Can a new bridge unite Sweden's divided society? | Focus on Europe

gang wars and shootings have kept Sweden in suspense for years the situation is becoming increasingly brutal suburbs where immigrants predominate are often in the spotlight suburbs like rinky boo in the north of the capital Stockholm Stefan Lindstrom has a plan to rinky boo a

bridge

towards better integrating the residents there, the city planner commissioned the structure, but the pedestrian and cycle

bridge

has

divided

opinion: there are many people of immigrant origin with low incomes and a low level of education and, on the other hand, a well-educated middle class. neighborhood the bridge was built to connect the two areas businessman Ali Aaron supports it believes the bridge will help integrate his rinky boo neighborhood into the city he is concerned about increasing violence and says the state must make more bridges on its own it cannot solve the situation almost never Money is invested in schools, instead it is increasingly privatized and the laws are too poor.

Young people know that if they shoot someone before the age of 18, the most they will receive is two or three years in prison. It's a catastrophe. A young man suddenly. He interrupts our conversation and threatens Erin, but Aaron stands his ground on rinky boo, you have to earn your respect, he says, but naturally he's worried about the rising gun violence in January, a boy was shot and killed at this sushi bar in the south of Stockholm, both the shooter and The victim were only 15 years old. The Swedish police are alarmed by this development and increasingly at a loss.

We are dealing with younger and younger people, some are children as young as 13 or 14 years old. We try to intervene by informing the child welfare service, contacting parents or making visits but at some point these young people can no longer be reached the far-right Swedish Democrats party takes advantage of violence to foment sentiment against immigrant communities foreign swedes Stefan Lindstrom bridge is also in the line of fire right-wingers want it demolished believe it will bring rinky boo's criminality to orshvik we contacted the SD but the party refused to comment that demolishing the bridge would be completely useless It will cost the taxpayer the equivalent of 10 million euros that is crazy abroad there is little concern for the youth The violence could spread to them through the new bridge.

Most people are pretty relaxed about the dispute. The issue has been exaggerated by expressions like those in the tabloids here in this neighborhood. I haven't noticed much conflict at all and before they built the bridge they put it up. Since then it has been much quieter there. Stefan Lindstrom is sure that the bridge will have a positive effect and hopes that the commotion will calm down once the bridge is finally completed. It is simply better for social cohesion and for people from different backgrounds. find in everyday life instead of having a district for the poor, one for the middle class and one for the rich which does not help anyone, in a few weeks the bridge will open to the public and then many residents of Rankybu and Orshvik will gather for the first time at the opening ceremony on the bridge