Sweden

Abstract

Analyzes 263 protest events reported in the national newspaper Dagens Nyheter, 1988-1997, to examine environmental protest in Sweden. Explanations for the significant shift in the level of reported protest events, 1988/89 & 1990/91, are offered, eg, fall of the USSR & the election cycle. Three aspects of the shifting issue cycle are then identified: certain issues (eg, animal rights) grew in importance, while others declined (eg, nuclear energy) & developmental issues (eg, roads, traffic, & infrastructure) remained stable. Attention turns to the form & organization of environmental protest, finding most activism to be conventional & demonstrative & of a small scale; violence was almost exclusively the purview of animal rights protests. A significant change in the character of organizations involved in protest events is discerned. Greenpeace is the most confrontational actor, most mobilizations occurred at the subnational level. Findings point to the continuity of the Swedish environmental political landscape & reveal the heterogeneity of the actors involved. Despite institutionalization, a new wave of activism, including militant direct action linked to animal rights, has emerged. Also, local project making in connection to Agenda 21 has appeared as a new form of entrepreneurial environmental action that is not easily reflected in protest events. 6 Tables, 4 Figures. J. Zendejas