Believing in white supremacy… a neo-Nazi network incites vandalism and targets public facilities with Nazi symbols in Denmark
Sports facilities in the Danish city of Struer were vandalized overnight with swastikas and Nazi symbols. Police have launched an investigation into the incident as “serious vandalism,” amid concerns that an extremist network is attempting to recruit new members and incite further acts of vandalism, according to TV2. Although information indicates that the network is not on the list of terrorist groups, the investigation will later determine whether the case goes beyond criminal “vandalism” to a case of extremism or incitement.
Details of the attack on sports facilities
TV Midtvest reported that Struer Energi Park and Struer football club facilities were vandalized on Sunday night with Nazi graffiti and drawings.
The center's director, Peder Pedersen, said that the staff were surprised on Sunday morning to find swastikas and extremist messages on the walls, adding that the relevant authorities quickly notified the police and contacted the insurance company to remove the damage.
The channel quoted him as saying that local residents had sent messages of support and offered assistance after the incident.
Attempts to promote an extremist network
The channel explained that several writings contained the letters “ZKD”, which are believed to be an abbreviation for the name “Zenninkrieg Division”.
According to the report, the word “Zennin” is of Japanese origin and refers to “good man,” while the words “Krieg” and “Division” are associated with the “Sonnenkrieg Division,” a neo-Nazi organization that adopts extremist ideas calling for the destabilization of the state and society through violence and terrorism in order to establish a new extreme right-wing regime.
The report noted that Sonnenkrieg Division is not on the EU's list of terrorist organizations, but is classified as a banned organization in both Australia and the United Kingdom.
Nazi symbols and slogans on the walls
TVMedfest reported that the drawings also included other neo-Nazi symbols, including “WPWW”, an abbreviation for “White Pride World Wide”, which is used by groups that believe in white supremacist ideas.
The report added that the walls also contained the numbers “14/88”.
The report explained that the number “14” refers to a slogan circulating among neo-Nazis known as “Fourteen Words”, while the number “88” is used as a reference to the phrase “Heil Hitler”.
The center's director speaks about attempts to locate the group.
Peder Pedersen said he searched online for who was behind the slogans, adding that the written messages included references to the possibility of finding the group via the TikTok platform.
He added that his sons tried to search for the accounts in question, but they found nothing.
A group on Telegram inciting sabotage
The channel's website stated that it was able to access a group on the Telegram app that was being promoted through graffiti.
According to the channel, the group acts as a gateway to a deeper and more closed network, where members are encouraged to carry out, document, and share acts of sabotage in order to gain access to groups that the network deems “more serious.”.
The report added that the group praised the drawings that appeared in Strwer, while a number of Danish users revealed themselves with pseudonyms within the conversations.
Praise for extremists and support for Nazi groups
The channel said the group's content also included praise for convicted right-wing extremist Anders Breivik, as well as messages of support for neo-Nazi groups such as Atomwaffen Division and Order of Nine Angles.
According to the report, one user wrote that he later intended to carry out a similar act of sabotage against an unnamed power station, filming the operation in order to gain membership in other groups within the network.
Police are investigating the case.
Holstebro Police Commissioner Knud Lauridsen confirmed that police have launched an investigation into the incident and hope that CCTV footage will help identify those responsible.
The source quoted him as saying that the case is currently being treated as “serious vandalism,” explaining that authorities have recorded 22 incidents of vandalism related to the incident.
He added that investigators are still working to classify the case and determine whether it goes beyond the framework of criminal vandalism to other crimes related to extremism or incitement.
