The Stockholm riots have reached their fifth day. According to the police almost 40 cars have been set alight as well as a restaurant. Some emergency services personal have been injured when rioters threw stones and directed laser pointers at them. The reported reason for the rioting occured on Sunday in the suburb of Husby, north-west of the city where a 69-year-old man waving a machete was shot dead in his apartment by police, who are claiming it was an act of self defense. This incident angered the youth who said they too had suffered police brutality. The suburb of Husby has a population from an immigrant background of more than 80%.

Firefighters battled to calm down the fires. With most rioters waiting for emergency personal to arrive on the scene before they attacked them.

Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Miniser said:

It’s important to remember that burning your neighbour’s car is not an example of freedom of speech, it’s hooliganism.

Police spokesperson, Kjell Lindgren told the BBC:

My colleagues say the people on the streets are a mixture of every kind of people you can think of… We have got Swedes, we have got very young people, we have got people aged 30 to 35. You can’t define them as a group… We don’t know why they are doing this. There is no answer to it.

Prosecutors are investigating these police brutality claims, but Lindgren can “hardly believe” that there is truth in all the complaints being made.

[Source: YouTube, BBC News]