Joel Lööf was assaulted on public transport after urging an immigrant to show respect for others. When he posted about what happened on Facebook, he was accused of being a racist. Samnytt has spoken with him about the incident.

On the evening of May 13, Joel Lööf, 41, who lives in the especially vulnerable area of Kortedala-Bergsjön in Gothenburg, was on his way home from Gamlestan by subway, but things did not go as planned.

Joel was assaulted by a man unknown to him, just because he showed civic courage. After the incident, he chose to post on Facebook to highlight the insecurity in the city and show what he had experienced. Due to his choice of words, however, the focus shifted to accusations of racism instead.

Samnytt interviewed Joel Lööf about the incident, and here is what he had to say.

– Can you tell us from your own perspective what happened?

– I was heading home, and I was supposed to change trains at Gamlestan, toward Kortedala-Bergsjön. So I’m standing there at the shelter, and I see there’s a lot of people on the train. When the train stops and the doors open, I’m standing at the front, so I step aside so people can get out. Then a guy comes from my right side and just pushes his way past the line and by me, Joel Lööf begins.

– So I just very lightly, with my fingertips, tap his chest and say, “Excuse me, let people get off first before you board.” And he just goes, “Hey, don’t touch me,” bam, and hit me. Just like that.

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– When I got the first punch, I went down on one knee, then I got up and immediately got punched again. Everything kind of went black, but I didn’t pass out. But yeah, I was crying and everything, so the train left, and I was left at the station.

Joel goes on to describe how he eventually made it home on the next tram and was met there by the police, who took him to the hospital. During the drive, he says he reported the incident and was also questioned.

– Who were these people? Were they Swedish?

– No, they were foreigners, because as I said, I live in Kortedala-Bergsjön, and it’s 80 percent foreigners there. So they were heading there. It’s a shame it’s like that in society, that it has become such a cliché with gangs and gang crime, and it just grows and grows. It’s very tragic that it has taken this turn.

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Joel further explains the reactions to his Facebook post and how people in the comments tried to turn it into an issue about racism.

– The whole discussion I brought up was just to show that it’s not okay to act like this. But then there were lots of comments about racism just because I used a particular word (“blattevänner,” editor’s note).

– And I’m not even Swedish myself, I’m Walloon. So there’s nothing racist about it.

– How are you feeling after this incident?

– Well, the injuries and so on, it’s no fun to walk around looking beaten up. But that will fade and go away, and I didn’t get any fractures or permanent injuries. But psychologically, from now on, I just won’t care anymore. I won’t speak up, even though I’m the kind of person who does that.

– If I see something wrong and I think an old lady should have a seat instead of a teen playing with his phone, I think he should stand up. Those are the kinds of things my mother raised me to do.

– There are few people nowadays who dare to act, and those are becoming fewer and fewer when things like this happen?

– Yes, exactly. It’s very sad because you kind of wish everyone would have that mindset. It’s like wishing for world peace, really.

Joel Lööf has told Samnytt that he reported the assault to the police, but the suspected perpetrator is still at large.

Samnytt has contacted the Police Authority to hear more about the incident and the investigation.

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