“Brawl” leads to SD youth chief arrest

Anna Sjödin was arrested at the Crazy Horse pub in central Stockholm on Saturday night. Details of the events leading to her arrest are still hazy, but a doorman has accused Sjödin of hitting him as she was being escorted from the bar. She was arrested on suspicion of assault.

Sjödin was released at 10 am on Sunday, but suspicions against her remain.

Police say that the fight started when staff at the bar asked a woman to leave because she was drunk. A doorman escorted her from the bar and the SSU president followed.

Accounts differ about what happened next. Peter Skeppström, SSU’s press secretary, says that the SSU leader went back into the bar and was not challenged until she was back at her table.

Skeppström, who was at the bar, says Sjödin did not fight the guards.

“She didn’t hit anyone, either inside or on the street. I can vouch for that,” he said to TT.

He said that the doorman called Sjödin “white fucking scum and whore” [‘vitt djävla slödder och hora’].

“She behaved quite properly. But the atmosphere was very unpleasant in the bar, and the things that the doorman said to her were awful.”

“No woman should ever be subjected to being called a whore, at the pub or anywhere else,” said Skeppström.

Anna Sjödin was elected president of SSU in August, succeeding Ardalan Sekarabi to become the second female president of the organisation. The first was Anna Lindh.

Sjödin is also a reserve member of the Social Democrats’ executive committee. Party secretary Marita Ulvskog said she had spoken to the “shocked” Sjödin and received a “brief description” of what had happened.

“She still has the confidence of SSU members, and she therefore has my confidence as well,” said Ulvskog to TT.

TT: But SSU’s members didn’t choose her after last night’s events?

“I have no reason to do anything other than believe the version of events that has been related to me, and there will of course be a judicial process,” replied Ulvskog, who added that she did not believe the events would affect the election campaign.

TT/The Local