Lapidus’ appeal to the public: Stop buying drugs

The acts of violence linked to the criminal gangs continue to shake Sweden, and former lawyer and writer Jens Lapidus does not believe in any end in the near future.

– It will get worse, it’s not over yet, he says in Nyhetsmorgon.

– I think we have reached such a situation now when the whole society must come together against this, he continues.

At the same time, he calls on “ordinary people” to get involved against the violence.

– For example, I could say a bit provocatively that all of you who buy drugs, stop it!, says Jens Lapidus.

Several innocent people have fallen victim to the gang violence, most recently a 25-year-old woman who died after a powerful explosion outside Uppsala during the night of Thursday. The dead woman had no connection to the gang conflict and should not have been a target, according to TV4 Nyhetern’s information.

Lapidus does not believe that there is any “100 percent” protection against gang violence.

– I think that many countries that have had problems with terrorism know that it is unfortunately not possible to protect themselves. The only thing that can be done is that everyone becomes more aware of unfamiliar objects, and of people who behave strangely or differently.

Introduce a state of emergency

In order to put an end to the gang violence, there have been discussions about extreme measures such as curfews, but even deploying the military. Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer visited Nyhetsmorgon on Thursday morning and answered the question about the possibility of introducing a state of emergency.

– We do not have legislation to introduce this. What it’s basically about is that we have to mobilize the entire power of the system around the police, Strömmer replied then.

Sweden has very far-reaching legislation in the form of government regarding war or occupation, explains Lapidus.

– During so-called civil crises, we have no possibility in Sweden according to the constitution to introduce, for example, a state of emergency. Freedom of movement, as it is above all else, is constitutionally protected.

– We also saw that during the pandemic when they tried to introduce various restrictions, he adds.

In this urgent situation, the police work comes first, according to Lapidus, but he also wants the whole community to “join hands” and show that violence is not acceptable.

– I would like it to be a mass demonstration. I think that even these guys who are in some sense marginalized, and who commit this violence, would be affected if they saw that the whole community, their mothers, their fathers, their neighbors, their old kindergarten teachers, came out and said that they don’t accept this anymore.

– The police have not kept statistics on this forever, but since the police started keeping statistics, we have gone through the deadliest week ever in Swedish police history.