September 14, 2009

Councillor claims he was harassed by BNP-supporting youths

A district councillor who spoke up for the right of a Muslim group to use a community hall claims to have been harassed and threatened by BNP supporters.

Independent Roding Ward councillor Stephen Murray said he had been verbally intimated and threatened with a dog by youths after he spoke out against a BNP leaflet claiming the Murray Hall had been turned into a mosque by a prayer group.

He said: “I had just entered the recreation ground around 4.30 in the afternoon. I passed a teenager I didn't recognise with his dog. As I went past he threatened to set his dog on me. He was clearly a BNP supporter. He was shouting pro BNP slogans at me. It was a clear threat. A couple of days after that I was spotted by a group of six or seven youths in their teens or early 20s who personally abused me shouting across the fields at me. They were saying 'You should apologise. You got it wrong.' They said very personal, vile swearing at me. Really awful personal abuse. I've never had that in 28 years of being a local school teacher.”

Mr Murray said the incidents must be linked to him speaking out about a Muslim prayer group which rents the Murray Hall, in Borders Lane, on Friday afternoons. The groups is led by Noor Ramjanally who was recently arrested by Essex Police and charged with perverting the course after alleging he had been kidnapped at knifepoint.

Mr Murray said: “It was about the Murray Hall without a shadow of a doubt. Because I've defended the right of local people to rent it out I'm subjected to this. They think I'm bullying them for what did or didn't happen to Mr Ramjanlly.”

The councillor also attacked a local unofficial BNP website which has written an online article attacking his views and describing him as “The despicable Cllr Murray”. He said: “There's certainly something going on. It's the first time they've criticised me directly. It just show what their supporters are prepared to do.”

Mr Murray said he was awaiting a police visit to pursue the incidents.

Epping Forest Guardian

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

On August 30th David Irving held a garden party, can somebody please pass on the photo on the link below to someone in the press, I can see BNP Cllr Julian Leppert and ex-BNP press spokesman Stewart Russell alias Phil Edwards in attendance, can anybody out there spot any more?

http://www.fpp.co.uk/docs/Irving/RadDi/2009/310809.html

Anonymous said...

Well Arthur Kemp will not be there after Irving told everyone who would listen that Kemp was a traitor and a spy! Shame to miss the garden party!

Jace said...

Which photo and which ones are they?

Anonymous said...

Please type in html at the end of the web address to see the garden party photo, there is a big skin head there, sitting next to Leppert, who campaigns in Epping.

Anonymous said...

Is there a way to enlarge the pictures?

Looks Johnathen Bowden in the lower photo, near to window

Antifascist said...

In that top image, it looks like Leppert still has his postman shorts on. And is that Jonathan Bowden standing up talking to the guy in the white shirt and black tie?

And I have to say it - it looks like Harold Shipman is sitting in front of Leppert.

Still don't see Russell/Edwards though...

Anonymous said...

Yes Leppert is on the right (you can just see his head and knee.) Bowden is at the back standing in grey jacket,talking to man in white shirt and tie. Edwards/Russell is siting in the middle with white tie, purple shirt and black jacket. The media should have a field day with this?

Anonymous said...

Edwards/Russell is siting in the middle with white tie, purple shirt and black jacket.

I think you need glasses. I don't know who that is but it's definitely not Edwards/Russell. He's older and fatter.

Anonymous said...

I just need a microscope/magnifying glass to make out any faces.

can you now enlarge please for us oldies?

tulip