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🇸🇪 Sweden /Culture & Society

Left Party Faces Scrutiny Over Anti-Police Chants at Malmö Pride

From Svenska Dagbladet · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) in Malmö is discussing chants directed at the police during the Pride parade.
  • A video shows participants chanting "The whole of Malmö hates police."
  • The Justice Minister condemned the slogans as "scandalous" and inappropriate for Pride.

The Left Party in Malmö faces an internal discussion following chants directed at the police during the city's Pride parade. A video circulating from the event captures participants within the Left Party's contingent shouting, "The whole of Malmö hates police."

I think it is a clearly inappropriate way to express oneself.

— Jonas LindbergJonas Lindberg, a regional councilor for the Left Party in Stockholm and member of its executive committee, commented on the chants.

Jonas Lindberg, a regional councilor for the Left Party in Stockholm and a member of its executive committee, described the slogans as "clearly inappropriate." He stated, "We will have an internal discussion to ensure it is not repeated."

We will have an internal discussion to ensure it is not repeated.

— Jonas LindbergJonas Lindberg stated the party's intention to address the incident internally.

However, Tove Karnerud, chair of Left Party Malmö, suggested the chants should not be taken literally. She characterized them as a protest against racism and homophobia within the police force.

You should not interpret it that way.

— Tove KarnerudTove Karnerud, chair of Left Party Malmö, offered an alternative interpretation of the chants.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer reacted strongly to the incident, calling it "completely scandalous" on Instagram. He argued that the context of Pride, which he said stands for the opposite of hate, was ill-chosen for such messages. Strömmer emphasized that police are present to ensure freedom and safety for all participants and that they deserve respect and appreciation, not hate.

It is actually completely scandalous.

— Gunnar StrömmerJustice Minister Gunnar Strömmer reacted to the incident on Instagram.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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