A city stabbed in it's heart speaks up

It was two weeks ago. Although fall, 68° F (20°C) blue skies, a low sun and no wind. Downtown Umeå filled with happy Saturday shoppers, people having one more summer vanilla sundae with their choice of favorite topping at Rådhustorget, the big square named after the former City Hall at the heart of downtown.

Then, the peaceful weekend was stabbed in the heart. Out of the bleu thirty armed Neo Nazis came walking with their flags, occupying the common area, sucking the air out of the Umeå lung.

Now, from the Umeå perspective this really came from nowhere. Some weeks ago, another woman at a bus stop harassed a Muslim woman with her head covered. The headlines were big and the joint Umeå soul was badly ashamed. But these things happen. As the fact that we have our share of back yard racism: “well, I am not a racist but…” Rightwing extremism though doesn’t have a home here. And we probably haven’t seen a Neo Nazi in our town since the mid nineties.

So, what was this? What happened? There are brown boots marching in Europe. Ultra-nationalistic movements are growing, in Sweden too unfortunately. When Sverigedemokraterna (The Swedish Democrats), a nationalistic party, 2010 took seats in the Swedish Parliament I wood say Sweden was in chock. But they don’t take hold in Northern Sweden, and certainly not in Umeå. The thirty angry young men came from other parts of the country on a mission to reach angry young men in this area. Well, did they take a right at the wrong corner…

So, people are shopping, families are having their sundae facing the sun. Nobody knows about the upcoming stab in the heart. There isn’t a testosterone mob waiting to attack.

Yet, that’s what’s happening. People, unprepared and with little connection to each other react from the bottom of their heart and soul, defending the square and their city. There is a violent battle and the police have to do their job. The peaceful sunny Umeå Saturday is transformed into a scary and foreign place.

Within 24 hours people from various political, religious and cultural backgrounds teamed up in social media to organize a counteraction to the Neo Nazi violation. Monday evening between 3 and 4000 people came together at Rådhustorget for a peaceful rally with only one goal: to keep Nazis away from our streets. That’s how well the 30 armed young men from other parts of Sweden with their flags succeeded in Umeå: they brought at least a 100 x 30 to demonstrate against them and their opinions.

So, how is this possible?

I grew up in Umeå during the seventies. It was a very political time and age. Most every weekend there was something to march for or against and Rådhustorget watched them all. To all of us, young at that time, speaking up for what we believed in was as natural as rain. During the nineties Umeå was the heart for the straight edge movement, and the animal right’s activists managed to put Mc Donald’s out of business, I actually think that’s the only example in the world. So, don’t come here and mess with us!

Umeå is perceived as an open, solidary and tolerant place. It has a long history of liberalism and the university provides the city young, people eager to debate and discuss most everything that is on the table. There is a nutritious soil here for social movements like feminism, animal rights, left, anti war and queer. Resistance against racism is a natural ingredient in this mix. And so as thirty armed men with flags walks into the Indian summer Saturday it comes as somewhat of a moral chock to all of us.

Now, you might object that a city of about 115 000 people four hours south of the Polar Circle probably is a pretty homogeneous place and racism not really something to be worried about. True. But you might be surprised to know that 99 nationalities with more then 10 people each have their home here. When it comes to languages the last number I heard was 111. The largest immigrant population is Finnish, 2nd Iran, 3rd Iraq, 4th China, 5^th India and 6^th Somalia. These are numbers from 2009.

Rådhustorget in Umeå is about the size of the square at Westlake Mall in Seattle. As Westlake has the concrete thing in different levels across Pine Street, Rådhustorget has the Monkey Mountain. A concrete construction in levels perfect for having that vanilla sundae, watching people and rubbing your best friends back.

Only, the top level of the Monkey Mountain (a name from popular speech) works as a stage. And on that stage there is a pulpit. And that’s where the speeches are hold. Those that end the marching pro or con. The demonstrations. The Monkey Mountain is right across the former City Hall, the pulpit facing it. Quite symbolic come to think about it.

Now it so happened the same week as the Neo Nazi tumult, it turns out that the City is going to dismantle the Monkey Mountain. Imagine the reactions! To take away the very symbol for freedom of speech right at the time for a city trauma.

It had nothing to do with anything, only a move to access plumbing and power under ground, but the timing was unfortunate. And the communication from the City poor. A Save the Monkey Mountain group was organized of course, but on Monday the beloved downtown centerpiece was gone.

Now, the concrete parts are put in storage. And the pulpit is moved across the square, but still there. And the City has promised the inhabitants of Umeå to participate in the design of the future square.

It’s interesting though. Moving away the Monkey Mountain at Rådhustorget is like taking out the dinner table from a dining room. Where is the center now? Where shall we gather? Where can we all hang out together? Especially when we have something to say. It makes us…lost.

Between 3 and 4000 people got together in Umeå to speak up against racism two weeks ago. It was a long time since something engaged that many people. I can’t find the figures now, but I think the last time was March 22 2003. Most of the world stood up that day against the US invading Iraq. So did Umeå. I remember freezing my feet off. And forcing my 14 and 16 year-old sons to participate. We marched through downtown and finished for speeches at the Monkey Mountain at Rådhustorget. It felt really good bringing our piece to the giant puzzle. Being a part of the world.

Two weeks ago an unexpected and scary armed war happened in our own front-yard. And we did what we had to do. We spoke up.