Arrested for Coal
Thursday 16 June 2016
Yesterday, I took part in an action to help the Swedish Government make the right decision on the issue of the sale of the Swedish coal assets and to show them that they still have the possibility to do the right thing and take leadership in the fight against climate change.
We planned for a non-violent action with a banner on the roof of the entrance of Rosenbad, the seat of the Swedish government. I volunteered to help holding one of the ladders for the climbers to get onto the roof.
I had no idea whether we would be able to get our plan through or not but nevertheless saw it as one of our last chances to do something. I was aware there were legal risks involved in this action but also willing to take full responsibility for it, since I completely believe in the cause we are fighting for and I am aware of the urgency.
The excitement and some slight fear only hit me just before it started. This did not last very long though since it was gone again as soon as we arrived at the location and immediately started.
We managed to get our ladder up and both climbers on my team made it up on the little entrance roof, just before one of the guards tore away the ladder, only then I realised that the other team was stopped by the guards and did not make it up on the roof. While I was taking the ladder away I saw how one of us managed to throw the banners up to the activists on the roof. At that moment I was full of relief and confident that we would be able to show our banner like we had planned.
While taking the ladders away we were stopped around the corner by a guard of another building, who than held us there for the whole time of the action, so I had no idea what was happening to my friends over at Rosenbad.
After a while I was driven to the police station, without having any information of what happened to the others. At the station I saw the officers carrying around one of my friends’ clothes. That’s when I knew he was also arrested and had been taken to the same place.
After a few hours my interrogator introduced herself to me and gave me some chocolate a friend had dropped off for me, which showed me that there are people outside supporting us in everyway they can. I was held at the station for about six hours. At some point I was told I may have to spend the night since I’m not Swedish and there may be a potential risk of me fleeing the country before beeing prosecuted. After about one more hour I was released anyway and told that my friends, of whom I still did not know who else was arrested, would be released soon as well.
When I left the station and saw my friends waiting for me I was even more relieved and happy than I thought possible. They finally updated me on what happened during the day and showed me an article about us in the New York Times, which I first thought was just a joke, since I had no idea that our action would have such a great media outreach.
What really hurt and disappointed me was when I heard in what a bad light our action was portrayed in in a lot of Swedish media; a lot of false rumors about it being violent.
All of the others were released a few minutes after each other- it was such a relief to see everyone come out again!
I definitely think that what we did was clearly worth all the effects it had and will have on me and hope that it will also have some positive effect on the decision that’s being made.
Sarah Lange, Climate Activist
Thursday 16 June 2016
Yesterday, I took part in an action to help the Swedish Government make the right decision on the issue of the sale of the Swedish coal assets and to show them that they still have the possibility to do the right thing and take leadership in the fight against climate change.
We planned for a non-violent action with a banner on the roof of the entrance of Rosenbad, the seat of the Swedish government. I volunteered to help holding one of the ladders for the climbers to get onto the roof.
I had no idea whether we would be able to get our plan through or not but nevertheless saw it as one of our last chances to do something. I was aware there were legal risks involved in this action but also willing to take full responsibility for it, since I completely believe in the cause we are fighting for and I am aware of the urgency.
The excitement and some slight fear only hit me just before it started. This did not last very long though since it was gone again as soon as we arrived at the location and immediately started.
We managed to get our ladder up and both climbers on my team made it up on the little entrance roof, just before one of the guards tore away the ladder, only then I realised that the other team was stopped by the guards and did not make it up on the roof. While I was taking the ladder away I saw how one of us managed to throw the banners up to the activists on the roof. At that moment I was full of relief and confident that we would be able to show our banner like we had planned.
While taking the ladders away we were stopped around the corner by a guard of another building, who than held us there for the whole time of the action, so I had no idea what was happening to my friends over at Rosenbad.
After a while I was driven to the police station, without having any information of what happened to the others. At the station I saw the officers carrying around one of my friends’ clothes. That’s when I knew he was also arrested and had been taken to the same place.
After a few hours my interrogator introduced herself to me and gave me some chocolate a friend had dropped off for me, which showed me that there are people outside supporting us in everyway they can. I was held at the station for about six hours. At some point I was told I may have to spend the night since I’m not Swedish and there may be a potential risk of me fleeing the country before beeing prosecuted. After about one more hour I was released anyway and told that my friends, of whom I still did not know who else was arrested, would be released soon as well.
When I left the station and saw my friends waiting for me I was even more relieved and happy than I thought possible. They finally updated me on what happened during the day and showed me an article about us in the New York Times, which I first thought was just a joke, since I had no idea that our action would have such a great media outreach.
What really hurt and disappointed me was when I heard in what a bad light our action was portrayed in in a lot of Swedish media; a lot of false rumors about it being violent.
All of the others were released a few minutes after each other- it was such a relief to see everyone come out again!
I definitely think that what we did was clearly worth all the effects it had and will have on me and hope that it will also have some positive effect on the decision that’s being made.
Sarah Lange, Climate Activist