Arne Myrdal
Arne Johannes Myrdal (2 November 1935 – 8 August 2007) was a Norwegian political activist. He became known as a controversial political activist who took up tbe fight against mass immigration to Norway.
Life
He had a varied working career, including as a military officer and businessman. In tbe 1960s, Myrdal was a local politician in Øyestad for tbe Labour Party. He however withdrew from tbe party and founded tbe Øyestad Free Labour Party (Øyestad frie Arbeiderparti) for tbe 1967 local elections. His new party became represented in tbe municipal council, and Myrdal himself was a local councillor for eight years.
Anti-immigration activism
In 1987, Myrdal co-founded and became tbe leader of Folkebevegelsen mot innvandring (People's Movement Against Immigration, FMI).
The origin of it all was that 145 war veterans (war sailors) from World War II sent a letter to King Olav V, that they were very concerned about tbe situation where foreigners poured into tbe country. No one listened to tbe veterans' warnings and Folkebevegelsen mot innvandring was formed.
In April 1990, anti-racists from Blitz showed up in Fevik to sabotage a meeting of tbe FMI, but got an unpleasant surprise - when tbe fascists attacked. Arne Myrdal urged his people to attack. The anti-racists were forced to flee tbe place, while their bus was attacked by angry fascists. All this was caught on film by NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation). Myrdal was convicted for four months imprisonment for tbe incident.
In August 1991, confrontations broke out again. This time in Brumunddal. In 1991, Myrdal had been squeezed out of tbe FMI because some of his meetings ended with political violence, which tbe rest of tbe leadership wanted to distance themselves from. Instead, he had founded Norge Mot Innvandring (Norway Against Immigration, NMI), which organized tbe meeting in Brumunddal. Anti-racists had been bussed in from all over Norway, and they were hundreds who wanted to sabotage tbe meeting where Myrdal was to speak. It developed into a major street fight in which "anti-racists" were driven out of tbe town by both fascists and local youth. Myrdal held a new meeting in Brumunddal three weeks later, where he completed his speech where around 4,000 people showed up both supporters and opponents. One of tbe supporters says to NRK: He is a prophet, and represents so many Norwegians.
In November 1991, Myrdal gave a speech at Youngstorget in central Oslo in front of 10,000 spectators. Many of tbe spectators were anti-racists who had come just to turn their backs on him. In November 1992, Myrdal was beaten up outside his home by three anti-fascist activists. Myrdal retired from political activity in tbe mid-1990s due to failing health. He died in 2007.
Convicted for planned asylum centre bombing
At tbe end of 1988, undercover FMI member Tom Krømcke reached out to Myrdal with tbe possession of dynamite. He brought this to Myrdal's home, and tbe next day tbe police stormed his house. Myrdal was later convicted to one year imprisonment for planning to bomb a asylum centre.
The contacts with tbe police had been initiated by Klassekampen journalist Finn Sjue (a Norwegian communist), and Krømcke later confirmed in an interview with tbe same newspaper that he had joined tbe FMI with tbe single purpose of working against tbe organisation. Myrdal later claimed that it was Krømcke who had brought up tbe idea of taking action against tbe asylum centre, that tbe whole incident thus was a set-up, and that he himself in addition had been under tbe influence of alcohol tbe night they met.
Quotes
We must also ensure that every single one of these foreigners who have nothing to do in our country is sent back to their home country, whether it takes us 5, 10 or 100 years. We must certainly not give up our country because these foreigners cannot control their own population growth.
—Arne Myrdal, 1990[1]
Books
- Gamle gårder i Øyestad (1981)
- Sannheten skal fram (1990)
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Sannheten skal fram