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Local politician hits out at Norwegian police over Nazi march

The Local Norway
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Local politician hits out at Norwegian police over Nazi march
Trond Blattmann. File photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB scanpix

City council representative Trond Blattmann has called police management of a demonstration by neo-Nazis in the town of Kristiansand of Juy 29th this year “useless”.

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Leadership of the local Agder Police District attended a meeting of local leaders in the town earlier this week to explain why they did not intervene during the march, reports the Fædrelandsvennen newspaper.

Local politician Blattmann, whose son was killed during the July 22nd, 2011 terrorist attacks by white supremacist Anders Breivik on the island of Utøya, unleashed a furious diatribe at the police representative, according to minutes recorded by Fædrelandsvennen.

“I am livid with you. You are offering legal terminology and excuses for what you did. I think it is shameful,” Blattmann said according to the report.

Police explained at the meeting that they did not have authority to intervene during the demonstration, in which 70 supporters of the extreme right Nordic Resistance Movement marched through Kristiansand’s main thoroughfare.

Police said that 50 of the demonstrators were from Sweden, 17 from Finland, and three from Norway.

“This was a demonstration of aggression, not free expression, and was exclusively intended to create fear in society. You refused to stop it. We will damn well not accept it anymore,” Blattmann, who represents the Labour Party, said.

Deputy Chief of Police Arne Sundvoll with Agder Police District said that he sympathised with Blattmann’s strong reaction.

“This is not something I or anybody else wishes to see repeated in the streets of Kristiansand. We made an assessment, and take the position that we must protect freedom of speech,” Sundvoll told Fædrelandsvennen.

READ ALSO: PM: Neo-Nazis can’t be allowed to ‘get a foothold in Norway’

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