Health center occupation in Northern Sweden

[svenne]

So, Sweden hasn't been as hard hit by the crisis as other countries in Europe, but there's a whole tribe of moles digging around... A couple of weeks ago, a safari to an upper class suburb pulled in pretty much all the largest media outlets in a discussion about class (there's a thread about it already)

Anyway: in the northern of Sweden (Norrland), the politicans in the Social Democrats and the Green Party (the Left Party pulled out of the local coalition when it became known) cut away 150 million SEKs (15 million EURO, or 22 million dollar) from the health budget. The citizens of Dorotea, where the local Health Center was to be closed down, has been occupying it for a time now. In the town itself, all (!) the political partys supports the occupation. Just a couple of hours ago (22.00 wednesday evening), the biggest tv channel in Sweden, sent an hour long program about the whole issue.

A couple of years ago, Sweden was facing a wave of occupations, both from the radical left (mostly locally, with the goal of getting a house to be used for political and cultural happenings) and in one case, a couple of building workers. Nothing has happened on that front the last two or three years, but now, Dorotea seems to have picked up the torch. And of course, the most interesting aspect is the total lack of radical political groups in and around where the occupation is happening.

I haven't been able to find an article about it in english, but i guess Majakovskij has an ace up his sleeve...

[Crux]

We haven't made any translations (yet) and nothing's up on thelocal.se but I'll try and keep a look out.

If you can bare with google translate, here's five articles:
http://www.socialisterna.org/sv/2/1/7826/
http://offensiv.socialisterna.org/sv/988/kampanj/7807/
http://www.socialisterna.org/sv/2/1/7829/
http://www.socialisterna.org/sv/2/1/7833/
http://www.socialisterna.org/sv/2/1/7834/

[svenne]

We haven't made any translations (yet) and nothing's up on thelocal.se but I'll try and keep a look out.

If you can bare with google translate, here's five articles:
http://www.socialisterna.org/sv/2/1/7826/
http://offensiv.socialisterna.org/sv/988/kampanj/7807/
http://www.socialisterna.org/sv/2/1/7829/
http://www.socialisterna.org/sv/2/1/7833/
http://www.socialisterna.org/sv/2/1/7834/

Do you (RS) have any members living in Dorotea?

[Crux]

Do you (RS) have any members living in Dorotea?
AFAIK no. Although we do occasionally have one's or two's spread out in places I would be unaware of.

[aty]

The occupation has now being going for 100+ days and now it has spread as a movement to other cities and villages called "Lapplandsupproret" or "Lapland rebellion". This as a struggle against necessary social services disappering from the area because the politicians and private companies want to make more profits. Despite that this area is crucial for the swedish economy. Workers now live in barracks and caravans because of a new mining-boom and they cant even get the necessary social services or housing.

Lapland is the most northern area in Sweden and have a strong history of workers struggles, despite not many people live there. In the 70s the wildcat striking miners from Lapland created a 10 years wave of workers struggle and wild cat strikes against the ruling social democrats in Sweden.
Lets see what happpens now.