£172,000 EDL police bill ‘could have kept two libraries open’

A DEMONSTRATION in Dewsbury by the right-wing English Defence League left taxpayers with a police bill of £4,300 per minute, it was revealed today.

Concerns have been raised about the strain on the public purse after it was revealed the 40-minute rally in June cost £172,000 to police.

Kirklees Council leader Mehboob Khan said: “Forty minutes - that’s £4,300 pounds for policing. Every citizen has the right to be heard but the EDL need to be aware that their demonstrations are taking money from essential front line services at a time when the country is struggling. With £172,000 we could have kept two libraries open for a year.”

About 600 supporters of the EDL gathered outside the town’s railway station. 700 officers were drafted in to keep the peace. There were six arrests. West Yorkshire Police said the operation cost £50,000 pounds to plan and £100,000 in overtime payments and extra officers. British Transport Police, which was also involved, said its costs were £22,835 pounds.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “The police operation was necessary to ensure the safety of the demonstrators and also to reassure the local communities and traders who were affected by their presence. The policing operation successfully met its objective.”

An EDL spokesman said: “The EDL have the right to demonstrate and therefore will use that right.”

Yorkshire Post

West Yorkshire Police call for ban on EDL demo in Bradford

West Yorkshire Police have today asked Bradford City Council to submit a request to the Home Secretary to ban the proposed English Defence League march on Saturday 28 August.

In a strongly worded statement, the police say they believe the risk to public order is enough to warrant a ban on the racist march. This will be the first time any police force has applied for a ban since the EDL tried to march in Luton in summer 2009.

Bradford City Council will now formally request a ban from the Home Secretary and a decision will be announced early next week. However, Home Office officials told HOPE not hate last week that it was highly unlikely the Home Secretary would ignore a request if one were made by the police and council and the stringent criteria for a ban were met.

While there is still a possibility that the EDL might hold a static protest in Bradford, a ban on a demonstration is a major success. The EDL had hoped to march down Manchester Road, a predominantly Muslim area of the city. It is also likely that as news of the ban spreads support for an EDL static protest will dampen.

The decision by West Yorkshire Police is a victory for the HOPE not hate campaign and the thousands of people who signed its Bradford Together petition. “Some people said that a petition was fruitless but we have proved that, when mobilised, ordinary people can exert pressure on the authorities,” said HOPE not hate co-ordinator Nick Lowles.

“While the EDL threat hasn’t completely gone away our campaign has contributed to the racists being kept away from Muslim communities in Bradford. This is a victory for the people of city and especially the 10,700 who signed our petition.”

The HOPE not hate campaign and its Bradford Together initiative will not stop here. If the EDL reapplies for a static protest then we will hold a peace vigil in Bradford City Centre on Friday 27 August. But even if the EDL stays away altogether we shall seek to build on this fantastic campaign to make Bradford Together a lasting initiative.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported us,” added Paul Meszaros, who ran the campaign in Bradford. “Over 10,000 local people signed our petition. That’s over 10,000 successful conversations we have had with ordinary local people.

“We still might face a static EDL protest but this is a significant victory and one we should all be proud of.”

Hope not Hate

West Yorkshire Police race row tribunal is postponed

A West Yorkshire Police employee who is claiming unfair dismissal has had his tribunal postponed.

Gary Marsden I'Anson, 48, from Morley, was arrested and sacked over his alleged association with the British National Party and for using work time to compile right-wing CDs and DVDs. He was arrested at his home on suspicion of possession of written material with intent to incite racial hatred – which he vigorously denied. No charges were brought.

The singer-song writer, who has worked with the police for 23 years, is claiming unfair dismissal and discrimination or victimisation on grounds of religion and belief against West Yorkshire Police. The employment tribunal was halted on its third day because of technical difficulties.

[More on l'Anson and his links to the BNP here]

Yorkshire Evening Post

EDL: Early Departure from Leeds

Image of EDL thugs in Leeds today taken from Indymedia

Back into the vicinity of a computer from the anti-EDL march in Leeds city centre, here's a dogs eye view of the turns of the day so far.

Arriving at about 9:30am into Leeds train station, the streets were notably clear already of anyone but worried looking police and disinterested shoppers. A low line of fencing surrounded city square, where statues were covered up with green tarpaulin and the distictly premature christmas tree that had been there a few days previously had disappeared. Electronic signs and loudspeaker systems were being erected around the square, which was to be the location of the EDL "against muslim extremism" (but of course not racist at all should the shaven headed hordes be believed). Ironically, this location had apparantly been chosen by the EDL as there is a giant statue of a knight on a horse there, who they believed to be St George, but is in fact a statue of "The Black Prince".

A TV van outside the church opposite was having it's doors tested by a couple of policemen seemingly looking for something to do, whilst a policewoman nearby was saying that she hoped noone would show up.

The EDL in Leeds with informant Tony White on the extreme left for a change

Leaving the area for a bit to get some flyers for the Northern Indymedia reporting number photocopied, disturbingly few outside of the area around the station were even aware of what was planned that day. A worker at a coffee shop nearby had heard however and asked if we were planning to attend. They wished the anti EDL demonstrators luck and a free coffee on the house should they return thirsty.

After an hour or so of handing out flyers to various friends and groups who were making their way in ever greater numbers to the city centre, we headed towards the library where various antifascist groups and anti racism campaigners were planning to meet. Again, there was a cordon around the "designated protest zone" and an even heavier police presence at this location. By the time we arrived at about 11.15am, there were very few people, those that were there mainly comprising of UAF stewards in their high visibilty jackets and several people trying to sell a certain newspaper to anyone who showed more than a passing interest in the activity going on.

The police at the entrance to the cordon were struggling to install a metal detector, of the type used at airports and football matches. "I think the batteries about to die Sarge" One policeman was heard shouting across the road. Later in the day, with the protest in full swing, there was still a couple of policemen struggling to make it work, by which point hundreds of people had already passed.

We took some pictures of the line of around 6 police vans and the "battle of the metal detector", and left the cordon to go back down Park Row to see if there was a similar presence at that end of the street. 10 yards down the street however, we were stopped by a police medic who asked what my name was.

"I'm not so sure I want to tell you that" was my first response to this question, unwilling to comply with any attempts to draw me into casual conversation.

"Look, if you're not going to tell me your name, I'm going to arrest you and we can get your name at the station" came the not so friendly reply.

What a surprise - nazi salutes from the EDL

"Surely I'm not required to tell you that" I responded, to which I was told that a blanket section 60 had been placed over the whole of Leeds, authorised by Chief Supt Milson of West Yorkshire Police. This meant, I was told, that they had the power to detain and search me if I was acting in any way suspiciously. When I asked what my suspicious behaviour was, I was told that it was due to me taking photographs of the police.

My efforts to explain that I was covering a major event to contribute to Indymedia, and that it was perfectly natural to be taking pictures when confronted with hundreds of police, a line of police vans and an airport style stop and search area, seemingly carried very little weight. A tense few moments led to a FIT cameraman with a video camera worthy of Universal studios was beckoned to within 3 feet of me to capture the remaining exchange.

As my bag was emptied of the spare socks, bourbons and computer equipment it contained in front of me, a stop and search slip was written out giving the reason "Sec 60 stop. Seen taking photos of police equipment" Of particular note to myself was when I was asked

"Are you a Gypsy or Traveller?"

At first assuming this was some stunning deductive guesswork from the medic, I was surprised to discover that this question actually has it's own y/n box on the form (with an absence of any other similar question on the form, other than the standard "Self Defined Ethnicity Classification" box to which a code was also entered. When I objected to this, and pointed out that it's a fairly offensive thing to include, I was told to bring it up with the home office.

A bunch of EDL supporters with a familiar face popping up?

Finally satisfied with the camerawork of his colleague, the medic turned back into my "Best friend" and helpfully informed me that I wasn't a terrorist after all, with the words:

"If you'd have just given us your name and address when we asked, we wouldn't have had to search you would we as you wouldn't have seemed suspicious", (which is a strange logic when I was stopped for 'acting suspiciously' even before they had chance), before admitting that section 60 is controversial. "It's not very popular, but it works".

Moving down to city square, people were getting ready for the arrival of the fash. The air was noticibly more tense as the police began to grow in numbers and cameras were unloaded from an unmarked BBC van with a satellite dish on the roof. We asked what they were hoping to film, to which they replied they probably wouldn't be broadcasting any coverage unless fighting broke out, and that they were there "just in case". Groups of Antifa activists, clearly and respectably unwilling to be penned in to the "official protest areas" milled about the nearby streets.

Heading back to the library, the numbers were beginning to swell and speakers tried to address the crowd from the steps. A police electronic billboard that had been erected circled in the background with the words "face coverings must not be worn".

A sudden surge of police to block off the Headrow marked the arrival of a few hundred marchers with anarchist flags, seemingly from the Woodhose area of Leeds, being kettled into formation by several rows of police. Scuffles broke out as people tried to break through the lines towards the EDL pen by the station. At least one person was seperated from the crowd and arrested, and police struggled as a flare was lit and the crowd surged forwards, before eventually being pushed back into the barriers at the library.

Once things had calmed down a little, we headed back down Park Row to await the arrival of the EDL from the station. Wheras the Library end of the street was heavily policed, there were noticably fewer at the City Square end at this time. Eventually, a rush of police horses to the station and the distant chanting of "In-ger-land" and other football terrace chants marked the arrival of the fascists, to be held near the bus stops until the police cleared the streets.

Antifascists lined the barriers outside the church, waved flags and shouted "Nazis!", only to be seperated off and silenced by the police who allowed the racist chanting on the other side of the road to continue. A mass of shaven headed people in football shirts stood amongst the antifascists on the side of the road, jeering and shouting support for the EDL, but soon backed off when confonted. Eventually, the EDL, numbering about 150, were penned in city square where they waved st Georges flags and chanted anti muslim slogans, bouncing up and down on the spot as they did so.

And so began the next few hours of the police battling to keep the two groups apart. Whilst the EDL seemed quite happy to drink lager and shout slurred, racist chants, many attempts were made by the anarchist antifascists to break out of the Library pen in numbers, only to be pushed back by both the police and the UAF stewards who were shouting over the megaphone "We have to stay and defend the library". Who they were intending to defend it from is anybody's guess as the fascists were quite happily swaying down the road. Occasionally, a small group of fascists would attempt to make their way to the library, only to be chased down by Antifa activists and spirited away back to their pen by the police to chants of "Police protect the fascists".

The police say 'no masks', yet many of the EDL are masked up

Eventually, at about 3pm, the police surged into city square in large numbers and riot gear and began to push bystanders back to create an area of clear roads around city square. Whilst many hoped that they were finally going to deal with the racist chanting, 2 coaches arrived and the EDL dutifully got on board, leaving the square strewn with beer cans. Antifascists tried to get through, but instead dispersed in small groups to track down groups of skinheads who had slipped away to nearby pubs, most notably Yates's wine bar which had an EDL flag hung up in the window.

Back at the library, groups of frustrated demonstrators attempted to leave the pen chanting "We want to march!", only to be pushed back by a combination of the police and the UAF stewards, still seemingly trying to rally people to "defend the library", despite the fact that the EDL were now sat on 2 coaches and without the stomach to even try. This seemed to be causing tension, and the police were stopping any groups from leaving the pen. A group which had got through, reformed and attempted to break through on Infirmary street were pushed back into the pen by police with batons.

With crowds dispersing, batteries dead and the main throng of fascists gone, we boarded a train and headed back to Bradford, the main impression of the day left in me being that the police seemed to have gone to extraordinary lengths to silence the antifascists, whilst giving the EDL centre stage. Looking at the "Gypsy/Traveller - y/n" section of my yellow slip, I tried to imagine why.

Jim Dog
Northern Indymedia

Shouting loud

As police officers from around the country gather today to discuss the English Defence League let us hope that there is no ambiguity about the strength of feeling on this issue.

So far over 7,300 letters have been sent to Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire police in protest at the proposed EDL march in Leeds and 2,663 letters have been sent to the Home Secretary calling for the EDL to be prevented from coming to Manchester.

Later today I will be writing to Leeds City Council expressing our disappointment at their refusal to approach the Home Office for a ban. I’ll also be writing to every Leeds City Councillor reminding them of their duty to uphold good community relations and that the thousands of local people who have sent the council letters will not forgive their elected representatives if violence breaks out.

Meanwhile the BNP is getting in on the act with the release of a ‘Stop Islamic Colonisation — No More Mosques’ T-shirt. Their website claims this is by popular demand but it is clearly an attempt to tap in to the publicity generated by the EDL and its protests.

• To add your support to the Leeds protest, please visit here.
• To add your support to the Manchester protest, please visit here.

HOPE not hate

Stop the EDL from marching in Leeds

Yesterday we launched a campaign to stop the racist football hooligans of the English Defence League from marching in Leeds city centre on 31 October. We sent out emails to 10,000 people in Yorkshire and within 18 hours over 2,150 letters have gone in to West Yorkshire Police and Leeds City Council calling on them to apply to the Home Secretary for a ban.

This is a fantastic start and shows the strength of feeling about this issue. However, we need more signatures.

If you would like to add your voice to the campaign please visit: http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/leeds

HOPE not hate

Leeds police worker sacked over 'BNP links'

A West Yorkshire Police employee has been arrested and sacked over his alleged association with the British National Party and for using work time to compile right-wing CDs and DVDs.

Gary Marsden I'Anson, a controversial right wing singer-songwriter who has worked for the police for 23 years, is claiming unfair dismissal and racial discrimination against West Yorkshire Police. He was arrested at his Morley home on suspicion of possession of written material with intent to incite racial hatred – which he vigorously denied. No charges were brought. After being suspended on full pay he was eventually sacked in February, after a two-year investigation.

West Yorkshire Police told the YEP in a statement that Mr I'Anson was dismissed for the "excessive amount of working time he used to compile music CDs and DVDs and for his association with and contribution to BNP funds which is incompatible with values of West Yorkshire Police."

Mr I'Anson, 48, a police imaging officer, said he was not a member of the far-right British National Party. He insisted: "There were no grounds for my arrest", adding: "The last two years have been devastating for myself, my partner, family and friends."

When his home was raided in 2007 he said more than 500 items were seized , including:

• Union Jack flags;
• a local BNP leaflet poster;
• a picture by his 11 -year-old's daughter of his band with the Union Jack;
• two laptops;
• hundreds of CDs;
• audio visual equipment.

Mr I'Anson uploads his controversial songs to the internet under the name Anglo Saxon. His self - penned songs include This Is England which refers to the dead of two world wars, those who "crossed the skies for 30 pieces of silver", and a "time for Britannia to close the door". There are pictures on his website of the Tavistock Square London bombing, British soldiers tending wounded comrades, police in riot gear combating petrol bombs, pictures of both Queen Elizabeths, Queen Victoria, Henry VIII, Winston Churchill, Shakespeare and Keats.

Mr I'Anson said he believed he was the first British songwriter to be the subject of a criminal inquiry over his published lyrics.

"I was in custody for nine hours, questioned for four hours and bailed. On answering bail I was in custody for seven hours and was questioned extensively again and released on bail to August 24 2007 when I was re-bailed to October 19 2007."

On October 18 2007 he said he was told the investigation was at an end with no further action and he could collect his property the next day.

Defending his lyrics, he said: "The lyrics of This is England are not remotely racist, there is no mention of race. The only thing I could be accused of is touching on some uncomfortable truths. This is the most outrageous attack on freedom of speech, artistic expression and an abuse of the criminal law for the purposes of political correctness and internal discipline."

West Yorkshire Police said they will contest his claim for unfair dismissal.

Yorkshire Evening Post

Note from LU: Whether l'Anson is a member of the BNP or not is beside the point. He certainly has sympathy with the far-right party and played at the party's annual piss-up, the Red, White and Blue 'festival' in 2007 - the recording is still available through the BNP's tat-arm, Excalibur.

The image below shows the graphic links from a page on which he has posted (Action in England).

Action in England has this telling statement in its introduction:

'This website sets out to inform its readers about the truth of the failed experiment of multiculturalism and the real and present danger to our culture and our people by the huge influx of foreigners into our country...'

Seems pretty clear to us where his sympathies lie.