Swedish foreign minister flees parliament hall after tomatoes, onions thrown at her during Palestine debate

LONDON 

Sweden’s recently-appointed Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard was forced to flee parliament hall Thursday after tomatoes and red onions were thrown at her during a debate about how Sweden should vote on a UN referendum about Israel and the West Bank.

Stenergard fled when those in the stands suddenly started shouting and throwing the vegetables.

​​​​​​​The leader of the Riksdag, Ann-Sofie Malm, said it was pro-Palestinian activists with red-painted hands who threw the vegetables at the minister, the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper reported.

The debate was interrupted shortly after Stenergard answered a question about the situation with Palestinians in the Middle East.

Those sitting in the audience shouted and accused the foreign minister of supporting genocide.

Police have so far arrested three people, the Riksdag administration was quoted by DN.

“You must be able to participate in a conversation during a debate without having things thrown at you. Especially, in the Riksdag hall, which is the room of the elected representatives,“ Stenergard told Dagens Nyheter.

The tomatoes and red onions were not detected in security checks at the Riksdag, even though visitors are only allowed to bring notepads into the hall, said DN.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson demanded stricter security measures after the incident.

“I expect a thorough analysis of how this could happen and stronger measures to maintain the safety of the elected representatives in the hall,” he said.

• Maria Malmer Stenergard
• pro-Palestinian activists
• Sweden
• Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom