Rasmus Paludan
Rasmus Paludan (born 2 January 1982) is a Danish-Swedish politician, lawyer and anti-Islam activist. 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. He is considered to be far-right and right-wing extremist by political scientists and news media. Paludan is under constant police protection due to threats against him for his activism. Family, education, and early career Paludan is the older brother of poet Tine Paludan and writer Martin Paludan. Paludan himself has a migration background as his father is Swedish journalist Tomas Polvall and he has lived in Sweden at times, which he says gives him the right to Swedish citizenship. In October 2020 Paludan was officially declared a Swedish citizen by authorities as his father is Swedish. 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.