Riots in Sweden
' Only a small minority participated in the riots. But unemployment is very high here in Husby and in other suburbs. Many youths have neither jobs nor educations. They feel that they are discriminated against and harassed by the authorities as well as by the police, who frequently react in a very brutal manner. Racist insults, such as calling them "apes" or "niggers," are often used.
'... Sweden has become a country of neoliberal experimentation. Profit-oriented companies run schools, and poorly funded community schools are being replaced by religious ones. By international comparison, the Swedish educational system has dropped considerably, and the youths in our suburbs have been the victims. Social standards have been drastically cut back, and satellite communities have been particularly neglected.'
Arne Johansson, 65, the head of
"Network for Jarva's Future," a
citizens' initiative promoting social
justice in Sweden