By using camera surveillance, drones, and flight bans, the police are stepping up to a new level in the security work surrounding Vasaloppet (March 2) and Tjejvasan (February 22).
According to Vasaloppet's CEO Johan Eriksson, this is not due to an increased threat level against the classic race.
There is no specific threat against Vasaloppet. However, it is generally known that there is a generally higher threat level in Sweden. This is a consequence of society gearing up to have a preparedness and using the tools available in that context.
Attack on the men's winner 2024
Johan Eriksson also says that the new surveillance is not a consequence of the mass shooting in Örebro where ten people were killed.
We decided on this last autumn, before it happened.
Last year, climate activists jumped into the track when men's winner Torleif Syrstad only had a few hundred meters left to the finish line. Officials were quickly on the scene and dragged the activists away.
It was a few seconds when I got scared that they would ruin everything. I saw them coming and hoped that no more would come. I didn't want anything like that to ruin it for me today, said Norwegian Syrstad, who was upset about the situation.
It was the second year in a row that Vasaloppet was affected by climate activists.
Received daily fines
Now, the new level of security work can help the organizer to detect climate and environmental activists early.
In certain situations, it creates a sense of security for us that we have an arena that is more secure and safe. We will see earlier what certain individuals have on their agenda. If they set up equipment or messages. We will be able to prevent that as a consequence of this, says Johan Eriksson.
Two men were convicted last autumn for the action when Syrstad won. They were convicted of violating the public order act and received daily fines totaling 2,000 kronor each.
