The Pride Week in Karlskrona was not the festive end that the organizers had hoped for.
The planned main event with a boat parade in the city was canceled at the last minute after a police intervention and a subsequent quarrel that ended with reports and accusations of sexual harassment and violence.
Karlskrona Pride's chairman Sophia Ahlin does not want to comment further on the incident today due to her own connection to what happened.
Among other things, the police intervention took place in connection with her property, where a private pride party was arranged earlier in the evening.
However, she explains why the post about the incident that the organization first published on social media was later deleted.
- There were so many hateful comments against the police authority, so then we felt that it was easier to remove the post.
We do not want to contribute to hate crimes against the police.
Should "reflect on this"
For answers to other questions, SVT is instead referred to the association's vice chairman Sandra Penzo.
How has this affected the image of Karlskrona Pride?
- The whole event is of course very boring and it is always negative when something like this happens.
We on the board will need to talk through what has happened and sit down and reflect on this.
An investigation is underway and this of course needs to be examined.
How would you sum up this year's Pride?
- Mixed. Even though this happened, we have had very nice flashes of light. Apart from the incident and despite an ongoing pandemic where we have not been able to make a regular pride, I still feel that we have managed to make a good pride week, says Sandra Penzo.