School Burned Down by Youth in Stockholm

A large group of youth in the Rinkeby district in the Swedish capital, Stockholm began a riot on Monday. For two days, they threw stones at police, set fire to cars, and burned down a school building. The troubled district has a large immigrant population, and according to Swedish media, the incident began when police arrested a girl in the school.

Faced with a group of angry youths, one of the police officers fired a warning shot in the air. The youths claimed the fires were a way to lure the police forward, and were not intended to destroy the school. The police see it differently. Hans-Eric Neibig, the local police chief, says a group of young men started the fire because they were upset after being ejected from a school party.

The minister for Education, Jan Björklund, and minister for Integration and Gender Equality Nyamko Sabuni paid a visit to support residents in the shaken district. Police are patrolling the streets, and all loose stones are picked up during the day. Disturbances, stone-throwing, and fires are still expected. Police have arrested one person who they know well. More arrests are expected soon.