A new report by the Swedish Security Service in Sweden denotes a long list of opposition groups and independent media outlets as “anti-democratic extremists”. Among those targeted by the authorities are bloggers, musicians and artists.
On behalf of The Swedish security police force Säpo, the Swedish Defence Research Agency FOI has produced a new report in which activists and organizations that in various ways question those in power or official narratives are identified as threats to society. The rhetoric in the report under the heading “Conspiracy propaganda, racism and violence” is consistently crude.
– We are concerned about this development. The report illustrates the challenges that we face and have faced for some time, Fredrik Hallström, Head of Counterterrorism at Säpo, told TT.
Among other things, it promotes the ideas that “extremism in a broad sense fuels violent extremism” and that “a wider adoption of conspiracy theories and fascination with violence makes it increasingly difficult to determine who has an extremist view and who has an extremist intent”.
– The role of the security police is to protect Sweden and our democratic system. But it is the task of society as a whole to stand up for democratic society and counteract disinformation, the spread of conspiracy theories and extremist propaganda. We hope that this report will increase knowledge of the broader forces threatening the constitution in Sweden and contribute to a better understanding of the long-term threats to a free and democratic society, Hallström said in a press release.
The agency is sweeping even more broadly than before with dramatic labels, associating phenomena traditionally seen as natural elements of democracy with “extremism”. The accusations are crude and the rhetoric is high-pitched against a long list of oppositional groups and activists who it says want to “abolish or undermine the liberal democratic state”.
In practice, these include actors who expressed criticism of state repression in connection with the corona policy, questioned the mass vaccination programs or drew attention to the influence of globalist power networks in Sweden. The report also describes perceptions in public opinion, such as the undermining of the integrity of the nuclear family, the sexualization of children by the LGBTQ lobby, and the demographic marginalization of the Swedish indigenous population, as extremely dangerous to society.
Media, political parties, bloggers and artists
The survey paints with a broad brush, listing radical national socialist organizations alongside more moderate groups advocating direct democracy and calling for a more limited state apparatus.
Virtually all public media where more principled systemic criticism occurs are included in the government report’s “black list”. Even fully legal political parties such as Human Rights and Democracy, which was created in the aftermath of the corona policy, and the nationalist party Alternative for Sweden, are pointed out as undesirable actors in the report, as well as the nationalist interest group Det fria Sverige.
The report also provides a comprehensive mapping of loose networks of doctors, nurses and activists who have been critical of the COVID-19 restrictions or mass vaccination programs. Writers, video bloggers and podcasters who have criticized the power in various ways are included in the agency’s mapping.
SÄPO (Säkerhetspolisen) har precis publicerat den 263 sidor långa rapporten ”Rutten demokrati – Konspirationspropaganda, rasism och våld”. Myndigheten beskriver att rapporten ”… skildrar de organisationer och nätverk som tillsammans utgör vad som i denna rapport benämns… pic.twitter.com/C9mJwpb6rm
— The Doctors’ Appeal/Läkaruppropet (@lakaruppropet1) June 24, 2023
Säpo even goes so far as to paint artists and musicians as a threat who “use their art to spread political messages based on the ideological context of the landscape”.
“For example, during the demonstrations held during the coronavirus pandemic, it has been common for artists to perform songs and for music to be played. The songs have often been about freedom, truth and love, and at the same time about how globalists are enslaving the population”, the report states.
At the same time, the agency faces strong criticism of the 263-page FOI/Säpo report, which essentially shows that, in practice, the agency is acting to identify and suspect opposition actors rather than actually protecting Sweden’s democratic system, citizens’ rights and freedoms, and national security in accordance with the agency’s formal mandate.
Facts: Säpo
The Swedish Security Service (Säpo) is one of Sweden's two operational police authorities, the other being the Swedish Police Authority. The explicit task of the Security Service is to protect Sweden's democratic system, citizens' rights and freedoms and national security. The head of the agency is appointed by the government.
