Hundreds of neo-Nazis and anti-fascists violently clashed with police in Gothenburg today, where more than 30 people were arrested on the most holy day in the Jewish calendar.

Several people, including one police officer, were injured during the Nordic Resistance Movement rally, who describes itself as 'a nationalist socialist' group, in Sweden's second-largest city on Yom Kippur.

An estimated 600 people marched in formation wearing all-black outfits and helmets, having had plans to pass a synagogue before Swedish courts intervened and shortened their route to less than a half a mile.

Membership in Nazi organisations is not illegal in Sweden and the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM) had a permit from the police to march.

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Police officers stop neo-Nazi demonstrators from trying to walk along a forbidden street during the Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) march in central Gothenburg, Sweden

Anti-fascists clash with the police during the Neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

Anti-fascists clash with the police during the Neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

Anti-fascists clash with the police during the Neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

Police detain a member of the Nordic Resistance Movement during their demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

Police and anti-fascist protesters during a Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

Police and anti-fascist protesters during a Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

The authorities say the Nordic Resistance Movement had expected some 1,000 people to march Saturday but an approximate 600 showed up

Some 20 people, mostly Danes and Germans, were stopped as they arrived in Sweden to take part in the demonstration.

Police had posted flyers before the event warning people not to act in a way reminiscent of the German Nazi's 'National Socialist demonstrations in the 1930s and 1940s.'

Saturday's march may have been the largest neo-Nazi rally since then.

Police had prepared for violence to break out and had called in reinforcements from all police districts in Sweden and added 350 temporary jail beds in a police garage.

They had also put up a ring around the NMR demonstrators to keep them apart from anti-fascists, who threw fireworks and stones, attempting several times to break police lines.

According to police, several of them were detained on suspicion of rioting.

During NMR speeches, held outside the shut Liseberg amusement park, politicians and the media were signaled out several times as responsible for high levels of immigration in Sweden.

Police offered to shuttle NRM members away in buses after they were circled by riot police on a Gothenburg square, preventing them from completing their march. Police said the move was meant to keep both sides apart.



Police officers stand next to counter-demonstrators prior to the Nordic Resistance Movement's march in central Gothenburg

Police officers stop NMR demonstrators from trying to walk along a forbidden street during the Nordic Resistance Movement march in central Gothenburg

Police and anti-fascist protesters during a Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden

The NRM later demanded that its leader who had been detained, Simon Lindberg, be released before they would leave the square.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told reporters at an EU summit in Tallinn on Friday: 'As a democracy, we should do much more to oppose Nazism and extremism.'

Gothenburg was scarred by violent demonstrations in 2001 on the sidelines of a European Union summit.

Sweden has taken in more immigrants per capita than any other EU-country in recent years, much to the dismay of right-wing groups.

The extreme-right groups have become more active in Sweden, according to police. Three former members of the NMR were convicted earlier this year of a series of bombings targeting immigrants and political opponents.

Police officers stop neo-Nazi demonstrators from trying to walk along a forbidden street during the Nordic Resistance Movement march in central Gothenburg, Sweden

Police from across Sweden were called to Gothenburg to help manage a planned neo-Nazi demonstration in the centre of the city

Police from across Sweden were called to Gothenburg to help manage a planned neo-Nazi demonstration in the centre of the city*

Police from across Sweden were called to Gothenburg to help manage a planned neo-Nazi demonstration in the centre of the city

A police officer uses pepper spray on neo-Nazi demonstrators as they try to walk along a forbidden street during the Nordic Resistance Movement march

Police from across Sweden are called to Gothenburg to help manage a planned neo-Nazi demonstration in the centre of the city

Police officers react to counter-demonstrators prior to the Nordic Resistance Movement's march in central Gothenburg, Sweden

Police officers stand guard near counter-demonstrators prior to the Nordic Resistance Movement's march in central Gothenburg, Sweden

Police officers stand guard near counter-demonstrators prior to the Nordic Resistance Movement's march in central Gothenburg, Sweden

Police from across Sweden will be called to Gothenburg to help manage a planned neo-Nazi demonstration in the centre of the city

Police from across Sweden will be called to Gothenburg to help manage a planned neo-Nazi demonstration in the centre of the city

Police from across Sweden will be called to Gothenburg to help manage a planned neo-Nazi demonstration in the centre of the city

Police from across Sweden will be called to Gothenburg to help manage a planned neo-Nazi demonstration in the centre of the city