Nazi threat

Shadow of fascism spreads: 'Soldiers of Odin' begin patrolling streets of Finland

Far-right militia groups are assuming police functions by patrolling the streets in Finnish towns housing asylum seekers. The "Soldiers of Odin," who always dressed in black jackets, claim they are protecting native Finns from immigrants, Reuters reports. 

Finland's authorities have become increasingly concerned with the group's activity, as its numbers have grown to hundreds. While it is claimed that the group is not supported by the majority of Finns, the anti-migrant, anti-Muslim group reflects the discontent of many Europeans with the continent's unprecedented refugee crisis. 

The group has around 500 members across the country, according to Finnish paper Karjalan Heili. 

"We woke up to a situation where many different cultures met. It caused fear and concern in the community. We started to gather a bunch of people," one of the organizers, Mika Ranta, told Finnish daily Aamulehti. "The biggest issue was when we learned from Facebook that new asylum seekers were peering through the gates of primary schools, looking at young girls."