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Holland: Racist violence

01 January 1991

Holland: Racist violence
artdoc July=1994

Two researchers at Leiden University have published a report on
racist violence which shows that it is more widespread than
previously thought and that many incidents are not recorded. They
compiled incidents of racist and extreme rightwing violence based
on media reports, police data, BVD data (Binnenlandse
Veiligheidsdienst, the internal security service, which funded
the research) and from the anti-fascist research group Fascisme
Onderzoeks.
The study shows the number of incidents rising from 4 in 1988,
to 29 in 1991, 189 in 1992, and 279 in 1993. There were 6
bombings and 40 bomb threats in 1992; 1 bombings and 26 bomb
threats in 1993. The number of firebombings in 1992 and 1993
averaged 3 a month. The number of attacks on asylum centres,
homes of immigrants and mosques rose from 116 in 1992 to 123 in
1993. Seventeen people were physically attacked by racists or
extreme rightwing groups in 1992 and this rose to 58 in 1993. The
study also noted an increasing tendency for these groups to
direct their attacks against their political opponents, and while
a significant number of those arrested were members of these
groups many arrested were not formally aligned.
The authors conclude that the present hardening of the
political climate on migration and minorities issues could
contribute to the occurrence of extreme rightwing violence.
Extreem-rechts: aanhang, geweld en onderzoek, Frank Buijs and
Jaap van Donselaar. Leiden, LISWO. ISBN 9071042650.

Statewatch, vol 4 no 3, May-June 1994