Postmen warned for stand over 'racist' mail
Several postmen in Södertälje have been warned by their employer Posten after refusing to distribute election campaign material from the far-right National Democrats (Nationaldemokraterna - ND).
The postmen argued that the pamphlets, which among other things included the statement "With your vote we will build Söderetälje - not Baghdad", constituted hate speech. They also argued that distributing the material in immigrant residential areas to be disturbing.
But the postmen have not received the backing of their employers Posten, who demanded that the pamphlets be delivered, with warnings issued to those who ignored the demands.
"We can not as the dominant mail service act as a censor for the political material which can be delivered," Per Ljungberg at Posten said, while adding that he can understand the reaction of his staff.
The National Democrats is a minor political party in Sweden, formed by an extremist faction of the nationalist Sweden Democrats in 2001. The party describes itself as democratic nationalist and ethnopluralist.
In the 2006 general election the party won 0.06 percent of the vote, far below the 4 percent threshold for parliamentary seats, although is represented in Nykvarn and Södertälje municipalities.
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The postmen argued that the pamphlets, which among other things included the statement "With your vote we will build Söderetälje - not Baghdad", constituted hate speech. They also argued that distributing the material in immigrant residential areas to be disturbing.
But the postmen have not received the backing of their employers Posten, who demanded that the pamphlets be delivered, with warnings issued to those who ignored the demands.
"We can not as the dominant mail service act as a censor for the political material which can be delivered," Per Ljungberg at Posten said, while adding that he can understand the reaction of his staff.
The National Democrats is a minor political party in Sweden, formed by an extremist faction of the nationalist Sweden Democrats in 2001. The party describes itself as democratic nationalist and ethnopluralist.
In the 2006 general election the party won 0.06 percent of the vote, far below the 4 percent threshold for parliamentary seats, although is represented in Nykvarn and Södertälje municipalities.
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