April 17, 2010

Fascists in profile: Karen Otty

As we approach the council and parliamentary elections on 6th May, a fair few up-and-coming fascists will receive exposure by standing in elections. Who are they and what, if anything, distinguishes them from the far-right’s old guard? Liverpool Antifascists takes a look. First up is Anfield candidate Karen Otty.

Full name: Karen Gillian Otty
DOB: 12th January 1974
Role: Secretary, Merseyside BNP
Standing: Anfield, prospective city councillor

Karen Otty [pictured, left, outside her delightful Anfield des res, with Jamie Luby and Peter Tierney] has been described by Merseyside BNP organiser Peter Squire, on the laughably illiterate Merseyside BNP blog, as a “female activist warrior Queen.” As far as we can tell, this is the “feminine” equivalent of the self-aggrandising title of “super activist” given to Peter Tierney and Tony Ward, essentially for seeking out confrontation and trying to intimidate the public.

However, on her Facebook profile, she describes herself thus;
'I have read an extensive amount of imaginative literature (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror) and I have also been avid fan of many Sci-fi programs. I found that such material stimulated my mind and allowed for new and creative ways of thinking. However, more recently I have developed a great appriciation for my own British History and am reading extensivly in this area. I completed my undergrad degree at Liverpool Hope in 1999 (Theology and Religious Studies 2:1). I also took courses in psycology and sociology. I then took up a place at Lancaster University to follow a Masters in Religious Studies. At Lancaster I was involved in extra-curricula Politics and Religion group. This presented an opportunity for staff and students to discuss related material of interest. I also participated in a post-graduate seminar group. This was designed as an informal arena for students to practise writing and presenting a lecture and chair the post-lecture discussion. I graduated from Lancaster in 2000 with a view to proceed to PhD. However after 3 years of trying for funding this did not happen! I decided to teach instead and in 2004 left Edge Hill with a PGCE in RE and Citizenship. Of course this never worked out either and I spent 2 miserable years on supply. I now have a ‘proper’ job that I could have got 10 years ago with 5 GCSE’s.'
Riveting stuff.With the BNP being her sole social outlet for the past 18 months, Otty has risen through the ranks quickly. As well as attending events such as the BNP’s Red, White & Blue scumfest, she has written articles for the BNP’s Identity magazine, and her day-to-day work for the party involves admin, paperwork, and sending out letters to members.But, it seems, the life of an activist warrior Queen and dedicated party apparatchik is not all paper-packing and envelope-licking.Here she is in London, during the recent public announcement of their membership rules changes;

Merseyside BNP at party election headquarters, London, 13/2/10.
Left to right: Karen Otty, Gary Lucas, Peter Squire, London Assembly
Member Richard Barnbrook, Terence Oakes, two unknowns, Andy Leary
Here she is at a protest outside Liverpool Crown Court, where BNP demonstrators made a holy show of themselves;

Left to right: Veronika Martel (face half-cut off picture),
Hazel Hesketh, unknown, Karen Otty, two unknowns, Peter Stafford Snr

And here she is at an English Defence League demonstration outside the House of Lords in support of Geert Wilders;

The BNP’s stance on the EDL is extremely clear. According to Nick Griffin, “the English Defence League is a dangerous and obvious “honey trap” fake organisation and is completely proscribed for any members of the British National Party.” But it is well known that this “proscription” isn’t enforced to any noteworthy degree and their marches remain well attended by members of the BNP and other assorted fascists.

Obviously, we cannot take this as concrete proof that Otty is in the EDL. Attending a demonstration they have held does not prove that she holds any kind of membership. It does prove that she is refusing to follow the proscription order and keep her distance from them.

The likelihood is that the combination of visceral racism and the desire for confrontation is to much for a half-hearted ban of one fascist organisation is not going to stop those from another fascist organisation coming along for kicks. For example here is what BNP member, and friend of Otty, Jamie Luby posted on his brother Eddie’s Facebook wall on the day of the EDL demo in Bolton;

Even if it turns out that Otty is not a member of the EDL, this is neither here nor there. What we do know is that she has attended at least one of their demonstrations and that she (not to mention our old friend, “super activist” Peter Tierney) maintain a close comradeship with Jamie Luby, who has openly professed his willingness to fight with “Pakis”.

Clearly, she is not of the new school of BNP activists, who would at least make pretensions to dissasociate themselves from such people. More than that, she remains a committed activist for the BNP, whose racist and anti-working class credentials are well established.

She wants your vote on 6th May, claiming to stand up for the local people of Anfield. It is worth remembering not only that she is a member of the party which stands opposed to organised labour and the idea of workers standing up for their rights, but she is the friend and colleague of seasoned fascists who are only too happy to use violence and intimidation against antifascists and trade unionists.

There are many ways to respond to the elections on May 6th. You may want to vote for a workers’ alternative, such as the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, for the Greens as an antidote to the pro-business politics of the big three, or you may view voting as an unneccesary distraction from organising within our own communities.

Whatever the case, that is up to you and Liverpool Antifascists will not patronise you by telling you what to do with your vote.What we will say is that Karen Otty and her fellow fascist goons do not deserve it.

A vote for the BNP is not a protest vote – it is a vote for FASCISM.

Liverpool Antifascists

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice work on exposing this nasty Nazi :)

Anonymous said...

"such material stimulated my mind and allowed for new and creative ways of thinking". Which makes you wonder how bad things were before.

Anonymous said...

She has apparently worked hard to gain all those qualifications. That's good.
But her politics! That's terrible.
In fact choosing the BNP makes one question the quality of education she received.

Anonymous said...

Fiction, fantasy and horror......sums up the BNP and EDL. Sounds like she has found like-minded 'friends'.

Mickey Matosis said...

"appriciation...psycology"

And this idiot trained to be a teacher? Thank God the BNP will ensure that educational standards rise - oh, wait a minute...

Anonymous said...

This blog is verging on sexist kool it.
Sam.

Anonymous said...

Is there a reason why we haven't seen a BNP manifesto yet?

Couldn't be because they got to "Send all the darkies home" and couldn't think of anything else to write could it?

Or are they just going to crib off those already published putting their own unique spin on it?

Workingman said...

"I have read an extensive amount of imaginative literature"

I have also read many of the bnp blogs Karen but i would describe them as bilious drivel.

Anonymous said...

That manifesto in full:

No Coloureds (exc. those deemed useful in the Media / Court).

No Foreigners (exc. attractive female ones, especially those working in massage parlours (gender neutral prohibition for party stalwarts).

No to EU (exc. receipt of EU pay / pensions / perks)

British Jobs for British Workers (exc. British workers who would rather sit on their arse claiming benefits doing nothing but whining about foreigners taking all the jobs).

No to drugs (exc. current drug users in the BNP).

National Service (because NS is only DAP short of the fuhrers vision).

blah blah

Philip Dick said...

What a beauty! In the second photo she looks like she's got her arse on backwards.

Btw, spotty teenagers call science fiction sci-fi (they usually mean Terry Pratchett type stuff), the cognoscenti have always referred to real science fiction as SF.

Anonymous said...

"BNP being her sole social outlet for the past 18 months"

Good research Liverpool anti-fascsist

A big reason why sad inadequates like Otty join extremist groups (left, right or religious) is because they are social misfits who yearn for social companionship and comradeship. However, such friendships, with a few exceptions, are largely fake and built on sand. They are only sustained as long as you agree with the party principles and do the work of an activist. Once you leave said group or your interest wains, and the vast majority do, those 'friendships' wither and those you thought were friends become strangers again.

Just ask Mark Collett!

Anonymous said...

Is there a reason why we haven't seen a BNP manifesto yet?

I dont think they have got anymore bile to rant on about, and have run out of ideas...

Anonymous said...

Printer "I'm really worried about all the reds, it's causing delays in getting your campaign material distributed".

Karen "I know those Marxist, Trotskyite, Communist, SWP, Class War types are everywhere".

Printer "No I'm referring to the red underlines on your material, can you not stop using Microsoft Word or at least run the damn spell checker".

Anonymous said...

the bnp obviously have an orchard full of ugly trees, just so they can pick their candidates

tulip

Anonymous said...

Ok - Its about time we started releasing details of were you live and include pictures of your houses.

I think the shy and retiring Denise should be the first followed by tulip.

See how you like it.

Be seeing you!!

Andrew said...

Judging by the window display, I can only assume that the price of glass in Merseyside is far lower than in the rest of Britain. Either that, or it was just done for the photo.

Anonymous said...

Does any Scousers have any dirt to dish on Mike Bell, the Liverpudlian BNP nazi now resident in West Heath, Birmingham and council candidate for Longbridge ward, Birmingham City Council??

Thank you.

New user said...

Talk of 'smashing the UAF' is not at all politically incorrect, as the BNP constantly and in parrot fashion talks about. It is quite the opposite and reeks of a party that cannot hide behind the fact that it was founded on Nazi ideology, is led by a Holocaust denier and whenever it is challenged upon this, it goes into Captain Mainwaring mode!

Political incorrectness BNP-style is okay as long as they can spread its racialist policies on their own (and sometime the BBC's) soapbox, but when the tide turns, fascistic hypocrisy reigns supreme.

We will never stop exposing them as the constantly lying and conniving Hitler-lovers that they are.

Anonymous said...

Ok - Its about time we started releasing details of were you live and include pictures of your houses.

I think the shy and retiring Denise should be the first followed by tulip.

See how you like it.

Be seeing you!!


That was a Party Election Broadcast by the BNP. One of their classics!!!

Anonymous said...

anon @ 9.41 bring it on sunbeam, Im really scared of your throw away camera. "no you just press that button"

hahaha

tulip

Anonymous said...

Mike Bell, son of the Wirral BNP organiser, recently got a telling off (but not a suspension or nuthin), for speaking at a neo-nazi rally/gig in Deutschland. Nein nein, Herr Bell, nein in public, anyway!

Here's the dirt: http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/news/article/1356/Midlands-BNP-officers-speak-at-German-neo-nazi-rally