Sweden Democrat steps down over racist rant

A top official of the Sweden Democrats has resigned after a video depicting him making racist and sexist remarks was revealed by a newspaper. MP Erik Almqvist, who has been forced into the spotlight following the release of the 2010 clip, announced that he was to step down from a top role in the party as a result of the scandal.

Jimmie Åkesson, head officer of the Sweden Democrat party, told the media in a statement, “I’ve spoken with Erik Almqvist today and he’s accepted leaving his position as our economic policy spokesperson as well as his place in the executive committee,” The Local news agency reports. Åkesson went on to say, “I’ve also urged him to consider leaving his position in the Riksdag.”

In the video, Almqvis can be seen with two other party members pushing and harassing an intoxicated man, using a number of racial slurs, including “darkie” and “darkie-lover”. In addition, Mr Almqvis referred to a 21-year-old female as a “whore” when she tried to get the three men to leave the drunken man alone. The woman was unaware of who Almqvis or the other men were, according to reports.

The clip was originally made public by the Expressen tabloid; when reporters confronted Mr Almqvis about the incident, he initially denied any involvement. However, once the full clip was available, the Sweden Democrats quickly called a crisis meeting.

“We’ve seen statements and behaviour which are totally unacceptable,” Åkesson said.

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