The following is an excerpt from Newsletter 7 from Blitz (Oslo, Norway) February 1994
*Blitz Infogruppe, Pilestredet 30c, 0164 Oslo, Norway, tele: +47.22 11 01 09, fax: +47.22 11 23
*Blitz is a busy autonomist free space/social center in Oslo with a vegetarian cafe, newspaper, radio station, library/bookstore/record store, and meeting/hang out/band space. Blitz and Norwegian antifascists have been under attack by fascists and police since December 1993.
*the following excerpt from Newsletter 7 transcribed and circulated without any changes whatsoever by robert ovetz, sound@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu. The four page newsletter also contains other info about anti-fascist resistance in Norway. Antifascists uncovered collaborations between the fascist Fedrelandpartiet (FLP) or The Fatherlands Party and "NSDAP/AO" from the US after an FLP election rally was disrupted.
Anti Fascist Struggle Continues
As society moves to the right, the nazi groups grow bigger and stronger. During the last year they have clearly been expanding. They have managed to gather in fewer groups, and stop some of the splitting. The boneheads have regular meetings in Oslo, they have established themselves in a local radio station in Oslo (Radio Nite Rocket), they have tried to hold several public meetings, etc. Also the attack on Blitz x-mas '93 shows how much more selfconfident they have become. Another change which has been noticed by anti-fascists is that it has become more and more common that nazis openly walk alone and in smaller groups in the streets of Oslo. They haven't dared to do that often earlier, in fear of reactions by anti-fascists. But the fascists have also been met by massive resistance by anti-fascists, both by mass-mobilization in demonstrations and by smaller, militant actions. In spite of the strong resistance by anti-fascists, it is quite clear that the fascists are growing stronger. It also seems that they are establishing more international contacts, and that they are starting to get more accepted by fascists in other countries.
Here is a short summary of the most important events:
Local nazi-radio attacked
In December '93 the local fascist-radio Radio Niote Rocket was exposed in Dagbladet (Nowegian version of "The Sun"). Antifascists had for a long time had their eye on this radio. So, on December 26'th 70-80 antifascists went down to the offices of Nite Rocket. A blockade was planned outside the radio because the well-known bonehead leader Ole Krogstad, from Boot Boys, was going to be a guest in the studio and talk about the nazi-skinheadband Skrewdriver. Instead the antifascists spontaneously broke into the radio offices and smashed the place. Because it was second christmas day, the police didn't have enough cars out to attack and arrest any of the antifascisst on their way back home. It took Nite Rocket 3 hours to get back on the air.
Blitz attacked by nazis
December 29'th at 2.30 am, 25 boneheads attacked Blitz with molotov-cocktails and fired four rounds from a shotgun through the windows. Nobody was hurt. The house was massively defended by people on guard inside Blitz. The fascists left in cars after a short whyile, and were stopped and searched by the police, but nobody got arrested. The incident was not mentioned in the bigger newspapers. But it was clear that it was a revenge action after the attack on their radiostation. Radio Nite Rocket (which is on the air 8 hours every night) were sending threats on the air, to Blitz in the hours before the attack. And the bonehead leader, Ole Krogstad, was guest in the studio. The fascists also used the radio offices to gather before they attacked Blitz.
Mass-mobilization against Nite Rocket
As an answer to the fascistattack December 29'th, antifascists started mobilizing to a big demonstration against fascism, racism and Radio Nite Rocket. 18,000 flyers were spread all over the city; to the youth gangs, to the immigrant communities, to all the schools and so on. The nazis were also mobilizing with some posters and flyers to a counter-demnstration. The newspapers were in beforehand speculating in riots and violence between antifascists and fascists. Over 2000 antifascists showed up, and that's only with 14 days mobilization. The police appereance was massive.
Three Swedish nazis were arrested on the border on their way to Oslo with molotov-cocktails. 17 nazis were arrested inside Oslo, all with baseball bats and other weapons. Cars filled with nazis were stopped by the police at at least 3 places outside Oslo. With the heavy police appearance there was no possibility for the antifascist protesters to reach the radio, or the 25-30 fascists who actually dared to show up for the counter-demonstration. So everything went on peacefully. The demo was a major victory for antifascist mobilization.
Later, the same night, a group of militant anti-nazis smashed a snack-bar, Terningen, which is well known as a commercial sponsor for Radio Nite Rocket. In fact Terningen was the only sponosr left that wished to have their commercials on a nazi-radio. The snack bar is also known because of their apartheid prices (the food is more expensive for black people).
Close to Blitz, on their way to an antifa concert, some of the people the police suspected took part in the smashing of Terningen, were attacked and tried arrested. Heavy fighting erupted between the antifascist and the police. More people from the concert came to help. The poice were chased away, and two policecars were left in the middle of the road without any cops inside. More police arrived, with the result of 7 policecars being smashed, before all the antifascists withdrew back into Blitz.
The anti-Nite Rocket demo was covered by most of the newspapers as a demo with a few hundred people from Blitz, although one can see on the pictures that thousands took part. The riot was offered a small note in all the newspapers.
Blitz raided by police
6 o'clock, in the morning ofFebruary 16'th, 150 riotpolice invaded Blitz. There were only a few people inside, and they decided not to defend the house because of the heavy number of pigs. The police occupied Blitz for 6 hours. They searched through out datafiles, confiscated our molotov-cocktails, baseball bats, gas masks and the barricades on the pavement outside of Blitz were taken away. Some of our datafiles were also erased by the police.
The same day 25 people went to the house of the Police Inspector, and tried to tear down her fence as an answer to the police taking away the barricades from Blitz. Both this action and the molotov-cocktails, the police found inside, caused mass condemnation from media and politicians. Even the earlier ally, and MP of the Workers Communist Party (AKP), said Blitz is "playing with terrrorist methods."
But still we received support from the youth organization of AKP, the Red Youth. The police and media tried to give the impression that Blitz was raided because of the police equipment that was stolen from the smashed policecars during the riot outside Blitz a few days earlier. A closer examination is that the police feared the negotiations between Blitz and the City Council which were going on. The barricades on the pavement outside Blitz, was something the police wanted to get away by any means necessary. The raid is also a way for the police to criminalize Blitz and the antifascist struggle in Oslo.
Negotiations with the City Council
At the same time the City Council, lead by the Social-Democrats, used the situation to push through 4 ultimatums, as part of the negotiations to legalize Blitz. Blitz has all along been sceptical to this, but agreed to have a meeting with the Council to check it out. The 4 ultimatums launched by the Council was: No weapons inside Blitz, no barricades outside on the pavement, Blitz must have a hire contract and the electricity system must be repaired. Blitz has not accepted these 4 ultimatums. Later the same weeks the leader of the City Council stated to the media that he overreacted....
Representatives from Blitz have been in one or more meeting with representatives of the city council after this incident, and the demands are clear. We won't accept any of the ultimatums, but we can make a contract on our premises. If they do not accept, we won't negotiate any hiring contract at all.
Boneheads try again
Many of the nazis live not far outside Oslo, and during the last year they have tried to gather every first Saturday of the month in Oslo. The purpose is to build contacts, drink, walk around in town and beat up dark skinned people and anti-fascists. This means that the central city isn't safe those days, and that the fascists are establishing some control over the streets.
On the first Saturday in February they gathered again. During the evening the nazis had spread around the city, and they attacked and hospitalized at least 4 people. Fortunately, antifascists were prepared. The pub where the nazis were sitting was attacked by 20 anti-fasacists and 4 nazis were hospitalized. One fascist was sent with serious injuries to the central hospital.