In chat logs like the newspaper ETC taken note of, it appears that Sweden Democrats organized themselves and were encouraged to wear used clothes to blend in during a climate demonstration in Stockholm.
The brain behind the initiative was Tobias Andersson, ETC writes, now SD’s legal policy spokesperson, then member of parliament and member of the party board.
“Clothes: You need to blend in. Absolutely no suits. Dress like you think people would dress at a climate demonstration – if you don’t have suitable second-hand clothes, wear something else that looks relaxed,” wrote Tobias Andersson in the Messenger chat.
A young climate activist was hanged on SD’s youth union, the Ungsvenskarns, website after being interviewed by Andersson during the demonstration.
— They had played clown music and edited the interview so that I appeared stupid and ignorant. I felt extremely humiliated, says the then 19-year-old woman who was interviewed by Andersson without knowing who he was, to ETC.
Several images from the demonstration were shared on the website Samnytt during the day.
About 20 Sweden Democrats participated and the whole thing was called “Operation Ringhals”, according to ETC. A source told the newspaper that the aim was to provoke the participants and capture their reactions on film.
SD denies that it infiltrated the demonstration and writes in an email to ETC that the purpose was “to get a political conversation going” and that “too formal or dressed-up clothing was considered to disrupt this”.