Woman arrested over A$AP Rocky protest at Swedish Embassy
President Donald Trump apparently isn’t the only one brimming with outrage over Sweden’s arrest of American rapper A$AP Rocky on assault charges.
Secret Service officers arrested Rebecca Kanter, 26, at the Swedish Embassy in Washington on Tuesday after she allegedly made threats, engaged in a foul-mouthed rant and damaged property as part of an apparent protest against the Scandinavian nation’s treatment of Rocky, according to court records.
After arriving at the embassy — known as the House of Sweden — Kanter “began cursing and screaming at embassy personnel and a student group tour, making statements about an American rapper, A$AP Rocky, who is detained in Sweden,” Secret Service Officer William Ayers wrote in a criminal complaint. “Kanter then walked toward a teepee display in the House of Sweden, kicked a teepee, and proceeded to kick over a coffee table in the lobby. … Embassy staff ordered Kanter to leave the premises of the House of Sweden but Kanter refused and instead sat down on the floor of the Embassy and stated, ‘Call the police. I am not leaving.’”
A day earlier, Kanter allegedly visited the same embassy, threw liquid at it from a Coca-Cola bottle and shouted, “I’m going to blow this motherf----- up,” the complaint says.
Authorities say Kanter posted messages on social media accounts about her actions, asking in one posting: “Why aren’t I getting press for ASAP?”
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was arrested July 2 along with two associates after a street fight in Stockholm. Rocky has claimed he acted in self-defense after being followed by men who were taunting him. At least part of the encounter was captured on video.
Trump has mounted an unusual public campaign for Rocky’s release in recent days after getting pleas for help from celebrity couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West.
“Just had a very good call with @SwedishPM Stefan Löfven who assured me that American citizen A$AP Rocky will be treated fairly. Likewise, I assured him that A$AP was not a flight risk and offered to personally vouch for his bail,” Trump tweeted Saturday.
However, on Thursday, a Swedish prosecutor rejected Rocky’s claim of self-defense, prompting Trump to fire off new tweets complaining about his entreaties being ignored.
“Very disappointed in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven for being unable to act. Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States,” Trump tweeted. “I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly!#FreeRocky Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM. We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem! #FreeRocky”
Kanter appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson and was released on her own recognizance. Kanter faces preliminary charges of willfully injuring and damaging property of a foreign government and refusing to depart a foreign embassy.
Another hearing in the case is scheduled for July 31.
The website for the House of Sweden says that the modernist building on K Street Northwest in Washington contains the embassies of both Sweden and Iceland, as well as “corporate apartments,” an event center and an exhibition hall.
