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The Riksdag
The Riksdag debate was interrupted - tomatoes were thrown at the foreign minister

Emil Forsberg,

Fredrik Björkman,

Martin Palmborg

Updated 14.36 | Published 13.51

The Riksdag members had gathered for a debate on the situation in Palestine.

Then someone threw a bag of tomatoes at Maria Malmer Stenergard (M).

The foreign minister had to escape from the plenary hall and the debate was temporarily interrupted.

Thursday's foreign policy parliamentary debate on the situation in Palestine had to be temporarily interrupted after some people started shouting from the audience gallery.

At the time, Sweden's decision to cast its vote regarding the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the West Bank was discussed in the UN General Assembly.

Then they threw a bag of tomatoes at Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M).

- It ended up two rows behind the foreign minister. When she hears the thump, she runs out, says a witness to Aftonbladet.

"Have talked to Maria"

The Social Democrats member of parliament Azra Muranovic, who was supposed to go up to the podium after Malmer Stenergard, condemns the incident.

- I think it is unacceptable and that it disturbs the democratic order. We are politicians and have different opinions, but it is the dialogue that is important. It must not happen that you interrupt the dialogue in this way.

Have you spoken to the Foreign Minister afterward?

- I have spoken to Maria and apologized for the situation. It is completely unacceptable that people in Sweden's Riksdag should throw things, she says.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson reacts strongly after the incident:

"I am proud that Sweden has a competent and upright foreign minister who holds the government's line on the conflicts in the Middle East. No one should be allowed to threaten or throw objects at her. I now expect a thorough analysis of how this could happen and strong measures to maintain the security of Members of Parliament and Ministers in the House. It is legitimate to have different opinions about conflicts far from Sweden, but never legitimate to destroy serious conversations about them here in Sweden," he says in a comment to The evening paper.

Aftonbladet is looking for Maria Malmer Stenergard.

Maria Malmer Stenergard. Photo: Björn Lindahl