Al Jazeera English - GENERAL - Denmark's gang war: "bloody gang war between bikers and youths of immigrant origin has shattered Copenhagen's customary calm, prompting officials into threatening draconian legislation.
The latest street violence was sparked in August 2008 when a young Turkish man was killed, supposedly by a member of the Hells Angels group.
Since then, the conflict has left dozens dead or wounded - some innocent bystanders.
In DEPTH
For Kim Kliver, the head of the National Investigation Centre in Copenhagen, the gang war is criminal, not racial, in its origin.
'Basically it is the control of the criminal markets, that means the narcotics markets, that means the trafficking of human beings into prostitution and the money they can earn on these criminal activities,' Kliver says.
But, not everyone agrees that the violence is part of a turf war over organised crime. Some see race and the so-called 'integration problem' as the chief cause.
Khaled Ramadan, an academic, artist and journalist, says that second and third generation immigrants are feeling frustrated by the Danish establishment.
'... The establishment has a problem. The media is basically booming the problem and the street is already in trouble and frustration. Frustration [leads to] revolution. It [leads to] crime. It [leads to] antagonism.'"
The latest street violence was sparked in August 2008 when a young Turkish man was killed, supposedly by a member of the Hells Angels group.
Since then, the conflict has left dozens dead or wounded - some innocent bystanders.
In DEPTH
For Kim Kliver, the head of the National Investigation Centre in Copenhagen, the gang war is criminal, not racial, in its origin.
'Basically it is the control of the criminal markets, that means the narcotics markets, that means the trafficking of human beings into prostitution and the money they can earn on these criminal activities,' Kliver says.
But, not everyone agrees that the violence is part of a turf war over organised crime. Some see race and the so-called 'integration problem' as the chief cause.
Khaled Ramadan, an academic, artist and journalist, says that second and third generation immigrants are feeling frustrated by the Danish establishment.
'... The establishment has a problem. The media is basically booming the problem and the street is already in trouble and frustration. Frustration [leads to] revolution. It [leads to] crime. It [leads to] antagonism.'"
Al Jazeera English - GENERAL - Denmark's gang war
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April 12, 2010
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