High Water

[image: a crowd fills Sergels torg, central Stockholm, and sits on & against the walls and railings surrounding it.]

We spent today in Stockholm, running errands. In the evening there was a manifestation (I have no idea what to call this in English, watch my grasp of the language drain away) in the city centre to both remember the victims of the terror attack in Norway and to promote political openness. We didn't stay the whole course, because J was with us and super-tired, but we were there a while. The atmosphere was good. See above.

I'm glad we went.



Then Valborg went online. Oh no. Now people On The Internets, I gather, are saying it was TOO POLITICAL OMG.

It was organised by the social democrats' youth group, that is to say, the partner organisation to the one targeted in Norway.

This was an explicitly political attack. The majority of the victims were explicitly interested in politics. How the hell is it inappropriate to bring in politics? It seems deeply appropriate to me to keep talking about the things that these kids were interested in and working for. The alternative would seem far less appropriate.

By the way, Jonas Gardell said something that we've been thinking: that the thing to do in this situation is to be political. Support groups that help immigrants. Support groups that protect human rights. Support religious freedom and gender equality and queer movements and what the hell ever else makes the world a better place; examples in question picked because of arsehole responsible for the terrorist attacks' particular dislike for them.



Also, the "He Did It Because Of Computer Games" brigade have now deemed it safe to come out of the woodwork. Ugh.



I am so ready for Pride, by the way. We are going to have a party. And also go to seminars about racism and islamophobia. Take that, you fucking bastard.

(On which note, revised schedule to come tomorrow. Along with questions about food preferences etc.)