February 10, 2009

Birmingham clashes feared at demo over BNP teacher hearing

Adam Walker talking rubbish through a megaphone
Labour and Liberal Democrat city councillors are backing a demonstration being held in Birmingham against a teacher who faces the sack for allegedly contributing to a British National Party website discussion on asylum seekers and homosexuality while conducting a lesson.

Adam Walker, a BNP member from Sunderland, is appearing this week before the General Teaching Council in Birmingham. The GTC will decide what action to take against Mr Walker, 39, who is being defended by the BNP’s general secretary.

Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, became the most senior figure to promote Wednesday's rally, which is due to get under way at 12.30pm in Victoria Square, yards from the General Teaching Council headquarters. Coun Tilsley (Lib Dem Sheldon) said: “I am happy to support the anti-BNP demonstration, as they have no part to play in a modern multi-party democracy. Their platform is divisive and supports the Nazi policies that caused death and destruction and the deaths of 30 million people.”

Sparkbrook Respect councillor Salma Yaqoob added: “The BNP is a racist, fascist organisation. It is not a legitimate political party. Their policies are openly racist and would be a catastrophe for the people of Birmingham. We can discuss and argue with parties we disagree with but there can be no discussion with people who want to remove us from the country.”

Organisers of the protest fear that the BNP is planning its own demonstration in support of Mr Walker – raising fears of a clash between left and far-right groups.

Yardley Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming accused the BNP of being the “heirs of Hitler parading in Victoria Square”. Mr Hemming said: “We call on the people of Birmingham to express peaceful opposition to the politics of racial and religious hatred and to make it clear there is no place in Birmingham for organisations which wish to expel religious and racial minorities.”

In a statement, also signed by Ladywood Labour MP Clare Short, the councillors said: “Birmingham is famous as a vibrant multicultural city composed of people from many parts of the world. The BNP wants an exclusively white Britain and is led by a person who has denied the Holocaust and who now blames Muslims for Britain’s problems.”

BNP West Midlands spokesman Simon Darby accused the councillors of “meddling in matters that are not their concern”. Mr Darby added: “They are basically trying to get someone the sack because he does not support their political views, and that has got to be wrong.”

Birmingham Post

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Walker's a racist shitbag who deserves the sack.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't want him teaching my kids!

Anonymous said...

Its OK, I'm sure that his Union Leader.... I mean him, will spend all the the vast resources available to Solidarity.... I mean whatevers left of 100 members subs, after ;-) expenses!!!!

Anonymous said...

I'll be there. We need as many people as possible to turn up to force the GTC to realise that any BNP presence in schools cannot be tolerated.

Anonymous said...

It looks like he's got the whole of Solidarity with him in that picture.

Anonymous said...

The BNP site says

“Unlike last hearing, there will be no demonstration from our side,” continued Mr Harrington. “This case is about important human and civic rights.”

So it wasn't about that last time? Harrington really is a dick.

Anonymous said...

BNP West Midlands spokesman Simon Darby accused the councillors of “meddling in matters that are not their concern”

Teachers being racist isn't a councillors concern, church leaders shouldn't meddle in politics, nobody in fact should meddle with anything that involves criticising the BNP. What, is the BNP above all criticism?

Anonymous said...

"I'll be there. We need as many people as possible to turn up to force the GTC to realise that any BNP presence in schools cannot be tolerated."

Absolutely. Well said.

Anonymous said...

The GTC does not even need to deal with Solidarity and Walker's representative, Patrick Harrington.

Solidarity is not certified as an 'Independent' trade union which means that no employer need not recognise them, deal with them or even accept the discciplined employee's union representative.

All this street action and protests and the BNP getting their nose in to the affair and Harrington strutting the stage like some prized arrogant dick is immaterial.

All that the GTC need do is see Walker on his own and exclude Harrington and his dead-duck 'trade union'.

Anonymous said...

If that photo is from today, I think Londoners should be asking Dicky just what hes up to, last weekend in Southampton, today Birmingham, yet he is paid a hefty wage to represent people in London, about time he got on and did it.

tulip

Anonymous said...

'Action Man' Harrington (platic man with a plastic personality and possessing no balls) must be loving all the attention.

He was fascism's Mr Invisible Man until he took over Squalidarity.

He hasn't had as much attention since the 80s when he was the focus of demonstrations at his London college when he was in the NF.

Now he's with his old fascist buddy Griffin he's lovinga every minute of it.

Wait til the fun starts in Birmingham and he and Griffin will be running like the squealing rats they are.