Swedish terror arrests
September 11, 2011
Swedish police arrested four suspects and evacuated an arts center in Gothenburg late on Saturday based on fears of terrorism-related activities, officials said.
Though no details have been released, Mia Christersdotter Norman, head of the Roda Sten arts center, said 400 people were there celebrating the launch of an international biennial for contemporary art around on Saturday night, when police ordered everyone out of the building.
"Around midnight I was called out by the police and they said there was a threat to the building and asked us to quietly stop the party, which we did and everyone left," Christersdotter Norman told the AP.
"Police have searched the building but didn't find anything," she said, adding that the building would reopen as usual on Sunday.
A police statement issued on Sunday said the action was "due to a threat of serious danger for the lives and health of people, as well as complete destruction of the building."
It wasn't immediately clear if these events were related to the 10 year anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States.
Sweden's terror alert status has been "elevated" since last October and in December a suicide bomber detonated a device in downtown Stockholm.
Author: Stuart Tiffen (dpa, AP, AFP)
Editor: Sean Sinico