During the 1800s, the stone mining industry in Bohuslän had seen much growth leading to people from all over Sweden emigrating there in search of work.

[1][2][3] To compensate for the loss of workers due to the strike, the employers hired numerous strikebreakers from England being transported by junkboat.

[1][5] The striker's presence saw the deployment of the police in order to provide cover for the strikebreakers, however, this angered the crowd making one start throwing cooked potatoes towards the law enforcement.

[1] Conflict erupted when one policeman responded by hitting one of the strikers in the head with his baton, the workers started throwing stones at the police and blocked any attempt by the strikebreakers to conduct their work.

[5] During the riots, the strikers were reported to have sung several Swedish communist songs including the "Lumplena Visan" and "På Åbyfjordens Strand".

[5][1] The following years have seen much debate over if the shots from HSwMS Skäggald were blank or not and some also alleged that the strikebreakers also played a role in bombarding the strikers.