PST concerned about right-wing extremist groups

PST right-wing extremist terrorism spy indicted RussianNorwegian Police Security Service (PST) headquarters. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

PST concerned about the development of right-wing extremist groups

The Police Security Service (PST) are concerned over developments in the Norwegian right-wing extremist groups, and points to closer ties with Sweden.

 

The extreme right-wing group calling themselves the Nordic Resistance Movement (DNM) held an illegal march in Kristiansand on Saturday. According to NRK, the group calls the demonstration the ‘Victory in Norway’ on their web site.

They had previously asked for, and gotten permission to hold a marking in Fredrikstad on St. Olaf’s day. This permission was however later revoked because of fear of tumults.

– This is an example of a development in the environment that is not desirable. We see increased willingness to organize and we also see increased contact across national borders, especially to Sweden, says PST chief Benedicte Bjørnland.

DNM has more members in Sweden than in Norway, but even the Norwegian group has grown by a few more members lately, according to PST.

Change of pace

– The reason we are not happy about cross-border ties is that for Norway’s part, they gain legitimacy and knowledge from an environment that is bigger and stronger than in Norway, says Bjørnland.

Researcher at the Center for Extremism Research at UiO, Jacob Ravndal, says it is the Swedish members of the group who are pulling the strings. He has also noted a significant development on Norwegian soil recently.

– It has been a clear change of pace in this group’s activity in Norway in the last year, says Ravndal.

Nordic Resistance Movement

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The Nordic Resistance Movement (Swedish: Nordiska Motståndsrörelsen; NMR, Norwegian: Nordiske motstandsbevegelsen; NMB, Finnish: Pohjoismainen vastarintaliike; PVL, Danish: Nordiske modstandsbevægelse; NMB) is a Nordic National Socialist movement that exists in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and soon, Iceland. It used to exist in Denmark as well until it was disbanded for inactivity in 2016.

Norway

Den Norske Motstandsbevegelsen (in English the Norwegian Resistance Movement) is the Norwegian branch of the Nordic Resistance Movement. The Norwegian Resistance Movement is active in at least the cities of Oslo, Fredrikstad, Bergen, Kristiansand, Vennesla, Stavanger and Trondheim. One of the main tactics has been the planting of propaganda stickers and posters. The branch’s leader is Haakon Forwald.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today