Back to Normal: Riots in Sweden are Beginning to Subside

Sweden, a peaceful and tranquil country found itself in a state of chaos with a week of rioting, vandalism and arson. According to police officials, young Swedes have been torching vehicles six nights in a row and even burned school buildings. According to officials, the riot started at Stockholm and then spread to neighboring towns.

Now, after a week of violence, Stockholm has returned to normal and things are slowly going back to the way they used to be. According to activist Lars Byrstrom, the night streets are back to their usual state. In the previous week, Byrstrom said that some cars were set on fire in different locations in the city. He also noted that 12 civilians have been arrested south of Stockholm. They are suspected to be responsible for the said burning of vehicles.

Fire and smoke

Fire and violence became the rule of the day as riots escalated from town to town. It was total turmoil, and not even law enforcement officers could totally control the situation.
According to Swedish police, reinforcements were brought down to Stockholm in order to help manage the escalating situation. Every law enforcement officer and even community leaders marched down the streets to try to calm things down.

Violence spread like wildfire

In Orebro, 25 masked youths torched cars, a school and even a police station. The same happened in Linkoping where vehicles were also put on fire together with a kindergarten school according to police reports. Other parts of the country also experienced torching and similar violent acts. Rioters were even hurling huge rocks to policemen, bringing in more chaos to the scene.

What started it all?

The riot started when a 69-year old man was shot in his apartment by a member of the police force. The man was killed on site and the police argued in their defense that the victim was threatening his wife with a knife. The media reported that the man who was shot was a Portuguese immigrant, and this brought on the issue of class divide. The line separating the rich and the poor is clearly marked. The poor are mostly composed of immigrants who are living in the suburbs with no work and no education.

Statistics have shown that one of the biggest factors that further contribute to inequality is the lack of job opportunities. Young individuals aged from 16 to 29 and living in these areas of deprivation often do not have jobs. The riots are thought to have started from this group.

The gap is widening

Social stability has always been the concern of any country wanting to improve the way of life of its subordinates. And stability in the family is influenced by its members having jobs and earning enough to sustain the needs of the unit. However, the Swedish government has failed to provide adequate employment opportunities.

According to Barbo Sorman, an activist of the opposition party, the poor are only getting poorer and the rich are only getting richer. Sorman also added that Sweden is slowly becoming very much like the United States.

Photo Credit: House of Parliament, Sweden