Brave 21 YO Swedish Girl Stood For 15 Mins On A Plane To Stop Deportation Of Afghan Refugee

“It is not right to send people to hell.”

Swedish activist Elin Ersson’s strength to do what is right stemmed for this valid fear for a fellow human being’s life. And what she did has made her a hero on social media and in the eyes of many people.

On Sunday, 21-year-old Elin Ersson single-handedly stopped the deportation of a 52-year-old Afghan asylum seeker with her protest aboard a plane.

According to The Guardian, Ersson is a student of Gothenburg University in Sweden and an activist fighting for the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers, primarily from Afghanistan. Sweden has seen a major influx of Afghan refugees entering the country seeking asylum. However, several are now being deported as opposition against the situation gains momentum domestically.

Ersson live-streamed the entire protest on Facebook. She clarified that as per the country’s rules, the pilot could not take off till every passenger was seated. And therefore, her refusal to sit down was not a crime in any way.

When she and some other asylum activists like her hear that there would be a deportation, they bought tickets to the flight from Gothenburg to Istanbul. And she refused to take her seat on the flight until the Afghan deportee was allowed to get off the plane.

Ersson’s cause found supporters, but there were also irked passengers who called it a waste of their time. And to them, Ersson had a hard-hitting reply:

“What is more important, a life, or your time?”

They tried to get her to sit down. One of them even tried to forcefully take her phone from her. But a kind air hostess got it back.

She adamantly continued with her protest, and finally the deportee was allowed to leave. The passengers applauded her as she fought back tears.

You can watch the entire facebook video here:

Elin Ersson’s brave protest took social media by storm.

Support poured out for this Swedish activist in heaps. Many hailed her a hero for taking a stand against injustice and showing the rest of the world how to do it.

Brave in the face of injustice!

EVERYBODY SHOULD BE THIS BRAVE WHEN SEEING INJUSTICE https://t.co/iGOuuTwEOb

— Terry Taylor (@theterrytaylor) July 25, 2018

Teaching us a lesson….

#ElinErsson is teaching us all a lesson. She did not care about other passengers harassing her nor about the authorities. She did what was right.
What an incredible woman. https://t.co/P5I7r7Y6oC

— lisi (@lila_lisi) July 24, 2018

That statement!

"Yeah, I don't like my countries rules. I want to change them."
"It's your time, but his life."

Wow. What a brave, wonderful woman. #ElinErsson https://t.co/EKDDSB7oxm

— Capulcu Tonella (@diehimbeertonis) July 25, 2018

The way you chose to exercise your privilege says a lot about you.

https://twitter.com/oya_amorfati/status/1021963570236583937

Such powerful words!

What is more important your time or life ? #WednesdayWisdom https://t.co/c8FwY4qBq1

— Arjun (@arjunts_) July 25, 2018

She took a stand. How many of us can do that?

I just saw and reposted this over on Facebook and I’ll happily do so again here. All to often we hear people and MSM decrying millennials. But this young woman in the face of approx 200 angry passengers made a stand and I applaud her https://t.co/icyufJxdic

— Denis (@mr_opinion8) July 25, 2018

Qualities worth wanting, and developing.

I wish I was more like her. https://t.co/jny8S0ozPv

— Dr V Clifford (@VicClifford) July 25, 2018

Indeed. Touché!

What Satyagraha looks like in the 21st Century https://t.co/FlEzJ2PHRE

— Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) July 25, 2018

Unfortunately, if news reports are to be believed, Elin Ersson might be facing some charges and jail time for her protest. As for the Afghan deportee, local news reports that he may still be in custody and may be deported at a later date.

However, what cannot be denied is that one young Swedish activist showed so many people what standing up for justice ought to be like. And here’s hoping, her lesson was not in vain.