Background & Purpose
To ensure that public meetings and demonstrations can take place safely, the government identified a need to give the police better tools to handle risks to life and health.
The Decision
The Swedish parliament decided to grant the police expanded authority to relocate, restrict, or cancel public gatherings if they pose a safety risk.
Does this affect you?
- Event organizers: They must be prepared for police to change the time or location of their planned event if safety concerns arise.
- Demonstrators: They may face stricter police interventions if they disrupt order or refuse to follow safety instructions during a gathering.
In Practice
- Police can move a demonstration to a different time or place if the original plan is unsafe.
- Instead of banning an entire event, police can now restrict it to specific times or locations.
- Events can be cancelled if they pose a direct threat to human life or health.
- Police have more power to stop individuals who disrupt order and refuse to follow instructions.