Gothenburg, 13 February 2022
It was a grey, rainy day with a bitterly cold wind. Yet, 400-500 people turned out to demonstrate.
The message was consistent: review social services and the court and the way LVU is used to take children from families. Speeches were heard in Swedish, English, Arabic and Somali.
Of course there were high emotions! Families torn apart, parents wanting to share their stories. I spoke to a handful of mothers and fathers, one mother hasn’t seen or talked to her children in over 7 years.
Many of these parents wanted to tell their story, share their hurt, so there were some vying for places on the steps of the Gustav Adolf statue. However messy the protest looked, it was all civil and organised.
Even when members of a nationalist organisation appeared to counter protest, the organisers diverted the attention of those gathered back to our rally.
Two of our editors gave speeches, Fia and Monika.
Monika says these words came from the heart as “I couldn’t access my notes when I was suddenly handed the loudspeaker”
“I am here today because I am angry! I am angry because the media and the politicians have taken this [movement] with islamophobic sentiment.
This is not a religious issue. This is something that can affect everyone! And they [social services, the legal system, politicians, media, the people] need to listen to the criticism about social services and the court system! It is not right what they [social services] do in the name of children’s right is just child abuse!
We have been there! My own 3 children were taken for 449 days. Today we suffer because of what they have done.
They say they do better.
No! They come, they take the children very, very quickly. In this country, it is way too easy to take the children without the legal background [sured] up. And that is where the problem is!
Who here is a vegetarian? Who here goes to church? Who here has an autistic child for who they have asked for support? Who here has a daughter who has asked to sleep over at friends and the parents said “no!”? These are all reasons why children are and have been taken.
And they said it is for the child’s best!
What child’s best?!
Where is it the child’s best
…when the child cannot receive BUP [barn och ungdom pyskiatri- child and youth psychiatry], medical treatment because they are under LVU?
…when a child cannot talk to their family?
…they are isolated from family and everyone around them?
Where is there the right of the children?
This country has beautiful laws. The LVU law as is, is good. The problem is that social services do not follow the law!
We, in our own case, can count many-many-many times that they haven’t followed [the law]. And here, [at this protest], I have talked to people who have lost their children for many more years than our 449 days!
This is not right!
We need to stand together and all unite to call on social services and the politicians who supervise them, and call [on] the courts to uphold the laws properly!
And NOT TAKE THE CHIlDREN as the first thing they do and then after create investigations to justify their actions!
Because the trauma they are creating is going to hurt generations and generations.
So this [protest] is for our children! We have to stand up for our children, that they are not harmed, that they have access to their culture, to their heritage, to their families.
And this not an Islamic issue, these [protesters] are not terrorists! I’m not a terrorist! None of these people here are terrorists! We are parents who want our children, we want them in our families, growing up our values.
And we want social services’ support and not their destruction! Thank you!”
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