“These are images that the Swedes will not soon forget,” says Dutch journalist Tjade Michels from Stockholm. “For example, from rioters who have taken over a police car and drive around in it. Or from rioters who got hold of police uniforms.”
Sometimes it was 12-year-old children who threw stones at the police, police say. In News and Co on NPO Radio 1, Michels says that Sweden has been struggling with gang violence for years. “These types of gangs originated in vulnerable multicultural neighborhoods. Since 2015, they have been involved in a gang war, resulting in many young victims.”
The criticism that the police have no control over these gangs is becoming louder after the riots of recent days. Police unions want a thorough investigation into how things could have gotten so out of hand.
Hit the police
Yesterday officers shot three protesters, according to the police in self-defense. Someone had also run into the police with a car. The suspected driver has been arrested. Fourteen bystanders were also injured in the disturbance, according to police.
As far as we know, extremist politician Rasmus Paludan has burned a Quran once in recent days. He had obtained permits for gatherings in six towns around Easter. Two of them went ahead, the rest was canceled due to the unrest.
“Paludan has no permission for new protests,” says Michels. “But that was also the case yesterday and then he made a call to demonstrate.” In the end, Paludan renounced his actions in Norrköping and Linköping on Sunday. Yet there was a fire in the pan. Police fear more riots in the near future.
–
