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BREIVIK

Centre Party in Breivik Facebook page storm

Jan-Ove Fromreide, a candidate for the Centre Party in Askøy in Hordaland, has resigned from the party’s electoral list after it was discovered that he runs an extreme right-wing Facebook page that has praised Anders Breivik.

Centre Party in Breivik Facebook page storm
Jan-Ove Fromreide. Photo: Twitter

Norwegian newspaper, Bergensavisen, claimed that the closed group, Fedrelandet Viktigst (Fatherland First) has 2,800 members and that many of them have regularly sympathised with Anders Breivik, the far-right terrorist and the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway mass murders.

The Facebook group has also published hate speech aimed at Muslims and exhortations to form vigilante groups.

Fromreide has also been active on the page and has shared pictures from the group Knights Templar International, the same organisation of which Breivik claimed to be a member.

Outside the group, Fromreide has repeatedly advocated stricter immigration and scepticism towards immigration in general, and written many articles and letters on the subject, including in local newspapers in Bergen and Askøy.

Fromreide claimed in an email to Bergensavisen that “Fatherland First is a group for anyone who loves Norway and who appreciates the values ​​of our ancestors. But we do not tolerate extremism. However, I am resigning from the Centre Party because I do not want to damage the party.”

The Centre Party’s leader in Hordaland, Jostein Ljones, has condemned Fromreide. “It is completely unacceptable to publish the things he has done. This is a very unfortunate incident and not consistent with having a role in the Centre Party.”

Although he has resigned from the party, Fromreide may yet remain on the ballot papers for the election in the autumn.