The extreme right and weapons, that seems a particularly unfortunate, if not lethal combination. Especially now that the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik and the German serial killers Nationalsozialistische Untergrund (NSU) show where armed right-wing extremists are capable. And it seems the Dutch government in the form of police and AIVD not overly serious about the possession of weapons of Dutch right-wing extremists. Is indeed a tough response, so there are following a tip from the GISS recently some members of the neo-Nazi club Ulfhednar arrested with a bag full of firearms. But AIVD reports gun ownership extreme right is characterized as both activities in the hobby atmosphere, it would mainly to the symbolic value go.
And recent history it seems there – at first glance – equal to give in. Weapons, especially firearms, by right-wing extremists often used to assemble in the picture, occasionally shoot them at remote locations and especially to join in tough. But not to use for political action. But is that even first sight? Is it completely? Let's see what has happened in recent decades with weapons that had right-wing extremists in possession. We walk along the last thirty years, and we pick up a number of relevant incidents to see whether there are not more dimensions to which 'symbolic value'.
The eighties
In the early 80s there were a good number of violent actions carried out from the extreme right. This involved, in many cases to brawls and attacks. Often were the reactions to leftist actions, but often were migrants, leftist persons or objects victims. In that period, however, were mainly some major incidents of extreme right-wing skinheads on. The two most notorious examples include violence in nightlife with a fatal outcome. In 1983 Kerwin Duinmeijer was in downtown Amsterdam stabbed to death by an extreme right-wing skinhead. Three years later, an alternative was dressed boy, Michael Poyé, Hilversum stabbed to death by a group of extreme right-wing skinheads (1). In spite of the seriousness of the incidents, the fatalities and the extreme right context, went here in both cases spontaneous violence with knives. There was no organized political violence.
In the second half of the eighties, the violence was apparently have a more organized character. A number of serious incidents from the Youth Front Netherlands (JFN) was certainly qualify as extreme right violence, but without much art- crook, they could also be seen as attempts to terror. JFN It was in that period a pronounced national socialist youth organization that operated in the vicinity of the Dutch People's Union (NVU). Officially the JFN was mainly concerned with all kinds of provocative actions leaflet. Leftist activists were asked to come to fights. Two typical examples of JFN actions were a folder action for rehabilitation of NSB leader Mussert during Remembrance Day in Rotterdam and a demonstration before nuclear weapons during a large anti-nuclear demonstration in The Hague. The confrontation was so determined not shunned. But in the shadow of that official actions JFN members were still some significant steps further. In de zomer van 1986 came two groups JFN'ers screen that not only wanted to carry with pamphlets political struggle. A group of Rotterdam JFN members staged a bomb attack on a Turkish teahouse. That caused a lot of damage, but there were no casualties. A short time later, the three perpetrators were, JFN-Leden, arrested. During the police investigation they were found to possess firearms and have mutually traded. They received prison sentences of up to eighteen months.
In the same period committed two JFN sympathizers attacks in Deventer. Remarkably, these were two soldiers. They set fire to a mosque and some immigrant entrepreneurs they threw in the windows. They used stones, they had painted with swastikas. Additionally, they had guns, a machine gun and ammunition stolen from their barracks and attacked them visitors of a casino. After their arrest, they were sentenced to 13 months in prison.
The nineties
Early 90s Again there was a criminal case against a number JFN members place. This criminal case ended in a conviction, Partly because of membership of a criminal organization. Then the leader of the JFN pulled, Stewart Mordaunt, the conclusion that the JFN apparently was declared illegal. He raised the organization and stepped with a large number JFN members on the CP'86. The CP'86 at that time was a marginal game, that came forth from quarrels in the old Center Party. Many did not mean this party, Janmaat had with his reputation many supporters and electorate of the old Center Party taken to his CD. The CP'86 seemed early nineties slowly disappearing. That changed with the influx of the group of young JFN'ers. Therefore, the CP'86 got a much more radical and militant character. That pulled alongside young people from JFN also all kinds of groups of neo-Nazis and skinheads to violent. These new members brought the CP'86 a radical image, strong growth in membership and many young people who were willing to stabbing their hands dirty and take to the streets.
But of course were also significant drawbacks to. Many CP'86 members brought the party seriously compromised by being involved in all kinds of violence. As did young CP'86 members some attempts, armed with melee weapons, antiracist meetings attack. In 1992 were arrested in connection with this eight persons in possession of brass knuckles, tear gas and blow guns. The young and active member CP'86 Constant Kusters (now president of the Dutch People's Union) was frequently arrested for violent. One of those arrests involved the possession of two firearms, which he had hidden in a vacuum cleaner.
In 1993 The weather once went terribly wrong. The Action Front National Socialists (ANS) maintained at that time close ties with the CP'86. ANS that presented itself as militant Nazi group, which mainly engaged in illegal demonstrations and (attempts at) street fighting. Even in those circles had possession of weapons of symbolic value. But one ANS activist after caféruzie pulled his gun and shot a man by his throat and neck. After the arrest of the perpetrator, was from the ANS organized a solidarity campaign for him, which reached its peak during the criminal case against the shooter. There appeared twelve ANS members led by captain Eite Homan, packed with balaclavas and helmets and armed with melee weapons, to seek confrontation with anti-fascist demonstrators. Far they did not, They were all arrested and later convicted.
Even with the less radical CD appeared during this period weapons available. CD board member Richard van der Plas was arrested for possession of weapons. Incidentally aroused little surprise, since the CD had its own shooting club in Amsterdam North, SV Lisse. Weekly was there by the party and a group of supporters CD, including Van der Plas, practiced with firearms. Another CD headpiece, faction in the Amsterdam city council Yge Graman, came in the same time with much heavier actions image. He confessed to having committed a hidden camera in the seventies two arson attacks against buildings of ethnic minorities. Then it noticed several injured. After this confession Graman was arrested. Police found while in his house three firearms and ammunition. Graman eventually gets two years in prison.
A candidate of the CD 1994 Maastricht was a few years after that election arrested after committing an attack on a Turkish family with firework. At his home a pistol with ammunition was found. He was sentenced to 40 hours of community service.
In 1995 fell for the first time in a decade that fatality. Drachten (Friesland) was a fight between a group of extreme right-wing youth and other youth. One of the right-wing extremists, a member of the Dutch Block, thereby put a boy in the heart. Who did not survive this. In the ensuing police investigation a large batch weapons was found in the house of the perpetrator. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
In the second half of the nineties, it was relatively quiet, because most extreme right-wing organizations in fighting and lack of success perished. Well looked after right-wing youth from various subcultures (gabbers, skinheads) for a number of high-profile incidents of violence. Striking was a group of young skinheads from Spijkenisse, whose members were arrested in a short period twice, for assaulting random immigrants. In these arrests the police made twice an arsenal of battle- and stabbing weapons loot. This group also included the young Arris de Bruin. The Brown would be arrested ten years later for the umpteenth time, after police found a collection of firearms and ammunition with him, including an automatic weapon, and a number of nail bombs. Moreover, he tried to buy a rocket launcher. He had at that time already with a long criminal violence to his name. The possession of arms earned him a half years in prison on. De Bruin wrong during the commission of these offenses constant neo-Nazi circles. After the murder of Pim Fortuyn 2002 will (after an AIVD tip) three people arrested from his network, including Ed Polman. They were suspected of planning to assassinate leftist politicians and tried to settle before weapons. This attack plans never came to court. Striking detail is that the person should provide the weapons for the attack, was the same as the one provided Arris de Bruin later weapons.
The Noughties
In the first five years of the past decade, the violence remained problems occur particularly around young people from the skinhead- and gabber scene emerged. It's also going to extreme right-wing groups that emerged from these subcultures.
An example of this was Stormfront Netherlands. These neo-Nazi group has existed for about three years and at that time had a following of several dozen youths, for the most part from the gabber scene. In 2001 Stormfront supporters were responsible for a near fatal incident. A group Stormfront members walked through The Hague after an introductory meeting, and thereby fell to random immigrants. Eventually this led to an incident in which an immigrant man was stabbed. Some parties were sentenced to several months in prison. Boxmeer found another incident. Three Stormfront members were looking for a party and asked for directions. Once they saw that it was an immigrant man, began to scold them. When the man react;, he was stabbed. The perpetrator was a half years in prison.
In this period also Blood & Honour Netherlands founded. Blood & Honour was, net als Stormfront, popular among extreme right-wing cronies. In 2005 this organization was in the news after a number of members in the Ardennes had been arrested. They had seven military vehicles, they were masked, dressed in combat fatigues and armed with night vision. During a 'patrol' she held a number of students standing and asked them for their papers. After the students had turned on the police, be de Blood & Honour members arrested. Police found knives, including stilettos.
In subsequent years proved especially the North Holland Department (Blood & Honour Westland) too interested in arms. As the leader of the group took a picture of himself with an automatic weapon on the internet. Another member took part in an armed robbery, with a family in Heiloo in their own home was threatened with firearms. In the autumn of 2011 were finally arrested several members of this group with a bag with firearms (zie this artikel). It is currently not known how will end the latter case.
But also other Blood & Honour Groups in the news because of incidents involving weapons. Members of the group around Winschoten ('North Country') were several times involved in violent battle with- and stabbing weapons. In 2009 threatening some North Country Members random passersby with an airgun. Then they also inadvertently threatened a passing policeman in civilian clothes, The perpetrator was arrested.
In 2006 was perhaps the strangest thing in this review site. In Rotterdam, sought a far-right skinhead argument with a passing foreigner. This led to the skinhead man threatened with a gun and chased him with a pair of brass knuckles and a knife. After the police had arrested the perpetrator, they found in the house a huge arsenal of weapons. That turned out to belong to, however on closer examination to an extremely violent bank robber who was in hiding at this skinhead.
The last few years were mainly involved in the National Socialist Action (NSA) from the Hague region in image. In 2008 the police raided their home base, after there were some people from that house abused. During the raid, police found a baton, a crossbow, a bayonet and dagger with a swastika imprinted. A few months later, major problems arose around a squat in the same group. The building was attacked by neighborhood youth and the extreme right-wing squatters defended themselves with stones, bats and heavy fireworks. After the police had vacated the premises they found too molotowcocktails and catapults.
However, there also exists, just like in the nineties, within a legal political party interest in firearm possession. Recently, NCE member Patrick Brown declined at a shooting because of his extreme right-wing activities. He filed a complaint procedure at the Equal Treatment Commission, who put him in the same: the association had not allowed him to refuse based on his political preference. Whether that also means that it will have in the future on an arms license is another matter.
So?
What should we conclude from this summary of the extreme right feats?
To begin with, that little line is in. Especially when we would mention the dozens of other cases of extreme right gun ownership that have been given no place in this article. It involves all kinds of random, stroke- and fake weapons seized in the course of the years with so many arrests and searches. It is green and ripe together. But a second glance teaches surely more.
First, we note that the use of weapons is limited by the extreme right for violent political action. Only the attacks Yge Graman and the bombing of the JFN from this article would qualify as his. But no one was (fire)weapons used. (2) But this observation alone is unsatisfactory. Consequently, there is as yet no answer to the question why there is clearly a great need among right-wing extremists is to possess weapons, while there still major risks are applicable (accidents, accidental deaths and injuries, arrests and lawsuits, image damage). As long as this question has not been addressed adequately, is 'symbolic value' a slogan and his statements about the danger of extreme right arm holds no more than an educated guess by police- and security. And such a gamble gives no guarantees for the future, zoals Anders Breivik en National Socialist Underground (NSU) show us recently.
Second, we see that especially weapons used during fights. Those fights can be divided into three types:
– Brawls which are searched by groups of right-wing extremists victims. There are several examples of groups of right-wing extremists who go on a 'foreigner hunting' and who use weapons, sometimes with very serious consequences.
– Fights that arise when anti-fascists and right-wing extremists seek each other. In addition, a number of cases have been used in weapons.
– Accidental incidents, waarbij (groups) right-wing extremists in quarrels arrive because of their ideas or appearance or where they seek out such hassles in nightlife and where weapons are used.
It looks, when we put all of the above incidents in a row, in particular the latter category the most serious incidents has delivered. All fatal casualties, all come from that third category of violence.
On the basis of this article is to draw the conclusion that the assessment of the AIVD, that the extreme right gun ownership mainly symbolic, maybe some truth, but at the same time is unsatisfactory and far from reassuring. Especially when you consider that the German intelligence service used in recent years, similar reassurances, while the NSU was murder.
It should also be noted that there have been found by the presence of weapons in Dutch right-wing extremists too serious to very serious incidents. And that those incidents, apart from the serious consequences for victims and offenders, often provide much greater impact by the fear they evoke in large groups of people. In now that alone seems sufficient reason for less dismissive about his extreme right weapon possession.
Dit artikel is ook verschenen in Alert! nummer 4, jaargang 2011
Noten:
(1): One of those involved in this stabbing, Martin of the grind, is to this day involved in Blood & Honour.
(2): Fire Attacks with a right-wing extremist motive of course there have been a lot of recent decades. Especially after the attacks on 11 september, Fortuyn's murder and the murder of Theo van Gogh were founded many fires and in one case even detonated a bomb. However, since it is here not to force that arises from the presence of (fire)weapons at the extreme right, we have not included these attacks in this piece.
