Members of Swedish nationalist right-wing groups carry flags as they gather to demonstrate against the building of a new mosque in Gothenburg. -Reuters Photo

GOTEBORG: Hundreds of proponents and opponents held rallies in Sweden's second-largest city Goteborg on Saturday to voice their opinions over the building of a mosque there.

Heavy police presence kept the two groups appart and a spokesman for the force said only one person had been arrested for violent behavior toward an officer.

It was the biggest police effort in the city since the EU Summit in 2001, when several thousand people gathered to protest against US President George W. Bush, the EU and globalization.

Mosque opponents claim the construction will ruin a nearby park and that the area is not suitable, while supporters say the opposition is racist.

The mosque, which will be the city's second, is due to be completed in mid-June.