Of course, what we see here is 100% predictable when a government stops representing the people of the area and start representing an ideology which no one wanted. The only reason it is not much more wide spread, is that law enforcement tends to be much more aggressive with competing agencies than they are with actual threats to the public safety and property.
Eeyore
Translation by Michael Laudahn with thanks
In two St Gallen [swiss canton] townships, a group of annoyed citizens follows every step asylum seekers take. Now the authorities react.
Hans Thoma at the vigilante group's foundation meeting
‘Sexual harassment, vandalism, noise and drug dealing are almost a daily routine’, laments Hans Thoma about asylum seekers of the Landegg asylum centre at Eggersriet SG [St Gallen] in ‘Reporter’, SF [swiss state tv] programme. That is why he has formed a kind of vigilante group, together with a neighbouring village. ‘We demonstrate our presence, we document through photos the asylum seekers’ incorrect behaviour, and we report it to police’, according to Thoma.
Now, the canton has reacted: On monday, Jürg Wernli, director of the Appenzell-Ausserrhoden [canton next to St Gallen, both with interlaced borders] Interior and Cultural Department, announced first measures – more positions at the asylum centre, additional busses for asylum seekers and security services at train stations. These and more measures are to be implemented, in the interest of the neighbours of the asylum centre – despite the ‘palpable additional costs for the canton’, according to Wernli. Thoma considers this a ‘success of our engagement’.
However, Stella Jegher at Amnesty International warns: ‘Such action like the one shown by the Thoma group could tilt towards discrimination, even racism, if this leads to a kind of prejudgement of certain groups.’
Dangerous vigilante justice
Members of the ‘Informationsrunde Wienacht-Tobel/Schwendi bei [near] Heiden’ follow asylum seekers living in Wienacht AR [Appenzell-Ausserrhoden canton] (see text). This is not the only kind of a vigilante group in Switzerland: According to the ‘Zürcher Oberländer’ [paper], in the Zurich Oberland a patrol service intervenes against burglars. In Geneva, inhabitants chased tricky conmen, of which violent conflicts resulted. That is why Beat Flach, jurist and national GLP [Green-Liberal Party] MoP warns of vigilante justice: ‘Simply ‘demonstrating presence’ is at the legal borderline, the danger for escalation is great.’
given that the Swiss actualy have a higher per capita rate of gun ownership then even America manages, it will be interesting to see what happens if the musturds kick off there.
How foreboding. The breakdown or even the inaction of the state will and is leading to groupings of people. We are seeing groups of people form together based on ideological similarities. The obvious problem is particular groups have very different and opposing views. This will in the long one only lead to one thing, well if history of the human race has taught us anything. The sad thing is the state is often more concerned with tackling these groups rather than the root cause of it’s existence.
When the authorities don’t protect public safety, then the people often step up to the plate.
The word “vigilante” comes from San Francisco’s vigilance committees of the 1850s during a lawless time in the city:
http://www.vdare.com/posts/vigilante-history-of-a-troublesome-word
bilbo, that is how the Swiss have remained free, During WWII the German Ambassador told the Swiss Prime Minister that they would invade with an Army twice the size of the Swiss army. The reply was, then every soldier will have to fire twice.
The vigilance committees were known long before the 1850s, the left worked hard to get them outlawed since they gave the locals a large say in what was happening. Historically there were abuses by vigilantes but not as much abuse as grows from large governments. The government bureaucrats have to oppose any effort of the communities to protect themselves otherwise the bureaucrats would lose power and control.