Danish News in Brief: Islam critic who the kids listen to but laugh at

Rasmus Paludan is quickly becoming one of the country’s best-known politicians among teenagers, but for all the wrong reasons

Ben Hamilton

Sep 24, 2018

The lawyer Rasmus Paludan, a right-wing Islam critic and prospective MP who founded the party Stram Kurs (‘hard line’ or ‘tight course’) in July 2017, is under fire for his increasingly provocative means of drawing attention to himself.

Paludan’s modus operandi is to travel to a multi-ethnic area and hold an impromptu ‘demonstration’ – a Q&A that he records and then broadcasts on his YouTube channel.

Paludan has been accused of being deliberately provocative, and critics have questioned why the police are allocating resources to providing him with security at happenings that are clearly not demonstrations.

A figure of fun
Paludan’s videos have been popular, attracting between 50,000 and 200,000 views, although it is believed most of the viewers are school children who consider him as a figure of fun.

In the case of the video below, Paludan responded to an invitation from a ninth-grader at Gasværksvejens skole in Vesterbro to speak to the students.

A student present told CPH POST that the video was edited to remove any criticism of Paludan, but did retain the moment when a seventh-grader threw some paper at the lawyer – to great hilarity from those gathered as he proceeded to tell off those gathered like he was their teacher.

Bonus for private company that helped school make the grade
Edulab, a private education company, has received a large slice of a 1.3 million kroner government bonus after helping to improve the maths results of students at Arenaskolen in Greve, reports DR. Edulab, which was paid 500,000 kroner of the bonus, was one of four private companies hired by the 104 schools in contention for a bonus, of which one other also received a cut. The Danmarks Lærerforbund teachers’ union frowned upon the achievement, telling DR that the Education Ministry’s incentive had forced the school’s arm, and that 500,000 kroner could have been spent on hiring an extra full-time teacher. Edulab performed the work for Arenaskolen according to a no-win, no-fee contract.

Wrong brand can contravene Loyal To Familia ban, regardless of logos
Rigspolitiet has issued a statement to clarify it is taking the Loyal To Familia ban very seriously, and that police officers are instructed to arrest anyone wearing clothing or accessories associated with the gang. This means that as well as branded LTF items, it is also illegal to wear certain non-branded items. Rigspolitiet has distributed a 28-page guide for police officers to follow, which states that “the use of certain clothing in certain colors or a particular brand, without any logo or name” may also be a violation.

Shrink gets 15 months for having regular sex with mentally-ill patient
A psychiatrist has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for having sex with a mentally-ill patient. The unprecedented case hinged on whether the patient was mentally-ill, and Glostrup City Court ruled that she was suffering from schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia at the time of the sexual encounters, which took place between 2011 and 2016. Additionally, the 52-year-old psychiatrist must pay his patient 300,000 kroner in compensation.

Bendtner’s taxi driver also facing charges
The taxi driver assaulted by Nicklas Bendtner earlier this month has hired a lawyer himself – which suggests he has also been charged by police. The lawyer, Mette Grith Stage, told DR that it was standard procedure for the police to charge both parties when their versions of what happened vary wildly. According to Bendtner’s girlfriend, the footballer was acting in self-defence when he broke the taxi driver’s jaw.

Rwandan extradition approved by high court
The Østre Landsret high court has ruled that the authorities can hand over a 51-year-old Danish citizen to their counterparts in Rwanda, where he is accused of participating in the 1994 genocide. The man is believed to have played a major role in killing 2,000 people who had sought refuge in a church and university buildings.

Mother and son die in fire at home
A 31-year-old mother and her four-year-old son died in a fire in their apartment in Mørkøv in west Zealand on Saturday. The authorities were alerted to the first floor blaze on Hovedgaden just after 14:30. It is believed the fire started in the flower shop on the ground floor.