Investigation Exposes Hate Speech Within Sweden Democrats' Facebook Group
An investigation has revealed connections between Sweden Democrats politicians and a Facebook group disseminating hate speech and violent threats.
Key Points
- • The Facebook group 'Backa upp Richard Jomshof - stoppa islam i Sverige' promotes hate speech and violence against minorities.
- • 24 politicians from the Sweden Democrats, including group administrator Susanne Cederholm, are members of the group.
- • Hate speech includes calls for violence against Muslims and threats against politicians, particularly those from the Social Democrats.
- • The group remained active until its eventual shutdown by Facebook following the investigation.
A troubling investigation by Expo has uncovered a Facebook group named 'Backa upp Richard Jomshof - stoppa islam i Sverige', which promotes hate speech and violence against minorities and has significant ties to the Sweden Democrats (SD). This group has been active since August 2023, gaining around 9,200 members, including 24 politicians affiliated with SD. Among them is group administrator Susanne Cederholm, a local politician who has identified herself as a 'proud Islamophobe'.
The exposure sheds light on explicitly violent content within the group. Members regularly share derogatory and dehumanizing language, particularly aimed at Muslims and Palestinians, advocating for violent measures against them. One shocking comment suggested limiting the Muslim population through lethal action, while others included threats against prominent political figures such as Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson. Comments in the group are rife with calls for violence and express a desire to harm specifically targeted groups, with references to Muslims as 'parasites' and calls for their removal from Sweden.
Despite violating Facebook's community standards, the group remained active until shortly after the investigation's publication when it was reportedly taken down by the platform. In response to the findings, the Sweden Democrats have acknowledged the problematic nature of such content but have positioned the issue as part of a broader societal challenge rather than within the party itself.
This incident highlights the dangerous overlap between political figures and extremist online communities, raising serious concerns about the normalization of hate speech in Swedish politics. Investigations into the actions and affiliations of those in the group are likely to continue as the implications for the Sweden Democrats and its public image develop further.