Sweden mulls using hate crime laws to counter neo-Nazis

[Player Twelve]

http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel...rtikel=6796550

Sweden's government has floated the idea of reinterpreting existing hate crime and public order laws to counter neo-Nazi extremists.

Justice Minister Morgan Johansson said that Sweden's existing hate crime law could be reinterpreted to prevent extremists marching bearing a wider range of symbols used by the extreme right.

The proposal was one of a list of possible measures put forward at a meeting with four opposition parties on how to counter "anti-democratic forces" in the country.

Justice Minister Morgan Johansson said that the government would also instruct the police and security services to intensify their work against extremist groups.

"Then it's a question of applying the laws that already exist," he said. "We are saying: now you should apply all the resources you need to bring those individuals we're talking about under control."

Johansson led the meeting together with Alice Bah Kuhnke, Sweden's culture minister, who represents the Green Party, discussing the government proposals with the opposition Moderate, Liberal, Centre and Christian Democrat parties.

The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats were not invited.

A representative from Sweden's security service Säpo was also at the meeting to brief those present on different groups of extremists in Sweden.

In the meeting, the government said it would order an analysis of Sweden's law on hate crimes, enacted in 1948, partially in response to the Swedish anti-semite Einar Gustaf Vilhelm Åberg, who was jailed nine times between 1941 and 1945 for his anti-semitic propaganda.

It would also analyse the country's public order law to see if it gives police the power to better control the time and location of extreme-right demonstations, and forbid the use of riot shields.

Roger Haddad, who attended the meeting for the Liberal Party, said he worried that the proposals might run counter to the Swedish constitution.

"The government says that we don't need to look at the constitution, but a lot of these proposals are very connected to rights protected in the constitution, such as the right to free assembly," he said. "We want to raise the warning flag."

[Deleted]

Cue lots of responses from neo-nazi sympathizers claiming not to be neo-nazi sympathizers.

[Ahovv]

Hate-crime classifications are emotionally charged and rather pointless.

If someone causes harm to another, I don't really care what their motivation is. It doesn't change the fact someone was harmed.

Speech does not harm, however. No matter if it personally offends you or not. If these groups are going around assaulting/killing people, obviously you take them down. If they're saying a bunch of obscene shit, I really don't care.

And before some moron says I wouldn't say this if ISIS-sympathizers were rallying in my town, you're wrong. Radical Muslims are retarded just like Neo-Nazis or Westboro Baptist Church or whatever idiotic zealots you can imagine. But until they're actually physically harming people, providing aid to terrorist organizations which actually are killing people, or making real plans to harm people, they should be allowed to continue spewing their retarded garbage.

[sarahtasher]

Hate-crime classifications are emotionally charged and rather pointless.

If someone causes harm to another, I don't really care what their motivation is. It doesn't change the fact someone was harmed.

Speech does not harm, however. No matter if it personally offends you or not.

Again, for the hundreth times, Nazi sponsored newsapers throughout Europe did not just made ''hilarious jokes'' like ''UR UR UR HANG JEWS''. Quite surprisingly, they combined HATE THE JEWS with DON'T REARM, IT'S A PLOT OF THE JEWS. The more a politician was for standing against the Nazis, the more the Propaganstaffel paid to have him villifed.

[Deleted]

INB4 "U NO GOT FREEDOM"

-sigh- Neo-nazism shouldn't be tolerated

[Ahovv]

Again, for the hundreth times, Nazi sponsored newsapers throughout Europe did not just made ''hilarious jokes'' like ''UR UR UR HANG JEWS''. Quite surprisingly, they combined HATE THE JEWS with DON'T REARM, IT'S A PLOT OF THE JEWS. The more a politician was for standing against the Nazis, the more the Propaganstaffel paid to have him villifed.

I don't care if they said "DEATH TO WHITEY"

Here, I'll even say something like that - Trump and Obama deserve death for ordering dronestrikes and operations abroad which killed many innocents including children.

Am I a terrorist? Should I go to jail now? Was that hate speech? If not, why is my desire for someone to die less egregious than the Neo-Nazis?

[Deleted]

Hate-crime classifications are emotionally charged and rather pointless.

If someone causes harm to another, I don't really care what their motivation is. It doesn't change the fact someone was harmed.

Speech does not harm, however. No matter if it personally offends you or not. If these groups are going around assaulting/killing people, obviously you take them down. If they're saying a bunch of obscene shit, I really don't care.

And before some moron says I wouldn't say this if ISIS-sympathizers were rallying in my town, you're wrong. Radical Muslims are retarded just like Neo-Nazis or Westboro Baptist Church or whatever idiotic zealots you can imagine. But until they're actually physically harming people, providing aid to terrorist organizations which actually are killing people, or making real plans to harm people, they should be allowed to continue spewing their retarded garbage.

For a start speech does hurt, in some cases a hell of a lot.

[Lochton]

*shrugs* Sounds fine to me, can we extend it to the extremist left people too? I know Sweden don't have many of them but just incase?

[Player Twelve]

And before some moron says I wouldn't say this if ISIS-sympathizers were rallying in my town, you're wrong. Radical Muslims are retarded just like Neo-Nazis or Westboro Baptist Church or whatever idiotic zealots you can imagine. But until they're actually physically harming people, providing aid to terrorist organizations which actually are killing people, or making real plans to harm people, they should be allowed to continue spewing their retarded garbage.

So, the state should only step in just as they become a present threat instead of nipping it in the bud before they can even become a credible threat?

[Ahovv]

For a start speech does hurt, in some cases a hell of a lot.

Should I go to jail if I say "God doesn't exist?" I'm sure that would hurt to most of the Christians around here. How do you actually define which speech "hurts" too much?

- - - Updated - - -

So, the state should only step in just as they become a present threat instead of nipping it in the bud before they can even become a credible threat?

Ah yes, like in Minority Report. We should totally replicate that system!

[Player Twelve]

Ah yes, like in Minority Report. We should totally replicate that system!

I don't have the faintest idea of what minority report is.

[PC2]

Justice Minister Morgan Johansson said that Sweden's existing hate crime law could be reinterpreted to prevent extremists marching bearing a wider range of symbols used by the extreme right.

The idea that a symbol is ever a problem or proof of a crime is extremely silly.

[Deleted]

I don't have the faintest idea of what minority report is.

It's a shit movie

[ParanoiD84]

Hey as long as they destroy groups like the cop hating antifa garbage to im fine. 2 birds one stone, mm i like it.

[kasuke06]

yay, thought crime police state funtime!

[Heladys]

Cue lots of responses from neo-nazi sympathizers claiming not to be neo-nazi sympathizers.

All those woke independents who truly care about libertarian extremist values.

[Ahovv]

yay, thought crime police state funtime!

It's funny. One guy killed someone and now the consensus on these forums seems to be "All of those Neo-Nazis are destined to murder!"

[zorkuus]

The idea that a symbol is ever a problem or proof of a crime is extremely silly.

Keep the symbol at home, problem solved.

It's funny. One guy killed someone and now the consensus on these forums seems to be "All of those Neo-Nazis are destined to murder!"

Neo-nazis have killed a bit more than just one person over the years.

[Deleted]

Was good reading until i read "The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats", propaganda as usual.

On topic, i dont see a reason to why not to restrict symbols like the swastika and the IS symbol in public

[Player Twelve]

It's funny. One guy killed someone and now the consensus on these forums seems to be "All of those Neo-Nazis are destined to murder!"

It's not just one nazi in Sweden who has killed someone.