Journalism becoming very dangerous in Europe

We may be seeing the start of a disturbing trend in Europe-as if that continent doesn't have enough disturbing trends already.  That is the increasing threat to journalists who dare write openly and honestly about the threat of radical Islamists and immigrant gangs.

This week, a popular Swedish freelance journalist named Joakim Lamotte announced on Instagram that he was leaving journalism due to increased threats against him and his family. He also told his followers that he had filed hundreds of police complaints which were never acted upon. Lamotte has been noted for reporting live from the so-called "vulnerable areas" of Swedish cities, in actuality, areas where Muslim migrants live, areas so dangerous, they are commonly called "no-go zones" by the populace. Most recently, Lamotte covered riots in several Swedish towns by Muslims outraged by the Koran-burning activities of Danish activist and politician, Rasmus Paludan (who actually has Danish-Swedish dual citizenship). It was subsequent to these incidents and riots that the threats reportedly increased against Lamotte and his family.

Last year in the Netherlands, Peter R. De Vries, a well-known crime reporter, was shot to death as he was leaving a TV studio in Amsterdam. Two suspects were arrested minutes later, and their trial is just now concluding. One of the suspects is a native of Poland while the other is a Dutch national rap artist, but it is strongly suspected by police that the killing was ordered by the notorious Moroccan Mafia of the Netherlands. De Vries, among other things, was close to one of the Dutch government's chief witnesses in the ongoing prosecution of Moroccan Mafia leader Ridouan Taghi and others (the so-called Marengo Trial). De Vries was the same reporter who secretly videotaped admissions from Joran Van der Sloot, the suspect in the notorious disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005 in Aruba.

It would be nice to think that these two cases were anomalies, but given the refusal of the EU and Western European governments to stem the flow of migrants and the lax judicial system, we are seeing the rise of several new mafias in Europe. The Italians are dealing with a very vicious Nigerian mafia. In places like France and Sweden, we are seeing various gangs from various parts of the world fighting each other on the streets. I am not very optimistic that we have seen the last of these threats and killings of journalists who, unlike many of their colleagues, are brave enough to report the true situation to their respective audiences.