The website of the far-right Sweden Democrats was hacked on Saturday, one day before the party is expected to be voted into the Riksdag in Sweden’s September 19th general elections.
"We have had hacker attacks over the past 24 hours. We have no idea where it is coming from," Sweden Democrats spokesman Erik Almqvist told AFP, adding that the party expected to get its website running again soon.
When AFP viewed the site early Saturday afternoon, only a digitalised picture made up of numerals to look like a piece of birthday cake with a lit candle was visible.
Below the picture, a short text read: "Anyway, this cake is great. It's so delicious and moist. Look at me still talking when there's Science to do," as Ellen McLain's "Still Alive" played in the background.
"I think it is a shame. Our political opponents should take the debate with us if they disagree with us," Almqvist said, insisting the attack "doesn't do any good for democracy."
The hacker attack came on the eve of general elections, with polls hinting the Sweden Democrats for the first time will win more than the four percent needed to enter parliament.
The far-right party, which won just 2.9 percent of the vote in the 2006 elections, has been seen winning as much as 7.5 percent on Sunday, although three polls published Saturday handed it between 3.8 and 5.9 percent of voter intentions.
The surveys meanwhile showed the centre-right government's lead over the left-wing opposition shrinking slightly but still winning a narrow majority in parliament.
If neither side wins a clear majority, however, the Sweden Democrats could, even with just a handful of seats, play kingmaker and could even make it so difficult to govern that new elections would need to be called, observers say.
The Local Sweden
Sunday, 19 September 2010
BNP leader Nick Griffin in surprise visit to Liverpool met with anger
The leader of the far-right party was in Church Street with other members calling for British troops to be brought home from Iraq and Afghanistan when they were confronted by members of the Merseyside Unite Against Fascism group.
Mr Griffin, elected to the European Parliament as a North West MEP last year, scarpered as the number of protectors swelled to more than 100, while around 20 police officers stood between the rival groups.
The protestors chanted anti-Nazi slogans through megaphones while the BNP manned their stalls and tried to shout over the chants coming from the impromptu demonstration.
Alan Brown, regional co-ordinator for Merseyside Unite Against Fascism, said there had been no forewarning that Mr Griffin would be in town. It is not known if his appearance was meant to coincide with the Liberal Democrat conference being held at the Echo Arena.
Mr Brown said: “Nick Griffin thinks that because he was elected by two pet cent of the electorate that he can come here and spread his message of hate, but I think you can see from the amount of people on the demo that we don’t want him in our city and he does not represent people in the North West.”
Demonstrators of all ages and backgrounds chanted “BNP off our streets! Nazi scum off our streets!” as the extremist party’s members tried in vain to give out their propaganda in the pouring rain.
Liverpool Echo
Stop The War blasts BNP for hijacking ‘troops out’ campaign
The British National Party has been accused of trying to hijack the anti-war movement as it launched a nationwide campaign yesterday calling for British troops to be bought home from Afghanistan.
Teams of far-right activists hit towns across Britain on Saturday for the launch of the BNP’s Bring Our Boys Home campaign.
The BNP believes it can establish itself as the voice of British military veterans. In Scotland, the party claims most of its Scottish leadership and a quarter of its supporters are ex-servicemen.
The Royal British Legion has described the BNP move as horrifying and insisted none of its members supported the far-right party.
Anti-war groups accused the BNP of opportunism and said it was trying to hijack a peaceful campaign.
BNP members will spend the next three weekends canvassing support in Scotland. Activists began yesterday with groups targeting Edinburgh, Falkirk, Livingston, Elgin and Dundee. There was also brief protest in Glasgow.
In a letter to party members, leader Nick Griffin wrote: “This campaign will help establish the BNP as the only political party that is opposed to the bloody, unwinnable, futile and illegal war in Afghanistan. This war has only produced a constant stream of British deaths and has nothing whatsoever to do with Britain.”
Letters purportedly written by Falkland veterans have also been distributed online, but Neil Griffiths, spokesman for the Royal British Legion Scotland, said few veterans if any would be swayed by the extremist party.
“Our members would be horrified by this,” he said. “I can’t think of one of our 46,000 Scottish members who would ever take the BNP seriously. I have never heard of anyone supporting the BNP or advocating it.”
He said the party’s claim that its boasted support among soldiers was “clap-trap”.
He added: “During the election, Nick Griffin was followed everywhere by a guy wearing desert fatigues who had never been in the army … They have also tried to make donations to ex-service charities in England which have always been rebuffed. If they tried to do that in Scotland, the same would happen.”
As well as the BNP, the English and Scottish Defence Leagues have also tried to court the armed forces with planned marches on the cenotaph in Glasgow.
The leader of Britain’s largest anti-war movement said he had never seen the BNP previously involved in any protest against the Afghanistan or Iraq wars.
Chris Nineham, founder of Stop The War, said: “Some 70% of the British population want an end to the war in Afghanistan – there is a huge groundswell of anti-war opinion. The idea the BNP represents that is an utter joke.”
He added: “We have seen probably every political party except the BNP on protests.”
Gary Raikes, the BNP’s Scottish leader, hopes targeting veterans will help bolster the party north of the border, where its support is slight.
He said: “We want to tell the public we are the only party still standing on bringing the troops home. We have been against it from the start. Servicemen are not daft, they have seen the world and see through all the lies about us and know we have changed as a party.”
Raikes admitted that the party had used anti-war petitions to gather names and addresses for future political campaigning.
Herald Scotland
Teams of far-right activists hit towns across Britain on Saturday for the launch of the BNP’s Bring Our Boys Home campaign.
The BNP believes it can establish itself as the voice of British military veterans. In Scotland, the party claims most of its Scottish leadership and a quarter of its supporters are ex-servicemen.
The Royal British Legion has described the BNP move as horrifying and insisted none of its members supported the far-right party.
Anti-war groups accused the BNP of opportunism and said it was trying to hijack a peaceful campaign.
BNP members will spend the next three weekends canvassing support in Scotland. Activists began yesterday with groups targeting Edinburgh, Falkirk, Livingston, Elgin and Dundee. There was also brief protest in Glasgow.
In a letter to party members, leader Nick Griffin wrote: “This campaign will help establish the BNP as the only political party that is opposed to the bloody, unwinnable, futile and illegal war in Afghanistan. This war has only produced a constant stream of British deaths and has nothing whatsoever to do with Britain.”
Letters purportedly written by Falkland veterans have also been distributed online, but Neil Griffiths, spokesman for the Royal British Legion Scotland, said few veterans if any would be swayed by the extremist party.
“Our members would be horrified by this,” he said. “I can’t think of one of our 46,000 Scottish members who would ever take the BNP seriously. I have never heard of anyone supporting the BNP or advocating it.”
He said the party’s claim that its boasted support among soldiers was “clap-trap”.
He added: “During the election, Nick Griffin was followed everywhere by a guy wearing desert fatigues who had never been in the army … They have also tried to make donations to ex-service charities in England which have always been rebuffed. If they tried to do that in Scotland, the same would happen.”
As well as the BNP, the English and Scottish Defence Leagues have also tried to court the armed forces with planned marches on the cenotaph in Glasgow.
The leader of Britain’s largest anti-war movement said he had never seen the BNP previously involved in any protest against the Afghanistan or Iraq wars.
Chris Nineham, founder of Stop The War, said: “Some 70% of the British population want an end to the war in Afghanistan – there is a huge groundswell of anti-war opinion. The idea the BNP represents that is an utter joke.”
He added: “We have seen probably every political party except the BNP on protests.”
Gary Raikes, the BNP’s Scottish leader, hopes targeting veterans will help bolster the party north of the border, where its support is slight.
He said: “We want to tell the public we are the only party still standing on bringing the troops home. We have been against it from the start. Servicemen are not daft, they have seen the world and see through all the lies about us and know we have changed as a party.”
Raikes admitted that the party had used anti-war petitions to gather names and addresses for future political campaigning.
Herald Scotland
Swastika Carving On Far-Right Pol Was Self-Inflicted: Police
“I find it very interesting that the police chose to give this certificate just before the election,” Swedish Democrat politician David von Arnold Antoni told Sydsvenskan. “There are certainly those who can benefit from it in the election.”
As previously reported, Antoni claims he was savagely attacked by two masked men on the evening of Friday, September 10. After the men forced themselves into his apartment, one held Antoni down while the other carved a swastika into his forehead.
Antoni said the men spoke Swedish accented in Arabic and called him “Svenne bastard” and “Swedish devil” during the attack, Sydsvenskan reports. Anti-racist and radical leftist graffiti was spray-painted onto Antoni’s home earlier that day.
After investigating the attack as a hate crime, police have concluded Antoni made the whole thing up and are contemplating charging him with filing a false report.
“This is a bitch, not only that resources he cost, but what he has done can’t be more shameful,” an officer with high levels of transparency in the investigation told Sydsvenskan.
Doctors who examined Antoni also have concluded his injuries are fake on a 9-out-of-10 scale. The certificate issued by the Office of Forensic in Lund, says, “Strong reasons concerning the location and appearance suggest that is self-inflicted injury.”
Antoni remained steadfast on his claim he was attacked after hearing the forensics reports.
“The Right Doctor’s certificate is not truthful,” he told Aftonbladet. “I do not accept his assessment.”
“What I said in my declaration is true. I was attacked by two men who carved a swastika in my forehead.”
The news comes as Sweden is set to vote in national elections. With neither of the two major coalitions able to break past a 50-percent majority in opinion polls, the Swedish Democrats are set to become kingmakers in the next parliament. Leader from both major coalitions have vowed to not work with the far-right nationalist group.
The Swedish Democrats had seen an increase in support after news of the swastika-carving broke. It is not yet known how the police and forensics reports will affect their standing.
Antoni, who is standing for the Swedish Democrats in local races in Malmo, has gone into hiding since the attack took place and has not been photographed. He refused to show his injuries to a reporter with Aftonbladet when asked.
If true, the case echoes that of Ashley Todd, a volunteer of the US Presidential campaign of Republican John McCain, who claimed she was assaulted and had the letter “B” carved into her face by an African-American supporter of Democrat Barack Obama. The attack was later proven to be self-inflicted by Todd, who may have been part of a discrediting campaign by the Internet group Anonymous.
The Right Perspective
Pilot could be fired over racist remark (South Africa)
A senior SAA captain is facing dismissal after using a racist remark while dealing with a ground technician.
The highly experienced pilot was sitting in the cockpit of the aircraft when he used the k-word over the interphone system with the ground, which, unbeknown to him, was live.
The ground technician, who was in communication with the flight deck, heard the remark.
SAA's head of corporate communications, Fani Zulu, confirmed yesterday that the incident had occurred in June and that a hearing had been held.
"The process is nearing completion and a decision will be taken in the next few days. Meanwhile, the pilot, who was grounded, was on full pay, which was stopped on Friday," said Zulu.
Captain John Harty, chairman of the SAA Pilots' Association (Saapa), said yesterday that although it did not condone racist remarks and that sanction was justified, it was felt that, under the circumstances, the recommendation of dismissal was too harsh.
"The captain had been flying for more than 16 hours and had had technical problems in Accra prior to departure," said Harty. "After arriving at OR Tambo Airport following a long night flight, the crew were waiting for a ground power unit to be attached to the aircraft before shutting down its power systems. Problems were experienced by ground engineers, which delayed the shutdown and offloading of passengers."
Harty said that, in his frustration, the captain, who has been with the airline for 23 years, made the remark. He immediately apologised to the engineer and later went to the management offices where he admitted the remark.
At the disciplinary hearing three weeks ago, he apologised to the technician and the men shook hands.
Nevertheless, the presiding officer recommended dismissal.
Harty said the technician was a member of the SA Transport and Applied Workers' Union, which had agreed to send a letter to SAAPA, as a joint appeal to management, against what was viewed as an overly harsh decision.
Harty said SAAPA would appeal to the CEO for clemency for the pilot. "We are also addressing numerous procedural irregularities which occurred concerning the hearing."
He added that, with over 800 pilots at SAA, this was the first incident of its kind in 16 years, which indicated that racism was not endemic in the airline.
Times Live
The highly experienced pilot was sitting in the cockpit of the aircraft when he used the k-word over the interphone system with the ground, which, unbeknown to him, was live.
The ground technician, who was in communication with the flight deck, heard the remark.
SAA's head of corporate communications, Fani Zulu, confirmed yesterday that the incident had occurred in June and that a hearing had been held.
"The process is nearing completion and a decision will be taken in the next few days. Meanwhile, the pilot, who was grounded, was on full pay, which was stopped on Friday," said Zulu.
Captain John Harty, chairman of the SAA Pilots' Association (Saapa), said yesterday that although it did not condone racist remarks and that sanction was justified, it was felt that, under the circumstances, the recommendation of dismissal was too harsh.
"The captain had been flying for more than 16 hours and had had technical problems in Accra prior to departure," said Harty. "After arriving at OR Tambo Airport following a long night flight, the crew were waiting for a ground power unit to be attached to the aircraft before shutting down its power systems. Problems were experienced by ground engineers, which delayed the shutdown and offloading of passengers."
Harty said that, in his frustration, the captain, who has been with the airline for 23 years, made the remark. He immediately apologised to the engineer and later went to the management offices where he admitted the remark.
At the disciplinary hearing three weeks ago, he apologised to the technician and the men shook hands.
Nevertheless, the presiding officer recommended dismissal.
Harty said the technician was a member of the SA Transport and Applied Workers' Union, which had agreed to send a letter to SAAPA, as a joint appeal to management, against what was viewed as an overly harsh decision.
Harty said SAAPA would appeal to the CEO for clemency for the pilot. "We are also addressing numerous procedural irregularities which occurred concerning the hearing."
He added that, with over 800 pilots at SAA, this was the first incident of its kind in 16 years, which indicated that racism was not endemic in the airline.
Times Live
Lokomotiv Moscow fans let off the hook over Peter Odemwingie racist banner
The Russian Football Union have refused to take any official action against Moscow Lokomotiv for their fans' behaviour towards West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie.
The club's supporters earned worldwide condemnation after they unfurled a sign showing a banana and the message 'Thanks, West Brom' when the Nigerian joined the Premier League club last month.
But the country's disciplinary committee did not even consider the matter, with chairman Vladimir Katkov insisting: 'My opinion on this is that we should not exaggerate the incident.'
Daily Mail
The club's supporters earned worldwide condemnation after they unfurled a sign showing a banana and the message 'Thanks, West Brom' when the Nigerian joined the Premier League club last month.
But the country's disciplinary committee did not even consider the matter, with chairman Vladimir Katkov insisting: 'My opinion on this is that we should not exaggerate the incident.'
Daily Mail
Scotland’s shame: Amnesty hits out at Roma racism
Human rights organisation Amnesty International yesterday condemned the racism that the travelling community suffers on a daily basis throughout Scotland.
The condemnation comes as the “gypsy” community in mainland Europe battles increasing levels of discrimination and after EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding compared France’s expulsion of the Roma people to the Nazis’ deportation of the Jews.
In Pitlochry yesterday travellers staged a cultural summit celebrating their traditions and calling for action by the Scottish Government to curb the racism they suffer north of the Border.
Members of the travelling community told the Sunday Herald that Scottish society still refused to tolerate their lifestyle, amid continued attempts to force them into the mainstream. The community said there could be as many as 15,000 travellers in Scotland – including some Roma. The issue has been taken up by Amnesty International Scotland.
Amnesty researched each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities’ performance on delivering basic services and wrote to the councils challenging their record and highlighting areas where there could be improvement. John Watson, programme director for Amnesty International Scotland, said: “One of our focal points during next year’s elections for the Scottish Parliament will be to ask the Scottish Government to publish an action plan to tackle discrimination.”
Yesterday’s event at Moulin Kirk in Pitlochry was organised by Jess Smith, a storyteller and author who has written five books about Scotland’s travellers. Smith, who describes herself as a tinker, said the event was designed to raise the issue of prejudice and to celebrate the travelling community’s heritage.
“We’ve never been accepted,” she said. “As a kid I was battered senseless simply because I was different. Our people have always been viewed as a thorn in the side of authority, and society does not accept us because we’re free spirits – like the white wolf.
“We’re part of Scotland’s heritage but that’s under threat through attempts to filter us into mainstream society by making our lifestyle difficult to maintain.”
Shamus McPhee, a 39-year-old linguist who grew up in Bobbin Mill, Pitlochry, would agree. Bobbin Mill is the site of a controversial social experiment to assimilate gypsies into society. McPhee regards himself as part of a distinct ethnic group who speak a language called Cant, containing Sanskrit and Hindu words.
His sister Roseanna, a Gaelic teacher, had recently visited Roma camps in Kosovo and said she found conditions there were similar to Bobbin Mill. Her brother recently began a petition urging the Scottish Government to apologise to his community for decades of discrimination.
He contacted many lawyers in Scotland to represent them in a human rights case based on their childhoods spent “as part of a racial experiment”.
“But no-one would take us,” he said. “We’ve now taken our complaint to Strasbourg and it has passed the first stage. Witnessing what is happening to the Roma in Europe is disturbing and I’ve noticed attitudes hardening recently here in the UK.”
The Bobbin Mill experiment
The Bobbin Mill Tinker Housing Experiment was set up in 1947 by the Department of Health, giving land to gypsies for 99 years.
The site was to be maintained by Perth and Kinross Council, which was to charge rent. The Department of Health said huts should be built to the lowest possible tender (£825) and normal standards need not apply.
The idea was to house people temporarily, get the children into school and their parents into council houses. More than 60 years on, however, the McPhee family is still living there without modern amenities.
Herald Scotland
The condemnation comes as the “gypsy” community in mainland Europe battles increasing levels of discrimination and after EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding compared France’s expulsion of the Roma people to the Nazis’ deportation of the Jews.
In Pitlochry yesterday travellers staged a cultural summit celebrating their traditions and calling for action by the Scottish Government to curb the racism they suffer north of the Border.
Members of the travelling community told the Sunday Herald that Scottish society still refused to tolerate their lifestyle, amid continued attempts to force them into the mainstream. The community said there could be as many as 15,000 travellers in Scotland – including some Roma. The issue has been taken up by Amnesty International Scotland.
Amnesty researched each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities’ performance on delivering basic services and wrote to the councils challenging their record and highlighting areas where there could be improvement. John Watson, programme director for Amnesty International Scotland, said: “One of our focal points during next year’s elections for the Scottish Parliament will be to ask the Scottish Government to publish an action plan to tackle discrimination.”
Yesterday’s event at Moulin Kirk in Pitlochry was organised by Jess Smith, a storyteller and author who has written five books about Scotland’s travellers. Smith, who describes herself as a tinker, said the event was designed to raise the issue of prejudice and to celebrate the travelling community’s heritage.
“We’ve never been accepted,” she said. “As a kid I was battered senseless simply because I was different. Our people have always been viewed as a thorn in the side of authority, and society does not accept us because we’re free spirits – like the white wolf.
“We’re part of Scotland’s heritage but that’s under threat through attempts to filter us into mainstream society by making our lifestyle difficult to maintain.”
Shamus McPhee, a 39-year-old linguist who grew up in Bobbin Mill, Pitlochry, would agree. Bobbin Mill is the site of a controversial social experiment to assimilate gypsies into society. McPhee regards himself as part of a distinct ethnic group who speak a language called Cant, containing Sanskrit and Hindu words.
His sister Roseanna, a Gaelic teacher, had recently visited Roma camps in Kosovo and said she found conditions there were similar to Bobbin Mill. Her brother recently began a petition urging the Scottish Government to apologise to his community for decades of discrimination.
He contacted many lawyers in Scotland to represent them in a human rights case based on their childhoods spent “as part of a racial experiment”.
“But no-one would take us,” he said. “We’ve now taken our complaint to Strasbourg and it has passed the first stage. Witnessing what is happening to the Roma in Europe is disturbing and I’ve noticed attitudes hardening recently here in the UK.”
The Bobbin Mill experiment
The Bobbin Mill Tinker Housing Experiment was set up in 1947 by the Department of Health, giving land to gypsies for 99 years.
The site was to be maintained by Perth and Kinross Council, which was to charge rent. The Department of Health said huts should be built to the lowest possible tender (£825) and normal standards need not apply.
The idea was to house people temporarily, get the children into school and their parents into council houses. More than 60 years on, however, the McPhee family is still living there without modern amenities.
Herald Scotland
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