently wanted by Turkish authorities after having burned a Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.[7] He is considered to be far-right[8][9][10] and right-wing extremist[11][12][13] by political scientists and news media.

Paludan is under constant police protection due to threats against him for his activism.[14]

Family, education, and early career

Paludan is the older brother of poet Tine Paludan and writer Martin Paludan.[15] Paludan himself has a migration background as his father is Swedish journalist Tomas Polvall[16] and he has lived in Sweden at times, which he says gives him the right to Swedish citizenship.[17] In October 2020 Paludan was officially declared a Swedish citizen by authorities as his father is Swedish.[1]

According to his father, Paludan had to pause his studies due to an accident where he was hit by a car while cycling and had to undergo brain surgery.[16] He has a bachelor's degree in law.[18]

As of September 2022, Paludan was studying theology at the University of Copenhagen.[19][20]

Paludan has acted as defence attorney in a number of cases involving self-styled "critics of the system" and proponents of medical cannabis, such as Lars Kragh Andersen,[21] but also in several cases involving immigrant asylum.[22] Between September 2015 and August 2018 Paludan was employed as a lecturer at the law faculty of the University of Copenhagen in the areas of civil law and property law.[23]

Policies and demonstrations

In 2016 Paludan started attending meetings of the International Free Press Society, and participated in all the demonstrations of the anti-Islamic group For Frihed (formerly Pegida Denmark) that year. He also held a speech at one of their demonstrations.[22]

Paludan founded the Stram Kurs party in 2017 which present strong extremist views on Islam and non-western immigration. Paludan is strongly opposed to non-Western immigration and Islam's presence in Denmark. He is well known for his numerous events and political demonstrations, often in areas with many Muslim immigrants. During these demonstrations, he has presented anti-immigrant and racist statements and taunted Muslims (and Islam as a whole), often resulting in counter-protests. At his protests, Paludan has burned the Quran and defaced it in other ways that many Muslims find offensive. Videos of the subsequent confrontations are shared on YouTube where his party has gathered a large following.[21] Ideologically, some observers have considered Paludan a counter-jihadist, but he considers himself to be an ethno-nationalist.[24][25]

Paludan calls for putting expelled foreign citizens unwilling and unable to travel back to their country in detention camps in North-Eastern Greenland, which is a Danish island.[26]

In June 2020, Paludan held a demonstration in Aarhus, Denmark, when a 52-year-old man pulled out a knife, entered the cordoned-off area, and ran towards Paludan. Police fired a warning shot, but the assailant did not lay down his weapon, whereupon police opened fire and wounded the assailant in the leg.[27] In the aftermath, there was unrest in the area. Police were hit by fireworks and rocks were thrown by other assailants in the Gellerup area of Aarhus.[28]

Quran incidents
Rasmus Paludan burning a Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, 21 January 2023

In April 2019, Paludan held a demonstration in Viborg, Denmark, which led to chaos with the presence of about 100 counter-protesters. Three people were arrested and, in June 2019, a 24-year-old Syrian in Denmark was sentenced to 60 days in jail for having thrown a rock at Paludan. The offender was also to be deported after the jail term, and was banned from returning to Denmark for six years.[29]

In connection with a planned Quran burning in Malmö in August 2020, Paludan was banned from entering Sweden for two years,[30] but in October he was granted Swedish citizenship due to his father's citizenship.[1] His supporters burned a Quran, which led to violent riots.[31][32]

In April 2022, Paludan again organised and announced several demonstrations in major Swedish cities, where he burned or said that he would burn a Quran. This led to rioting by counter-protesters, including destruction of private and public property and attacks on police.[33][34] Riots also erupted in the lead-up to his demonstration.[35]

On 21 January 2023 Paludan took part in a small demonstration, set up by pro-Kremlin[36] journalist Chang Frick, in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm and set fire to a Quran with a lighter, upsetting Turkey and causing repercussions regarding Sweden's application to join NATO.[37][38][39]

Controversies

Stalking case

In January 2013, Paludan was given a 5-year restraining order, forbidding him from contacting a then-24-year-old man whom he had been stalking since 2010, when they both started at the University of Copenhagen.[40][41] Despite the restraining order, the harassment continued until December 2013.[41] In 2015, Paludan was fined for offending the police officer who handled the stalking case.[40]

Ban from the United Kingdom

On 20 March 2023, Paludan was banned from entering the United Kingdom, after threatening to burn a copy of the Quran in the city of Wakefield during an upcoming visit.[42]

Court appearances
  • In 2019, a Danish court found Paludan guilty of racism and was given a suspended jail sentence.[43]
  • In 2020, a Danish court jailed Paludan for a month in jail for a number of offences, including racism, which he appealed.[43]
  • In 2021, a Danish appeal court found Paludan guilty of racism and defamation. His sentence was changed to a suspended sentence.[44][45]

Turkish arrest warrant

On 21 July 2023, a court in Ankara, Turkey, officially issued an arrest warrant for Paludan for "publicly insulting religious values" as a result of having burned a Quran in front of their embassy on 21 January 2023.[46][7][47]

References
  1. "Rasmus Paludan stämmer svenska staten på en miljon". Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). 9 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  2. "Reporterne 10-02-2017 (2)". radio24syv.dk (in Danish). Radio24syv. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original (radio) on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. "YOUTUBE-FÆNOMENET, DER PLUDSELIG FIK MEDVIND OG KOM PÅ STEMMESEDLEN". dr.dk (in Danish). DR (broadcaster). Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  4. "Rettelse". information.dk (in Danish). Dagbladet Information. 11 October 2005. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  5. "Rasmus Paludan var medlem af Radikal Ungdom". bt.dk (in Danish). B.T. 18 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  6. Ritzau (7 May 2019). "Overblik: Stram Kurs vil lede landet og forbyde islam". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish).
  7. Nyheter, S. V. T. (21 July 2023). "Paludan om turkiska arresteringsordern: "En PR-sak"". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  8. Switzer, Ryan; Beauduin, Adrien (6 December 2022). "Embodied nativism in Denmark: rethinking violence and the far right". Ethnic and Racial Studies. Informa UK Limited. 46 (7): 1335–1356. doi:10.1080/01419870.2022.2143716. ISSN 0141-9870. S2CID 254399367.
  9. Bangstad, Sindre (5 October 2020). "Is free speech racist?". Ethnic and Racial Studies. Informa UK Limited. 44 (8): 1401–1404. doi:10.1080/01419870.2020.1825759. ISSN 0141-9870. S2CID 225124808.
  10. Kondor, Katherine; Littler, Mark (12 September 2023). The Routledge Handbook of Far-Right Extremism in Europe. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-89703-6.
  11. Local, TT/The (20 April 2022). "Danish far-Right extremist Rasmus Paludan to stand in Swedish election". The Local Sweden. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  12. Phalnikar, Sonia (20 April 2022). "Political provocations in Sweden – DW – 04/20/2022". dw.com. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  13. Radio Sveriges (26 April 2022). "Right-wing extremist Paludan wants to hold May 1st rallies in Stockholm and Uppsala". Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  14. Frydendahl, Lise Soelberg (11 March 2020). "Når Rasmus Paludan sover, må betjente sidde otte timer i en bil uden adgang til toilet". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  15. Tuxen, Mathias (19 April 2019). "Rasmus Paludans søster har droppet kontakten" (in Danish). Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  16. Polvall, Tomas (23 May 2019). "Tomas Polvall: "Min politiska uppfattning skiljer sig radikalt från Rasmus, men han bör bemötas med argument."". Kristianstadsbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  17. Telefon: 33111313, Rådhuspladsen 37 1785 København V. (8 September 2020). "Paludan smider bombe: Jeg er svensk statsborger". ekstrabladet.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  18. "Hjemmeside afslører kriminelle cyklister - især på Østerbro". Politiken (in Danish). 3 July 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  19. "Rasmus Paludan er optaget på teologistudiet". Kirke.dk. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  20. Krarup, Nicklas (20 August 2022). "Paludan begynder på nyt studie: Vil ikke være uvidende". Ekstrabladet. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  21. William Kristensen (15 April 2019). "Fra cykelstiens vogter til frihedens soldat". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish).
  22. "Kan Rasmus Paludan forsvare udlændinge og samtidig være med i Pegida?". 21 October 2016.
  23. Holm, Line Tolstrup; Jessen, Chris Kjær; Jensen, Henrik; Pedersen, Lars Nørgaard (23 May 2019). "Universitet ansatte Paludan som underviser – trods flere års chikane og klagesager samme sted". Berlingske.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  24. "Stram Kurs och Rasmus Paludan". Expo (in Swedish). 19 September 2022.
  25. "Daniel Poohl: Koranbrännarna bryr sig inte om yttrandefriheten". Expo (in Swedish). 6 September 2020.
  26. "Stram Kurs vil deportere de fleste i Vollsmose: - Vi har kun ét hjemland, og det skal vi værne om" [Hard Line wants to deport most people in Vollsmose: - We have only one homeland, and we shall protect it.]. Fyens (in Danish). 3 June 2019.
  27. "Mand skudt ved Paludan-demonstration - TV 2". nyheder.tv2.dk (in Danish). 5 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  28. "To betjente ramt af kasteskyts efter skyderi i Aarhus". DR (in Danish). 5 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  29. "Mand udvist af Danmark for stenkast mod Rasmus Paludan - TV 2". nyheder.tv2.dk (in Danish). 25 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  30. Palm, Olle (28 August 2020). ""Han utgör ett allvarligt hot" – polisen om inreseförbudet mot Paludan". SVT Nyheter.
  31. "Riots in Sweden's Malmo after anti-Muslim Danish leader blocked from 'Quran-burning rally', given two-year ban". Firstpost. Agence France-Presse. 29 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  32. "Riots in Sweden after far-right activists burn copy of Quran". Al-Jazeera English.
  33. Helsinki, Associated Press in (17 April 2022). "Third night of unrest in Sweden over far-right anti-Islam rally". the Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  34. Nyheter, SVT (15 April 2022). "Upplopp i flera städer – detta har hänt". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  35. "Three police injured after riot in Sweden". The Local Sweden. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  36. Oliphant, Roland; MacDiarmid, Campbell (26 January 2023). "Kremlin-linked journalist organised Quran-burning at Turkish embassy in Stockholm". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  37. "'Quran burning' protest scuppers Turkey-Sweden NATO talks". Euronews. AFP. 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  38. "Anti-Islam demo in Sweden raises heat over Nato bid". dawn.com. Dawn. 22 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023.
  39. "Russia-affiliated journalist paid for Quran burning in Sweden". 25 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  40. Jensen, Henrik; Jessen, Chris Kjær; Holm, Line Tolstrup; Pedersen, Lars Hørgaard (15 May 2019). "Ung mand blev i flere år chikaneret af Rasmus Paludan. En dag dukkede partilederen op med et kamera i mandens barndomsby". Berlingske (in Danish). Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  41. Bruun, Nanna Bundgaard; Løvkvist, Kasper; Funding, Thomas (14 May 2019). "Rasmus Paludans tilholdssag: Læs hvordan han forfulgte og chikanerede ung mand i årevis". JydskeVestkysten (in Danish). Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  42. "Danish far-right leader banned from UK over threat to burn Quran in Wakefield". BBC News. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  43. "Danish far-right leader Paludan jailed for racism". BBC News. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  44. "The Copenhagen Post". 3 September 2021.
  45. "High Court finds Rasmus Paludan guilty of racism – but mitigates punishment". 3 September 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  46. Kirenci, Ayse Isin. "Türkiye issues arrest warrant for far-right Paludan over Quran-burning". Türkiye Issues Arrest Warrant for Danish Politician over Quran-Burning Incident | Latest News. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  47. "Högerextremist brände koranen nära Turkiets ambassad". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). 23 January 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
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