They satirize NATO – start a new newspaper

Sweden gets a new satirical magazine against NATO and nuclear weapons, signed Tecknaruppropet. The tone from dissenters has been harsh.

– It is interesting to see how doves of peace suddenly become incredibly explosive, says the initiator Karin Zaric Sunvisson.

The initial plan was to gather a few satirists to protest NATO – but the call quickly grew to involve over 100 cartoonists. The images were collected in the now out-of-print book “The Cartoon Rebellion Against Nuclear Weapons and NATO”,

Today, 160 cartoonists are involved in the movement, including “Pettson and Findus” creator Sven Nordqvist, Cecilia Torudd who is behind “Lonely Mother” and Jan Lööf.

– We have received a great response that does not correspond to the image you have received in the media about what the Swedish people think of NATO, says Karin Zaric Sunvisson.

“Underestimates Satire”

Now they publish the newspaper Larm with the aim of creating public opinion against a Swedish entry into NATO and working for Sweden to sign the UN Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In the first issue Max Gustafson, Pontus Lundkvist and Cecilia Torudd, among others, take part.

– In Sweden, satire is underestimated. But the satire does something to these self-confident people, you are quite defenseless in front of the image and especially the satire. Especially when the debate has been so heated and cross-confident, says Karin Zaric Sunvisson.

The printing of the first issue is financed by the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Association, and there is a budget for another issue. After that, the group will rely on contributions from private individuals.

“Incredibly provocative”

The NATO issue became relevant in connection with Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, but at the same time the peace movement has faced strong criticism. Although Karin Zaric Sunvisson states that the Tecknar Uprising has received a good response, the tone from opponents is sometimes harsh.

Among other things, they have been called “useful idiots” – at the same time parts of the peace movement have been accused of being “Putinists”.

– It is incredibly stupid to say that people in the peace movement are “Putinists” because they are against NATO and nuclear weapons. Our opponents like to dismiss us as naive or driven by emotions, when in fact they themselves are blindly rushing straight into the arms of a nuclear weapons alliance, says Karin Zaric Sunvisson.

TT: NATO advocates cite Russia’s war against Ukraine as an argument for Swedish membership. How do you want Sweden to act instead?

– The war in Ukraine is an example of what a militaristic worldview can lead to. What we need to do is have a discussion. There will be a time after the Ukraine war and then we risk sitting as members of a nuclear weapons alliance. You have to be able to talk about it.

TT: Why do you think it has become so stigmatized to talk about peace in a situation like this?

– It is like that in Sweden, but not in France, for example. It is because we have an ongoing NATO process and the NATO lobby is incredibly active, says Karin Zaric Sunvisson, who has herself been involved in the French satire scene.

She continues:

– What we did was very provocative, so it will be very charged around our images. It’s interesting how doves of peace suddenly become incredibly explosive. At the same time, it is incredibly sad that anti-militaristic images have suddenly become so provocative that they may not be published, says Karin Zaric Sunvisson.