The unrest followed large gatherings over the Easter weekend. On Easter Eve, thousands of youths gathered on the parking lot outside the Asecs shopping center. Asecs attracted very many people on Saturday evening, similar to Friday. Since the level of intoxication was high, police on site at Asecs had to take a large number of people into custody.
A key incident unfolded at the Asecs parking lot amid the crowd. Shortly after 23:00, a caravan caught fire in the middle of the large gathering. The cause of the caravan fire at Asecs is unclear. Several cases of assault were also reported at the Asecs gathering.
The violence and arson spread geographically across Sweden. The largest group of youngsters apparently gathered in Trollhättan north of Gothenburg where as many as 40 people threw stones and started fires. Footage showed cars burning bright orange in a large car park at Frölunda Torg, which includes a specialist hospital and a major shopping centre. There were reports of young people setting cars on fire in Hjällbo, to the north east of Gothenburg, in Malmo, at the southern tip of the country, and in the city of Helsingborg.
Police responded to the apparent outbreak of violence with no injuries reported. All the fires had been extinguished by midnight and police said the identification of young people was ongoing although it was not clear if any arrests had been made. Swedish national radio reported that around 40 firefighters were in action tackling the different blazes in Sweden. Police are investigating whether the various blazes which broke out across Sweden were related.
The scale of damage was extensive. Around 80 vehicles had been vandalised in total, with three caravans and a truck also targeted, and witnesses describing dark-haired youngsters launching the attacks. Two cars were destroyed in a fire on Hertsön, and police are investigating. Two cars were also destroyed in a fire in Motala on a parking lot.
Other significant fires occurred elsewhere in Sweden. Several cars were set on fire on a street in Trollhättan. Police are taking door-to-door statements and have sent samples for analysis regarding the Hertsön fire. A person got stuck in a machine at a gym in Trollhättan.
Separately, a potential gas canister explosion risk in Glumslöv caused major disruptions. Swedish Television reports that there is a risk that gas canisters could explode in Glumslöv, and all traffic near the town has been halted by the Swedish Transport Administration, including the Pågatåg train line, road 1350, plus the busses between Landskrona and Helsingborg. The police write on their website that the stoppages in Glumslöv could last until 2 am on Thursday. Experts from the Malmö police bomb disposal unit have been called in to try to reduce the risk of explosions in Glumslöv.
Internationally, Middle East tensions continued. Israel's air defense missile stockpiles are critically low after Iranian attacks, according to news site Semafor. Nine healthcare workers were killed in five separate attacks in Lebanon on Saturday, according to WHO. Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2, drawing Lebanon into the war in the region.
A major fire broke out at Kuwait International Airport after Iranian drone attacks.
Other European incidents included car fires in Norway and Finland. Three people were arrested and suspected after a car fire in Kongsvinger city center on Sunday morning. The fire in Kongsvinger spread to a nearby apartment where several people were present. Police suspect the fire in Kongsvinger did not start by itself. Emergency services responded to a car fire in Tromsø where the car was parked in a carport. The fire in Tromsø spread to the carport and there was a risk of spreading to the house. The fire in Tromsø was extinguished, and the car was totaled. No one was in the house during the Tromsø fire, and the cause is unknown.
Additional vehicle fires occurred in Sweden and Finland. A black estate car caught fire on a parking lot near Prisma in Kuopio. The driver of the car in Kuopio noticed a smell, parked the car, and it caught fire; no injuries occurred. The fire in Kuopio likely started in the engine compartment. A van that caught fire on Monday in Helsinki's Jakomäki caught fire again on Tuesday morning. The van had been parked at Lidl Alppikylä's parking lot since the previous day. The cause of the van fire in Helsinki is unknown, and no police investigation was initiated on Monday.
Serious incidents included an explosion in Bradford and a train fire in the UK. A person was taken to hospital after a huge explosion at a retail park in Bradford, Yorkshire. One car was damaged with crumpled sides and broken glass at the Bradford explosion. A train is on fire near Newton Abbot, halting services between Exeter and Paignton.
Other police matters involved assault, explosion, and unusual finds. A man in his 30s was arrested for allegedly stabbing a man in his 40s at Bro centrum. An explosion occurred in Taxinge, Nykvarn, causing minor damage to a house. Police found a silkie chicken in a trash room in Gothenburg and are trying to find its owner. A car burned on a church parking lot in Tierp, and police suspect arson.
Tragic events included fatalities in Sweden and abroad. A man died after being run over by a quad bike outside Skyttorp near Uppsala. A Norwegian teenage girl was found dead in the water on Gran Canaria.
The violence in Sweden occurs in a political context just three weeks before Swedish voters go to the polls in a general election. A Swedish person won 26 million kronor in the lottery by getting seven correct numbers.