A confrontation between Swedish Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M) and a group of Palestine activists has led to a strong reaction from the leader of the Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Åkesson.

In a long post on X, Åkesson directs a harsh attack against mainstream politicians and media, who he believes have created what he calls “un-Swedish, generally threatening behaviour, in short, Middle Eastern behaviour”.

Yesterday evening’s persecution and harassment of Carl-Oskar Bohlin does not seem to leave many people unmoved – including me. It is tragic that a minister should not be able to leave work without being subjected to threatening behaviour from so-called protesters. I’m glad that it seems…

— Jimmie Åkesson (@jimmieakesson) September 9, 2025

It was as Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin was leaving the Riksdag building in Stockholm on Monday evening that he was met by a group of activists. He described how they “started to follow me, which resulted in me not being able to get home”.

Reaction from Åkesson

Åkesson, who says he cannot remain passive about the incident, writes on X:

“This is tragic. But I can’t help but wonder why it suddenly became so natural to stand up to these forces.”

Åkesson continues:

“This kind of unpleasant, threatening and downright un-Swedish dominant behaviour has been everyday life for many, not least young Swedes, for decades.”“

In the post, he asks why a ten-year-old girl in a schoolyard should be better equipped to deal with threatening harassment than a grown man. He criticises politicians and the media who he believes have previously labelled those who spoke out about the problems as racists.

“The very root problem, that so many migrants with anti-social, un-Swedish and generally threatening behaviour have arrived – in short, Middle Eastern behaviour – has been created by exactly the same people, the same parties, the same media that not so long ago cried themselves hoarse with indignation every time someone questioned the prevailing mass immigration,” Åkesson writes.

He concludes with a direct challenge to the same actors:

“Isn’t it a bit reprehensible to now endorse the result of your own deliberate and, over a long period of time, consistent political and opinion-forming work? After all, this is exactly what you asked for.”

Similar incidents in Norway

In Norway, the leader of the Progress Party, Sylvi Listhaug, has experienced similar situations. During a march in Bergen, she was chased and surrounded by activists, and eventually had to be escorted away by the police.

Also on her way to the Norwegian Parliament, Listhaug has been subjected to verbal attacks and harassment from pro-Palestinian demonstrators.