Monthly Archives: December 2015

Kiitos kaikille Joelia kahden vuoden aikana tukeneille

[In English below / På svenska nedan]

Suurkiitos kaikille, jotka ovat tukeneet Joelia hänen kahden vankeusvuotensa aikana

Tänä päivänä tasan kaksi vuotta sitten Joel pidätettiin epäiltynä taponyrityksestä. Hän puolusti muiden mukana rasisminvastaista mielenosoitusta, jota vastaan kolmekymmentä natsia hyökkäsi Tukholmassa. Mielenosoituksen olivat järjestäneet paikalliset antirasistit sen jälkeen kun natsijärjestö Ruotsin vastarintaliike (Svenska motståndrörelsen, SMR) oli spray-maalannut propagandaansa alueelle. SMR:n hyökkäyksen aikaan paikalla oli kaksi poliisia, jotka todistivat Joelin vastaisessa oikeudenkäynnissä kyseessä olleen pahin tilanne, johon he olivat uransa aikana joutuneet. Todistusaineistona käytetyllä videolla natsit kiljuvat “Sieg Heil!” ja “Tappakaa punikit!” samalla kun ihmiset yrittävät suojella toisiaan ja lapsiaan huomatessaan hyökkääjien olevan natseja.

20131215182143521_4_original

Ruotsin vastarintaliikkeen uusnatseja, jotka häädettiin naapurustosta metsään heidän ensin hyökättyä mielenosoitukseen.

Hyökkääjinä toimi noin 30 Ruotsin vastarintaliikkeen jäsentä, joiden tausta on 1990-luvulla vaikuttaneessa Valkoinen arjalainen vastarinta -järjestössä (Vitt Ariskt Motstånd, VAM). SMR:n jäsenet ovat murhanneet siirtolaisia, ammattiyhdistysaktiiveja sekä ylipäänsä ihmisiä, jotka eivät satu olemaan samaa mieltä heidän kanssaan. Joelin vastaisen oikeudenkäynnin aikana media pyrki näyttämään natsien hyökkäyksen mielenosoitukseen kahden huligaanijoukon yhteenottona, mutta luulemme ettei kukaan SMR:n historiaa tunteva näe asiaa sillä tavalla.

Käräjäoikeus katsoi, että oikeus itsepuolustukseen oli voimassa tilanteen aikana, mutta tuomitsi kuitenkin Joelin kuudeksi ja puoleksi vuodeksi vankilaan taponyrityksestä. Sekä syyttäjä että Joel valittivat päätöksestä, ja hovioikeus laski hänen tuomionsa viiden ja puolen vuoden vankeuteen. Nyt Joel istuu Tidaholmin ykkösluokan vankilassa, ja hänellä on enää vajaa kaksi vuotta rangaistusta jäljellä. Hänellä on kaikki hyvin, ja hän pitää itsensä kiireisenä kirjoittamalla kirjeitä, treenaamalla sekä osallistumalla aktiivisesti Fånggruppenin toimintaan.

Joel on antifasisti, joka on tuomittu Ruotsin historian pisimpään vankeusrangaistukseen poliittisesta rikoksesta. Joelin tuomion jälkeen on kuitenkin jaettu vielä 20 vankeusvuotta lisää antifasisteille ympäri ruotsia. Me autamme heitä taloudellisesti esimerkiksi jakamalla matkakorvauksia vankiloissa vieraileville läheisille, tuottamalla omaa kuuden viikon välein ilmestyvää Samsara-lehteä, auttamalla vuokran maksussa vankeuden aikana ja niin edelleen. Jos haluat tukea työtämme, voit esimerkiksi ostaa tukituotteitamme tai lahjoittamalla rahaa tilillemme: SE 068 0000 8327 9943 8650 120, BIC SWEDSESS

Solidaarisuutta kaikille vangituille sosialisteille.

Lojaalisuus. Ystävyys. Sitoutuneisuus.

Free Joel
* * * * *

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAS SUPPORTED JOEL THIS 2 YEARS

(today) IN JAIL/PRISON!

Today, two years ago. Joel was arrested on suspicion of attempted manslaughter on a nazi whom together with 30 other nazis attacked a peaceful demonstration. The background for the demonstration was that the nazi-organization SMR (Swedish Resistance Movement) had spray-painted propaganda around the area in the suburb Kärrtorp, south of Stockholm and the demonstration was arranged as a protest against this by anti-racists living in the area. On the spot where SMR attacked there were two cops present who under the trial against Joel witnessed about how it was the worst situation they had been apart of during their career as cops. On video which were used for evidence during the trial, the nazis screamed ”Sieg heil!” and ”Kill the red!”, the people on the spot have witnessed about how they tried to protect their children as they understood it was the nazis who was attacking.

There were approximately 30 nazis and members of SMR who have their background in VAM (White Aryan Resistance) which were active during the 90’s. Many members of SMR have murdered immigrants, trade unionists, or people who simply don’t think the way they do. During the trial against Joel the media tried to make the attack on the demonstration sound like it was a settlement between two rival hooligan firms, but we doubt that anyone who actually has knowledge about who SMR are and what they are capable of sees the situation as such.

The court meant that the right for self-defense prevailed under the situation in the square, though Joel was convicted in District Court for manslaughter and 6,5 years. Both the prosecutor and Joel appealed against the decision and Joel was sentenced to 5,5 years in The court of Appeal. Today Joel sits on the Class 1 prison Tidaholm and have barely two years left on his punishment. He feels good, he keeps himself busy by writing letters, working out and being active in Fånggruppen.

Joel is the anti-fascist who’s been sentenced for the longest imprisonment ever in Sweden (for a political crime). But after Joels sentence, another 20 years has been distributed between anti-fascists around Sweden. We offer to help them economically, for example with travels for their relatives to and from the prisons, we hand out our own newspaper Samsara every sixth week, we offer economic help with rent during time of arrest etc. If you want to help us with out work you can either buy any of our shirts or put a contribution to our bank account. (IBAN: SE 068 0000 8327 9943 8650 120, BIC SWEDSESS)

In solidarity with all imprisoned socialists.

Loyality. Friendship. Commitment.

Free Joel

* * * * *

Idag för 2 år sedan anhölls Joel misstänkt för dråpförsök på en nazist som tillsammans med 30 andra nazister anföll en fredlig demonstration. Bakgrunden till demonstrationen var att den nazistiska gruppen SMR hade klottrat propaganda i området runt förorten Kärrtorp söder om Stockholm och demonstrationen var annordnad som en protest emot detta av antirasister bosatta i området. På platsen då SMR attackerade fanns 2 poliser närvarande som under rättegången mot Joel vittnade om att det var den värsta situationen de varit med om under hela sin karriär som poliser. På videofilmer som användes som bevis under rättegången skriker nazisterna “Sieg Hail” och “Döda dom röda”, personer på plats har vittnat om hur de försökte skydda sina barn då de förstod att de var nazister som attackerade.

Nazisterna var ca 30 stycken och medlemmar i SMR som har sin bakgrund i VAM (Vitt Ariskt Motstånd) som var aktiva under 90-talet. Många av medlemmarna ur SMR har mördat personer med invandrarbakgrund, fackligt aktiva eller personer som helt enkelt inte tycker som dem. Under rättegången mot Joel försökte media att få attacken på demonstrationen att låta som att det var en uppgörelse mellan två rivaliserande huliganfirmor, men vi tvivlar på att någon som faktiskt har kunskap om vilka SMR är och vad de är kapabla till förstår situation som sådan.

Domstolen menade att rätten till nödvärn rådde under situationen på torget, dock dömdes Joel för dråpförsök i Tingsrätten till 6,5 år. Både åklagaren och Joel överklagade beslutet och Joel dömdes till 5,5 år i Hovrätten. Joel sitter idag på Klass 1 anstalten Tidaholm och har knappt 2 år kvar på sitt straff. Han mår bra, han håller sig sysselsatt med att skriva brev, träna och vara aktiv i Fånggruppen.
Joel är den antifascist som dömts till längst fängelsestraff någonsin i Sverige (för ett politiskt brott). Men efter Joels dom har ytterligare närmare 20 år delats ut till en mängd antifascister runt om i Sverige. Vi i Fånggruppen åtar oss att hjälpa samtliga antifascister som döms till fängelsestraff i Sverige. Vi erbjuder oss att hjälpa dem ekonomiskt tex med resor för deras anhöriga från och till anstalterna, vi ger ut vår egen tidning Samsara var sjätte vecka, erbjuder ekonomisk hjälp med hyra under häktningstiden m.m. Om ni vill hjäpa oss i vårt arbete kan ni antingen köpa någon av våra tröjor eller sätta in ett bidrag på vårt konto. (Bankgiro 627-0086, Swish: 123 091 64 45)

I solidaritet med alla socialister som sitter inne.

Loyalty. Friendship. Commitment

Free Joel

Facebook: another venue for resistance to fascism and racism

During the autumn of 2015 racists demonstrations occurred in many cities in Finland with the name Rajat kiinni (“Close the Borders”). In a previous article on this website we focused on evidence of racism and fascism in the Rajat Kiinni demonstrations. There are three photos below from the 24.10 demonstration in Helsinki.

1. heil_ish

Man heiling in front of stage 24.10.

2. senattori

Boneheads heiling on senate square stairs 24.10.

3. Pasi_1

Pasi Parkman with racist sign and nazi hoodie.

Facebook as another venue for racism and fascism

Overt racist and fascist behaviour are not just limited to these demos, but on publically-searchable social media, like Facebook. As a social media device, Facebook allows like-minded people to share and like each others material, such as photos and articles reflecting one’s personal opinion. Here, it is very clear that a culture of racism exists, extending further to fascist thinking. On many pages that are Finnish nationalistic (and are the personal pages of members of the Finnish Defence League, Suomen Sisu, Suomen vastarintaliike, perussuomalaiset, and other individual friends of these people or events), it is nowadays easy to find racist rhetoric as well. Such as calling Muslims “mudslimes,” or posting videos showing the refugee crisis as if it is an unescapable torrent of humans, with “facts” such as 30,000 migrants are “flooding” into Finland alone. This fear-mongering only adds fuel to the fire of nationalism and fascism, as evident in many of the images below.

4. Pasi_2

Racism and fascism all in one.

5. Mattilaheil

Olavi Mattila heiling. His hoodie has a logo of the Finnish coat of arms.

6. janneheil

Janne Thor Mattila heiling in a nazi t-shirt.

Facism and violence

Being brave and outoing with one’s racism is dangerous especially if the normalization of rascist rhetoric continues: racists spouting rascist rhetoric on social media can easily translate to reality, such as the growth of attacks against asylum seekers, people of color in general and towards receptions center in Finland. It is difficult to assess if the role of social media has had a big impact on the growth of overtly racist and violent speech and acts since the refugee crisis in late summer, but nonetheless Facebook is a means to document this behaviour: below are some examples of hate speech towards migrants and refugees.

7. juusorefugees

Fear, and the flipping of the degredation and dehumanization of migrants onto themselves for the justification of violence, arson, and attacks to life. This English children’s book character and symbol for the freedom of movement is being used in a darkly sinister way.

8. juusokkk

Equally sinister is Juuso’s profile photo from 4th October of Suomi Says Welcome with the man dressed as the KKK from Lahti. Juuso uses cultural symbols from outside of Finland to bring up the fear of the migrant and to give underlying messages that the destruction of the migrant is the solution.

Just as the idea of a coordinated, all-Muslim invasion is as constructed in the imaginary, so too is being “white” constructed in the social imaginaries of racial and national identity. Being Muslim or “brown” is as heterogenous as being “white”, and so the argument that Muslims are invading Europe is simplifying reality down to basic fears. Nonetheless, it is worrying that such hate speech, racialized talk, and use of racist and violent symbols are used to legitimate and support incredibly violently suggestive speech.

9. illegal

No comment needed.

10. bullets

Violent fantasies about killing people: “Too many assholes, not enough bullets”.

hirvisaari

Recent hate speech by ex-member of parliament and the Finns party James Hirvisaari, he wants to see migrants hang and would “sympathize even with a collective final solution” to them.

In 2012, then Finnish MP (and currently MEP, and member of Helsinki City Council) Jussi Halla-Aho (The Finns), had his sentence confirmed by the Finnish Supreme Court for incitement to ethnic/racial hatred found in a blog he had written back in the 2008. Although Facebook tends to do little to nothing regarding racist and xenophobic photos and text despite it’s harmful content community standards, Germany has charged a number of people (even non-Germans) based off of very similar remarks made on their personal Facebook profiles.

Violence, but also FB groups and 6.12

People from loose networks of the extreme right-wing together with participants from Rajat kiinni demos mainly composed the upwards of 700 people at the fascist-nationalist 6.12 torch march on Finnish Independence Day, which was organized for the second time this year.

tiedote

These groups outwardly violent and/or fascist rhetoric. Despite the 6.12 event itself suggesting peace, calm, and neutral aspects of Finnishness…

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…groups affiliated with 6.12 show a much different side. Protestor heiling at 612-demonstration.

11. pravyi

“Right Sector -Finland” liked everything 6.12 posted, the group itself however is affiliated with the extreme right group from Ukraine.

12. ajatuspaja

“Think tank fatherland first” photo with Hitler photoshopped over picture from anti-racist Meilla Unelma (“We have a dream”) demo in Helsinki. This group also liked 6.12’s posts.

Violence towards migrants, people of colour, and reception centres should be of a growing concern in Europe and Finland -how many people must we see getting wounded or even murdered before we resist? Nationalism and extreme right are growing rapidly in Finland as in the rest of Europe. Finland’s far-right is also connected to many other facist movements, for example in Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Italy and Greece. As anti-racists, anti-fascists and internationalists we have to organize on the local level, so that we may stay in solidarity with international struggles!