Riots erupted in a largely immigrant neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden Monday night, resulting in fires, damage to private property, and looting.
It is reported that the riots were in response to police clashes with suspected criminals in the area, and, mirroring the current riots in Paris and the riots we’ve had in the last few years here in the US, those involved in the upheaval seemed to target their violence and rage towards police officers. Rocks were thrown at officers responding to the riot, who in turn fired warning shots in an attempt to quell the chaos.
Sweden has welcomed in more immigrants than any other European country over the last few years, and in turn, has seen staggeringly high crime rates that seem to correlate with increased immigration. It has become the “rape capital of Europe”, sadly, as Swedish women experience record high incidents of sexual assault.
These riots came just one day after President Trump was criticized by the media for referring to an incident that happened “last night” in Sweden when nothing of note had happened in the Northern European country the night before his rally in Florida where he made the remarks. Apologists for the Trump administration’s immigration policy did speculate if he was simply referring to a report he’d see on Fox the night before about the high crime rates and immigrant numbers.
Right-wing leaders in Sweeden express gratitude for President Trump’s recognition of their crisis, while others in the government deny there are any outstanding issues with their migrant populations.
In this day and age, especially after our recent election, it can be hard to cut through the noise and figure out what the truth of incidents like this really are. But one thing is clear, between Europe and the United States, civil unrest seems to be becoming a way of life, and the all-too-frequent manner for those who feel angry, disenfranchised, or are simply opportunistic, to lash out at the authorities they consider to be oppressive.
This type of violence has historically led to many wars, including the current war on Syria, which began with protests that were hailed in the West.
From a preparedness standpoint, we need to start thinking about our physical safety, security, and relocation plans in the event that war were to break out, or that our communities might be so overrun with violence the police cease visiting, as has happened in several areas of major European cities like London and Paris.
Take these events as a stern reminder that we don’t always have a choice between bugging out and bugging in, and we can quickly become prisoners in or own towns if were not prepared to watch the signs and get out while we can.
Stay safe, and stay aware.
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