Kohti Vapautta!
Finnish neo-Nazi organization
- Neo-Nazism
- Right-wing populism
- Ultranationalism
- Anti-homosexuality
- Antisemitism
- Islamophobia
- Anti-immigration
- Anti-communism
- Anti-Zionism
Kohti Vapautta! (transl. Towards Freedom![2]) is a Finnish neo-Nazi organization.[3] It was founded in 2019, and was named after traditional Independence Day rallies.[4] According to the Finnish government, the group is the Finnish branch of the Nordic Resistance Movement, which has been banned by the Pirkanmaa District Court.[5][6][7]
Formation and structure
In 2016, the Nordic Resistance Movement organized a neo-Nazi march in the Finnish capital Helsinki.[8] Before the next independence day, the Nordic Resistance Movement's Finnish branch was banned by the Pirkanmaa District Court. Organizers of an event described the 2017 march as being organized by independent National Socialists that all National Socialist movements were invited to.[9] In 2018, the Finnish Police intercepted the march and arrested leader of the banned Finnish branch of the Nordic Resistance Movement and three flag bearers, who were carrying Nazi flags.[10]
In Spring 2019, the organizers of the march announced the formation of the Kohti Vapautta! group.[3] The group was formed in anticipation of the ban on the previous group, although the new group was for a time itself expected to be banned.[11] The National Bureau of Investigation suspects the Nordic Resistance Movement to be continuing its operations under the names Kohti Vapautta! and Suomalaisapu.[12][13]
See also
- List of neo-Nazi organizations
- Tursaansydän, a symbol incorporated into the Kohti Vapautta! flag
References
- ^ "Usein kysytyt kysymykset – Kohti Vapautta!". kohtivapautta.com (in Finnish). 15 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ Bjørgo, Tore; Ravndal, Jacob Aasland (2020). "Why the Nordic Resistance Movement Restrains Its Use of Violence". Perspectives on Terrorism. 14 (6): 37–48. ISSN 2334-3745. JSTOR 26964724.
- ^ a b "Tietoa meistä – Kohti Vapautta!". kohtivapautta.com (in Finnish). 15 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Towards Freedom! – Kohti Vapautta!". kohtivapautta.com (in Finnish). 8 September 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Uusnatsien yhdistys kokoontui Tampereen pääkirjasto Metsossa – KRP selvittää, jatkaako Pohjoismainen vastarintaliike toimintaansa uusilla nimillä". www.aamulehti.fi (in Finnish). 18 June 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "White House Releases National Strategy for Counterterrorism". www.dni.gov. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ Owen, Tess (16 October 2019). "House Democrats Just Demanded These Neo-Nazi Groups Be Prosecuted as International Terrorists". Vice. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Poliisi turvaa myös uusnatsien marssin – "Poliisi ei määrittele, mikä mielipide on oikein ja mikä väärin"". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 29 November 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Itsenäisyyspäivänä useita mielenosoituksia - myös uusnatsien marssi toteutumassa". www.iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Police confiscate three swastika flags during neo-Nazi protest in Helsinki". www.helsinkitimes.fi. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ Bjørgo, Tore; Ravndal, Jacob Aasland (2020). "Why the Nordic Resistance Movement Restrains Its Use of Violence". Perspectives on Terrorism. 14 (6): 37–48. ISSN 2334-3745. JSTOR 26964724.
- ^ "Krp epäilee: Uusnatsijärjestö jatkaa toimintaansa korkeimman oikeuden kiellosta huolimatta". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 29 May 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Nordic Resistance Movement suspected of continuing activity despite prohibition". www.helsinkitimes.fi. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
External links
Media related to Kohti Vapautta! at Wikimedia Commons
