The environmental activists in Restoring Wetlands changed tactics and announced in advance that they intended to block the Central Bridge in the middle of Stockholm on Saturday afternoon.
The city of Stockholm then decided to divert the cars and the barely ten protesters who took to the road thus had no traffic to block.
The organization announced that they would block the Central Bridge in Stockholm between 15:30 and 16:30 on Saturday. But no traffic was ever affected – because the bridge was closed by decision of Trafik Stockholm.
– They informed us that they intended to do so and we have had nothing to object to, says Daniel Wikdahl, police spokesperson.
Despite the fact that the action was held without a permit, the climate activists were allowed to remain on the roadway.
– The fundamentals are so strong, so even if they had been traffic, they might have had to hold their action for a short moment. It is always an assessment from occasion to occasion, says Daniel Wikdahl.
Ordered to leave the scene: Several arrested
But when they were judged to have been given room to exercise their freedoms and rights, they were ordered to leave the roadway.
– Which most people do. In total, there were four people who stayed behind and had to be removed.
The people are now suspected of obstructing traffic – despite the lack of traffic.
– You end up writing a report about it. Then it can be tested, says Daniel Wikdahl.
“Succeeded in this”
But the fact that all traffic on the bridge was shut down is not something Restore Wetlands sees as a defeat – quite the opposite.
In a post on the Telegram platform, they write that their previous actions have now had an effect.
“The entire central bridge closed! A small group of people have succeeded in this. We humans have enormous power if we only dare to take our place,” it says.