(JTA) — The two organizers of a demonstration in Sweden against anti-Semitism canceled the event amid fears of violence and disturbances to public order.
Elin Schwartz and Kaino Nordgren said they scrapped the Aug. 14 rally in Gothenburg because would-be participants said they were too afraid to show up, the Göteborgs-Posten daily reported Thursday. At least 100 demonstrators were expected to take part in the protest.
“At the last minute we learned that many Jews are afraid to come, and that there were rumors that people will come and try to destroy the demonstration and crash it to spread political messages,” organizers Schwartz and Nordgren wrote on Facebook to announce the cancellation.
They added they could not verify the rumors, but said “we are two individuals and as organizers dare not take upon ourselves the responsibility of ensuring everyone’s safety.” They also wrote: “Had we had more time, we could find out more about the threat, but now we feel that we need to postpone.” No new time or venue has been set.
Also Thursday, well-known Swedish hip-hop music artist Jacques Mattar wrote on the picture-sharing social network Instagram that Zionists created the ISIS jihadist group.
Posting a picture of dead bodies, he wrote: “The media aren’t there. Why? The same people who created ISIS control the media: Senior Zionists.”
Mattar, who is known by his stage name Jacco and is a member of the popular band Labyrint, removed the remark about Zionists from his Instagram account shortly after posting it, the Dagens Nyheter daily reported.
