Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt foreign policy debate in Sweden’s parliament

By Alexandra Enberg

IZMIR, Türkiye (AA) - Protesters condemning Israel’s offensive in Gaza disrupted a foreign policy debate in Sweden’s parliament, or Riksdag, on Wednesday.

The first disturbance took place just after 9 a.m. (0800GMT) when a woman from the audience suddenly interrupted Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom while he was speaking.

Billstrom said that "Sweden stands behind Israel's legitimate right to defend itself against Hamas in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law.”

The woman shouted: "Israel commits genocide. How can you stand for this?"

The protests continued during the debate and nine people were arrested by the Riksdag's security guards. Seven of them are still being detained by the police.

"In light of the catastrophic situation in Gaza, the government believes that a cease-fire is necessary for humanitarian reasons," Billstrom continued.

He reiterated that all Israeli hostages must be released by Hamas and called on Israel to "deal with the unacceptable settler violence in the West Bank.”

Shortly after, protests erupted again when Riksdag members Aron Emilsson and Morgan Johansson criticized the halting of funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after Israel alleged that 12 of its workers participated in the Oct. 7 attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

People could be heard from the stands shouting "Everyone sees and everyone hears how children in Gaza are dying!”

The Speaker of the Riksdag, Andreas Norlen, tried to maintain control over the audience by repeatedly urging them to keep quiet.

"It is not permitted and not compatible with democratic principles to disrupt the session of the Riksdag," he said, to no avail.

Carina Larsson, the press secretary at the Riksdag administration, told Swedish Television that at least five people in the stands have been arrested by security guards and have been handed over to the police on suspicion of disrupting public order.

According to an update from the police, nine people were involved and seven of them have since been arrested, according to the GP newspaper. A number of people were also turned away from the site.

The police continued their work on site and according to police press spokesperson Daniel Wikdahl, they are now trying to find out what happened and who the protesters were.

Criticism of Israel's war in Gaza is growing around the world, but the Swedish government has remained silent.

This is the opinion of the Social Democrats, the Left Party and the Green Party, who harshly criticized the government and Billstrom during a debate in the Riksdag.

The political opposition is demanding that the government criticize Israel much more harshly.

They say that if nothing is done, there is the risk of a massacre of civilians with catastrophic consequences.

"The Swedish government has time and again given Israel support to bomb Gaza, even calling it proportional," said Riksdag member Hakan Svenneling.

Billstrom emphasized that Sweden did not withdraw but paused funding to UNRWA pending an investigation. He also said he sides with the opposition's concerns about the situation in Gaza, adding the government has criticized Israel and called for a cease-fire.

Sweden’s actions and those of the outside world have not led to a cease-fire and Israel has not stopped killing civilians, said Svenneling, who is the foreign policy spokesperson for the Left Party.

He believes that the government has been too weak in its criticism of Israel.

"When will the foreign minister speak about the risk of massacres and starvation in Gaza?" he asked Billstrom.