Dozens arrested in Sweden as neo-Nazis, anti-fascists clash with police

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Dozens arrested in Sweden as neo-Nazis, anti-fascists clash with police

 

The Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) march in centralGothenburg, Sweden September 30, 2017. Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency/via REUTERS

 

GOTHENBURG, Sweden (Reuters) - More than 30 people were arrested on Saturday as both neo-Nazis and anti-fascists clashed with police during a march by the extreme right-wing Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, police said.

 

The NMR gathered hundreds of people for the march, many armed with shields and helmets, while many thousands of counter-protestors also hit the streets of Gothenburg.

 

Police had prepared for violence to break out and had called in reinforcements from all police districts in Sweden and added 350 temporary jail beds in a police garage.

 

Membership in Nazi organisations is not illegal in Sweden and the NMR had a permit from the police to march.

 

Swedish police said on their website that 35 people had been arrested during the day. At least two people were injured, including one police officer who broke his arm.

 

"Given the intent that many had here today, the scenario could have been much worse," commanding officer Emilie Kullmyr told daily Dagens Nyheter.

 

The neo-Nazi march was halted in the early afternoon, before it reached its designated starting point, after a clash with the police. Police put up a ring around the NMR demonstrators to keep them apart from anti-fascists.

 

The neo-Nazis clashed with police several times and during speeches they singled out politicians and the media as responsible for high levels of immigration in Sweden.

 

At 1600 GMT the neo-Nazi demonstrators had been escorted by police to their initial meeting point in the outskirts of Gothenburg. The many cordons in the central city were lifted.

 

Sweden has taken in more immigrants per capita than any other EU-country in recent years, much to the dismay of right-wing groups.

 

The extreme-right groups have become more active in Sweden, according to police. Three former members of the NMR were convicted earlier this year of a series of bombings targeting immigrants and political opponents.

 

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Johannes Hellström; Editing by Stephen Powell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-02

[farcanell]

Poor buggers.... all those bald heads in that freezing climate must have effected brain functionality.

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, farcanell said:

Poor buggers.... all those bald heads in that freezing climate must have effected brain functionality.

I just wished really hard that you were right, but unfortunately you can have an effect in something that just don´t exist. 

Edited October 2, 2017 by Get Real

[Grouse]

Listen! I'm a bleeding heart liberal but they're not all wrong. Help people certainly but don't overwhelm the local population. I love Scandinavia and I don't want it damaged by this influx. 1% fine, I'm not a Xenophobe! 

[Nerone]

No wonder that these groups comes up. Their country has been literally invaded, as the rest of Europe

[craigt3365]

10 hours ago, Grouse said:

Listen! I'm a bleeding heart liberal but they're not all wrong. Help people certainly but don't overwhelm the local population. I love Scandinavia and I don't want it damaged by this influx. 1% fine, I'm not a Xenophobe! 

Agreed.  But there are better ways to go about this.  These guys came prepared for war.  They should be put in jail.

 

From the OP:

Quote

The NMR gathered hundreds of people for the march, many armed with shields and helmets, while many thousands of counter-protestors also hit the streets of Gothenburg.

 

Truly violent people:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-extremists-are-training-right-wing-terrorists-from-western-europe

 

Quote

 

Russian Extremists Are Training Right-Wing Terrorists From Western Europe

Before neo-Nazis bombed a refugee center in Sweden, they went to St. Petersburg for training. Inside the effort to literally blow up the West.