Worries in Switzerland as secret Neo-Nazi concert set to go ahead
An underground concert organised by a violent neo-Nazi organisation banned across Europe ias set to go ahead in the Swiss canton of Valais on Saturday.
The Edelweiss Concert, which features bands from across the right-wing extremist scene, is being organised by members of the militant, far-right Blood and Honour music network.
A flyer promoting the concert has been doing the rounds in far-right circles across Switzerland and Europe.
The flyer, which shows the Matterhorn in the background, does not provide a location for the concert but requires attendees to register their email addresses, before being informed of the location closer to the event.
READ: Switzerland's SBB suspends 'neo-Nazi' transport police officer for extremist views
The flyer asks attendees not to share pictures of it through WhatsApp or Twitter.
‘Blood and Honour’
Blood and Honour, founded in England in the 1980s, brings together far-right bands and record labels to organise events raising money for extremist causes.
Blood and Honour is banned in Germany, Spain and Russia, while it is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Canadian government.
Three bands are listed as headliners for the event, all of whom have been active for years in the Neo-Nazi music scene.
Image: Sebastian Haak / dpa / AFP
No police intervention?
Police have been made aware of the concert and are classifying it as “problematic”. Police have told Swiss media they are currently working with local authorities to ensure the population is aware of the threat.
“In general, Swiss security services take violent extremism very seriously,” a police representative told Swiss newspaper Watson.
While the police said they have investigated ways of cancelling or moving the concert, protections on freedom of expression prevent its prohibition.
The police also indicated they have considered banning foreigners entering the country for the purpose of attending the event, although they would not reveal whether any such bans had already been imposed.
The concert is said to be the biggest far-right music festival held in Switzerland since 2016’s Rocktoberfest, held in Unterwasser in St Gallen.
That event attracted over 5,000 Neo-Nazis from across Europe, raising money for the National Socialist Underground organisation in the German state of Thuringia. WOZ reports that the money raised from the concert was used for buying weapons and ammunition for the organisation, as well as to facilitate its expansion.
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The Edelweiss Concert, which features bands from across the right-wing extremist scene, is being organised by members of the militant, far-right Blood and Honour music network.
A flyer promoting the concert has been doing the rounds in far-right circles across Switzerland and Europe.
The flyer, which shows the Matterhorn in the background, does not provide a location for the concert but requires attendees to register their email addresses, before being informed of the location closer to the event.
READ: Switzerland's SBB suspends 'neo-Nazi' transport police officer for extremist views
The flyer asks attendees not to share pictures of it through WhatsApp or Twitter.
‘Blood and Honour’
Blood and Honour, founded in England in the 1980s, brings together far-right bands and record labels to organise events raising money for extremist causes.
Blood and Honour is banned in Germany, Spain and Russia, while it is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Canadian government.
Three bands are listed as headliners for the event, all of whom have been active for years in the Neo-Nazi music scene.
Image: Sebastian Haak / dpa / AFP
No police intervention?
Police have been made aware of the concert and are classifying it as “problematic”. Police have told Swiss media they are currently working with local authorities to ensure the population is aware of the threat.
“In general, Swiss security services take violent extremism very seriously,” a police representative told Swiss newspaper Watson.
While the police said they have investigated ways of cancelling or moving the concert, protections on freedom of expression prevent its prohibition.
The police also indicated they have considered banning foreigners entering the country for the purpose of attending the event, although they would not reveal whether any such bans had already been imposed.
The concert is said to be the biggest far-right music festival held in Switzerland since 2016’s Rocktoberfest, held in Unterwasser in St Gallen.
That event attracted over 5,000 Neo-Nazis from across Europe, raising money for the National Socialist Underground organisation in the German state of Thuringia. WOZ reports that the money raised from the concert was used for buying weapons and ammunition for the organisation, as well as to facilitate its expansion.
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