Internal demand: Bohlin employees pressured to attend Pride

While police are banned from wearing uniforms at Pride to protect their impartiality, internal information shows that the Civil Defense Agency is moving in the opposite direction. Employees are being encouraged to participate - and the wording is drawing strong criticism.

The Civil Defense Authority, led by the Minister of Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin, has decided in an internal letter that participation in Pride should be organized in the workplace, reveals Riks. The document clearly states that attendance is not only voluntary, but that each department is expected to be represented by at least two people.

”For the Agency, it is decided in the 2026 Equality Plan that at least two employees from each department will participate.”, the document says.

Several employees react to the way the requirement is formulated. One employee describes it as an indirect coercion and says that the wording creates an expectation that is difficult to deviate from, especially in a hierarchical organization where loyalty weighs heavily.

- I feel that it formulates some kind of compulsion or obligation to participate in a political demonstration, says an employee to Riks.

At the same time, requirements for impartiality are tightened

At the same time, the Police Authority has introduced New rules prohibit uniformed police officers from participating in Pride events off-duty. The aim is to ensure that the state is not perceived as taking a stand on ideological or political issues, and that the uniform is not used in so-called 'opinionated' demonstrations.

This means that the same type of event that is now deemed inappropriate for uniformed presence is simultaneously highlighted internally within another authority, creating a clear tension between different parts of the state administration.

Internal criticism: ”Unconstitutional”

The criticism from staff is not just about the wording, but about the principle of a public authority inviting staff to participate in an event that is perceived as political.

- It is unconstitutional for authorities to encourage employees to take a stand and participate in political events, says the employee to Riks.

Several also state that there is a caution internally about questioning the decision, as criticism can easily be interpreted as a position on the substance rather than a matter of principle.

- I think that many people jump at this type of formulation. But few dare to express what they think internally.