DEBATE • The horrific events—the Quran riots—that shook Sweden in April 2022 resulted in over 300 police officers being injured. What occurred is classified as the most violent riots in modern times. Police officers and firefighters were subjected to stone-throwing, and police vehicles were set on fire.

Children and women also participated in the stone-throwing. Police dogs were injured, and police cars were hijacked by masked men. All of this happened because a Danish politician wanted to burn Islam’s holy scripture, the Quran, in a public space.

Afterwards, there were harsh condemnations from Islamic countries regarding Rasmus Paludan being allowed to hold a demonstration with Quran burning. Our Swedish perspective is therefore vastly different from Islam’s regarding how a society should function.

A summary of the costs of these riots shows a very large amount for the police—a sum that could have gone to much more meaningful and necessary areas.

In addition to the police’s expenses, insurance companies, private individuals, and many others were hit with major costs as a result of the riots. The cost to taxpayers is also not negligible—it includes, among other things, fees for the public defenders of the accused.

The subsequent court and legal expenses became very extensive. This could have been avoided; these individuals who committed this terrible violence against our police as well as private citizens would not be in our country if we, the Sweden Democrats, had had more political influence much earlier.

These individuals have no right to be here. It is a major political failure. A betrayal of our citizens and a treason against Sweden.

What happens next time?

It is not at all impossible that these types of riots, in the future, could happen in Oskarshamn Municipality or in another town near us in Kalmar County.

This is a reminder to you voters who will vote in September: think about what kind of society you want to leave for your children and grandchildren.

Vote for repatriation. Vote for the Sweden Democrats. Let us together create the Sweden that our ancestors fought for, and that our future generations deserve to live in.

Elin Wågerud
Parliamentary candidate and second vice chair, SD Oskarshamn