Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Meet the Swede who went undercover for a whole year with the alt-right in the US and UK
Swedish student Patrik Hermansson, 25, talks to The Local about what he learned when he went undercover for a year with the international alt-right movement.https://www.thelocal.se/20170920/meet-the-swede-who-went-undercover-with-the-alt-right-for-a-whole-year/
https://archive.ph/oNLO2
Published: 20 September 2017
Hermansson spent a whole year with far-right extremist groups in the UK and US on behalf of anti-racism organization Hope Not Hate. Pretending to be a Swedish student writing about the suppression of right-wing speech in Sweden, he met and spoke with alt-right members, while wearing a hidden camera. He recorded one founding member claiming he had links all the way to the Donald Trump White House Administration.
His work forms part of a new report 'The International Alternative Right', which takes a closer look at some of the alt-right key figures, many of whom are Swedes at the frontline of the international extremist movement. The most in-depth report of its kind, it and Hermansson's undercover work quickly grabbed global headlines. Hermansson spoke to The Local on Skype from New York on Wednesday, after revealing his true identity in interviews with the New York Times, Dagens Nyheter and Swedish anti-racism organization Expo.
You went undercover for a year. Explain how that happened?
I've been working for Expo in Sweden for a couple of years and done various things, so I've considered myself an anti-fascist for a long time. Then I moved to London to start studying, and I asked some colleagues from Expo to put me in touch with Hope Not Hate, so I could continue helping out in whatever way I could. I wouldn't have expected them to ask me to go undercover, but they did and I said yes, for the same motivation as other anti-fascism work I've done before. I think fascism is probably the biggest threat to the society I want to live in, so I want to do something to stop it. Then of course, it was exciting and I felt like I could do it.
I've been working for Expo in Sweden for a couple of years and done various things, so I've considered myself an anti-fascist for a long time. Then I moved to London to start studying, and I asked some colleagues from Expo to put me in touch with Hope Not Hate, so I could continue helping out in whatever way I could. I wouldn't have expected them to ask me to go undercover, but they did and I said yes, for the same motivation as other anti-fascism work I've done before. I think fascism is probably the biggest threat to the society I want to live in, so I want to do something to stop it. Then of course, it was exciting and I felt like I could do it.
What was the most surprising thing you learned?
There were many surprising things. For me how social these organizations are is important, and surprising. They're not just doing political campaigning or serious conferences or demonstrations, but they organize barbecues and picnics, go to gallery openings, concerts, and just have a beer in a pub. Most of the time I spent with them was some type of social activity. Of course they plan other stuff and they talk about politics, but I think many of the people there are there for social reasons. It provides a context for them as friends. Many of the people have most of their friends in these organizations. And of course there's a danger in that, because it makes it more difficult to get out.
There were many surprising things. For me how social these organizations are is important, and surprising. They're not just doing political campaigning or serious conferences or demonstrations, but they organize barbecues and picnics, go to gallery openings, concerts, and just have a beer in a pub. Most of the time I spent with them was some type of social activity. Of course they plan other stuff and they talk about politics, but I think many of the people there are there for social reasons. It provides a context for them as friends. Many of the people have most of their friends in these organizations. And of course there's a danger in that, because it makes it more difficult to get out.
Sweden seems to be a very important concept to the alt-right and I understand you even used your Swedishness to manage to get inside. Why are they so obsessed with Sweden?
snip
