Firebombing teens target Gothenburg cops

Several police came under attack in the Gothenburg district of Angered overnight as teenagers hurled Molotov cocktails at police vehicles.

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“To throw incendiary bombs at the police takes this problem to a level where we definitely don’t want to be. I have never in my whole career seen or heard of anything like it,” detective Bertil Claesson, head of the police unit in Angered, told news agency TT.

In the Angered area, police officers also had green laser pointers aimed at their eyes.

A petrol bomb hit a car belonging to a private security company, and two police cars parked outside the police station were damaged by youths.

In a separate incident in the district of Backa, stones were thrown at patrolling officers.

“I would like the general public to lend a hand and send a message to these teens that this is enough,” Claesson told TT.

In the last year, Gothenburg police have made an extra effort to come to terms with the problem of teenagers burning cars and attacking emergency services in several areas of the city.

On Wednesday, an crisis meeting was scheduled between local police and the district council in Angered to discuss what else can be done in the area.

Both social services and police in the stricken districts have worked to prevent the violence that often coincides with the beginning of the school year.

Police have patrolled the area more frequently and the district councils have tried to work proactively by keeping youth recreation centres open and organising more activities.

Prior to Tuesday night's attack, 15 cars were recently torched in a parking lot in Angered.

“And I still say that our measures so far have worked quite well. Despite what occurred last night and the recent car burning it has been a lot calmer than earlier this year,” said Claesson.

Claesson can’t say whether recent events have been sparked by the London riots earlier this month.

“But my experience is that everyone has their own motives when taking part in these kinds of activities,” he told TT.

So far no one has been injured in the attacks but the officers who the had green laser pointed at them suffered discomfort and had their eye-sight temporarily impaired.

“We still don’t know if that will lead to any long-term damage,” said Claesson.