LostInTheWoods

A while back Aaron posted the following query in a comment:

“Ok so we see what the UK thinks about free speech. But how does that kind of stuff (peaceful protests and the govt's reaction) go down in Sweden?”

Well, I have been thinking about this for a long time, not living in, or that close to a big city it is hard to gauge. So what follows as an explanation is an educated bunch of assumptions. Sorry, for the moment that is the best I can do...

I get the impression that Sweden is a very free and open society. It is very democratic, from the government down to children in the classroom, democracy is seen as essential for being “a good Swede”. Consensus is also seen as vital, and I have yet to experience this in a work place (I have not yet got that first job here), but I have read that not much happens without it.

This week there was a demonstration in the square of my local town. There are plans to knock down a structurally deteriorating school/college. This would mean the students would have to go an “Uber-college” outside of the centre. So the demonstration happened, and apparently five hundred people attended. In a town that has a population of 37,1000, so 1.3% of the population turned up... which I thought was quite impressive, considering if this had been the UK, you may have seen a letter of protest in the local paper and little else.

I really struggle with Aaron's query, as I just don't have the history here yet... but the one thing I would say, it wouldn't surprise me if the demonstration was very well organised, timed to the minute, with prepared speakers and completely peaceful.

That is all.

LostInTheWoods