UPDATE: Misha Dellinger resigns.
Misha Dellinger, district secretary for southwest Finland will resign. Dellinger announced its decision on Friday morning.
“The uproar of recent days has eaten up the trust without which it is impossible to do the job of the office. Therefore, all I can do is take responsibility for the situation and step down. I thank those who have worked with me for the past year and apologize for the disappointment I have had, ”says Misha Dellinger.
Earlier Friday morning, Li Andersson, chairman of the Left Alliance, commented on the situation. According to her, all violence and intimidation is strongly condemned.
Li Andersson was on state TV a few years ago refusing to denounce violence committed in the street by Leftist activists…
Crusty Old Sea Dog was the name of the account set up by, Misha Dellinger, a friend of present Education Minister, Li Andersson, who has now condemned the statements found on her colleague’s account. He denies writing the tweets. There are lots of eyes however looking at Dan Koivulaakso, as being one of the account’s members, who has publically favored violence as a “political expression”. It remains to be seen if he was involved, but it wouldn’t come as a surprise for many if he was.
Li Andersson: “The matter doesn’t end here” – A Twitter account set up by the Left Alliance’s district secretary called for the killing of fascists and climate change deniers
According to the Left Alliance, the violent messages were written by two other people to whom the director handed over his account.
Chairman of the Left Alliance, Minister of Education Li Andersson, denounced the writings posted on the Twitter account of Misha Dellinger, the party’s district secretary for southwest Finland.
According to Andersson, the writings of the anonymous Twitter account linked to Dellinger “are completely and simply unacceptable and in no way represent the values of the party”.
Andersson commented on the incident on Friday morning on Twitter. Andersson says everyone involved in the Left Alliance must commit to human rights and non-violence.
“Without this commitment, you cannot be part of our active, trusted officials or staff team, Andersson writes.
According to Andersson, Dellinger has submitted a report stating that there are several people who have entered the account and, according to his explanation, he has not written any of the tweets reported by Yle.
[…]
That’s where it all came from: “Climate Change Deniers Should Be Shot”
“I think we should kill the fascists.”
“Climate Change Deniers Should Be Shot”
[…]
In the tweet of the account, “Fascists” are defined in particular as the Finns Party, many by name. According to the account, the Finns are a “fascist party”. The account also calls Jari Ehrnrooth , a writer and cultural scholar, a fascist.
Messages in favor of violence were written during 2017 and 2016. The Twitter account is closed, but messages can still be found online, for example in Google’s cache.
Screenshots of posts started circulating on the web, for example, in the Ylilauta forum a week and a half ago.
The Twitter account was active until recent days, but is now closed.
Yle has been trying to reach Dellinger since Thursday morning. The Left Alliance commented on the matter to YLE on Thursday afternoon.
According to the Left Alliance, the account was set up by Dellinger. However, according to the party, Dellinger has not written any of the posts.
“There is no reason to doubt the employee’s word on this matter”
The Left Alliance explains that Dellinger would have handed over the account to two other people who would have written the Tweets.
– This is what he has answered me when I asked the matter, says the Left Alliance party secretary Mikko Koikkalainen , who has discussed the matter with Dellingerin today, Thursday.
Why would he make his account available to other people?
– I can’t say. If your account has had a lot of followers, then maybe that’s why.
This gives rise to the suspicion that he has distributed messages through his anonymous account that could not be published under his own name.
– I understand what you mean. But I have no reason to doubt the answer that he has given up his account and set up another account.
What evidence do you have that Dellinger did not write the messages himself?
– Obviously you can’t prove anything like that.
So you trust Dellinger’s word here?
– There is no reason to doubt the employee’s word on this.
Why didn’t Dellinger intervene when the account he set up started spreading messages encouraging violence?
– I don’t know if he was particularly aware.
The account has been active on Twitter. For example, it has been discussed with other politicians of the Left Alliance.
– I wasn’t aware of that.
Are you still working out in the Left Alliance?
– So far there is no reason to investigate further.
An accountable person in the Left has set up an account and handed it over to other people, after which the account has spread violence. He has done nothing about it and has not told you. Doesn’t it make you worried?
– This has been asked and resolved from him. I don’t know if I have other ways to find out more. He was not employed (when the account was set up and when the messages were sent).
Misha Dellinger has been a candidate in the Left Alliance for Local Elections 2012 and 2017. He has been Executive Director of the party Western region since February 2018. Prior to this, he served for a long time as District Secretary for the Left Alliance’s Youth People’s party in Southwest Finland.
“I apologize for the uproar around this issue”
Misha Dellinger commented late Thursday night on his Twitter account. In his remarks, Dellinger states that the account that posted the violence-promoting messages was set up before his employment with the Left Alliance began. According to him, the messages are not written by him.
On Twitter, Dellinger apologizes for the uproar, but not directly the content of the messages. He says he condemns violence and intimidation.
The Left Alliance shared on Dellinger’s statement on Twitter. Earlier Thursday night, the party had pledged its opposition to violence and threats of violence.
