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ASAP Rocky fans threaten Ikea boycott over Sweden assault case

US fans of rapper A$AP Rocky have issued a call to arms, including meatball moratoriums and an end to binges at Ikea, in protest at Swedish moves to put him on trial for assault.

ASAP Rocky fans threaten Ikea boycott over Sweden assault case
Photo: Fredrik Persson/TT

With Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven rebuffing President Donald Trump's entreaties to intervene in the case, Americans took to Twitter to call for boycotts of the country and its global commercial icons — first and foremost the do-it-yourself home furnishing mart Ikea.

Many appeared inspired by a Trump tweet Thursday that declared: “We do so much for Sweden but it doesn't seem to work the other way around.”

That sparked a rash of retweets with the #boycottsweden hashtag, singling out Swedish brands from Absolut Vodka and Volvo to Spotify.

“Let me be the first to encourage folks to boycott Ikea until A$AP Rocky is freed. Though having said that I am sure if Rocky's jail cell is anything like my bookcase he could bust out,” tweeted triathlon coach John Bryan.

On Thursday a Swedish court ordered Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, put on trial for assault after his arrest for a July 3rd brawl.

One video of the incident suggests that Rocky, 30, and his bodyguards were harassed by two local men for some time before fighting erupted, and the rapper said it was self-defense.

That has stoked a outpouring of anger from fans, but also the occasional pithy comment from wags wondering if Rocky might have to assemble his own furniture in his Swedish cell.

Others called him lucky to have the chance to eat Ikea's famous meatballs.

Sweden wasn't immediately facing any significant economic fallout from the calls for boycotts, however. None of those urging a moratorium on Swedish goods had substantial followings or were major public figures.

And as popular as it is, most people who shop at Ikea go only once in several months.

But the pressure could grow, if Twitter is any indication.

Another hashtag on heavy rotation was #JustSayNoToPickledHerring and one social media user claimed Trump was considering a lingonberry levy.

 READ ALSO: Swedish politicians slam Trump over ASAP Rocky case

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CRIME

Stockholm court fines Greta Thunberg over parliament climate protest

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was handed a fine for disobeying police orders after blocking access to Sweden's parliament during a protest.

Stockholm court fines Greta Thunberg over parliament climate protest

Police removed Thunberg on March 12th and 14th after she refused to leave the main entrance, where she was protesting with a small group of activists for several days. MPs could still access the building via secondary entrances.

The court said it fined the activist 6,000 Swedish kronor ($551) and ordered her to pay 1,000 kronor in damages and interest.

Thunberg denied the charges of two counts of civil disobedience, according to an AFP journalist at the hearing.

Asked by the judge why she had not obeyed police orders, she replied: “Because there was a (climate) emergency and there still is. And in an emergency, we all have a duty to act.”

“The current laws protect the extractive industries instead of protecting people and the planet, which is what I believe should be the case,” she said as she left the courtroom.

Thunberg has been fined twice before in Sweden, in July and October 2023, for civil disobedience during similar protests.

In February, a London judge dropped charges against her for disturbing the peace during a demonstration against the oil industry in October in the British capital.

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