Published: Less than 20 min ago
On Saturday, the Pride parade goes from Kungsholmen in Stockholm.
At the same time, the nationalist Alternative for Sweden holds its election campaign right next to the parade – and warns on social media for the Pride celebrants: “Keep a close eye on your children”.
– We will not let this day become a matter of a few right-wing extremists, says Trifa Shakely, chairman of RFSL.
Around 50,000 participants are expected to take part in Stockholm Pride’s parade, which takes place on Saturday. From Norr Mälarstrand on Kungsholmen, people gather to participate in the event.
At the same time, the far-right Alternative for Sweden, AFS, has its election run-up. It takes place in Rålambshovsparken, which is right next to Norr Mälarstrand.
The nationalist party has previously expressed its dissatisfaction with the Pride movement.
“Tip to all families attending our election launch on Saturday. Keep a close eye on your children when you move past the Pride train. Protect them from the LGBTQ lobby and the vulgar sexualization of children,” the party wrote on Twitter on Monday.
It is unclear how many people will attend the election campaign, but according to the permit granted by the police, the election campaign will include invited guests, distribution of party materials and speeches from several nationalist parties in Europe.
“Critical about it”
Trifa Shakely, confederation chairman of RFSL, the National Federation for the Rights of Homosexuals, Bisexuals, Transgenders, Queers and Intersex Persons, is critical of the police granting AFS permission near the parade.
– We are of course critical of the fact that they have given right-wing extremists permission so close to the Pride Parade. Partly that they get permission and partly to place it in town. There are other sites that do not affect our security. We have reported this to the police as well, she says.
However, she chooses not to focus too much on AFS.
– We will not let this day become a matter of a few right-wing extremists. We have longed for and worked for this during a long pandemic. We don’t let fear control us, says Trifa Shakely.
“Narrow-minded and intolerant”
Gustav Kasselstrand, party leader of AFS, sees no problem with holding an election campaign near the Pride parade.
“The fact that Pride is going on at the same time has not affected our choice of venue: we didn’t even know about it, and even if we had we wouldn’t have cared. We don’t let other organizations influence where we hold meetings,” he writes in an email to Aftonbladet.
Kasselstrand also gives his view on the RFSL’s criticism of AFS being allowed to hold the election campaign near Pride.
“The Pride movement is narrow-minded and intolerant, they cannot accept that others also have the right to freedom of assembly and expression. It’s incomprehensible why we couldn’t hold a meeting a few hundred meters away,” he says.
The police: “Can handle it”
Susanne Wikland, acting deputy police area manager in Stockholm city, says that the police have known about the public gatherings for a while and feel well prepared.
– We have good preparations and good contact with those who will arrange the gatherings. You should feel safe, but if you see something, report it to the police, she says.
She also feels confident that the gatherings can be carried out without any incidents.
– The location is determined in dialogue with the city of Stockholm. We are used to dealing with groups from different categories of opinion being close to each other. We assess that we can handle it, says Susanne Wikland.
The police area commander says that there is no heightened threat to the gatherings but that she understands that people are concerned about the groups being close to each other.
– I understand that people think that way. We still feel that it is something we are used to handling and can handle this time as well, she says.
Stockholm Pride has declined to comment.