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| Clashes in Stockholm Suburb Draw Attention to Trump’s Remarks | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| STOCKHOLM — Residents in a northwestern suburb of Stockholm predominantly inhabited by immigrants clashed with police officers on Monday, two days after the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, unleashed a vague but pointed critique of Sweden’s migration policies. | STOCKHOLM — Residents in a northwestern suburb of Stockholm predominantly inhabited by immigrants clashed with police officers on Monday, two days after the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, unleashed a vague but pointed critique of Sweden’s migration policies. |
| About 20 to 30 masked men threw stones and other objects at police officers in the suburb, Rinkeby, after the police arrested a man on suspicion of dealing drugs. A police officer fired a warning shot, but the disturbances continued for several more hours, stretching into early Tuesday morning. A photojournalist was injured in the disturbances. | About 20 to 30 masked men threw stones and other objects at police officers in the suburb, Rinkeby, after the police arrested a man on suspicion of dealing drugs. A police officer fired a warning shot, but the disturbances continued for several more hours, stretching into early Tuesday morning. A photojournalist was injured in the disturbances. |
| The episode drew scrutiny worldwide because of President Trump’s assertions — based on a Fox News segment — that Sweden had experienced a surge in crime and violence as a result of taking in large numbers of refugees. | The episode drew scrutiny worldwide because of President Trump’s assertions — based on a Fox News segment — that Sweden had experienced a surge in crime and violence as a result of taking in large numbers of refugees. |
| Swedish officials have criticized his statements as exaggerations. Preliminary statistics do not show a major increase in crime from 2015, when the country processed a record 163,000 asylum applications, to 2016. Disturbances like the one in Rinkeby, officials said, are not unprecedented but are infrequent. | |
| Nonetheless, the disturbances in Rinkeby were seized upon by some people online as evidence of Mr. Trump’s claim. Rinkeby, an area of around 16,000 people, is overwhelmingly populated by residents with immigrant backgrounds — in particular, Somali and Arab among them — and has been the site of previous clashes between residents and the police. | Nonetheless, the disturbances in Rinkeby were seized upon by some people online as evidence of Mr. Trump’s claim. Rinkeby, an area of around 16,000 people, is overwhelmingly populated by residents with immigrant backgrounds — in particular, Somali and Arab among them — and has been the site of previous clashes between residents and the police. |
| Right-wing media in the United States and elsewhere have insisted that Sweden is covering up evidence of migrant-related crimes — a claim officials in this prosperous Scandinavian nation, which has a long humanitarian tradition, have rejected. | Right-wing media in the United States and elsewhere have insisted that Sweden is covering up evidence of migrant-related crimes — a claim officials in this prosperous Scandinavian nation, which has a long humanitarian tradition, have rejected. |
| Lars Bystrom, a police spokesman, said police were summoned at 8:18 p.m. on Monday to the transit station in Rinkeby, about 7.2 miles northwest of Stockholm’s City Hall, after officers made a drug-related arrest and then were set upon by local residents. | Lars Bystrom, a police spokesman, said police were summoned at 8:18 p.m. on Monday to the transit station in Rinkeby, about 7.2 miles northwest of Stockholm’s City Hall, after officers made a drug-related arrest and then were set upon by local residents. |
| A police officer fired a live round of ammunition as a warning shot. “No one was hit, but it had the intended effect of clearing the scene so that police could make an arrest,” Officer Bystrom said. | A police officer fired a live round of ammunition as a warning shot. “No one was hit, but it had the intended effect of clearing the scene so that police could make an arrest,” Officer Bystrom said. |
| The disturbances did not end; the clashes intensified, with up to 70 people throwing stones and objects, before police finally got the situation under control around 12:15 a.m., he said. | |
| Asked whether there was enough of a police presence in Rinkeby, Officer Bystrom cited the district police chief, Niklas Andersson, in describing police resources in the area as more plentiful than ever. But Officer Bystrom also said that officials would continue to bolster security. | Asked whether there was enough of a police presence in Rinkeby, Officer Bystrom cited the district police chief, Niklas Andersson, in describing police resources in the area as more plentiful than ever. But Officer Bystrom also said that officials would continue to bolster security. |
| Patrik Derk, the district director for Rinkeby-Kista, the northernmost of the boroughs that make up the municipality of Stockholm, said it would be a mistake to see proof of Mr. Trump’s claims in the unrest. | |
| “This type of problem exists in most countries, even in the U.S.A.,” he said in a phone interview. “And we are managing these problems and will succeed with this. They’re complex problems.” | “This type of problem exists in most countries, even in the U.S.A.,” he said in a phone interview. “And we are managing these problems and will succeed with this. They’re complex problems.” |
| Mr. Derk was hired in late 2015 to “make Rinkeby a better place to grow up and live in,” as he put it. He previously helped turn around the Hovsjo district of Sodertalje, a city southwest of Stockholm that, like Rinkeby, has a large population of low-income immigrants. | Mr. Derk was hired in late 2015 to “make Rinkeby a better place to grow up and live in,” as he put it. He previously helped turn around the Hovsjo district of Sodertalje, a city southwest of Stockholm that, like Rinkeby, has a large population of low-income immigrants. |
| “We created jobs through building development initiatives and training unemployed youth,” he said, adding that the efforts involved collaboration with the police and economic investments. “And that’s what we are trying to do here. Create a condition for the residents to live a good life in the area. I know it’s possible to change these things but it’s a long-term effort and these are difficult questions. We created a lot of jobs for youth. We built a new school. We worked with the criminals, and helped them to get away from that path.” | “We created jobs through building development initiatives and training unemployed youth,” he said, adding that the efforts involved collaboration with the police and economic investments. “And that’s what we are trying to do here. Create a condition for the residents to live a good life in the area. I know it’s possible to change these things but it’s a long-term effort and these are difficult questions. We created a lot of jobs for youth. We built a new school. We worked with the criminals, and helped them to get away from that path.” |
| Mr. Derk acknowledged that Rinkeby had big problems: “It is one of the more troubled areas in terms of school results, tight quarters, unemployment.” | Mr. Derk acknowledged that Rinkeby had big problems: “It is one of the more troubled areas in terms of school results, tight quarters, unemployment.” |
| Benjamin Dousa, 24, an appointed member of a local board in Rinkeby that distributes public money for schools, social services, parks and recreation and elder care, offered a less sanguine view than Mr. Derk. | Benjamin Dousa, 24, an appointed member of a local board in Rinkeby that distributes public money for schools, social services, parks and recreation and elder care, offered a less sanguine view than Mr. Derk. |
| Mr. Dousa, in an opinion essay for the newspaper Expressen, said that Mr. Trump’s critique had some merit. | Mr. Dousa, in an opinion essay for the newspaper Expressen, said that Mr. Trump’s critique had some merit. |
| “A battered journalist, stones thrown at the police and stores that are being plundered, unfortunately, are not unusual occurrences where I live,” he said. “I hear the police helicopter every other day.” | “A battered journalist, stones thrown at the police and stores that are being plundered, unfortunately, are not unusual occurrences where I live,” he said. “I hear the police helicopter every other day.” |
| He said that in the neighborhood: “This type of criminality has become part of everyday life: On average, we have one outbreak of violence a month, a car fire every day and the most shootings with deadly outcomes in the country. Would this really be accepted where the prime minister lives?” | He said that in the neighborhood: “This type of criminality has become part of everyday life: On average, we have one outbreak of violence a month, a car fire every day and the most shootings with deadly outcomes in the country. Would this really be accepted where the prime minister lives?” |