There are many indications that it was Nazis who attacked the Left Party’s and the Green Party’s arrangements at the Moment Theater in Gubbängen in Stockholm. The attack is an unpleasant reminder of the threats from the violent right-wing extremist environment. Not because violent Nazis have popular support or political influence, thankfully they don’t. But because they try to intimidate political opponents into silence with threats, harassment and violence.
The activist Mathias Wåg was a target in Gubbängen, and he describes in Aftonbladet kultur something that could have been a pleasant evening: “The theater foyer smelled of freshly baked buns and muffins. The local leftists had baked and offered coffee. It was a pleasant atmosphere. The average age was high , mostly pensioners sat drinking their coffee and chatting when a group of five masked people came rushing in.” (25/4). Wåg was beaten by them.
“The Nazis attacked, both with physical violence against visitors, with defense spray and vandalized the premises before throwing some type of smoke grenade that filled the foyer with smoke”, as the magazine Expo – which had been invited to lecture – describes the event (24/4).
That it can get rowdy at demonstrations or political meetings is one thing. Last week we pointed out here on the editorial page that it is not democracy to sabotage political meetings, after the Christian Democrats’ Ebba Busch had her public after work meeting about the EU elections disrupted by Palestinian protesters. Last autumn, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) was involved in a similar situation.
But the attack in Gubbängen – extremists physically attacking dissenters at a peaceful political meeting – crosses “a new red line” as Nooshi Dadgostar (V) points out. Should you, as a local party association, dare to announce meetings? Do you have to plan to have security guards? Do you dare again?
Mattias Wåg’s closing lines in Aftonbladet give hope: “Afterwards, all of us meeting participants gathered in the square in Gubbängen. We were determined not to let a Nazi attack interrupt a political meeting. As soon as the fire department and the police gave us the go-ahead, we therefore returned to the theater and held our panel discussion.” It is strongly made by those involved. More meetings and a demonstration are already planned.
Violent right-wing extremists pose a real threat. The best way to fight them is to refuse to be intimidated. We must have more democracy, as Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg wisely said after the major terrorist attack in 2011.
Tags: attack antifascists attack democracy
