“In a harsher political climate where truth and knowledge are exchanged for opinions and views, where misinformation and outright lies spread in our democratic society and where we are accused of being both saboteurs, terrorists and a security threat, we are now vindicated in the objectivity of the justice system. It is not sabotage to peacefully demonstrate on a road.
So far we have a functioning democratic legal system, but the question is for how long. The court case in the Supreme Court was prompted by discussions in the Justice Committee from 2022 that demonstrations on the motorways should be seen as sabotage. This year, the Sweden Democrats have proposed using the terror legislation against peaceful demonstrations, which received some support from liberal circles. Ultimately, it is the politicians who make the laws and given the anti-democratic winds sweeping over the Swedish parliament and government, we are very worried about the future.
This concern strengthens us in our work. When politicians fail, everyone must be prepared to defend both life and our fundamental rights. This is not something that comes for free. In every fight there is a sacrifice, and we would have continued even if it meant prison.
Verdicts like this one have a concrete meaning for everyone who demonstrates for a more reasonable and just world. For every acquittal, we see a direct effect on the police and the judiciary. We are met with a little more understanding of fundamental democratic rights and international law. The courts take the effects and risks of the climate disaster a bit more seriously and individual police officers in the field express some of the same concern that we feel.”
