Near the small village Tönshult south of Virserum they would stand.

Twelve wind turbines, 270 meters high and with a wing width of 190 meters.

The municipal board in Hultsfred, with the Center Party at the helm, had said yes and given its approval to the plan.

The forthcoming decision in the City Council was only a formality.

But the locals despaired.

- People were desperate, they cried.

They thought: should there really be such high winds here ?, says Jan-Olof Svensson from Virserum.

Protests started

Jan-Olof Svensson was one of those who started protests against the planned wind farm.

With name collections and meetings, they aroused public opinion.

This despite the fact that the odds were bad.

Everything is usually decided in the same way in the municipal council as it is in the municipal board.

- We were desperate when they said yes in the first turn.

So then we said that we have to get to grips with things and explain our dissatisfaction down here in the southern part of Hultsfred municipality, says Jan-Olof Svensson.

Manifestation

With only three days left until the decision was made in the City Council, Jan-Olof Svensson arranged a demonstration against the wind power plans.

A large number of people gathered in Virserum and 160 signatures were collected during the evening.

In the end, it was uncertain how the decision would fall in the municipal council.

But during the meeting, no one demanded approval for the wind farm.

The politicians had listened and turned.

- I honor the politicians, that they thought again, says Jan-Olof Svensson.

Politicians change feet

One of those who changed feet between the meeting of the municipal board and that of the municipal council was the municipality's strong man, municipal councilor Lars Rosander (C).

In the municipal board he was for the wind turbines, but in the municipal council he went against his own decision.

- We need energy, and we must find different ways to produce environmentally friendly energy.

But we must listen to those who are affected by it all.

We can not run over people who feel that their lives are changing radically, says Lars Rosander (C).