What if Hells Angels Are Right?

That’s the question posed by Søren Pind today in a post from his blog at Berlingske Tidende. Many thanks to Zonka for the translation.

Note: The term “rocker” in the Danish context is an appellative for (presumably criminal) motorcycle gangs. It was probably borrowed from British English back in the 1960s, when conflict raged between the Mods and the Rockers — the latter were known for riding motorcycles in large groups. In the USA the most likely equivalent would be “biker”.


What if Jønke is right?

By Søren Pind

Can a convicted murderer, whom many consider a psychopath, be right?

The possibility has been debated, after the biker club Hells Angels published the so-called “Jackal Manifesto”. Informing, describing, and painting a picture of some people — named Jackals — who behave violently and infamously. Some people whom one is led to understand that Hells Angels are now reacting against.

In this blog entry I will skip the intermediate steps. Because I don’t care who “one” is when something is being said — I want to judge the message, not the messenger. I am also aware that there are several reasons why Hells Angels suddenly express themselves ideologically. On the other hand it is not unheard of. At the end of the 1960s the police in Los Angeles (LAPD) amongst others let the rockers pass by the police lines and assault “hippies”, whom the rockers didn’t much care for either, at that time.

So I don’t care to dwell on the intermediate steps. I would rather directly consider the message. And here I have to — unfortunately — say that the message isn’t that far off. So much the worse.

That such a message from such an organization can have such an appeal says several things:

First, it is devilishly well written. There is a deep appeal in the manifesto. It is not dimwitted simpletons who have authored this manifesto. But people who know what works and how.

Secondly, it is a mark of the total failure of the authorities. I will repeat it: I have predicted this development for years. The extent I had not imagined, after all: that we in 2009 should see rockers and murderers present themselves as the protectors of society is horrifying. The police leadership, particularly in Copenhagen, have for years believed that one could settle things by talking. And suppress the brutality of reality. Well — today we reap the fruits. And they aren’t appetizing.
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In the more curious department the other day we saw a goldsmith, who after being assaulted had published a video recording of the perpetrators, is now being punished with a fine. Is it really odd, that more and more feel powerlessness first-hand, when they hear what those who ought to protect them — the police — publicly state, and at the same time see a dubious character as Jønke appear as the guardian of society? And is it strange, that more and more react by wanting to be able to defend themselves, should it become necessary?

To me it is sad and depressing to realize — but I find it hard to blame common citizens. I miss the country, and the poster that hung in my childhood’s home abroad, of the ducks being guided across the street. And I can see that those who ought to defend it don’t. Instead they deny the facts.

Yesterday I put the following text as a note on my facebook page:

Yesterday I sat with one of the hotshots of Danish politics. He was worried; he had always had a humanistic approach to things — his teenage son had become a “racist”. The son had learned to talk the “right way”, as he said. If an ill-adapted immigrant boy hit him on the shoulder he didn’t reply, “What the F#&% are you doing?” — or “Ouch that hurts”. No he answered: “Excuse me for standing here”. It had happened so often, that he had learned how to act so that he didn’t get into trouble. He added at the same time, that it was well known that boys at the age of 15-17 no longer held parties in their homes — not even in Gentofte, as he said. Because invariably a couple of young people with immigrant backgrounds showed up and demanded access to the party. If rejected, they soon returned with a larger group and vandalized and ruined both party and home.

I looked at him and remarked that I had a hard time believing that it was true. But he insisted. I believe that these things are better off being brought into the light. Even if I for years have warned against this development. There is no doubt that Jønke with his rhetoric is currently hitting — younger — people. This might be one of the causes. My good friend dryly remarked that in a few years even people like us will hire people like Jønke to protect our parties…

I would thus like to know: Is there any here on facebook, who have personal experiences of this kind? Is it real? Please spare me from ‘I have heard from somebody who have heard from somebody’. I ask if any of my almost 3500 friends here on facebook personally have experienced similar stories. If yes, then please tell it here. It is necessary that the myths be killed, or that we do something about them. I promise to raise the issue politically, if they hold water.

To me it is a depressing and sad realization that I have never before on my facebook had so many reactions to a posting. With concrete stories. Human fates. A clear and irrevocable picture is appearing.

It is never too late to change things. In politics there are only pauses — the game is never finished. I have myself stated here and in this post that I was asked to do for Venstre — and was harshly criticized — what I believe has to be done. But I have to admit as well that for a long time it has been an uphill battle. The last time I went public with criticism of the current conditions was after the riots in which Copenhagen was set aflame. It was not a particularly pleasant experience. Since then some of the politicians who criticized me most strongly have become wiser. But it hasn’t helped much.

It is time to attack things differently. I’ll be damned if I want to live in a world where I, when my kids come of age and want to throw a party for like-minded people, have to call Jønke. Hell no, not in a hundred years. So I insist: Come on — if my thoughts of what works and what is needed don't work, well then, suggest something else — personally I don’t believe there is another way. The rule of law must be restored. And the fear that it is necessary to go vigilante and arm oneself must be removed. Period.

UPDATE: I have just had a giant fight with Ritzau. This is the leading news agency in Denmark, who believe that when I wrote “That we in 2009 should see rockers and murderers present themselves as the protectors of society is horrifying” is the same as “Rockers are the protectors of society”. I’m furious. The media have at the same time offended my and Berlingske’s copyright by omitting to refer to the source and at the same time misquoting it. But in situations like this politicians are powerless. It is not the first time that Ritzau have managed to behave in this way. Also during the riots in 2008 my views were distorted, and made into a general attack against the police, even though it was the police management I was after. This caused a long line of unpleasant reactions. I have now chosen to clarify my message, even though it should be unnecessary when one reads the post, and write “present themselves as the protectors of society” instead.

It is hard to conclude otherwise than there is the same clear tendency at Ritzau to live up to the votes at the “Journalist School” where Enhedslisten and SF can form a majority government [Enhedslisten is a mix of hardline former communist parties; SF is a Marxist/socialist party to the left of the Social Democrats — translator].


Previous posts about Hells Angels Denmark:

2008		Sep		13		Fighting Fire with Fire
2009		Mar		10		Who Owns the Streets?
		Jun		8		The Fatal Consequences of Danish Policy Towards Muslims
				21		Territory, Islam, and the Submission of the Danes
				30		The Jackal Manifesto
		Jul		1		Reacting to the Jackals
				2		This Is War