According to information provided to TT, it was a bag of tomatoes and red onions that was thrown during the interpellation debate held on Thursday afternoon. Three people, a 35-year-old man and two 45-year-old women, were taken into custody for disturbing the proceedings and removed from the premises. They were later released.
In a video clip from the debate, people in the gallery can be heard shouting. Then, Malmer Stenergard quickly gets up from his seat and hurries out of the chamber.
Stop Israel, they are terrorists, someone shouts.
Shortly afterwards, someone can be heard shouting:
Coward is running.
In a written comment to TT, the Foreign Minister thanks people for their concern after the incident.
"You must be able to have a parliamentary debate without having things thrown at you. It is fundamental to democratic dialogue," she writes.
Tomatoes hidden in clothing
The debate, which concerned Sweden's decision to abstain from voting in the UN's vote on Israel and the West Bank, was interrupted. The Speaker decided around 3 pm to cancel the rest of the debate. It was Palestine activists with red-painted hands who threw the bag, according to Member of Parliament Ann-Sofie Alm (M).
It flew over the members sitting in the chamber and landed two seats behind the Foreign Minister, she says.
It's sad that they do this, because we have an open democracy and we fight for an open democracy.
According to information provided to TT, the individuals had likely hidden the tomatoes under their clothing when they passed through the parliament's security check.
"Forceful measures"
Joachim Pettersson at the parliament administration does not comment on what was thrown but says it was not detected in the security check.
Some form of smuggling has taken place here. You're not even allowed to bring a bottle of water into the gallery, the only thing you're allowed to bring is a notebook.
The parliament administration and the Government Offices take a very serious view of the incident.
This is criminal, says Pettersson.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson writes in a comment to TT that he is proud of his Foreign Minister and now wants to see forceful measures:
"I now expect a thorough analysis of how this could happen and forceful measures to maintain the security of members of parliament and government ministers in the chamber."
