Riot in Sweden; linked to the closure of Islamic centre.

[Tiriol]

I'm rather surprised that neither Helsingin Sanomat nor YLE News has not publicized this on their web pages, but BBC has.

Swedish city of Malmo hit by youth riots (burning cars etc.)

Swedish city hit by youth riots

Dozens of youths have rioted in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for a second consecutive night, setting cars on fire and clashing with police.

"We've had a very difficult evening," a police spokeswoman told the AFP news agency late on Thursday.

"There have been fires burning since this afternoon... extensive damage to public property, and... stone-throwing and bomb threats against police."

She said the trouble was linked to the closure of an Islamic centre.

The owner of the building, in an immigrant neighbourhood, had decided not to renew the centre's lease. The centre, which included a mosque, had to move out.

But some youths squatted in the premises, until they were evicted by police earlier this week.

Once police left the premises, the youths returned, setting fires in the area. They then clashed with police.

"The origin of the riots is the occupation of the building. But that's not really the reason now, now other troublemakers have just joined in, taking advantage of the situation," police spokeswoman Ewa-Gun Westford told AFP.

This does remind me somewhat of what happened in France couple of years ago, although I have understood that Sweden has better situation with immigrants than France did (or has). However, Finnish news have noted that notable amount of people among the immigrants in that area are unemployed, so frusfrations can understandably run high.

[Julhelm]

It really is mostly professional troublemakers. A lot of them are known football hooligans and autonomous leftwing extremists who go from riot to riot. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these rioters are coming directly from Athens. As for the immigrants who live in the neighbourhood, most seem to condemn the violence quite vocally.

[Tiriol]

It really is mostly professional troublemakers. A lot of them are known football hooligans and autonomous leftwing extremists who go from riot to riot. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these rioters are coming directly from Athens. As for the immigrants who live in the neighbourhood, most seem to condemn the violence quite vocally.

True; a news article in Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish, sadly) brought this to my attention. The rioting has met with near-universal condemnation and many rioters are actually "professional troublemakers", as you aptly put.

[Julhelm]

It isn't a recent phenomena, either. Back in the 80's and 90's when the neo-nazis used to have an annual march on 11/30 commemorating Karl XII in the city of Lund not far from Malmö, there used to be whole busloads of right/left wing extremists from all over Europe travelling there just to cause mayhem.

[Ryan Thunder]

It really is mostly professional troublemakers. A lot of them are known football hooligans and autonomous leftwing extremists who go from riot to riot. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these rioters are coming directly from Athens.

Ah, fuck 'em, then. They don't even have a decent excuse to be rioting; break out the batons and tear gas and give them a lesson in public decency. Assholes.

[Bilbo]

Ah, fuck 'em, then. They don't even have a decent excuse to be rioting; break out the batons and tear gas and give them a lesson in public decency. Assholes.

While I agree with you there is something sad and ironic about having to use violence on someone to force them to act with civility.

[Ryan Thunder]

<needs to think before he posts>

[VT-16]

I think that Karl XII bullshit happened this year as well. Heard something about it.

[Dooey Jo]

I think that Karl XII bullshit happened this year as well. Heard something about it.

Yes, the nazi shitheads apparently wanted to restart their old tradition. They already have their annual rally around December 9th in Salem (not the one with the witches; it's outside Stockholm), too. And of course, wherever they go, the supposedly left-wing (I doubt most of them really care about any ideology) extremists must follow, and fights must erupt. It used to be the nazis who were violent, but now it's the militant anti-fascists. They're also the ones mentioned in the article in the OP. It's pretty hilarious that people that are supposedly against racism sure seem to do their damnedest to make people sympathetic to extreme right-wing sentiments, and the nazis themselves don't miss any opportunities to use this to further their cause.

[Tiriol]

I think that Karl XII bullshit happened this year as well. Heard something about it.

Yes, the nazi shitheads apparently wanted to restart their old tradition. They already have their annual rally around December 9th in Salem (not the one with the witches; it's outside Stockholm), too. And of course, wherever they go, the supposedly left-wing (I doubt most of them really care about any ideology) extremists must follow, and fights must erupt. It used to be the nazis who were violent, but now it's the militant anti-fascists. They're also the ones mentioned in the article in the OP. It's pretty hilarious that people that are supposedly against racism sure seem to do their damnedest to make people sympathetic to extreme right-wing sentiments, and the nazis themselves don't miss any opportunities to use this to further their cause.

True. I have a suspicion that Swedish Neo-Nazis are a rather clever bunch politically; they refrain from the usual skinhead activities (vandalism, violence etc.) and thus they appear to be more reasonable when militant "left-wings" and anti-fascists start rioting and committing acts of violence. It will, over time, erode goodwill towards their cause and it will slowly, little by little, give at least some sympathy for the devil (the Neo-Nazis).

[CJvR]

True. I have a suspicion that Swedish Neo-Nazis are a rather clever bunch politically; they refrain from the usual skinhead activities (vandalism, violence etc.) and thus they appear to be more reasonable when militant "left-wings" and anti-fascists start rioting and committing acts of violence.

Oh they use them allright, but unlike their brainless counterparts on the leftwing they don't do stuff like that in front of the media and cameras.