The Ådalen shootings (Swedish: Skotten i Ådalen), was a series of events in and around the sawmill district of Ådalen, Kramfors Municipality, Ångermanland, Sweden, in May 1931. During a protest on May 14, five persons were killed by bullets fired by Swedish military troops called in as reinforcements by the police.

Photos: Landsfogden i Västernorrlands län, Brev mm, E Va:4-6, Regional Archives of Härnösand

The event took place in the timber region of Ådalen in northen Sweden. The workers at the pulp plants and saw mills went on strike because of a conflict over pay reductions. The timber barons and the employer organisation (SAF) decides to bring in strike breakers against the striking workers. The strike breakers are shipped in on the S/S Milos.

The workers commandeer the ship and the strike breakers flee or are beaten up and told to go home.

The workers commandeer the ship and the strike breakers flee or are beaten up and told to go home.

The news of the occurrence spread and the employer organisation demand military protection of the strike breakers.

The strike breakers are bivouacked in the small harbour village of Lunde and the military forces set up barricades and machine gun positions.

A demonstration is formed and starts walking towards Lunde. When the demonstration is close a small cavalry unit is sent to meet the demonstration to stop it. The horses are scared by the flags in the front of the demonstration and one rider falls of and starts to shoot at the crowd with his pistol. The gun fire makes the military officer panic and he orders his men to fire. Rifle and machine gun fire pour into the demonstration.

The result is five dead, among them a 16 year old girl and a number of wounded.

What happened in Lunde became a national trauma and is in vivid memory even today. It lead to legislation against military intervention in civil conflict and to the start of rules and rights in labour conflicts.