Even in ostensibly peaceful and tolerant Sweden, civil unrest happens.

Credit: Scanpix Sweden/Reuters

Over the last few days, rioting has taken place around Stockholm.  Many of the rioters are young and from immigrant communities suffering from high unemployment and lack of opportunity.  Even in a country known for generous social welfare programs and a reputation for tolerance, anger and resentment can explode amongst certain subsets of the population.

Live in a nice neighborhood, on a peaceful street?  Think you are immune to riots?  What would you do if one broke out in your community?

Think about that for a moment.

Violence can happen anywhere and seemingly insignificant events can trigger rioting.  When it happens, you will need to be ready.  Having food, water, light, shelter, first aid items, and personal protection (firearms, clubs, knives, etc.) on-hand will be a necessity.  When it comes to evacuating, you may be forced to flee your home with little notice if widespread rioting hits your community.  We’ll go into more detail in future articles about how to prepare for civil unrest and similar events, just know that if it can happen in a cosmopolitan city like Stockholm, it can happen anywhere…