Riots in Sweden: – Stunners over the pictures
– I am stunned by the pictures I see from Sweden – you see horses trampling and policemen running after protesters. It brings thoughts back to Oslo in the 80s and 90s, and it quickly escalates, says Johnny Brenna to Dagbladet.
Brenna is today a writer and specialist consultant, but has a long political career behind him, where he was, among other things, a spy and “spotter” during large demonstrations in Norway and abroad.
“New” tactics
The ex-policeman has witnessed the extensive violent riots of recent days in a number of Swedish cities, where protesters outraged by the Danish right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan’s Koran burning tour have attacked the police forces.
In addition to a number of police cars being rammed and set on fire, a number of officials are also injured; among other things, a driver is said to have been pulled out of a police car. In today’s riots in Norrköping, it confirms that three civilians have sustained gunshot wounds after the police fired warning shots.
– We have not set such scenes in Norway for many years. The reason is that Norway and Denmark at the beginning of 2000 introduced the so-called MIK [mobil innsats]the concept, says Brenna.
The MIK concept was introduced according to a model from, among others, the Netherlands. Much of the intent of the strategy is to prevent personal injury by the police leaning heavily on lightly armored vehicles that either sit inside or hide behind.
Annual slag
In the 80s and 90s, Scandinavia was marked by violent demonstrations: in Oslo, the police still barked together with, among others, left-wing radical blitzers, while in Copenhagen it was the ideological cousins BZs who were the police counterpart in the streets. In Sweden, the annual right-wing extremist degenerated Salemarchen regularly to street beatings.
– In Oslo, police officers used to run after protesters, during some very violent demonstrations, with a high risk of injuries among both police officers and demonstrators – gas was sprayed and stones thrown back – it degenerated a lot, says the ex-policeman.
Brenna comments that he does not have a secure knowledge of Swedish tactics, and that he comments on what he can see in pictures from the clashes of the last few days.
– Why should Swedish police doubt the old tactics?
– I do not know. But the pictures do not indicate that the MIK concept is very much implemented; policemen with shields run, horses come trampling, we see isolated police cars with blue lights and sirens, as in the old days. It quickly escalates that way, making officials more vulnerable, he says.
“Dutch carriages”
The MIK concept thus causes the police to build efforts around the armored «Dutch wagons», rather than shields and horses.
– It leads to many minor confrontations and injuries. You sit in the vehicle, or hide behind the car, and the police use them actively to maneuver around the protesters, in addition to attacking their own civilians and uniformed personnel, says Brenna.
In his political career, he himself sat inside such cars as “spotters” during demonstrations, both in Norway and abroad, including during the Salem March. He worked closely on the task force, which he fed with intelligence.
– I have worked with the demonstration environment in the field, and followed the MIK concept – which is perceived as less provocative for the other party. I often sat inside the “Dutch carriages”, he explains, and continues:
– With the cars more advanced, the crews get more in the background. Things are thrown at the vehicles, but it appears less provocative.
According to the Oslo police’s own evaluation, the MIK concept has been a success. In the trade magazine Politiforum then-chief of staff Thor Langli stated in 2013 that the personal injuries they had before, «now are as good as absent».