The Swedish Government decided not to extend the law regarding symbols

The World Jewish Congress and the Swedish Committee against Anti-Semitism SKMA asked the Minister for Justice (The Minister for Justice is responsible for legislation and general administrative law, civil law, procedural law and criminal law) Morgan Johansson to look into extending the law regarding symbols used by neo nazi groups in general and Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) in perticular. NMR increased their activism across the country in recent years.This have raised concerns in the jewish community in Sweden. The issue escalated during an event in Gothenburg in 2017. 

NMR currently use the Tyr rune as their symbol on their homepage and during events (see link). Tyr was used by nazi soldiers on their uniforms, as well as Odal.

Previous law have placed Odal in combination with other symbols like the wreath and an eagle in the category of hate symbols. None of these symbols are hate symbols on their own, it is, as we always have to remember, the CONTEXT that matters. The same goes for the nazi swastika, the most wellknown hate symbol we know. Here again, it’s the context that matters. When it is attached to hate speech/events, political propaganda it is within a context applicable to law.

The inquiry by World Jewish Congress and SKMA lead to an investigation where it was desided that no further adjustment of the law is needed. This also means that NMR can keep the Tyr rune as their symbol. 

While speaking about hate groups using historical symbols, here are a few examples from the United States where runes seem to be pretty common.