A$AP Rocky: Did Far-Right Extremism Play a Role in New York Rapper's Altercation?

By Gary Glennell Toms 

Over the last several years, a number of European news outlets have published reports on the rise of far-right extremists and political parties in Stockholm and other sections of Sweden. The reports revealed that the number of assaults against immigrants, particularly those from African and Muslim countries, have steadily increased and that the victims were often attacked without justification or warning.  

In 2015, The Guardian reported on the case of Kyle James. The publication noted that James,"a black New Yorker with a top job in banking, had been warned to expect problems in bars and nightclubs in Stockholm when he visited the city in July. But nothing prepared him for what happened when he entered a well-known bar with two black friends." The article goes into detail about how bouncers at the establishment confronted James and asked him to leave shortly after finishing his drink. When James asked them why he was being asked to leave, "they dragged him outside, pepper-sprayed his eyes and pinned him to the ground. Police then handcuffed him and his friends. James, 32, was made to strip naked and spent the night without clothes in a cell,"  according to the report.

In 2017, DW News reported the following: "Far-right groups in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries are gaining ground. There are growing calls from their ranks for a Nordic revolution. And they are not afraid to use violence to support these racist views." 

In 2018, the Swedish newspaper The Local reported that the United Nations issued a report expressing concern over the “racist hate speech against Afro-Swedes, Jews, Muslims and Roma”, a problem that the committee said is particularly prevalent "during election campaigns, as well as in the media and on the internet.”

From The G-Man has no information on what may have been the catalyst for the situation the Harlem native now finds himself in. However, given the aforementioned reports and others that have been published online, this news site has three critical questions for the Swedish government, its judiciary and law enforcement officials. 

Are the United Nations report and the cited news stories accurate? 

If they are accurate, can you guarantee that every effort will be made to investigate if A$AP and the men with him may have been provoked because of their race? 

In the wake of these reports, especially the one concerning Kyle James, can you guarantee that A$AP will receive a fair trial?