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Day 6

Finland's neo-Nazi street patrols

In Finland, groups affiliated with neo-Nazi organizations have organized civilian street patrols- they claim, to keep women safe. Recent headlines around the New Year's Eve attacks on women by migrants in Cologne, Germany have put these patrols in the spotlight. Brent Bambury speaks with journalist Anne Kauranen, the Helsinki correspondent for L'Agence France-Presse.
CBC Radio ·
Mohamad of Lebanon, left, and Nabil of Morocco are holding a banner in front of the Cologne cathedral to apologize for other migrants' crime Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Cologne, Germany. The sign reads "we stand in solidarity in our hearts with you, we refuse violence and hope you accept our apologize". (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) (The Associated Press)
Day 68:44Finland's neo-Nazi street patrols

This week, German politicians proposed new measures that would make it easier to deport foreign citizens and refugees who commit crimes. The move is in response to the New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne, Germany where hundreds of women reported being robbed, threatened and sexually assaulted by groups of men. An official government report says these attackers were "almost exclusively" North African and Arab migrants. And similar stories of assaults are also surfacing in Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Finland - where police in Helsinki said they received reports of "widespread sexual harassment" during the new year's eve celebrations. And across Europe, women are saying they feel afraid.

In Finland, groups affiiliated with neo-Nazi organizations have started organizing civilian street patrols - they claim, to keep women safe. The patrols started in the fall, but the recent headlines have put them in the spotlight. And two ministers in the Finnish government have said publicly they support the idea of citizens patrolling the streets. Brent speaks with journalist Anne Kauranen, the Helsinki correspondent for L'Agence France-Presse.

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