Published 19 June 2024 at 16.15
Domestic. The principal who dragged a student with Palestine off the stage was guilty of violating the student, according to the city of Malmö.
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In the middle of the students' originated at the Borgarskolan in Malmö, principal Martin Roth flew onto the stage and violently tore down a student who was holding up a Palestinian flag.
The incident was filmed and has been spread by Palestinian groups on social media.
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Students at Borgarskolan in Malmö, Sweden wave Palestinian flags during their celebration before the principal rushes the stage violently and snatches the flag away. pic.twitter.com/T2H8Sp58Y8
— PALESTINE ONLINE (@OnlinePalEng) June 7, 2024
Martin Roth had gone to the media and told about the school banning flags during the student celebration.
Malmö city's investigation into the incident has now concluded that the principal had the right to take the flag – but that he should have stopped the tug-of-war when they got off the stage.
– Our assessment is that when the principal steps in and acts to take the flag from the student on stage, it is something that is completely in line with the school's rules of order and the school law. But he would have stopped his intervention at the latest when the student was off the stage. There it will not be proportionate, says Johan Aspelin, head of education at the high school and adult education administration in Malmö, to SVT Nyheter Skåne.
According to Johan Aspelin, there is “nothing in the investigation that shows” that the principal would have acted precisely for that it was a Palestinian flag.
The student will receive support from the school.
– Students should not be exposed to violations. Even if you break the rules of order, you should be treated in an okay way, says Aspelin to SVT.
Martin Roth himself states to SVT that he was advised not to appear in an interview as security officials must have assessed that the threat to him can increase. According to SVT, he states that he received “a large amount of threats” after the incident. However, the headmaster states that he did not know what kind of flag he pulled down.
“A tug-of-war ensues which then escalates. […] Of course, the situation could have been handled in many ways and this is how I wish in retrospect that this had been done,” he writes, among other things, to SVT.
Clarification: Martin Roth announces that he is not Jewish, which was previously stated in this now updated article.