The Swedish capital of Stockholm has been witnessing days of unrest for the fifth straight night. Swedish police and firefighters say that at least nine cars have been torched and two schools and a police station have been set on fire in the city’s immigrant-dominated suburbs. Since then, three more cars were torched in the Norsorg suburb with another police station in Aelvsjoe set ablaze. On Thursday night, the fire brigade had been called to around 90 different locations for fires caused by rioters.

It is widely believed that the riots have been triggered by the fatal police shooting of an elderly man last week in the District of Husby. The man had apparently wielded a machete in public, fleeing to an apartment before being shot by police. Police claim that they tried to negotiate with the man and they acted in self-defense.

ALSO SEE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/24/swedish-police-stockholm-rioting

This week’s events have raised important debates regarding immigration as well as growing inequality in the country. About 15 percent of Sweden’s population is foreign born, mostly coming from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and the Balkans. Sweden is known for welcoming asylum seekers: the country accepted 43,900 asylum seekers in 2012, almost a 50 percent jump from 2011.

Many believe that the riots were triggered by deeper problems of poverty, inequality, and immigrant isolation. In the district of Husby, where the riots initiated, 80 percent of the 12,000 residents are immigrants. In 2012, the unemployment rate in Husby was 8.8 percent compared to 3.3 percent in Stockholm as a whole. Moreover, around 12 percent of Husby’s residents received social benefits compared to 3.6 percent of residents in Stockholm as a whole. 

 

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