Norway: Racism and fascism
01 January 1991
Norway: Racism and fascism
artdoc July=1994
Prejudice grows among young Norwegians
A survey by the Norwegian Society Dataservice suggests that an
increasing number of Norwegians `fear immigrants'. 23 per cent
of students in junior high schools are against Norway accepting
more refugees and 35 per cent aid that the presence of immigrants
leads to increased crime and violence (Dagbladet 22.1.94).
Norwegian youth prosecuted for racist attacks
Three Norwegian youth have been imprisoned for setting fire to
the Solvang asylum centre in Namsos (NA 17.2.94).
A Norwegian youth from Fauske has confessed to beating up an
Iranian refugee in 1991. He claims he was not racist but just
wanted to teach the Iranian a lesson for bothering a girl in a
pub (Nordlandsposten 11.2.94).
The lawyer for an Iranian who was beaten by two boys from Hamar
who broke his jaw and racially abused him has criticised a jury
for setting the two Norwegians free. The jury said that the
testimony of an eye-witness who saw the scene from the window of
a flat was not sufficient proof of Arash's testimony (HD
17.2.94).
Petition against mosque
A petition by local residents against the selling of council land
to a Pakistani organisation for the building of a mosque in
Drammen, Fjell-region, is backed by a local housing corporation.
A representative of the anti-immigration Progress Party says the
`council should give priority to local inhabitants' (Drammens
Tidende 13.1.94).
Fascists target opponents
A convicted killer and nazi, Johnny Olsen, in an interview with
the Dagbladet newspaper has claimed that nazis in Norway now have
two cells operating to gather information on anti-fascists in
order to target them for a violent campaign. The skinhead group,
`Aryan Brothers', has also indicated that it plans to step up
violent attacks. The group claims to be training with pistols and
machine guns, stolen from the Swedish and Norwegian military
(Dagbladet 16.1.94, Aftenpolsten 22.1.94).
Nationalist radio faces closure
The radio station `Nite Rocket' (see bulletin no. 6) that
broadcast advertisements for the KKK has been evicted from its
offices for rent arrears.
The action of the landlord comes after concerted anti-racist
pressure against the radio station and clashes between fascists
and anti-fascists. In one incident, 17 armed skinheads, including
Ole Krogstad, leader of the `Boot Boys', were arrested. After
anti-fascists attacked the cafe Terningen, apparently a
commercial sponsor of Nite Rocketas well as a neo-nazi meeting
place, the police raided the anarchist cafe `Blitz'. Blitz says
that the radio station, just hours before the assault took place,
broadcast encouragements to fascists to attack Blitz and that
the fascists used the premises of Nite Rocket as an assembling
point before the attack (Dagbladet 15.1.94, Klassekampen
17.1.94, Arbeiderbladet 27.1.94, Blitz Newsletter No. 7,
February 1994).
Norwegian link with Russian extremists
The Dagbladet has revealed that a top official at the Norwegian
Embassy in Moscow, Leiduvl Namtvedt, has met privately with the
extremist leader of the Democratic Party, Vladimir Sjirinovskiv,
who was recently elected to the Russian parliament. Namtvedt
refuses to be drawn on the meeting which he describes as a
routine matter (Dagbladet 8.1.94).
Asylum and immigration
Progress Party calls for new anti-refugee package
The leader of the anti-immigrant Progress Party, Carl Hagen, has
put forward 17 proposals for stricter immigration and asylum
policies. For instance, refugees, asylum-seekers and immigrants
should pass an obligatory test in the Norwegian language before
being granted citizenship; contracts forbidding them to take part
in illegal demonstrations and vandalism should be issued; a
breach of the peace should be punished by deportation.
Furthermore, the issuing of a residence permit on humanitarian
grounds should be lin