Wow, I don’t know if I am reading the comments in Fox News or the NYTimes. Apart from the role of the undesirable Trump, Kim and Kanye, it does look like there is something racist in all of this, from the guys harassing the entourage to the rapper being held for weeks.
10
I'm all for people raising a protest for A$AP and putting a spotlight on Sweden's arrest and detention issues. I don't know the details of the entertainer's altercation, but I've seen a few news shows and documentaries that address the social issues at play in Sweden. But even here in the US, A$AP likely would have faced similar if not worse treatment in the hands of the police. Our criminal injustice system and racial divide is far from a model system.
What I do have a problem with is this celebrity to Trump pipeline that overrides criminal justice reform. There are many prisoners & victims of bad justice who need help, not just the entertainers. It's bad form to use White House connections to get help for friends of celebrities while others languish just because they don't know Kim Kardashian. If Kim has so much influence, she should have used it to get justice for Eric Garner or to tell Trump it's racist to tell black congresspeople & black NFL athletes to go back to Africa.
I doubt Donald & Melania know one thing about A$AP and wouldn't be able to name one song he's known for.
39
Dear Sweden,
Just apply your law and ignore the stupidities from the USA. I apologize to you on behalf of all of us.
81
Lots of dissing going on about the NYTs even writing a story on this. I'm glad they did as it shows the asinine focus of the Trump Train Wreck and the power players like Kardashian who know how to use Trump's weakness for the spotlight. He's like a bird dog...they just point him in the direction of a media blitz and he's all over it.
The real joke here is that Trump doesn't realize how transparent he is. Anyone with a few brain cells can see through his pitiful public efforts to "care" about bringing Rocky home. Trump is a media addict. The cause is not important, the only thing that matters is that he remain the center of attention.
It is insane that this occupies the President of the United States' mind.
Can you imagine Obama worrying about this or Harry Truman or Ronald Reagan? Lol. Just LOL.
42
There's nothing political here in this incident.
It's all about some young men, who all needed to show each other how tough they were.
Rocky: you went to another country and you subject yourself to their laws. Deal with it.
And the 600, 000 who signed an online petition need to get a life please.
I guess none of you will be buying a Volvo again.
57
From some of the comments I read here, there’s s much more to the story. One response actual details what may have happened throughout this incident. Why doesn’t the NYT report the facts and leaves us readers with hear say and guessing. That’s not worthy of a paper of this caliber.
Common sense suggests we let the justice system do its work, this seems to be lost on most commentators in this section.. Sweden is not a banana republic..
24
How are Rocky's rights being denied?
30
Our justice system has become a total joke. If you are wealthy and privileged, just have your friends call the president to win your freedom. However, if you are poor, you get no such help, in fact the president expects that you should be “roughed up” by authorities. As far as I can tell there is a lot of ambiguity in this case and from what I know the Swedish justice system is far more fair than our own and treats its detainees with dignity and respect - much more so than the US for-profit prisons. Therefore, let the Swedish government and justice system work this out and let justice be done. All the rich, wealthy, and entitled in the US need to sit down and shut up.
36
Looking at the videos it’s clear the 2 Swedes were walking down a public street behind the rapper and bodyguards. The Swedes appear to be immigrants and weren’t acting at all in a threatening way. The bodyguards had taken the headphones of one of the men and he was simply following them and calmly asking for them to be returned. In return he was beaten up. I can understand why the Swedes want to investigate.
52
Racism is an obvious problem in our country. However a knee jerk proclamation of racism every time a person of color is accused or investigated for a crime diminishes ones capacity to take legitimate claims seriously.
34
I really love the part where prisoners are given private rooms but they call it solitary confinement! Some things are truly outside of Americans frame of reference.
35
No one seems to care about how the Swedish justice system works. There are loads of claims like G-eazy got to strike a deal, etc. But there are no "deals" in Sweden. G-Eazy simply plead guilty in court and was sentenced, which made the whole thing a very quick process. ASAP Rocky's case is much more complicated because it involved multiple people and they were harassed for some time before, etc. So it needs to be investigated, which will take time, they have to interview everyone and find eyewitnesses etc.
27
I suspect any attempt by the United States to pressure the Swedish authorities in this matter will be counterproductive.
15
@Richard Janssen Unfortunately, trump has the power of the office to wreak havoc wherever he chooses. He'll just threaten them with a tariff or a sanction. In a heartbeat if he doesn't get his way. trump believes he has the power to tell ANYONE what to do.
13
This is a blatant example of privilege. To witness Donald Trump intervening on events to benefit people of high status all the while those without voices/lawyers suffer at the hands of Trump’s justice system (that systematically targets those without privilege, ie POC, low-income, etc etc) which he prides himself on, well, it makes me quite sick. Telling of America’s priorities and who the government believes is worthy of support, worthy of saving, and worthy of all the privilege democracy affords someone. privilege basks in inequity.
49
We could retaliate with a tariff on “Mamma Mia”.
31
So trump might intervene on this rapper’s behalf but not for the journalist who was hideously murdered. That’s our reality right now.
93
And if this happened right here at home?
15
We have just had weeks of news about the soft treatment of the rich in the USA jail system. In USA if he had shot him dead and claimed he feared for his life would he even be charged?
America is really becoming the laughing stock of the world.
33
So much for racial disempowerment; as long as you have rich celebrity friends who can lobby an administration that isn't professional enough to put distance from the situation.. The administration, as usual look like clowns; and American celebrities , as usual, look the same..
44
As a half Swede I kinda find it funny that Trump thinks the very rules-oriented Swedish government might cater to him. Zero chance.
Oh and Sweden is such a racist country that they took in more immigrants than any other country per capita from the Syrian crisis.
Not to mention they let in more Iraqis after the Iraq War than the US.
Go visit Sweden. It’s beautiful and light years ahead of the US in terms of inclusiveness and justice.
101
This is priceless. I guess no irony in the level of racism within the trump administration.
Maybe this is Trumps chance to win the Nobel peace prize.
23
A rapper in a street fight? Who’d ever have guessed? What is it about rappers. Does any other genre of music see so many of its practitioners, famous and obscure, end up either doing significant prison time or shot dead (often by those doing significant prison time)? This isn’t racism, it’s rap culture.
42
This applies to the American exceptionalism.
We do whatever not allowed doing in our own country; just take it as whom we are!
Scandinavian countries, including Sweden, have one of the best justice and prison system in the world (not color-coded).
As a Swede living in US, the Swedish justice systems is too liberal and soft to the criminals, predators and the assailant.
Bulling others, including small countries, is what Donald Dumps does.
I hope his base start to come to their senses and see what and who he is.
33
What's he whining about? He'll do soft time for a few months and rap about how how horrible and hard it all was. This incident will only serve to embellish his street cred.
42
Perhaps the Swedes should just tell Mr. Rocky to go back to where he came from...
49
Cameras don’t lie
20
I wonder how soon the American young man will accuse the Swedish police of racism and white supremacy.
29
“I will call the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden”????
Does he think the PM had his own Reality Show too?
What is wrong with this guy’s brain?
57
Oh my, a rapper in a street fight. Must be racism. That wouldn’t have happened in America. Those socialists!!!
38
“Racist” Trump to the rescue again!
Clemency for Ms. Alice Johnson, saving the UCLA shoplifters from 10 years in a Chinese jail, and now ASAP Rocky for assaulting a Swede...next over 3000 criminals of every color will be released back on our streets...all this by a “racist” Trump who played a little political hard ball with Pelosi’s Sister Squad!
16
"Swedish officials have been defending the country’s justice system from accusations of racism"
Of course. Now Sweden, the utopia land for liberals, is racist and white. Funny how fast that changes when you arrest a black man
Welcome to the party, Sweden. We have been dealing with cries of racism over everything in the US for a few years now.
34
Swedish racists??!! A whole nation of them??!! Who knew??!!
21
Let mine be the first comment to say: FREE A$AP. This appeared to be a simple street fight, with plenty of provocation, that should not lead to any charges being filed. Let the man go home... This is not a good look for Sweden. This case does not show Sweden to be a welcoming and inclusive place for foreigners and non-whites.
2
@Mark: like so many people you have rushed to judgement in a case where you know very little. There is evidence that ASAP is lying about his detention conditions. Is it not possible that he is lying about other things as well?
Give law enforcement the time to work through things properly.
36
@Mark the regular outcome of a simple streetfight in Sweden would be a courtcase. Violence is faitly rare in Sweden and if perpetrators are known the law is quite clear. I would be surprised if both parties in this case were not prosecuted.
Swedish criminal law also differs from US in that no one needs to press charges. It's the state vs ASAP so to speak, and both ASAP and the one who initiated the fight could be convicted.
26
@Mark FYI, there is no such thing as a "simple street fight" in Swedish law. If you beat someone up so they go to hospital, which is the one known verifiable fact in this case, a crime has been committed.
It's now being investigated. This is perfectly normal.
25
sounds like the Kardashian's gave trump a call and calling in some favors. Trump doesn't like what this wild hair black guy stands for. believe that.
3
Pompeo is a huge A$AP Rocky fan.
Huge.
So glad Heavy Mike has nothing better to do,
now that the whole Iran thing is solved . . . .
this administration is a complete joke.
16
Let’s just let this play out in the Swedish courts. This is a first world country known for upholding human rights.
Can Kim and Kanye please just butt out. You are a very irritating and self-important distraction.
50
@Dan Cox -- those non-people -- Kim has a lawsuit against her for copying Pucci Sunglasses -- I wish they would just disappear into oblivion. Who cares about these self-serving piranhas.
16
How stupid for people to support him. He clearly hurt that person and is just trying to get money now.
14
It’s A$AP with a dollar sign. This is a low point for our newspaper of record.
19
Editorial oversight - her full name is Kim Kardashian West.
4
This story is a joke, I take it?
20
"I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky." --Trump
So . . . we need to help the guy who is shown with his entourage punching and kicking someone already on the ground?
So much for phrases like "law and order" and "rule of law."
27
I wonder how all this would play out if the victim was a woman, in the current climate. Would there be a 600,000-strong petition, and celebrities demanding the accused be treated fairly? We feel pride in humanity when the spirit of fairness animating our laws overrules the clout of celebrity, if we can readily sympathise with the victim. Under what conditions then, given the same ambiguity about what actually happened in an incident, and the same presence of a victim, does public opinion decide it actually relates more to the accused?
9
Trump runs his administration like a reality TV show.
Could that be because he was a reality TV show host?
17
He’s never entertained the idea that there was any difference
8
Great vehicle for Kim and Kanye to prop up Trump’s I’m not racist position. If I had a friend in a Swedish jail, that would be my clarion call because it is so seriously a dangerous injustice, I’d commit myself to that cause.
6
I know for a fact, that there are countless intelligent, educated and wonderful people in the US. But sometimes it seems that there are no limits to stupidity in the very same country. This is so dangerous and utterly unworthy for a democracy: so many people lacking basic understanding of how justice should work. Not having the faintest clue, that the Swedish justice system is one of the fairest and most decent in the world.
The celebrities falling over themselves to state that they never will play in Sweden again are really utterly ridiculous- as if this was another Suncity. As if they were bravely fighting racism. Racism just isn't that much of an issue in Sweden as in the US.
Why didn't those people take a stand against the countless horrendous examples of blatant and real racism in the US?
55
@IK if it helps, most of us in this US think this is an absurd situation too. It’s just that the people crying “racism!!” are louder and have more twitter followers.
24
Straight to the racist card, regardless of the merits of charges against him. I would urge the Swedes to stand their ground and not to be pressured celebrity noise.
44
Ah yes, the only thing that can override Republican/Democrat division: the great American virtue of unrivaled arrogance and staggering ignorance about the rest of the world. It’s nauseating to witness prominent Americans talking about this as if the guy is housed in some gulag.
And it’s particularly vile that a Harlem Democrat would project America’s proprietary form of race relations onto Sweden. The whole world doesn’t have the same depraved relationship with race as America does. Good god, get over yourselves.
44
Kim Kardashian has Kushner on speed dial? This is how international relations are being handled? Is it a spoof? And is it possible ASAP Rocky like other celebrities, say, R Kelly, is not as nice and gentlemanly as one would hope? The utter hypocrisy of Trump "looking" into this? Yikes and meh.
19
Several rappers said they would never perform in Sweden again.
Sweden’s probably thinking they should have done this sooner.
52
@John Doe -- Good for Sweden.
Rap is soul-less!
12
“A very famous person”?
5
Maybe Kim could put in a good word for Julian Assange.....
14
Wow. The comments here are just about uniformly disgusting. There is video documentation that ASAP Rocky was not the aggressor. He was being assaulted and tried walking away. Further, he's been in jail over two weeks without any charges being filed. Here in the US, you can be held only 72 hours without being charged with a crime. To be held for weeks without being charged with any crime, especially when you were not the aggressor, is pretty shocking. And before you say "other countries, other rules" the same country recently treated another rapper--a white rapper--much more leniently. NYT readers, don't be so sure everything rapper and Kardashian deserves your scorn.
5
@JB Actually, it took swedish prosecutors ~30 hours to levy charges against Mr. Mayers—half the time granted by the state of New York.
Which is why he’s in jail right now, pending trial.
Out justice system works differently than yours, so some legal terms are bound to be lost in translation, but to claim that he’s been held for an unreasonable amount of time is disingenuous at best and nefarious at worst. Read up a bit on the Swedish prison system and you’d be shocked by how much better we treat prisoners (and people in jail generally) compared to the US.
37
@JB: “Here in the US”: You revealed your prejudice here (despite your byline stating that you are in France?). As stated in the article, the system is different in Sweden. A$AP is not in Kansas anymore. This does not automatically mean that it is wrong.
Of course, you are right that many comments display scorn, which is wrong, just as your prejudice is.
So... all should stop with the assumptions and let the case proceed. The US should (discreetly, not in the press) check to see that a US citizen is being held under unsanitary conditions.
The fact that Trump is doing this in public is another mark against him. It is a cheap publicity ploy to distract from the clear evidence of his underlying unrepentant racism.
7
@Andrew "The US should (discreetly, not in the press) check to see that a US citizen is being held under unsanitary conditions."
Which of course he is not, as prisons in Sweden are famously nice to stay in. Now, the night of his arrest he might have been simply thrown in the slammer, which are not nice and doesn't have real beds, etc. They are just temporary holding facilities, often used to hold people who are drunk overnight. If he was, then I'm sure that's not particularly enjoyable, but it's still definitely not insanitary.
5
Money, entitlement, privilege. Big up to Sweden!!! Beber, Kardashian , Trump that goes real far as character witnesses. Another wannabe gangstar that runs crying home to mommy because he messed up... And really complaining of the conditions of detention in Sweden?
19
What a repulsive and absurdly hypocritical example of an American celebrity getting undue media attention and preferential diplomatic help, including the support of our president, by shamelessly playing the race card in a foreign country, Sweden, known for its fair and unbiased legal system. Perhaps Mr. ASAP Rocky, accompanied by his bodyguard and entourage, would rather be given a Nobel peace prize for fighting on a public street.
30
I cannot fathom that this “Mr. Rocky” should concern Kushner nor the clown in the White House.
13
Let Swedish justice take its course. We’re not talking about North Korea where ‘justice’ is a farce.
22
How pleasant to see an American President step in to do what he can for an American Citizen.
And how delightful to see the ever-pompous, virtue-signaling, Swedes get a taste of American race-card playing.
7
God forbid that the truth and facts come out before the charges of racism and attacks on liberalism start to fly.
9
Kardashian and Kanye for Secy of State and VP.
5
So with all manner of violence by authoritarian governments and genocide-by-religion, we’re questioning Sweden? Is this Trump’s big moment to seek the black vote? What a joke.
15
From what I have read in European newspapers, the countries there are getting tired of Trump & his reps demanding special treatment, support for his "great friends" or their "friends." Waiting for his tantrums to start....
11
This is not a racial incident the rapper blatantly attacks the man and his goons do too. The fact that Kim Kardashian is having such sway with this administration fits the reality show drama that it is. Exporting American cultural thugs aboard, who violate the hosting countries laws, should expect not to buy their way out of criminal behavior.
17
This just reinforces my belief about being a Black person in this world. If you feel threatened you’re only option is to be a victim and hope the authorities protect you.
4
@Chris: we do not know all the facts. You, and everyone else, should hold off until we have more of the facts. Detention in Sweden is not like detention in the US. This is not Rikers Island.
8
I recall ASAP Rocky claiming he wasn't black, he had homes in Soho and Beverly Hills, and couldn't be bothered with black issues like Ferguson. Those wake up calls are harsh indeed, aren't they Mr Mayers?
12
" Mr. Trump directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to work with Swedish authorities to make sure Rocky’s conditions of detention were fair and that the State Department received regular updates...."
Yeah, sure, Sweden - that bastion of human rights violations. Beyond belief! They're even dragging in Pompeo for the sake of this clod?
10
He's a promulgator of anti-Blackness. I'm happy for him to stay there indefinitely.
4
Fixed our assaulter shortage?
4
Gee whiz, a rapper is in trouble in Sweden and Trump is concerned.
A Washington Post journalist is murdered in a Saudi embassy and chopped up with a bone saw and he barely gets a shrug out of Trump.
Where was the outrage when Khassoggi was tricked, drugged and hacked up while he was still breathing?
Trump's going to make a call. Disgusting use of power. Just saying.
38
@American2019: thank you for adding real perspective by comparing this against the Kashoggi case.
12
WHO is ASAP Rocky? WHO has ever heard of him? This is just Trump's attempt to say he's not racist and he's using the Kanye clan again to do it.
And did Kardashian really say that Trump's "commitment to justice reform is so appreciated" while he has kids and asylum seekers locked up in cages at the border?
WHY is this a major story, NY Times? Why? Are you really trying to help Trump with his racist image or what? How utterly disappointing.
11
How is it that Kim Kardashian has a direct line to the white house?
9
So much for trump's Nobel Peace Prize.
5
@Creighton: although Nobel was a Swede, he appointed a Norwegian body to award his Peace prize (Norway was unhappy about being under the Swedish crown at the time).
I will not be going to Sweden. I have quite a number of melanocytes in my skin. Going to spend my hard earned money in Norway instead.
I still like Ingmar Bergman movies though.
@beebs Norwegians are even racist towards Swedes, so I'm not convinced that's a great plan, LOL.
Besides, although there is a fair amount of racism in Sweden it's aimed at immigrants (primarily muslim immigrants) not American tourists. Or American rappers for that matter.
ASAP Rocky was arrested because he helped beat up a guy, it's that simple.
5
If you think this is unfair, take a look at the justice system of local governments in USA, especial in urban areas. Now there's where we should be focusing our outrage!
10
Kicking someone on the ground is not self-defense. Mr. As Soon As Possible Rocky has to stand trial like anyone else involved in a possible crime.
Also I am really impressed by his wearing pink and pearls, very fashion-forward.
17
If he weren't a celebrity would anyone care?
8
The two Swedish young men appeared to have been following and harassing Rocky and his crew and the latter to have tried hard to avoid an altercation. I wish they would have called police or hopped in an Uber rather than, apparently, taking them on in the end. Hope justice prevails as swiftly as possible.
4
@Tina -- This guy had body-guards. Get your facts right.
8
I am a dual national. I was born in Brooklyn but attained Swedish citizenship about 10 years ago. Thus, I understand too well that Sweden is a racist country. It is hard for some people to grasp this fact since Sweden (Sverige) sells itself as the consciousness of the world. But Sweden has a very dark side which is being exposed by the large amount of African Americans who have lived their and have promised never to go back (like myself). I am not a fan of ASAP Rocky; indeed, I don't listen to his type of Hip-Hop - but the fight he was involved in does not call for him to be locked up for 2 weeks without bail. The Swedish police are attempting to send a message. Sweden has some great people but the culture is totalitarian. Don't be fooled by the "lagom" propaganda. African Americans should boycott Sweden. Trust me, we will be missed.
2
Wow, they even held a press conference! Unreal...priorities in this country so messed up. Oops...I guess i need to go back to my country. But I am So diluted, I wouldn't know where to go!
3
This was a petty street fight. Let him go!
2
@Mark Street fights are not legal in Sweden. Perhaps they are in the US. Perhaps ASAP Rocky didn't know that they are illegal in Sweden, which perhaps could then lend some leniency in the sentencing.
6
“No more Sweden for me, ever,” said Tyler, the Creator, in a tweet.
Who?
Something tells me the Swedes are not losing much sleep over that threat.
21
Great! Kanye and Kim pulling strings. Give me a break. What short,skewed memories! It's not very long ago that an average American (not a rapper) was held and tortured by North Korea and these do gooders were silent, no strings in sight.
Given the opportunity I would remind President Trump in case he's blinded by the K clan.
12
It's absurd to expect ANY country would/should release a foreign celebrity credibly suspected of committing a violent crime just because that person has friends in high places.
15
So now Trump, the guy who told cops to rough up suspects while putting them in the patrol car, is the savior of black Americans.
From looking at the video and reading other reports, this is what I've been able to gather.
1. The two kids who were following the rapper and his entourage were much smaller than the guys they were following and were outnumbered, so if they were looking for a fight they'd have to be insane.
2. The discussion that preceded the attack was allegedly about the two kids claiming Rocky broke their headphones, so they were apparently demanding some restitution for their broken property and that's what led them to follow the rapper and his entourage.
3. In the video of the pre-fight discussion, Rocky turns around to face the camera and laughs. Not the sort of signal one would expect from a person who was in fear of being assaulted.
4. The kids who were beaten up don't appear to be Caucasian Swedes, they look to be Middle Eastern, so trying to narrate this event as Swedish white supremacists making an arrest on the basis of racial bias seems dubious, at best.
5. We know what happened when Assange was allowed to skate away from the Swedish justice system after a rape accusation -- they never saw him again.
6. I'm content to let the Swedes enforce the laws of their country and try the accused in their own courts, the money and friends of the accused notwithstanding.
90
@GFE Assume all of the above is true. The so called victims were not shot, they were not stabbed, they suffered no broken ribs, punctured lungs, or permanent organ damage. Theses minor beatings do not merit any jail time, and that is why worldwide justice must be reformed so that people like Rocky are not incarcerated for cultural expressions of frustration.
2
Political intervention should be reserved for far more important causes, people and situations.
6
"Your commitment to justice reform is so appreciated . . . "
And what if Rocky is actually guilty? The Kardashian/Wests and other celebrities don't seem to think that should matter in the case of a fellow celebrity. They are focusing on everything except that key question, trying to divert attention from the heart of the matter. A tactic Trump does so well.
8
Dominique Strauss-Kahn? Although the charges were eventually dismissed it was not inappropriate to detain and hold him pending an investigation. I have no more knowledge of the Swedish situation than is reported here; but it seems to be normal procedure which is all one can ask.
10
Trump says he will call Sweden, the question is what will he call them...
Trump is managing to insert himself to in every single news bite.
We cannot forget the children separated from their relatives.
8
@Claudia Yes, it's all about the news spotlight for narcissists like Trump.
4
In comparison to its European neighbors, Sweden does indeed have a strict pre-trial remand system. Nonetheless, its remand jails are quite comfortable, and the conditions very humane.
But let's not forget the power outage this winter at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility that held "innocent-until-proven-guilty" defendants. Let's also not forget Kalief Browder (God rest his soul) who was kept in solitary for most of his THREE years on Rikers Island awaiting trial for charges that would later be dropped.
Where was Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump then? This whole thing is a non-issue. Americans have been detained in Sweden before, and any of them would likely prefer it over detention back home.
29
So many dismissive comments. I would hope if I were arrested and held in a foreign country for three weeks without charges in a simple assault case that the state department would be concerned. That is a very long time to hold someone in jail on a relatively minor charge that should take nowhere near that long to investigate. What is the justification for the delay?
9
Representations from the State Dept would be a reasonable approach. I think what most people object to is celebrity pressure.
27
@Anna
If you have read the British ambassador to U.S. leaked cables, i'd suggest that the Swedes are on the same page as Sir Darroch.
Swede justice and regulations applies in Sweden.
3
@Anna
Easy. He is a foreign citizen with every reason to flee. And "simple assault"? Not everyone thinks someone beating someone else is a small thing.
10
Finally, now we can understand the reason and purpose behind Kushner getting a diplomatic passport and top security clearance. He has a job!
19
Why is this news?? When an American travels overseas he/she leave their constitutional and Miranda rights in the US and are subject to the legal and law enforcement rules of the country they are visiting. Being a " celebrity " should not trigger any intervention on the part of politically or otherwise connected people. If Mr. ASAP Rocky committed a crime in another country, and an assault is a crime then he needs to be held to account. Like they say, if you can't do the time don't do the crime.
115
Thank you. Well stated.
3
Of course if an american is detained in another country it is wrong. Let the Swedish legal system do its job, at least the Swedes have a proper legal system not like the US, which is shoot first plant a gun and convict later.
42
@BW You have no clue as what you are saying. Three weeks and no charges no bail. That's a kangaroo court.
2
@BW No, actually that's not the US legal system in the vast majority of cases. If it happens at all -- terrible. But to say it happens all the time? No.
I think in any normal era (say, 10+ years ago) they would have realized this guy is some musician and just made him leave on the next plane.
But Sweden is facing it's own populist movement (detailed in this paper recently, in fact) and combined with American media star and political pressure I expect this guy to actually be forced to stand trial. Sweden's right wing parties are too influential and letting an American (and a person of color) off easy would be political suicide for the officials that approved it.
I'd wager the outcome will be something like deportation at worst, but whatever it is I'd rather get arrested in Sweden than almost anywhere else in the world.
9
Your comment implies that the Swedish justice system can be influenced by politics. This might be true for the US ( but I couldn't say). But most EU memberstates' justice systems are independent to a very high degree. Yes, there are challenges from the right ( as - sadly- in most other EU countries at the moment) in society and politics, but this doesn't mean that the justice system will 'adapt' as you claim. To me this seems to be a very US American way of thinking. For most EU- Europeans it still seems like a very outrageous idea that politics should influence Justicia's scales in such a direct and informal way.
21
@IK you are correct for the most part, but Sweden has an unusual and highly criticised (within swedish press) provision where elected officials serve as a type of permanent jury in the lower courts. (They can outvote a judge)
Making the lower "tingsrätten" highly political at times, depending on the voters in that jurisdiction.
There have been a few politically charged convictions overturned in the higher court ("Hovrätten" where only judges trained in the law have a say in the decision.) because of this.
That said this case does seem to be anything out of the ordinary from the point of view of the court itself.
Although one might wonder if the prosecutor is trying to make a name for himself since it is kind of a special case.
3
@Jakob Sweden has kangaroo courts. There is no accountability.
We should be happy to hear that President Trump is acting to protect the rights of an American citizen in Sweden by putting his Secretary of State on that task. Next he should move on to protecting the rights of thousands of asylum seekers over whom he has direct control.
24
This is not how our government should work... I should not have to know a well connected celebrity for assistance. This is the same rapper that publicly stated he cares nothing about the people of Ferguson. Every elected official involved in the” favor” should be ashamed of themselves. More pressing matters for the country to be grappling with, let them use their lawyers and the Swedish justice system.
61
"... Harlem, where Rocky grew up ..."
Having lived in NYC myself for many years and never heard of this gentleman I would be the last one to be annoyed or surprised by lack of name recognition all the way in Sweden - even if the man in question is an American.
Sweden right now has two choices: (1) to do as directed by all rappers visiting the White House as we speak or (2) follow the Swedish Law.
Knowing Sweden well I have full confidence it will be (2).
64
@rudolf -- you call the man a "gentleman" which clearly he is not. I'll stop here.
2
According to TMZ, Sweden treated a white rapper, G-Eazy, remarkably differently when he was arrested for assault and drug possession. I don't know if it is apples to apples - but, still.
4
@Tommy: Apparently G Easy pled guilty the next day, 10K fine and probabtion and $900 to the guard he punched. Sounds like ASAP Rocky doesn't want to plead guilty to anything. But it's not very clear.
5
"Representative Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat representing Harlem, where Rocky grew up, also have called for his release. “This incident serves as yet another example of the racially motivated focus and prejudices young men of color are subjected to around the world,” said a joint statement from the five House members."
Pretty clear message re-inforcing the belief that the left uses skin color, as in racism, as an excuse for bad behavior. So if someone who isn't white gets arrested for assaulting someone it because they aren't white, not because they committed assault.
22
Let due process take its course.
35
@AmyWhen in Rome do as the Romans do or suffer the consequences.
3
Glad our diplomacy is being shored up by Kanye and Kim...let’s get them on the security council.
44
@PNWTreeOctopus
Best statement ever in this made up diplomatic kerfuffle.
2
This must prove that Trump is NOT racist! Or maybe he's color blind only when it comes to rich and definitely to the famous.
If ASAP had done this in Central Park what would Trump have said?
Lets ask his base why don't we. They, the base, must be truly able to hold two completely opposing thoughts in their brains at the same time and somehow function like they do. They would agree with their master in both cases and have a laugh doing it.
15
@Robert: Kim Kardashian is his contact person in these matters, sort of an ambassador to the Hip Hop community as I understand it, being married to one of them. Trump definitely understands family.
There is additional video footage that shows the "victim" hounding him and his bodyguard. They try to ignore him and then the Swedish guy gets in Rocky's face. That's when you see this video happening. I'm not sure why that other video didn't help, or where you can find it now (it seems to have disappeared), but Sweden has hounded other rappers in the past. Disclaimer, I'm not a big rap fan and I don't even know what Rocky's music sounds like, just think that there is a side to this story that isn't being told because that other footage is out there.
4
@BD Self-defense works very differently in Sweden compared to the US.
In order to successfully argue that you acted in self-defense you'll have to show that you had no other choice than to use violence to defend yourself. You also have to actively try and avoid using violence if possible and opt for running away (for example) rather than attacking if there's an opportunity to do so.
Kicking and beating a person lying down is not considered self-defense in Sweden. It's assault.
Further, A$AP et al don't get a free pass simply because they were provoked. Why didn't they try to deescalate the situation? Why didn't the bodyguard restrain the person while the others called the cops? Why did they immediately choose violence when less severe actions were readily available to them?
These questions are of utmost importance when determining if a person acted in self-defense or not.
Finally let's address your claim that Sweden has a history of "hounding" rappers.
2015: Snoop Dogg was arrested on suspicion of drug related crimes. A urine sample showed that he had very high levels of THC in his system but was subsequently released due to the fact that it wasn't possible to determine if he had ingested the drug while being on Swedish soil.
2018: G-Eazy was arrested after assaulting a person in bar and when guards tried to step in to break up the fight he assaulted them as well.
Do those two cases constitute "hounding" to you?
11
@BD well, the Swedish court will figure it out.
1
Leaving for Stockholm in two weeks and can hardly wait!
12
"...when Kanye West, the rapper, asked his wife Kim Kardashian to call President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner."
Isn't this cozy? And all on behalf of a rapper with other violent incidents in his history.
32
@Chris Kanye and his family have a reality show. Mr. Trump had a reality show that had his family on it. Now, I don't want to say that US policy if being run by reality show characters but I am wondering!!
1
@Chris West, for all of his faults, has no reported history of violence.
Sweden takes assault and disorderly conduct more seriously than the USA. That is just as important as race.
19
If a white pop star had done this, I gurantee you he would not have even been charged, much less detained pre-trial as a flight risk.
Yes, this is racism. Yes, it is exactly the same racism in our country that leads to pre-trial punishment and the ridiculous human rights violation that is Riker's island, and, honestly, every local jail in America.
2
@Edward Allen
Have you ever been in Sweden? Do you know the culture? I'm not sure about all the details here, but I'm from Sweden and this automatic conclusion that this is about race seems so incredibly uninformed. It also reminds me about all celebrities that came out for Assange accusing the Swedish justice system regarding his two rape allegations. So many people rush to very strong conclusions without the slightest idea about the detailed facts. But, that's true, in the USA facts don't matter anymore, only one's emotionally response. An easy and very convenient way to view the world.
14
@Edward Allen Oh? Because Axl Rose was arrested in 2006 after assaulting a woman staying with him at his Hotel as well as assaulting a guard trying to break up the fight. He was found guilty and fined for his conduct.
3
In America, perhaps. Sweden has a large influx of immigrants “of color” and treats them as well as native white people are treated.
Sweden takes violent behavior seriously. They are expecting to get Assange from the British and try him for rape.
6
These rich celebrities jumping on Sweden for holding a foreign born person of color in jail under "inhumane" conditions for suspicion of a criminal act might want to look to our own southern border before rushing to judgement.
Kind of pathetic that Trump will get involved in this matter while doing much worse to brown folks here at home.
33
Kim K has more pull than all the climate scientists in the USA.
47
@Southern
And more pull than Prince Charles. Pathetic, isn't it?
2
@Southern: It's not just her, it's her husband too. Kanye West is a pretty big star in his own right!
I have more confidence in the fairness of the Swedish judicial system than the American. And I don't believe that the outcome should be influenced by someone's political or social connections. Isn't that type of favoritism the very definition of racism?
Is the picture here one of Trump, the racist, intervening on behalf of an African-American celebrity to prove his chops as a "nonracist". What absurd nonsense! If I was ASAP Rocky I would tell Trump to get lost. Anybody who accepts Trump's nonsense help is pretty low in my opinion.
16
@Bob as much as I detest trump, I know I would not languish in jail - not to mention under these inhumane conditions and I doubt you would either. Would be looking for help anywhere and everywhere you could
2
Really, this is what righteous cause now looks like? Kids are dying of sexual assault and malnutrition, single mothers burden multiple jobs and little child care, homelessness is out of control, students are buried under loans, opioid crisis is claiming victims... and this ridiculous flamboyant rapper is what has become the rallying call for politicians? Worse than pathetic. He’s got more money than most and yet elected officials are wasting their time on him rather than focus on needy constituents. Does he even vote? Does he even pay his share of taxes?
36
Maybe Kim can take on the cause of the separated families at the border, and then our highly-impressionable "President" can act on that bit of injustice.
35
Yes, let's get the President involved in getting this wealthy and lukewarm talent home safe! Meanwhile Puerto Rico remains in shambles, border detention facilities remain human rights violations, etcetera etcetera etcetera.
Can't wait to see taxpayers underwrite a quick flight to Sweden for Jared and Ivanka to personally escort this guy back to the states so he can knuckle up again in a few years!
32
If you are in another country, you are subject to that nation's laws. Not the wishes of Kanye West, or Kim Kardashian, or the donald.
224
Setting aside the pernicious influence of Mr. Kushner and Ms. Kardashian-West, the unclear incident itself, even the fact that I have no idea who Mr. Rakim Mayers even is (I admit to being out of the loop somewhat), it's, at very least, just a week, maybe until August or so, at most. Mr. Mayers has been visited by U.S. embassy personnel, and is being treated far better than prisoners here in the United States (especially those in administrative segregation).
So long as Mr. Mayers continues to receive "turkey, veal, and rhubarb pie with custard" (for victuals, according to Swedish media outlets), and visits from the Embassy, I daresay he'll pass his time in detention rather well. (This incident, properly managed, would also be quite a boon to his career, if spun right.)
We'll see what happens.
15
I hope justice is served, but without yet again another distraction involving people pitting themselves against each other. But here we go again...
4
Children are being held in cages and Kanye and Kim think the most important and pressing thing they need to do is try to get the president to essentially impose his will on a foreign nation's judicial system to release a multimillionaire from jail after he took part in a brawl (instigator or not to be determined).
Does something look wrong here?
100
I would say "the ugly American" of the fifties and sixties is back but he never left. If you're going to travel abroad, learn their rules before you go and don't stray beyond their limits. Europe, especially, tired of the attitudes of entitled men wearing Stetson hats insulting them. Spain, Portugal, and Italy seemed the favorite targets of abuse but all of Europe, including the British Isles, got more than enough experience with the animal. I have no doubt that today's youth is disinclined to control its over-the-top bad language which is likely to cause more than one fight.
Be assured, Sweden will be more fair than any jurisdiction in the United States would be. The detainees will also receive better treatment - there is no Riker's in Sweden.
23
Well, I watched those videos and I can't tell what's going on. Looks like ASAP Rocky and his entourage were running away from something. Then this Swedish dude caught up to Rocky, at which point Rocky grabbed him and hurled him to the ground (not body slammed). Then a whole bunch of Rocky's folks started pounding on him. But was the guy chasing them and threatening them earlier? I don't know.
2
@tanstaafl Hey, Free Lunch, regardless of what started the row, it's clearly evident the American group overreacted pummeling the man. In Sweden, that's a crime against any citizen, Swedish citizen or American. Kardashian and West can whine all they want, they can't change the facts or force Swedish Courts to ignore evidence.
20
@tanstaafl That name is a blast from the past. We have no idea what happened; but if the 'victim' had in fact been following Mr ASAP, he and his team may have reacted in an American context which is to assume that the guy is packing. Hence the outcome . . .
Sweden meets U.S. culture in the Trump age: Facts don’t matter; the rich and famous are above the law; and anyone who I disapprove of is a racist.
I am reminded of how Godwin’s Law about how all Internet arguments eventually lead to someone saying something is “just like Hitler.” In this case, jails that are nicer than any in the U.S. are characterized as inhumane and treating a celebrity as an equal citizen is called outrageous abuse—and probably racially motivated.
Hilarious, pathetic and so very sad all at the same time.
52
It is a (big) surprise to Americans that 'self defence' is not a valid argument for using violence, before courts in many European countries. This is especially true for the Nordic countries where violence is somewhat rare. All violence is by default considered criminal and subject to investigation.
36
I don't understand why this is an issue. They have a video of him and his bodyguards assaulting a person, which clearly is grounds for his arrest. If this happened to me, I'd assume I'd be held in a similar fashion.
35
@BD I just watched the whole thing, thanks for the heads up. Their main objection is that the two men are following them, asking for money for broken headphones, and potentially insulting them (but it's in a different language, so tough to tell). But, following someone in public is generally not grounds to beat them up. It's a public street. In the United States, it would be illegal to beat someone up for that.
Also, even if ASAP Rocky could have defended himself (which I doubt), after they threw they guy on the ground, they circled around him and started kicking him and punching him. That wouldn't be allowed in any claim of self-defense, because self-defense really only allows you to use force as a last resort to protect yourself. Once they felt safe, they would've needed to retreat to avoid using further force.
Bottom line to me is that there's a good chance those two men were acting like morons, but it's probably still illegal to react like ASAP Rocky did. I'd expect to be booked on assault charges if I did that in any country. This case seems just like another very wealthy celebrity attempting to avoid the laws the rest of us are expected to (and mostly do) comply with.
25
@Wut you might not have seen the whole thing. The guy he threw was hounding him and his bodyguard, trying to pick a fight and they were not taking the bait. Then at one point, the Swedish guy got right into his face and that's when they had enough of him. There is another video that shows this happening, if it hasn't been quashed.
3
The rich asking to be above the law again. They always want special treatment. Law is merely an inconvenience to be excused from obeying. The oligarchs would evade the law of gravity if they could.
41
Be careful when you travel. Some countries have laws that apply even to the rich and famous.
354
A wonderful media ploy for Trump to play the hero.
These are Sweden's rules, they are entirely fair and reasonable. I do enjoy the bit of irony in that a country where citizens often protest our rules are now hearing our people protest theirs - but we are in the wrong here. There's no solitary confinement, no inhumane treatment, and a foreigner obviously is a higher flight risk than a citizen.
43
I believe that every US passport I have ever had, going back more than 50 years, has contained language the the effect that I am expected to abide by the laws of any country I visit. Does this guy have some other type of US passport?
Maybe he'll get lucky and Swedes will start shouting "send him back" at their political rallies.
105
@ellienyc - And you bring up the most important point - knowing the laws and customs of another country.
A buddy of mine worked all across the globe for the government and told me fascinating customs. He warned me that if I was ever in Romania to NEVER talk about where someone's mom goes to church. I said, what? He laughed and said that the biggest insult in the Romanian language was to say, "your mother's church". ????
Other countries I dare not wave at someone down the street. And on and on.
I have a buddy who moved to Seattle from Miami. We were sitting in a park one day when I pulled out my pipe and lit a bowl of cannabis. He freaked out. "WE'RE GONNA GET ARRESTED", he said. No, I told him. All I have to do is tell any officer about my epilepsy which they can confirm by calling any ER in the city because I have ended up in every single one.
A year later in the same park on a rare sunny day he suddenly said, "SHE'S NAKED!!". I looked around, saw one naked woman, and said, "Yeah?" Two officers rode by and ignored her. "THEY DIDN'T ARREST HER!!!", he said. I laughed and said, "We're not in Miami. We're in Seattle".
Gotta learn the customs and laws before getting off of the plane.
2
Because rule of law is out of fashion in the US and kleptocracy is in, Americans think everyone is open to influence, bribes, or bullying. If it wasn’t someone w/a million instagram followers no one in the US would care.
105
@Allen Smith America has always been open to influence, bribes and bullying; it's only recently that it's been done in the open.
17
@Allen Smith
"Because rule of law is out of fashion in the US..."
I agree.
All those deportation orders need to be enforced.
1
Not sure why this is particularly controversial. If you are involved in an assault, then of course you will be detained pending an investigation. And I'm sure Sweden won't suffer to much if rappers launch a boycott.
70
In Sweden, people don't routinely use violence when someone annoys them. That's American style.
122
@Rose Anne not sure it’s the American style. But it is the style of some Americans. And some chicagoans.
6
I am glad to see that the great majority of comments here support Sweden and its judicial system over the extra-legal arguments of identity politics. After Jussie Smollett and his get out of jail free card because his family has friends in the Black mayor’s office and the heated attacks on the Eric Garner case, etc., I began to wonder if we were developing another legal system based on identity politics. I’m still wondering.
28
@Richard We already have a different justice system based on identity politics, one in which whiteness is a blanket that protects from whether you even interact with the criminal justice system (look at marijuana arrests despite same rates of usage across racial lines) to whether you are deemed to have affluenza or come from a decent family when you just raped someone. The complexion for the protection as the the great comedian Paul Mooney would say.
@Richard
Richard you are comparing the Rocky rapper arrest, the Jussie Smollett fantasy and Eric Garner? That is offensive. Mr. Garner is dead. The so called professionals who were there to arrest him looked like untrained bullies - I encourage you to watch the video. It is very disturbing and very sad. That female EMS worker poking at Mr. Garner's shoulder is sickening. Those police officers need some major training. I don't feel safe with cops like that on the beat and I'm an old white broad.
3
Anne Ramberg is right. This is a blatant, arrogant act of American imperialism, with the American government and some powerful friends of Donald Trump interfering in the judicial proceedings of a country acknowledged universally to be fair and equitable in its treatment not only of its own citizens, but of foreigners as well.
In other words, this is not a "Midnight Express" situation. What is it that makes Americans think they can go into other countries, violate the law, and get away with it? We see this with drug trafficking cases in Indonesia, basketball players who are caught shoplifting in China, Lori Berenson being sentenced to 20 years in prison in Peru for collaborating with the Shining Path terrorist group, and sex tourists in places like Thailand and Brazil. And on and on and on.
It's their country and their rules. If you don't like the rules then don't break the law, or simply don't go. Tyler the Creator has the right idea--stay at home and avoid trouble. Not that, I suspect, the Swedes are actually going to be crying at the loss of being exposed to his meager "talents." If Julian Assange couldn't get away with committing rape in Sweden, then why should some knucklehead American rapper think he and his posse can beat up people on the street and have nothing happen? I support the Swedes.
67
@Elmer Hopkins
",,,to be fair and equitable in its treatment not only of its own citizens, but of foreigners as well. "
Well, perhaps, that is, since after Sweden ravaged Poland in the 18th century. They haven't done much since then.
2
Rocky, this is a peace-loving country that has taken in far more immigrants than any other European country.
Don't bring your American brutality to Europe.
59
When one visits another country it pays to know that country's laws and customs. If the TMZ video shows ASAP Rocky picking another person up, body-slamming that person to the ground and then kicking them, I would say Sweden has a right to hold him. No bail in Sweden? Know before you go or make sure you don't break laws. It's that simple. They have the right to hold him until a hearing.
36
@FarleyXWilbur And every US passport I have had - going back more than 50 years -- has TOLD me I am expected to abide by the laws of countries I visit. And it is a generally accepted principle of law in most countries that "ignorance of the law is no excuse." So even if this guy claims he didn't know body slamming was illegal in Sweden, the burden was on him to find out whether it was or wasn't before he started throwing people around.
14
Lol. "No more Sweden for me, ever,” said Tyler, the Creator, in a tweet." The feeling is "ömsesidig" (Swedish for mutual.)
52
@Hugh MacDonald
Tyler who? Is that guy still relevant?
3
@Hugh MacDonald
Tyler who? Is that guy still relevant? Or in Sweden would be be Tyler, The Assaulter?
3
Why shouldn't he be tried like anyone else? If he assaulted people, he should face the penalty. If not, then he will be acquitted. Honestly, I have more faith in the Swedish system rendering a fair verdict than the US system.
49
So assault is OK as long as you are a celebrity with friends in high places. Sounds about right for Trump and his pals.
44
More evidence of the brutality of trump’s regime.
15
I think I speak for most Americans when I say, “who?”
66
You know, of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame.
17
@Dan Stackhouse I guess Boris and Natasha finally caught up with him.
3
But please, don’t give him Swedish citizenship!
11
@Capt. Pisquat No, just send him back, send him back, send him back!
2
This is the most ridiculous article I have read in a while. Scandinavian prisons are luxurious in comparison to Americans and getting arrested in Sweden is way more difficult than here in the US. Sweden is a very liberal country. The US is incarcerating about a 100 times more people than Sweden.
Bringing this case up to President and involving the state department shows that they must be bored out of their minds. This is a waste of taxpayer money. This guy is rich and influential and shows the disparity here in the US of how average and rich people are treated.
65
It's called "meddling" with the internal legal affairs of another country, and on such a grand scale!
As for the accommodations, oh, please: "The petition said that the rapper was being held in “horrific” and “unsanitary” conditions in “24/7 solitary confinement.”
21
@Austin Plinth
Yea, horrific and unsanitary. In Sweden? HA! It's most likely the cleanest jail he'll ever be in.
5
Sweden has a safe, generous, and compassionate society that is overwhelmingly recognized worldwide as such. I watched the video and saw one person lift and throw another person to the ground with violence equivalent to a motorcycle accident. In that circumstance, Sweden seems to be doing what is necessary to preserve their "Nordic Model" society. As a civilized and sovereign nation, that is not just their right but also their responsibility.
62
Don't give this man any privileges because of his "status" or support from celebrities and government "contacts" in the USA. He's accused of a crime. Let the system work its way out.
40
This has some serious Idiocracy vibes. Kim Kardashian influencing foreign policy? Somehow Trump actually did the right thing by effectively telling Pompeo to do nothing - but something tells me a Twitter rant is coming. Plus, how was this ever allowed to reach the President in the first place. We are living in a distopian comedy.
144
@Jared
Indeed.
Not an international incident.
He's not a diplomat.
7
@Jared We can only hope it doesn't end as a tragedy.
@Jared - I totally agree. At the most, Kim and Kanye should have called their congressperson to deal with this and if it was truly international then it goes up. But while on the brink of war with Iran someone bugs the president about an American getting arrested in Sweden on minor charges?
7
The fact that Jared is involved, this might prove to be a well choreographed publicity stunt. And Sweden will back off as American politicians and other enablers claim the guy’s innocence. But if not, let him have a taste of European justice. In any American city, eager no to offend performers of color, he would just get off with an apology.
18
I can understand Justin Bieber, Sean Combs, Kanye West and privileged celebrities taking up Rakim Mayers silly cause, but Representative Adriano Espaillat calling for his release, without knowing the facts, is another matter. As an elected official he should be standing for due process and justice and not for placing anyone above the law.
223
@Steven Anderson -- but he is black, so he has the right to be above the law.
5
@Steven Anderson the U.S. State Department has also called for his release.
@SO
Think about who is running the State Department.
17
I cannot fathom that this “Mr. Rocky” should concern Kushner nor the clown in the White House.
43
@Grace Doubtless the WH getting involved in trying to free an African American is meant to be window dressing to cover up the accusations of racism Trump has faced since that awful NC rally.
9
Who is this person and why should we care
Let him go to trial like everybody else would
230
@Dookie except that they don't lock up people for this crime in Sweden pre-trial, unless, of course they are black.
A man is slaughtered in an embassy in Turkey and the "Americans" do nothing.
321
Really that was a matter for Turkey to handle. And Khashoggi going into a Saudi embassy was basically him committing suicide, I can't imagine what else he thought would happen in that scenario.
1
The lesson here: when traveling abroad, do not assault the locals. Unless of course you are a rich and popular American entertainer, in which case there will be a media blitz to shame those awful foreigners and get your off the hook.
117
It's probably a real stretch to claim that Sweden is abusing human rights, and it's absurd to see a member of congress make such an outlandish claim. Sadly, what isn't a stretch is to see celebrities trying to influence systems of justice and accountability, as though rules don't apply to them, just like the recent college admissions scandal. This is what privilege looks like.
I hope Sweden takes the time to understand the facts of the situation, and as for the B-list pop stars and rappers that are boycotting Sweden, it's a blessing for the Swedes.
302
I read the last paragraph of the article and she is right. Americans always want to get involved when they either famous or think they American and just spoiled. ASAP Rocky knew where he was going therefore you must learn the common laws of that place so that way you can stay out of trouble if you want to get back to the US. However, they making it about race when that is not the case in this situation.
17
Look, the police have a right to investigate and bring charges. Due process should not be short circuited because you are rich and famous. To see famous and rich stars in the US try to get the congressmen to short circuit due process is appalling. If he is innocent he will go free. If he assaulted some one, he pays the same price as everyone else. They are protesting so he can just finish his tour? What about the victim, if their was one, who watches him leave the country with no justice?
29
Hopefully the Swedish officials will ignore all of the ridiculous social media. If this guy is guilty he should be treated no different than any other offender.
76
Apparently facts don't matter to many. So far the disclosed facts don't look too good for this rapper, so it is a bit premature to whip out the race card and start the racist accusations, but that is what the society we live in has become. How about establishing the facts before we jump to conclusions? What is so hard about that?
41
They interviewed the man's lawyer here on Swedish TV and even he said that ASAP Rocky was not treated any differently than any other suspect and that the fact that he is still in custody is completely in line with the rules in Sweden (although he still tried to make the argument that the rapper wouldn't leave the country and therefore did not need to be held). The lawyer also said that he didn't think the judge would be (or should be) persuaded by political intervention. And that's his own defense lawyer speaking!
Also, Swedish jails are probably amongst the most luxurious in the world. Obviously still not a nice place to be but I am going to make an educated guess that his accommodation would not have been more pleasant in the US.
90
@Anna M
Well, actually his former lawyer. After he spoke the truth in such interviews, he was fired by A$AP Rocky. Perhaps because he spoke the truth and undermined the campaign of falsehoods and misrepresentation? Who knows, but it is a reasonable suspicion.
9
@Anna M The standards for lawyers in the Swedish and Norwegian legal systems are quite different than here. They are not allowed to just make stuff up.
3
@Cormac Haha! That must have happened after I watched the evening news yesterday.
Yes, in general Swedish lawyers (with a few exceptions) are not noted for grandstanding and making stuff up.
1
Welcome to our world, Sweden.
Ms. Olofsdotter said she had written to the congressmen explaining their claims were wrong. “It’s always important when one is a public figure one has to deal in facts,” she said. “That’s how we have trust in society.”
Facts and critical thinking don’t matter to the cancel culture, where virtue is synonymous with identity and everyone is racist.
97
@KLM
Virtue is synonymous with identity with white supremacists as well. In fact most people who identify with a particular group feel they have virtue on their side. Cancel culture is a reaction, and admittedly an overcompensation, to a dominant culture in American society that has long associated white identity with superior moral virtue (and justified some pretty horrific things in doing so). That being said, there are of course people who exploit that culture for profit (TMZ), or self-aggrandizement (the Kardashians). It is the exploitation of the culture war that is the real issue.
What a bunch of .... if any non-celebrity had been filmed fighting they would also be held pending an investigation - in this country as well.
But apparently the Kim's and Biebers, and Jareds of the world think that their entitled kind needs special treatment.
141
Even when being attacked the Swedish are imminently reasonable. It's like they can't even comprehend American hysterics.
But what's missing from this article are the facts. We've got TMZ, we've got the Kardashians, but what really happened?
129
@Todd
Well, the investigation isn't over yet. So we don't know.
1
@Todd
Look at the video in the article.
1
@Todd
Find both videos this one is really misleading on its own.
The Julian Assange case demonstrates how Sweden, for good or ill, is rigorous about holding foreign suspects. Assange's extradition by Swedish authorities to answer rape allegations forced him to take refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The much maligned Assange, arguably a servant of democracy and press freedom, continues to fester in captivity, but as with Jussie Smollett people get upset and play the race card for the sake of a disrespectful privileged American hooligan.
15
@Edwin Assange is accused of rape in Sweden. While it obviously is no big deal in the US when a woman is sexually assaulted, in Sweden it is.
3
Weren’t the men following Rocky, not respecting that he asked them to stop multiple times? Put yourself in his shoes. Anyone would have had quite enough of that after not too long. Then the ‘stalker’ can’t handle a minor scuffle after he had been the instigator for blocks and blocks. He was baiting a famous person. That’s not fair.
Rocky didn’t walk up to the guy out of the blue to assault him. COME ON. This is absolutely ridiculous.
13
@NYC Following someone on a public street - not against the law. Punching and kicking someone - against the law. In Sweden and the US.
96
@NYC I know in the U.S. the default response to annoyance is violence but happily for the rest of the world they don't think the same way. Let's allow them that.
67
@NYC
You don't get to assault someone because you have had "quite enough of this". Self defense or nothing. Following someone, even with a camera, is not at all against the law, nor a defense to assault.
2
Were he not a rapper, no one would care. I don’t care even though he is a rapper.
66
If you have bodyguards, why are you throwing punches?
168
@NC
...and why do you need bodyguards? Aren't bodyguards themselves Stage One in introducing violence into the situation?
4
@NC That's WHY you have bodyguards. You think Frank Sinatra was a tough guy on his own?
1
White privilege is wrong
Money privilege is wrong
Celebrity privilege is wrong.
Equal justice under the law is right.
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The fake news invading this case is particularly laughable. Swedish prisons probably have a higher standard of living than certain parts of America.
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@The Libertine
Still a prison.
Somewhat ironic, all these people upset about one black man incarcerated in Sweden, when here in the US we have arguably one of the most racist legal systems in the world; where black men are nearly 6X as likely as white men to be incarcerated, and receive prison sentences almost 20% longer than white men for similar crimes.
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@Carden
AND WHO, exactly, is committing those "crimes?"
Black men aren't be tossed into jails for nothing.
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Maybe some of those folks who are incarcerated actually committed a crime?
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@Moehoward - "Black men aren't be tossed into jails for nothing."
Yes, they are. Central Park 5??
3
Anyone who knows peace loving Sweden and its people, know it's a difficult place to get into trouble.
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This ASAP cat is accused of committing a serious felony, a battery. They have video evidence.
It's not like North Korea is holding someone on trumped up charges about something insignificant. This crime had a victim.
I am sure I speak for almost all Americans in saying if the guy were white I would want Sweden to hold him, prosecute him, and find him guilty. If Bjorn or Benny of ABBA were on the street punching and kicking somebody, they'd be in serious trouble.
Mark Brzezinski is Mika's brother. Can't he pick his fights, or is he on the take?
Brzezinski added that the affair was “damaging the Swedish brand.” Since when has justice been a consumer product? Or that one obviates justice in the name of public relations?
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@Wordsworth from Wadsworth
Since when did nation states become "branded?"
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Isn’t it sad that it has come to this: that when an international incident occurs, right alongside those of distinguished diplomats and other qualified experts, we have to read of the Kardashian opinion?
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@ro. Sadder still the Kardashian influence. Jared, really? Looks like another embarrassing televised White House visit.
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@Ro
Blame no one Ro but the millions and millions for whom pop culture and celebrity worship constitute their life-meaning. Without all that consumer focus, we'd not hear a peep of the Kardashians and the other shallow media figures.
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@operadog
Including the host of “The Apprentice”
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It seems to me that this is a case in which the WH intervenes because of a celebrity. That does not go down well with the principle that all should be equal before the law. Would they have contacted the foreign minister and the king within a few days for a normal citizen?
And as much as I hate to say it: on racism, ASAP Rocky is lucky that the incident happened in Sweden. In the US chances that the police force just shoots and kills black people when they are perceived as being in a fight is pretty high...
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While I do believe that the system across the board can be very unfavorable to nonwhite citizens, I don't agree with ASAP Rocky's choice in picking up and punching the kid. Unless they are on top of you are holding you down, it's best to walk away, especially if you are a celebrity or public figure in a foreign country.
On a side note, I'm annoyed at this particular story lumping in the Kardashian and Kanye anonymous source, mentioning a phone call made to the White House to lobby his release. Let's be clear that the unknown source is them, and it benefits them financially, as well as their image continuing the false narrative of all the "work" they are doing for prison reform.
A journalist can change the narrative and even control it by not involving these frauds or their "sources" in respected publications without cold hard facts and evidence to support these claims. Let's hold them accountable by not giving them a platform to continue to do it.
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@Cochran
"While I do believe that the system across the board can be very unfavorable to nonwhite citizens..."
Citizens of where? Which system? Sweden is not the US and is quite different. Have you lived there or made a study of their culture and criminal justice system? Ever even visited?
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@Cormac
The definition of a citizen is an inhabitant of a particular town or city. It was a blanket statement based on reports coming out of him being treated unfairly because of his race. In this case, it was clear that he did assault a Swedish citizen and it was caught on video. The investigation is fair based on evidence, not economic status, race or religion.
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It's impossible to make a final judgment until knowing what preceded Mr. ASAP's & Co. assault of the man, but if a Swede of means came here and did that in Brooklyn, I would hope he would be held a few days while figuring out what happened, whether he is a flight risk, and whether he should be held for trial. Maybe all these people advocating on his behalf could go to Rikers and find some more worthy causes that I am sure are there.
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@Stuart Wilder I do not hope anyone is detained without cause. Pre-trial detention, bail, etc. for all but the most serious criminals, or serious flight risk for serious crimes, is unethical. In our country, it is used to lock up black folks. In our country, it is racist.
@Edward Allen
Are you saying it’s wrong or a waste of time to be advocating for him because he’s a celebrity? I don’t think being a celebrity protects you from being a black man in a white world.
@Chris
An article advocating for someone because they're a celebrity sounds like protection to me.
2