The men came from a religious group and are said to have had permission to spread their message, share God’s word and preach. But the men deviated from the designated location they had permission for and were instead where the pride parade had permission. The men also allegedly refused to move when the police pointed it out.
No major disturbance according to the organizer
Österund pride, which organized the pride week and also the parade, has briefly talked about the incident in the working group, but did not feel that there was any major disturbance.
– It’s sad that it happens when people try to disturb, but I still think we managed to keep it away so that the parade participants didn’t have to perceive it, says Henrik Hedman, communicator for Östersund pride.
The penalty for breaching the Public Order Act is a fine or imprisonment for a maximum of six months.
This is how the organizer reasoned about the security situation ahead of the pride week in Östersund.