Thousands Protested Against Swedish Neo-Nazis in Central Stockholm this Weekend

This article originally appeared on VICE Sweden

On Saturday, neo-Nazi group Nordiska Motståndsrörelsen (NMR) held a demonstration in central Stockholm, under the tagline "Stoppa Främlingsinvasionen" [Stop the invasion of foreigners]. It was the largest of its kind Sweden has seen in recent years, gathering about 600 supporters, according to local newspaperExpo.

The extremists marched from Kungsträdgården to Mynttorget, and settled outside the Royal Castle, where police had set up roadblocks to prevent counter demonstrators from entering. The counter demonstrators had planned to attack the NMR with snowballs however, most of the victims of the snowball attacks turned out to be police.

During the event, which lasted between 11AM and 4PM, the organisations leaders spoke against multiculturalism, the EU and globalisation. Some also spoke about Donald Trump's presidential win in the USA being a sign that the revolution is close. However, NMR did not seem to consider Trump's win a victory for the likeminded – only as a step in the right direction towards their ultimate goal of a white supremacy.

Thousands of counter demonstrators gathered at Sergels torg and marched towards Mynttorget shortly after NMR's march. However, riot police made it impossible for demonstrators to reach the neo-Nazi group. Instead, violent clashes took place between riot police and counter demonstrators nearby Mynttorget in Gamla Stan, as well as between riot police and neo-Nazis outside of Gamla Stan's tube station – giving unwilling tourists something to write home about. In the end, police arrested and removed over 100 demonstrators from both sides and 10 police were reported injured.

NMR's Swedish branch, Svenska Motståndsrörelsen (SMR) made global headlines in December 2013, when members attacked an anti-racist demonstration in Kärrtorp outside of Stockholm. NMR is an ultra-violent extreme-right group with an ideology based on the idea that there's a Jewish conspiracy controlling the world. Its followers believe in the white race and race biology. NMR promotes violence instead of democracy and aims at a National Socialist world leadership.

Additional photos by Jakob Åhl. Scroll down for more photos. More from VICE: I Went to the Anti-EU Gala Hosted by the Sweden Democrats and UKIP in Stockholm

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