Criminologist professor Leif GW Persson believes the apple dumping at his summer house in Elghammar constitutes several crimes and plans to report SVT to the police. Free speech expert Nils Funcke sees it as a fun move and questions Persson's reaction. The incident ties to a recently sentenced activist whom Persson has supported.
Criminologist professor Leif GW Persson has reacted strongly to apples being dumped outside his summer house in Elghammar, Sörmland. According to him, the act constitutes gross unlawful entry, trespassing, property damage, and unlawful threat. “It will of course be reported to the police. I am absolutely convinced that it will lead to convictions,” Persson tells TV4 Nyheterna. He says the incident scared one of his daughters and a grandchild, and points to SVT as responsible after a neighbor saw an SVT van in the area. In Friday's episode of the SVT program “Svenska nyheter,” it is revealed that the production team was in Elghammar and dumped a truckload of apples.
The incident connects to earlier actions against ministers. In January, apples with painted Hitler faces were placed at migration minister Johan Forssell's home, and outside aid minister Benjamin Dousa's residence, a doll depicting an IS warrior with a severed head and a knife was set up. Activist Andreas Klominek, linked to Rojavakommittéerna supporting the Kurdish freedom movement, was sentenced on Friday to a conditional sentence for harassment against Forssell and unlawful threat against Dousa. The purpose was to protest the government's increased aid to Syria, which the group claims supports persecution of Kurds.
Persson has expressed support for Klominek and laughed about the action against Forssell: “What does this terrible crime consist of? In Forssell's case, he painted apples with a Hitler mustache and placed them in his area.” He has also promised to pay Klominek's 1,000 SEK fee to the Crime Victim Fund.
Free speech expert Nils Funcke thinks Persson is overreacting. “If there's nothing else associated with this, he should take it with a smile,” Funcke says. He describes the apple dumping as “a bit of a fun move” and questions if it is criminal, assuming no unknown circumstances. Funcke has previously argued that the actions against the ministers fall within free speech and criticized the sentence against Klominek as weakly reasoned, with a risk of chilling effect on individuals' expression.
In Gothenburg, a similar action by Rojavakommittéerna – a basket with red-painted bills outside the Moderates' party office – did not lead to charges. Democracy police officer Jan Bäckström believes politicians have lowered the bar for activism and should tolerate more criticism within the bounds of free speech.
