How true are Breivik's claims? - The Guardian

Claim "Three out of five Englishmen believe that the UK has turned into a dysfunctional society as a result of multiculturalism." Breivik claimed to be quoting from a survey in the Times newspaper on February 9 2010.

Fact Breivik appears to be inaccurately citing the paper's lead story on that date, based on a Populus poll, which makes no reference to multiculturalism and immigration. It reads: "Nearly three-fifths of voters say that they hardly recognise the country they are living in." But the target of their ire does not appear to be immigrants. The paper says: "Voters' main fire is directed at political institutions: 73% say politics is broken in Britain and 77% say there are far fewer people in public life that they admire than there used to be. The poll suggests anger at MPs who have had to repay expenses. A third say that they will vote against their local MP if he or she is required to repay money."

Claim Breivik asked his audience to look at Luton "and the more than 1,000 Islamic no-go zones where police do not dare pass through". The city was, he said, living in "warlike conditions".

Fact Bedfordshire police said in a statement that "no-go areas do not exist in Bedfordshire". According to the 2001 census, 60% of inhabitants in Luton are Christian and 15% are Muslim. A 2009 Office of National Statistics report estimates that Asian or Asian British people make up 18.9% of the population in the area. It has, however, been cited as a home to some people with extremist views. The Muslin group Al-Muhajiroun was based there before it was banned. A Muslim protest in March 2010 was staged against soldiers returning from the Iraq war. The English Defence League has staged protests there.

Claim "Norwegians are becoming a minority in their capital city."

Fact According to a Statistic Norway report in January 2011, the number of immigrants and Norwegians born to immigrant parents accounted for 12.2% of the total population in Norway as per 1 January 2011, with immigrants from Poland making up the largest group, followed by Swedes, Germans and Iraqis.

It adds: "During 2010, the number of Norwegian-born to immigrant parents increased from 93 000 to 100 400 persons. Those with Pakistani parents made up the largest group of all Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, with 14 400. Norwegian-born to Somali parents were the second largest group (7 800), followed by those with parents from Vietnam (7 400), Iraq (6 600) and Turkey (5 900)."

Of the 599,200 inhabitants of Oslo, 28.4% were immigrants or Norwegians born to immigrant parents.

Claim The liberal left boycott democracy when nationalists take power. "For example, when [Jörg] Haider came to power in Austria, 14 countries in the EU boyotted Austria."

Fact The "boycott" referred to by Breivik appears to be a reference to the diplomatic sanctions imposed by 14 members of the European Union, led by France and Germany, on Austria in Feb 2000 after the Freedom party and its controversial leader Jörg Haider entered the ruling coalition in Vienna as a junior partner to Schuessel's People's party. The EU members acted, according to the German foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, because "this is the first time an anti-European, xenophobic party with a very dubious relationship with the Nazi past has come into the government of a member state". The boycott lasted seven months.

Caroline Davies