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Police bashed for 'racist' Facebook comments

Published: 18 May 12 09:53 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/40902/20120518/

Racist comments on the Stockholm police's Facebook page beneath a plea for tips which also featured links to surveillance camera footage have prompted a backlash from the Swedish Bar Association (Advokatsamfundet) over how police use social media.

The use of social media channels to gather tips and information is common practice for many police departments in Sweden.

On Monday, police for the Södermalm district of Stockholm posted a plea on its Facebook page for information about several suspected criminals, the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper reported.

"Do you know these men?" read the posting, which also included a link back to the police's homepage, which included images and video clips taken from surveillance camera footage of several young men suspected in an aggravated assault.

Following the posting, which attracted several racist comments which remained on the police's Facebook page for at least a day, the Swedish Bar Association slammed the Stockholm police's use of social media in its police work.

"There is an incredibly huge risk that the people shown here are innocent. You have to remember that people are innocent until they've been convicted in a court," bar association head Anne Ramberg told DN.

"We don't know that they've committed the act. They may simply be witnesses...but to then spread this via social media can have unforeseen consequences. The fact that the young people's immigrant background prompts a discussion like that doesn't make it any better."

It didn't take long before Monday's Facebook posting by the Stockholm police attracted comments from the account's roughly 4,700 followers about the young men's skin colour and background.

While an administrator of the police's Facebook account published a post urging commenters to watch their language, the racist comments weren't erased until after the police had been contacted by DN.

"It's a real shame that things spiral out of control like that. This is our online bulletin board and we want it to look good. At the same time, it's not going to be right if go in and filter things and decide what's okay and what's not," sergeant Robert Kindroth, who administers the account, told the newspaper.

According to DN, the various police districts in Stockholm have a total of 35 different Facebook pages and ten Twitter accounts.

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12:51 May 18, 2012 by awash
institutionalized...
20:24 May 18, 2012 by TheWatchman
What were the comments anyway? As long as they're not wishing for the deaths of all foreigners I can't imagine it being too bad.
23:17 May 18, 2012 by Uncle
A bunch of somalians beat someone to half death (aggravated assault mentioned above) and ran away. Precisely as Mohammad teaches.

Apparently islamic nationalist and communist defenders of nations arriving here thought that these people MAY be mere witnesses to the act and therefore private opinions about the origin of these men are not acceptable.

Poor little immigrants from the third world. Unjustifiably discriminated again. Look where we came to. An immigrant cannot even cripple one on the street without drawing racist comments! What times we are living in!
00:29 May 19, 2012 by Children Of Adam
@Uncle

I can feel how much you hate Islam and loving to lie always against Muslims.

As I said before this forum is infected by Facists who preeches hate toward Muslims and immigrants, some of them are paid agents and some are SD supporters.

What is their solutions and agenda? History always repeat, they always messed up thing than to make it better. because your hearts are full of hate. And a person with such hate what can bring to this world?
01:26 May 19, 2012 by skylarkpilot
Children of Adam...Get a life, the people on the CCTV are guilty of a crime and need to be caught. Wind your neck in and leave the tambourines and clappy music for church on Sunday.
01:36 May 19, 2012 by Uncle
@Children Of Adam

"I can feel how much you hate Islam and loving to lie always against Muslims."

If you can FEEL it and not prove it, you have already started the speech on a wrong foot. PROVE my lies against muslims and I promise you - I will take my words back.

"As I said before this forum is infected by Facists who preeches hate toward Muslims and immigrants"

No. This is where you got it wrong and this is where the good guys win. I LOVE immigrants. Immigrants bring nothing, but good. I HATE conquerors.

You see, Russia welcomed germans through it's entire history. Hell, there were huge areas of western Russia, that were populated by germans. Even losing the WWI was not considered as an awful even by the russian people.

However, when germans decided to invade Russia with a nazi ideology, it was a totally different thing.

I sincerely believe, that an atheist, a christian, a buddhist arab, persian, asian, black, white, cripple, gay, woman, child, scientist, worker etc comes to this country, he ADDS to it. However, when someone, who follows islamic ideology comes here it is similar to the Nazi "liberation" of Poland.

Facts are showing that no muslim country lives in democracy or cherishes freedom. Facts are that muslims encourage territorial expansion. Facts are that muslims do not deny slavery, nor pedophilia, nor rape, nor violence against women and sexual minorities. Muslims officially EDUCATE for the blessing of murder of Jews, as the interview with Wafa Sultan proved in the trial against Wilders.

Islam IS a CHOICE. As national socialism. As Communism. It is destructive. Your greatest scientist are 1000 years old and they got shut down by islam. Your oh, so few, Nobel Prize winners are hunted down by your islamic regimes.

Even your revolutions offer nothing, but public lynching, similar to cannibalism.

YOU represent hatred. YOU bring nothing to this world, except suicide bombing and beheading. YOU are distributing Mein Campf in your countries legally. YOU deny holocaust at the side of the worst Nazis and Neo-Nazis.

And you even DARE to use the word "racism"? Aren't you ashamed? Do you actually believe that whatever islam offered so far in real life was the will of Allah?
06:16 May 19, 2012 by racistreport.org
Please visit www.racistreport.org and share your case. Global movement against

Racism!! With your help we can uncover the true impact of racism on humanity.

If you have been subjected to any form of discrimination because of

your skin color, race, culture or ethnicity please share your story

with the World and get help.

www.racistreport.org -- Fight Against Racism!!
09:34 May 19, 2012 by michael ladochkin
You see, Russia welcomed germans through it's entire history. Hell, there were huge areas of western Russia, that were populated by germans. Even losing the WWI was not considered as an awful even by the russian people.

Well what do you know about Russia and Russians (russkie) ?! I`m russian. Russians (russkie) and Germans are great nations having much in common, external physical similarity as well. The majority of us are against any immigrants. No difference who and where from.
11:20 May 19, 2012 by Uncle
@michael ladochkin

GOD, Michael. Then I have some news to tell you about your own nation. Quite embarrassing, really.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Germans_in_Russia_and_the_Soviet_Union

Currently Germans are fifth largest ethic group in Russia. I suggest that you read about immigration waves and how generally welcome they were in Russia. In regards to the "majority" of "us", I hope you learn something from the above.

@racistreport.org

You want to find racism, intolerance and xenophobia? Put yamaka on the head and walk on the streets of Malmö. Try to arrange gay parade in immigrant areas, or try to encourage muslim women to make their own decisions in regards to marriage and violence in family. Not VERY hard to find eh?

Oh, I am sorry. When violence and intolerance is a "cultural perk", you, guys are much more sensitive, since even intolerance fighters such as yourselves do not wish to get a bunch of "exotic newcomers" slamming your door down with axes.
14:21 May 19, 2012 by bcterry
Uncle # 6,

Absolutely right on the mark.

@Children of Adam,

From someone who adheres to the most violent, dictatorial, intolerant, bigoted, subjugating, fascist, totalitarian ideology in the history of mankind, for you to accuse others as fascists, is the height of hypocrisy.
05:52 May 21, 2012 by ericrufinosiah
bcterry,I do agree totally with your views dated May 19 and do hope all right thinking

natives Swedish please,please take note of the truthful views of " bcterry " and

don't forget to give a vote to Sweden Democrat,in the next National Election.
00:04 August 23, 2012 by rsmehdihasan
i can only say here some of them (Police) are racist...need more training..
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