Swedish police detained 19 pro-Palestinian activists who barricaded themselves inside a university
Swedish police have detained 19 pro-Palestinian activists who barricaded themselves in the country’s main technical education and research university
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Swedish police detained 19 pro-Palestinian activists who barricaded themselves in the country's main technical education and research university on Friday.
After two hours, police carried out the masked activists from the third floor of a Royal Institute of Technology building in Stockholm. They are likely to be prosecuted for trespassing and disobeying the police, according to police.
International pressure has been mounting on Israel to limit civilian bloodshed in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
At around noon, the activists blocked the entrance of a student building at the institute, known by its Swedish acronym KTH, with chairs and tables. Some shouted “Free Palestine” and hung Palestinian flags in the windows. People supporting the activists and a large contingent of law enforcement personnel, including officers with dogs and mounted police, quickly gathered outside KTH, which is located north of downtown Stockholm.
On Instagram, the activists said they occupied the building to pressure KTH to stop collaborating with Israeli universities.
The school describes itself as the largest institution in Sweden for technical education and research and is a leading technical university internationally.
Last week, a handful of pro-Palestinian activists were briefly detained in connection with an unauthorized demonstration outside KTH.
In the Danish capital, activists who had set up tents at a University of Copenhagen campus have taken them down and some moved Wednesday to the City Hall Square where they set up a tent camp, demanding that Denmark boycot Israeli arms sales.