Several detained after Syrian embassy protest

Some ten people have been arrested after breaking into the Syrian embassy in Danderyd just outside Stockholm on Tuesday morning.
”We want to send a message to the world. We want to work to overthrow the Assad regime,” said a spokesperson for the group, which reportedly belongs to a small Christian party in Syria called the Syriac Union Party.

Police were alerted to the scene just after 10am on Tuesday and five minutes later the first police patrol car had arrived to the embassy. According to the group’s spokesperson, there are some 30-40 people taking part in the action, some of which have entered the building.

“It seems as if people have got into the embassy. It can’t be ruled out that it is rowdy in there,” said Sven–Erik Olsson, of the Stockholm police to daily Aftonbladet.

Demonstrators have been arrested both on the embassy premises and outside of the building, according to the TT news agency.

A large number of police are on the scene and a police helicopter is still patrolling the area, hovering over the building.

Demonstrators are chanting; “we want democracy in Syria”, “act Sweden”, and ”act Carl Bildt” , according to TT.

However, according to the demonstrators’ spokesperson the protesters won’t be staying at the embassy for long.

“This regime can take our pictures, take down our names and persecute our families in Syria,” the spokesman for the Syriac Union Party told Aftonbladet.

The embassy staff had alerted the police when they realized that protesters had broken through and then abandoned the building. No one sustained any physical injuries, according to police.

TT/The Local/rm
http://www.thelocal.se/42602/20120814/