Nazis rent Swedish community halls using fake party bookings

Neo-Nazi groups in Sweden are increasingly using deception to rent community halls, posing as families celebrating baptisms or birthdays. Police are now warning local associations to be extra vigilant about suspicious bookings.

In one alarming incident in Sevalla, near Västerås, a 19-year-old woman booked a community hall for a baptism. However, a 15-year-old man later arrived to sign the contract. After collecting the keys, he brought boxes into the kitchen. When a member of the association tidied up, they discovered the boxes contained Nazi paraphernalia, including swastika armbands, Hitler masks, and mugs bearing the logo of the Nordic Resistance Movement.

Police have issued a warning, noting that far-right extremist groups have rented community halls on multiple occasions recently. The authorities aim to identify locations where violent extremist groups are active, stating, "There is a tangible danger of new recruitment and a radicalization environment. We must try to cut this off."

Several incidents involved bookings made under false pretenses, with individuals claiming to be hosting family celebrations. In April, police raided a community hall in Varberg municipality where a Nazi club was organizing an illegal martial arts competition. Approximately 40 people were present, and 17 young men are now suspected of crimes. Nazi symbols found at the scene led to a report of incitement to hatred against a national group.

The man who collected the keys in Sevalla has known ties to the Nordic Resistance Movement. He was convicted of assault in connection with a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Uppsala just days after the Sevalla incident. After discovering the propaganda, the vice chairwoman of the Sevalla association quickly contacted the police and the man, clarifying that the contract prohibited anti-democratic groups. She also changed the locks and warned other community hall associations, some of whom soon received similar inquiries.