Norway: Racism and fascism (2)
01 January 1991
Norway: Racism and fascism
artdoc April=1995
Popular campaign against refugees
Residents of a fashionable area in Kristiansand have protested
to the city council about plans to settle Bosnian refugees in
their neighbourhood. The frequent comings and goings of the
refugees and asylum-seekers would lead to insecurity and property
values might fall, said a spokesperson for the residents of
Måltrost Road (Faedrelandsvennen 8.6.94).
Local authorities in Oslo have been criticised for a decision
to spend £80,000 on a house for Bosnian refugees. The council
says that the house is a good investment and that the purchase
of the building, in an area where there are few refugees, is to
avoid concentration of refugees only in certain areas of Oslo
(Arbeiderbladet 31.8.94).
Donations to anti-immigrant parties increase
More and more Norwegians are leaving money in their wills to
anti-immigrant organisations. Erik Gjems-Omstad, a solicitor who
has defended fascists, says that he has been approached by
several clients who want to bequeath their fortunes totalling up
to £1 million to far-Right parties and that a trust has been set
up specifically for that purpose.
An MP for the Progress Party, Oystein Hedstrom says that he
will apply for a grant to stage a referendum in Norway in order
to end immigration (Guardian 29.9.94, Tnsbergs Blad 20.6.94,
Aftenposten 17, 18.9.94)
Nationalist radio draws criticism
Local people are renewing their attempts to get the far-Right
radio station, NiteRocket, closed down following a skinhead march
from the studio on September 23 to commemorate the first
anniversary of the death of the neo-nazi rock singer Ian Stuart.
The way the police handled the demonstration has been criticised
by the Anti-Racist Centre in Oslo.
An exposé in Aftenposten has revealed that the nationalist and
racist rock scene in Sweden has been fundamentally inspired by
the Norwegian neo-nazi, Tor-Erk Nielsen (who also uses the alias
Erik Blücher). Nielsen presently runs Warrior Publications
(Aftenposten 26.9.94).
Russian extremist denied visa
The Russian extremist MP, Vladimir Sjirinovskij was denied a visa
to visit Norway after he was invited to speak at a series of
rallies and visit the Norwegian parliament by the Norwegian
Defence Union. Sjirinovskij said that he would spit at Norway
which wasn't even a country but a servant of Zionist Jewish
conspiracies (Aftenposten 25.9.94).
Racist attacks
Attacks on the Sami community
The leader of the Progress Party, Carl Hagen, called MP Johanne
Gaup an extremist when she made part of her speech in parliament
on Norway's housing policy towards its indigenous Sami
population. in the Sami language. Although Sami is one of
Norway's three official languages, Hagen asked whether MPs would
be forced to sit and listen to debates spoken in Sami and Urdu
or any other `incomprehensible language to most Norwegians' (K.K.
6.6.94, Aftenposten 7.6.94).
In August, the Sami cultural centre in Tysfjord was attacked
on several occasions, its leader threatened and the Sami flag
burnt (Sagat 27.8.94).
Arson attack
A school where refugees are taught was set on fire and sprayed
with racist slogans (Akershus Arbeiderblad 15.8.94)
Sentences reduced
An appeal court in Kristiansand has reduced the sentences handed
out to two young men who shot at an immigrant centre in a
racially motivated attack. The youths argued at their appeal that
the crime was not racially motivated but carried out for fun
(Aftenposten 15.9.94).
CERD criticises Norway
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination (CERD) has pointed to weaknesses in Norway's penal
code when it comes to tackling racial violence. From 1982 to
1989, 510 incidents relating to the possession of racist
materials were reported to the authorities but in only one case
did this lead to prosecution (NTB, Aftenposten, Klassekampen