2017 Rinkeby riots

On 20 February 2017, rioting broke out in Rinkeby, a predominantly Muslim immigrant-populated suburb of the Swedish capital Stockholm.

2017 Rinkeby riots
Date20 February 2017
Location
Rinkeby, Stockholm, Sweden
MethodsArson, looting, rioting, rock throwing
Parties to the civil conflict
Masked Muslim men
Casualties
Injuries3[1]
Arrested2[1]

Rinkeby was previously the site of riots in 2010 and 2013.[2]

Events

Rioting broke out in the evenings between Monday, 20 February - Thursday, 23 February, with a crowd of 25 to 30 masked men who assembled after a drug-related arrest near the Metro station.[3] In four hours of unrest, several fires were started, at least seven cars burnt, shops vandalized and police hit with rocks. One rioter was arrested for rock throwing.[1][4][5] The fire department had to wait for the police to secure the area before being able to extinguish the burning cars.[6] A number of shops were looted and a business owner was assaulted after having tried to stop the attackers.[6] According to Lars Bystrom, a police spokesman, a police officer "shot for effect" with intent to hit his target, but missed, and to clear the scene so the police could make an arrest.[1][7][8][4][5] A photographer from Dagens Nyheter newspaper said he was assaulted by a group of around 15 people.[9]

The Swedish police were criticized by local residents for taking too long to subdue the rioters and not doing enough to stop them.[10]

President Trump's remark

Because the riots broke out two days after the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, made an unfounded suggestion that a disastrous event had taken place in Sweden on Friday 17, the day prior to his speech, the Rinkeby riots of 2017 drew wide international attention. The president was mocked for the remarks by the international press, as well as Swedish officials.[8][11] Preliminary crime statistics show no major increase in crime between 2015 and 2016.[8][11]

See also

References
  1. "Swedish police investigate riot in predominantly immigrant Stockholm suburb". The Daily Telegraph. AP. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  2. Huuhtanen, Matti (21 February 2017). "Trump comments put focus on Sweden's embrace of immigrants". Miami Herald. AP. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  3. Anderson, Christina; Chan, Sewell (21 February 2017). "Clashes in Stockholm Suburb Draw Attention to Trump's Remarks". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  4. "Våldsamt upplopp i Rinkeby – polisen sköt varningsskott". Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  5. "Google Translate". 21 February 2017. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. Nyheter, SVT (20 February 2017). "Våldsamt upplopp i Rinkeby". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  7. Bearak, Max (21 February 2017). "Riots erupt in Sweden's capital after arrest, just days after President Trump comments". Chicago Tribune. Washington Post. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  8. Anderson, Christina (21 February 2017). "Clashes in Stockholm Suburb Draw Attention to Trump's Remarks". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  9. "Swedish press photographer assaulted in Rinkeby riots". The Local. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  10. "No arrests after Rinkeby riots". thelocal.se. The Local Sweden. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  11. "Sweden probes riot in mainly immigrant Stockholm suburb". BBC. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
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