HELSINKI (AP) — When a riot broke out in a predominantly immigrant Stockholm suburb this week, the biggest surprise for many Swedes was that a police officer found it necessary to fire his gun.
For U.S. President Donald Trump and his supporters, however, the episode appeared to confirm Trump's vague observation two days earlier that the Scandinavian country was at risk of becoming a breeding ground for extremist attacks.
It's true that Sweden, which prides itself on welcoming newcomers, is seeing a new kind of urban unrest. The combination of the country's open-door policy and comparatively heterogeneous culture has led to frictions, especially in areas where many long-time immigrants feel disempowered.