A group of Nazis from Aktivklubb Sverige marched through central Stockholm on Saturday without police permission and wearing face masks. Police escorted them without enforcing the masking ban, as no public order disturbance occurred. The incident has sparked calls for stronger action against extremism.
On Saturday, a group of men from the Nazi group Aktivklubb Sverige marched through Stockholm, from Strandvägen via Riddarhuset to Riddarholmen. They were fully masked and wore uniforms, but the demonstration lacked permission under the public order law. Police assessed that the event did not cause any disturbance to public order or immediate danger of such, and thus did not apply the masking ban in law (2005:900).
Annika Laestadius, deputy police area chief in Stockholm City, explains: "When we arrived at the gathering, they listened and followed our directions on how the demonstration should be conducted during the march." She refers to the law text, which allows masking at demonstrations as long as no public order disturbance arises, such as violence or damage.
Op-eds in Dagens Nyheter criticize the handling. Shwan Kareem writes: "Police should have required them to remove their masks. It is already law in the form of the masking ban." He points to political double standards and quotes MP Hans Eklind (KD): "One should be able to see who one is talking to."
Rolf Gabrielsson warns of the normalization of Nazism and urges the government: "Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M) has a clear societal responsibility in this situation." He draws parallels to 1930s Germany and quotes Mark Twain: "History does not repeat itself exactly, but it often rhymes." Kareem emphasizes: "Normalizing Nazi and racist activities so openly on our streets is also deeply frightening."
The incident highlights tensions around freedom of expression, laws, and extremism in Sweden, with demands for concrete measures to strengthen democracy.