Jonas Sjöstedt, the long-time leader of the Swedish Left Party, has announced that his underage children, Tor and Greta, were part of the TikTok campaign against US President Donald Trump.
“Now it comes out. My 12-year-olds say, as if it were a matter of course, that they were part of the TikTok campaign that deceived Donald Trump's election campaign by booking seats at his Tulsa Oklahoma election. Still, makes you a little proud,” Sjöstedt tweeted.
Nu kommer det fram. Mina 12-åringar berättar, som om det vore en självklarhet, att de var med i TikTok kampanjen som lurade Donald Trumps valkampanj genom att boka platser på hans valmöte i Tulsa Oklahoma.
— Jonas Sjöstedt (@jsjostedt) June 29, 2020
Lite stolt är man ändå.
Earlier, Donald Trump's election tour was sabotaged by activists, when the president’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which had boasted that one million participants had registered interested in the event, only saw 6,200 supporters turn up.
This turned out to be a coordinated effort, as activists were invited to visit Trump's campaign website, sign up as participants, but never show up. Trump's election campaign blamed the sparse turnout on fear of unrest and violence.
Sjöstedt's boast irked many Swedes, who found this behaviour undemocratic.
“So did the Nazis in the 1930s, destroying other party meetings. Nothing new under the sun”, one user tweeted.
Så gjorde nazisterna på 30-talet för att förstöra andra partiers möten. Intet nytt under solen.
— Lars-Erik Litsfeldt (@litsfeldt) June 29, 2020
“If my children were to sabotage election posters for the Left in the next election, they would get a reprimand, because you don't behave like that in a democracy. Although they know that I hate everything that communism stands for”, another one chimed in.
Om mina barn skulle sabotera valaffischer för VPK i nästa val skulle de få en utskällning, för så beter man sig inte i en demokrati. Fastän de vet att jag hatar allt som kommunismen står för.
— NW3BelsizePark (@NW3BelsizePark) June 29, 2020
“So you mean that you are proud of your children sabotaging a campaign. What a rotten parent you are. The children should rather learn some respect instead,” another one frowned.
Du menar alltså att du är stolt över att dina barn sabbar en kampanj. Vad är du för en rutten förälder. Borde inte barn lära sig respekt istället 😡
— Anette Kärrbäck (@AKarrback) June 29, 2020
“Damn, and you are sitting here on Twitter and bragging about it. You should be ashamed like hell,” another one mused.
Fyfan och du sitter här på Twitter och skryter om det 🤔 Du borde fan skämmas .
— Bluesmannen (@micke611) June 29, 2020
“Yes, imagine how quickly little ones grow up, one day they join campaigns to mess with Trump, the next day it's face mask, Antifa and throwing stones at the police,” another one said.
Ja tänk va de växer upp snabbt de små liven , ena dagen är de med i kampanjer för att jävlas med Trump , nästa dag är det ansiktsmask och AFA och kasta sten på polisen 😍
— Kim Holmer (@kim_holmer) June 29, 2020
However, Sjöstedt also received many cheers for raising “engaged” and “wise” children.
“Little rebels kick best!” a supporter wrote.
Små rebeller sparkar bäst!
— Pär Ödlund (@OdlundPar) June 29, 2020
The Left Party originated as an offshoot from the Social Democrats Party in 1917 and was until 1990 known as the Communist Party of Sweden. Although never part of the government per se, the party has frequently collaborated with the red-green governments of the recent decades. Sjöstedt, a former metal worker, has led the party since 2012.