November 30, 2010

Hate crime figures published for the first time

4 Comment (s)
Graffiti at a Manchester synagogue - 700 anti-Semitic crimes were reported
Hate crime figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been published for the first time.

In 2009 a total of 52,028 crimes were recorded in which the offence was motivated by prejudice. Victims were targeted because of race, religious belief, sexual orientation, disability or transgender issues. Chief Constable Stephen Otter of police chiefs' body Acpo said: "By publishing this data...we hope to encourage victims and witnesses to come forward."

The vast majority were targeted because of their race - 43,426 (up from 39,300), and the others were classified as sexual orientation - 4,805; religion/faith - 2,083; disability - 1,402 and transgender - 312. An Acpo spokesman said 703 crimes were anti-Semitic.

Mr Otter, Acpo's lead for equality, diversity and human rights, said: "Hate crimes cause a great deal of harm among victims and communities. Publication of the data underlines the commitment of the police service to tackle hate crime, build confidence and encourage victims to come forward so that under-reporting is reduced."

Although data was not collated nationally before 2009, Acpo says it believes there has been a rise in all five types of hate crime.

Professor John Grieve CBE, independent chair of the government's Hate Crime Advisory Group, welcomed the data and said: "It represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the nature and extent of hate crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland."

Prof Grieve, a former deputy assistant commissioner with the Metropolitan Police who set up a racial and violent crime task force at Scotland Yard, said: "The UK is amongst world leaders in the way that it responds to hate crime, but there is still much work to do. One of the greatest challenges is to reduce the under-reporting of hate crime. We welcome the government's commitment to increase reporting and we will be examining this data in the forthcoming months and years to better understand the extent of crime and to challenge where performance does not meet the high standards that the public rightly demands of the criminal justice agencies."

BBC

Neo-Nazi Anders Hoegstroem jailed for Auschwitz theft

0 Comment (s)
A Swedish neo-Nazi leader accused of ordering the theft of the Auschwitz death camp entrance sign will serve 32 months behind bars.

Anders Hoegstroem, who had risked up to 10 years' jail if convicted in Poland, admitted his role before the case reached court, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Krakow said yesterday.

Hoegstroem was arrested in Sweden on a Polish warrant in February on suspicion of ordering the theft of the infamous Arbeit macht frei - Work will set you free - sign from the site of the World War II Nazi camp in the southern Polish city of Oswiecim.

Polish police recovered the 5m metal sign two days after it went missing late last year. It had been chopped into three pieces. Of the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust, a million were murdered at Auschwitz.

The Australian

November 28, 2010

14 arrests at Preston EDL demo

26 Comment (s)



Pics of the EDL in action (click to enlarge)
Lancashire Police made 14 arrests this afternoon as the English Defence League staged a protest in Preston. But the city appears to have avoided the large-scale trouble which has blighted similar demonstrations.

Around 1000 EDL protesters gathered in front of the city's Harris Museum at 1pm, chanting, waving flags and letting off fireworks. At the other side of a police cordon, around 250 people had gathered at an anti-EDL demonstration organised by Preston Trades Council and Preston Unite Against Fascism. A police spokesman said: "Although there were minor scuffles among the EDL demonstrators, there were only a handful of arrests for drunken or disorderly behaviour."

The EDL demonstration was called to protest against a larger mosque being built on the site of an existing one in Watling Street Road in Preston.

Preston Citizen

November 27, 2010

Let's have a game of spot the difference.

10 Comment (s)
This afternoon, whilst watching the updates from the EDL demos in Preston and Nuneaton, I saw a thread on a forum claiming that Dowson was now working for the English Democrats.
I didn't really take too much notice but I did a quick check on the phone number to see if it was the same one that the BNP and Dowson used for their fundraising before the big fallout. It wasn't so I let it pass by.
About half an hour ago I went back and checked the thread again because even at first glance this afternoon, there just seemed to be far too many coincidences between the style of the English Democrats fundraising letter and the ones that the poor unfortunates on the BNPs mailing list received on an almost daily or hourly basis, judging by the complaints over the last couple of years. Anyway, somebody on that forum posted the ED's begging letter alongside a BNP begging letter as a comparison and I thought I would reproduce them here.

You will have to click the images to see them full size.

This is a begging letter sent out by Dowson on behalf of the BNP a few weeks/months ago
imagebam.com

This is a begging letter sent out by the English Democrats sometime this month.
imagebam.com

This is the slip to give a donation to the BNP
imagebam.com

And this is a slip to give a donation to the English Democrats.
imagebam.com

Now of course this might just be somebody in the English Democrats who has been mightily impressed by Dowsons fundraising and political skills which have helped the BNP to become 600k in debt and decided to copy them using the same sort of template, colours, style, layout and pretty much everything else.
Or could it be that Dowson has taken his cherished database to another right wing party and is about to pull off a similar deal to the one he had with the BNP?

Anti-Allah outburst earns EDL supporter £200 fine after protest in Leicester

7 Comment (s)
A man has been fined for making offensive comments about Allah during the English Defence League protest in Leicester. Lee Whitby was found guilty of using racially aggravated abusive words during the protest in the city centre on Saturday, October 9.

During a trial at Leicester Magistrates' Court yesterday, the 27-year-old pleaded not guilty to chanting "threatening, abusive or insulting" words that were likely to cause "harassment, alarm or distress."

Although he admitted making comments, Whitby said he did not believe they would have been heard by anyone other than police officers or fellow EDL supporters. However, magistrate Rick Moore ruled that officers were likely to have been alarmed by the defendant's words.

Whitby, of Holley Place, Stoke-on-Trent, said he was an EDL supporter and had travelled by train to Leicester on the day of the protest with about 30 people from Stoke and Crewe. He also admitted being part of previous EDL protests in Newcastle, Dudley, Stoke, Bolton and Bradford.

The defendant told the court he was leaving the protest site in Humberstone Gate East and was being ushered towards the train station when he uttered the offensive chant.

Whitby, who chose to represent himself, said: "I went to an EDL demo and was in an area which was isolated away from everyone else. The only people that would have heard were the EDL. I was not aiming it at anyone. No-one around would find it offensive. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said it. I was just voicing my opinion at an EDL meeting with just EDL people around."

Alexandra Blossom, prosecuting, said the comments made were bound to cause harassment, alarm or distress because of Leicester's multicultural society and the fact the words were said in the city centre.

She said: "A number of people present that day were likely to be offended. It was a high-profile event and members of the public would have been in the city on a Saturday. The remarks are even offensive to police. A clear message needs to be sent out about using such behaviour in a multicultural city."

The court heard Whitby had two previous convictions for common assault.

Mr Moore said: "It is a fact you were with others chanting and police were within hearing distance but there is no evidence of non-police officers within hearing distance. It is likely that a police officer or officers hearing the words would be likely to be alarmed and for that reason we find you guilty of this offence."

Whitby was fined £200 and ordered to pay a further £200 in costs, as well as a £15 victim surcharge.

Leicester Mercury

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up.

Three arrested in probe into EDL protest disorder in Dudley

6 Comment (s)
Police have arrested three men in connection with the disorder and criminal damage that took place in Dudley in July.

Officers executed search warrants across Dudley and Walsall as part of their investigation into a number of offences of criminal damage and disorder in Dudley town centre, during a protest held by the English Defence League and an event hosted by the Dudley Interfaith Alliance on the same day.

The men, aged 18, 20 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. They were taken to police stations in the Black Country and questioned. They have since been released on police bail pending further enquiries. A number of criminal offences have been recorded to date, including criminal damage caused to cars and premises in the town on that Saturday afternoon, as well as pockets of disorder.

Among the premises attacked were residential homes around Alexandra Street, cars parked in roads surrounding Stafford Street, restaurants on Wolverhampton Street and the Hindu Temple. Many of these locations saw windows smashed, and damage caused to fencing. A number of vehicles were also damaged as they were targeted whilst being driven through the town.

Birmingham Post

Jewish? Gay? Join us, white extremists say

2 Comment (s)
English Defence League supporters demonstrating in Bradford
A white extremist organisation is forging links with Jewish, Sikh and gay communities to fuel prejudice and fear and hatred of the Muslim community, it was claimed today.

The English Defence League (EDL), which was formed last year in protest at Islamic extremist activity, has also reached out across the Atlantic to build close ties with the American right-wing group, the Tea Party.

Hundreds of EDL members are planning demonstrations in Nuneaton and Preston today to protest at the building of mosques and what they claim is the growing influence in the UK of Sharia law. But a new report, written by Professor Nigel Copsey of Teesside University, warns that the growth of EDL membership will spread Islamophobia in communities sharing a perceived "historical angst" against Muslims.

New branches of the League, such as the Jewish Division, could exploit the existing religious hostilities caused by territorial disputes in the Middle East, says Professor Copsey whose report was commissioned by the organisation Faith Matters. It claims that these inter-faith tensions were brought into sharp focus last month when the senior US Jewish leader and Tea Party activist Rabbi Nachum Shifren denounced Islam at a EDL rally outside the Israeli Embassy in London. Israeli flags have also been spotted at several EDL demonstrations across the UK.

As well as aggravating religious tensions, the EDL has established a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Division to "defend" gay people from Sharia law. There are also specialist divisions for women, soldiers and disabled people. The report warns these communities to be vigilant against "selective racism" and the EDL's attempts at manipulation.

Contributors to the EDL Facebook site confirm that the group wants to work with other minority organisation including those which promote women's rights. One members writes: "After all, leftists have portrayed themselves for decades as the only ones really interested in promoting a progressive and inclusive agenda: homosexual rights, women's equality, minority rights, reproductive rights, immigration, world peace, among others."

One member added: "Remember there is a difference between being anti-Muslim and anti-Islam. We are against the ideology not the people. Let's not forget that many Muslim women and children are victims of their own religion."

But Professor Copsey warned: "True to the spirit of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, the EDL is targeting other ethnic communities. These communities need to guard against approaches by the EDL."

Founder and director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal, said: "The EDL's main aim is to increase tensions, raise hate and divide communities. Their attempts to portray themselves as a legitimate and open movement cannot disguise their violent, anti-Muslim agenda. This hate can easily mutate against another community."

The EDL membership claim that they are not a racist group. In guidance issuedto its members attending today's rallies the EDL leadership warns: "Violence and racism will not be tolerated. If you are found to be doing this, you will be ejected from the demonstration."

On Monday, EDL founder Stephen Lennon denied assaulting a police officer during clashes with Islamic protesters in west London. He was granted bail and a trial date was set of 12 January. About 30 supporters gathered outside the court, some with EDL placards.

The Faith Matters report is entitled The English Defence League: Challenging Our Country and Our Values of Social Inclusion, Fairness and Equality.

Independent

Concerned over safety, UCLan urges journalism students not to cover EDL march

0 Comment (s)
Journalism students at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have been urged not to cover the English Defence League protests being held in Preston on Saturday because of safety concerns.

In an email to students at the journalism school, journalism division leader Julie Freer explained that authorities in the city are advising all members of the public to stay away from Preston city centre "because of the potential trouble and the risk of personal injury". A march organised by campaign group Unite Against Fascists is also taking place and a football match between Preston North End and Millwall is scheduled.

"We recognise that this will be a major news story across the region, if not nationally. However, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot allow students to cover these events for any assignment or reporting exercise and we will not allow our equipment to be hired out. This isn't a decision we have taken lightly. We have taken advice from the university and from industry professionals who will be covering the event," says Freer in the email.

"I know that many of you will be disappointed to read this and may have planned to go along to cover such a big story in Preston. However ... experienced journalists have serious concerns about covering the march and professional news organisations are taking special measures to ensure the safety of their staff. We are not in the position to be able to do this and we don't feel this is a suitable event where trainee journalists can practice their skills."

Staff at UCLan have been instructed not sign equipment hire forms allowing journalism students to lease equipment for the weekend unless staff are satisifed that it will not be used in the surrounding area of the march.

But speaking to Journalism.co.uk, third year journalism student and co-editor of Blog Preston Andy Halls said the decision has frustrated some students.

"I'm still most definitely covering it [the march] for Blog Preston, and there's a number of students helping us out. Apparently my decision to cover it has not gone down well with the journalism department, for safety reasons of course. But we are a journalism department, and this is journalism. If they want us to be reporting hard news, they'll have to let us make our own decisions," he said.

"We understand our students' frustrations and, of course, we would normally encourage them to cover an important news story in Preston. However, after taking advice from our industry contacts, it became clear that news organisations were putting special security arrangements in place to ensure the safety of their staff covering this event. We are not in a position to do this," a UCLan spokesperson told Journalism.co.uk.

"Our journalism students are on a learning curve at university and, given their safety is paramount, sometimes we have to distinguish between what is an appropriate event for a student journalist to attend as opposed to an experienced professional journalist. It is for these reasons we have said they should not attempt to report on this march."

journalism.co.uk

Oppose the racist EDL in Preston

46 Comment (s)
On Saturday 27 November the racist English Defence League (EDL) intend to hold a “protest” in the centre of Preston.

Where the EDL march and assemble unopposed they have launched attacks on minority and Muslim communities. In Dudley, Nuneaton and Stoke their presence led to vicious assaults on people because of the colour of their skin. We cannot let this happen in Preston.

Preston Unite Against Fascism & Preston Trades Council are calling on all anti-racists and all anti-fascists to join us in the centre of Preston to celebrate our multi-cultural city, to assert our commitment to anti-racism and to let the EDL know they are not welcome here.

Join the Protest: No to the EDL,
No to Racism, No to Fascism and No to Islamophobia

Saturday 27 November, 12 noon
Preston Fish Market (covered market, Birley St)


To book a seat from the Barrow/South Cumbria area, please tel or text 07814 563557, or e-mail juniperx@tiscali.co.uk. To book from the Lancaster area, call 07722 954768 (Lancaster coach costs £6 or £4 concessions).

Note: We would advise anyone travelling to Preston on the 27th to avoid the train if possible. If you're planning to travel by car, we would recommend that you arrange to meet others on your arrival in Preston. Safety in numbers and all that.

November 26, 2010

If Griffin Were To Stand In Oldham...

12 Comment (s)
There's a rumour afoot that Griffin intends to muscle his way into the standing in Oldham and Saddleworth if it turns out that there will be a By-Election resulting from Phil Woolas being turfed out of his seat.

Lancaster Unity can now (thanks to our highly sophisticated, deep-cover network of Moles and MI5-sponsored Informants), exclusively reveal the first draft of Cyclops' Patented Multi-Use Election Address...

To the Voters of (Kieghley / Barking & Dagenham / Oldham East).
(Delete Where Applicable)

Fellow Patriots:

As a proud (Yorkshireman / Cockney / Mancunian), born and bred, it has long been a cherished ambition of mine to represent the good people of (Kieghley / Barking & Dagenham / Oldham East) at a Parliamentary level.

Many's the night I have whiled away with an excellent pint of (Theakstons / Fullers / Hydes), after a tasty dinner of (Yorkshire Pudding and Wensleydale / Eel Pie and Mash / Lancashire Hotpot and Barm Cakes); perhaps leading my fellow (Yorkshiremen / Cockneys / Mancunians) in a rousing chorus of (“On Ilkla Moor Baht 'At” / “Maybe It's Because I'm A Londoner” / “Wonderwall”) to end the evening.

Wearing my (Flat Cap / Pearly Suit / Donnay Leisurewear), I will often stroll over the (Moors / Docklands / Canal Towpaths), pondering the great questions: “What can I do to help my fellow (Tykes / Cockneys / Mancunians)?”, or “How can I make (Kieghley / Barking & Dagenham / Oldham East) a better place?”, and “How much do my fellow (Tykes / Cockneys / Mancunians) earn, and what are they worth in terms of disposable income and potential donations?”.

As busy as I am, I occasionally get the chance to watch an episode of my favourite Soap Opera; (“Emmerdale” / “Eastenders” / “Coronation Street”), and I find myself wondering “How would (Alan Turner / Ian Beale / Ken Barlow) react to the current state of things in (Kieghley / Barking and Dagenham / Oldham East)?” And I find myself picturing his exclaiming (“By 'Eck!” / “Gor Blimey!” / “Skennin' like a whelk!)” at the picture of a damaged, neglected and Islamificationalised (Kieghley / Barking and Dagenham / Oldham East) spread before them.

Then I like to think of how I, Nicholas Horatio Steerforth Ironsides Griffin, can help, and my thoughts leap immediately to the Voters of (Kieghley / Barking and Dagenham / Oldham East), and how their (Yorkshire Nouse / East End Spirit of the Blitz / Mancunian Generosity) can best contribute to my (Campaign to Save Yorkshire / Campaign to Save the East End / Pension Plan).
There is hope, so long as you vote for me in the forthcoming Election. My solemn pledge to you is this: Make me your MP and my inherent (Yorkshire Grit / Cockney Wiles / Mancunian Ducking and Diving) will ensure a great future for (Kieghley / Barking and Dagenham / Me).

Anti-fascists angry at police handling of racist protest

0 Comment (s)
Anger is growing in Preston over the police’s handling of a planned march by the racist English Defence League (EDL) this Saturday. Preston Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and the Trades Council called a counter-protest and booked the Flag Market in the city centre as soon as the EDL announced their plans.

But police intervention has meant that the EDL have been allocated this site—close to where the majority of Preston's Asian community live. The police have also been conducting a widespread campaign to stop local people from joining the counter-protest.

A number of community leaders have challenged the behaviour and decisions of the police. Imam Farook Kazi, director of Al-Ansaar Welfare & Education in Preston, said, “The Muslim community in Preston has enjoyed excellent relations with all sections of the wider community for the past 40 plus years, and I hope and pray this will always be the case. I was born in this city and I am proud to be a Prestonian.

"Although the official statement from Preston City Council is extremely supportive and clearly rejects the ideology of groups such as the EDL. But the Flag Market being given to the EDL despite a previous booking [by UAF] undermines this statement and actually gives 'credibility' to the EDL. I strongly feel that this matter should be thoroughly investigated, as it could set precedence for future events.”

John Browne, Labour councillor for Preston's Brookfield ward, has also criticised the decision saying that he is “angry” that a sizeable part of the population will be unable to use the town centre. He added, “The fact that this week is also Inter- Faith week compounds the disgrace.”

Mukhtar Master, a Muslim community representative, said, “I am delighted by the anti-racist support offered to the community. However, I am puzzled and perplexed as to why Lancashire police have given the EDL the most prominent site for their divisive demonstration. The decision effectively showcases the EDL in our city.”

Activists are mobilising for the largest possible turnout on the counter-protest. Students from the University of Central Lancashire have organised a feeder march from the university to join it.

"We've had an excellent response from university and college students and there will be a good turnout on the day," said Paul Jenkins, a UAF organiser. “Anti-fascists from across the north west of England are traveling to Preston to join us.”

Michael Lavalette, the independent socialist councillor for Preston's Town Centre Ward, said, "It is an outrage that a racist demonstration has been given access to the Flag Market and that our anti-racist assembly has been relegated to Birley Street. It is vital that we have as big a turnout as possible. We want to show the real, multicultural and anti-racist face of Preston on Saturday. The EDL are not welcome here."

Socialist Worker Online

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

November 25, 2010

BNP councillor quits and slams leadership

6 Comment (s)
A BNP councillor has quit the party with a blast at its leader, Nick Griffin.

After a lengthy absence from public appearances relating to her council duties, councillor Emma Colgate returned to Thurrock Council’s chamber on Wednesday evening. Her only contribution to the meeting was to second a motion calling for a five per cent voluntary cut in the wages of the authority’s senior officers and she didn’t make any announcement about her change of political affiliation.

However, before the meeting she circulated a letter to the press, announcing she was quitting the BNP – even though she stood by its core principles.

Her statement said: ““It is with deep sadness that I have to inform you that I have resigned my party whip with immediate effect and will be an independent councillor. I have been unhappy with the leadership of the BNP for some time and I feel the direction the current leadership are taking is not in the interest of the public.

“I still stand true to the core values of the BNP and believe it has many good members and supporters but I feel I am no longer able to represent an organisation that is falling apart due to mismanagement. If the current leadership changed hands I would be more than happy to return. I do not feel it is correct to resign my position completely as I only have five months of my term remaining and to force a by-election would be an unnecessary financial burden. I will continue to represent the same values and policies that I was elected under.”

There has been much local speculation about the political future of Miss Colgate in recent times. Earlier this year she stepped down from her position as British National Party staff manager, saying she wanted to concentrate fully on fighting the Thurrock Parliamentary seat for the party in the General Election.

At the time Mr Griffin thanked Ms Colgate for “all her hard work and loyalty. I look forward to seeing her make even more progress in her political role as an outstanding BNP councillor and beyond.” But it was widely reported that there were deep rifts between Miss Colgate and other senior members of the BNP with Mr Griffin.

Locally, since being well beaten in the general election, her profile has been low. Wednesday’s appearance in the chamber for a full council meeting was the first time since June 30 that she had turned up – and her ability to claim her allowance for council duties was in jeopardy had she not turned up for the November council meeting.

It has been reported that several months of mail from constituents are unopened at the council offices, her voicemail is full and e-mails bounce back. Concern has been expressed within her ward that she failed to turn up to the recent Tilbury remembrance service.

Though she didn’t make any announcement of her change of affiliation at the meeting, the Council’s Democratic Services department confirmed they had been informed.

The Enquirer

North West MEP's home targeted by far-right extremists

4 Comment (s)
A Conservative North West Euro MP has hired a private security firm to guard his home because of threats from far-right extremists.

Sajjad Karim has been bombarded with offensive emails over his stance on halal and kosher meat. His home in Simonstone in the Ribble Valley has also had ‘BNP’ daubed on it in graffiti. He said he was worried about the safety of his wife and two children, aged eight and 10, while he is away in Europe. And he said he had paid for a private security firm to watch over his house 24 hours a day.

A British National Party spokesman ‘utterly condemned’ any threats.

Police are investigating an allegation of racist abuse by email. Mr Karim, who represents the North West in the European Parliament, blamed BNP supporters for the onslaught, claiming the threats had come shortly after the far-right party published an article criticising him on its website.

Mr Karim, who opposed an EU proposal that would require all ritually-slaughtered meat to be labelled, said there had been an ‘orchestrated’ campaign against him. He said: “There are perfectly legitimate arguments on both sides of the debate. But it is being hijacked and they are trying to frighten me. We have lived here for 11 years and never had anything like this. This is their way of saying ‘we know you are here’. The police are providing the best level of protection they can, but when it comes to these people I am not going to take any chances.”

Lancashire Police said it was investigating the messages and would meet the MEP this week.

John Walker, a spokesman for the BNP, said the party was campaigning on the issue of ritually slaughtered meat, which he said was ‘barbaric’. But he distanced the party from any threats, saying the BNP was being ‘demonised’. He added: “This is a common tactic of political opponents to claim they have been intimidated.”

Asian Image

Breaking news - Another one goes...

2 Comment (s)
The BNP has one fewer councillor this evening after Emma Colgate informed Thurrock council that she was no longer taking the BNP whip.

Colgate, once close to Griffin, is just the latest councillor to withdraw from the BNP and it is yet another sign that party is collapsing. A few days ago it was claimed that BNP membership was down 50% on 2009.

Hope not hate

November 24, 2010

Bible event defiance in face of far-right march

2 Comment (s)
A far-right group’s planned gathering outside a church will not disturb a marathon bible event, organisers vowed today.

The English Defence League (EDL) is planning to meet opposite Preston Minster, on Church Street, Preston, and walk to the Flag Market on Saturday November 27. While up to 1,000 members of the EDL assemble close to the church, a four-day bible reading event will be ongoing inside the church. Unite Against Fascism (UAF) has also applied to hold a similar event on the same day, in opposition to the EDL’s presence.

Throughout this week Fr Timothy Lipscomb, vicar of Preston, will be attending meetings to ensure everything possible is done to prevent any disruption. He said: “It won’t affect it because we won’t let them in to do anything to disturb it. There will be lots of people around, that’s a good thing because it will be well staffed. I will not condone people using religion for something which is absolutely not.”

Fr Lipscomb said he is confident the group’s message will largely fall on deaf ears in the city but fears ‘vulnerable people’ could be taken in. He said: “It undermines the confidence in the city and it is frightening for people who are vulnerable or are easily led. Those who are going through a bad time in life are more vulnerable to people who will bully them and frighten them. They are very clever in the way they do it.”

Preston Coun Salim Desai, who represents the Town Centre ward, said it will be the event inside the church which best represents the city. He said: “It is two extremes. On the one end, they are doing this march and on the other they are doing an all-night bible reading over the weekend. They will have different religions there taking part in readings from the New Testament. It is a multi-cultural event, it shows how the community here has come together, how integrated we are and how many dialogues there are. These people (EDL) are visitors who do not know what goes on in Preston. These people are so isolated and they have got no support or roots in Preston.”

Preston Council was due to meet yesterday evening to discuss the rally. A spokesman for the English Defence League was unavailable for comment.

Lancashire Evening Post

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

November 23, 2010

Fears grow over EDL city protest

16 Comment (s)
Police contain an earlier EDL march
Police patrols are to be stepped up around Preston’s mosques on Saturday as around 1,200 protesters head into the city to take part in two demonstrations.

Chief Supt Tim Jacques, head of Preston Police, revealed the plans ahead of the demonstration by the English Defence League and counter demonstration by Unite Against Facism and the Trade Union Council. The protests coincide with the PNE v Millwall game at Deepdale.

Police officers’ days off have been cancelled and specially trained public order officers are being drafted in from other parts of the county to support the policing operation, which will see the mounted branch, road police and other units taking to city centre streets. The two groups of demonstrators will be in the city’s Flag Market with temporary low level fencing to separate them.

Today Chief Supt Jacques said it would be one of the biggest police operations seen in Preston in recent years but insisted the city was “open for business as usual” on Saturday - the fourth week before Christmas and the first official Christmas shopping weekend. He also moved to calm fears of violence that has been seen in similar demonstrations in other cities.

He said: “We are working with the community and police officers are going to be in the areas where the mosques are on Saturday to reassure people. We have had lots of meetings with the mosques and are working with the demonstration organisers in terms of minimising the impact. There are no planned demonstrations outside any mosques but it is in our minds. Our number one priority is keeping people in the city safe and to minimise disruption on a busy Saturday before Christmas.”

He said the force would be making a proportionate response to any threats and added: “There’s no doubt there will be a lot of police officers in Preston and in surrounding areas. All the information we have suggests we can facilitate two lawful and peaceful demonstrations.

“It will be one of the biggest operations seen in Preston in terms of planning but on terms of what we are dealing with it is smaller - in the past we have dealt with 6,000 Premier League fans coming into the city. We have to look at the context of where we are as a city - some of the backdrop of the places of previous demonstrations are different. Preston is a pretty cohesive city so our starting point is different to other places.”

Lancashire Evening Post

'EDL not far-right,' says police extremism chief

5 Comment (s)
The new head of police domestic extremist units was condemned today after denying that the English Defence League was a right-wing extremist group.

Detective Chief Superintendent Adrian Tudway, who took over the role of national co-ordinator for domestic extremism last week, claimed police had to walk a "tightrope" when targeting small groups which they believe are bent on violence.

Senior officers have gone on the offensive following the student protests and the resulting occupation of 30 Millbank two weeks ago, saying that more resources are being invested in identifying potential "flashpoints of disorder."

Mr Tudway said his officers were focusing on the "fringe" where protest "spills over" into violence and disorder. His comments came on the eve of tomorrow's wave of protests against rising university fees.

The National Public Order Intelligence Unit, National Domestic Extremism team and National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit employ about 100 people with a budget of £8.1 million. The police units, which are set to be integrated into the Met Police under a rebranding exercise, have come under fire for using intrusive surveillance tactics to identify hundreds of people who have attended protests and then sharing the information with other forces.

However Mr Tudway insisted that intelligence officials do not examine the work of trade or student unions and went on to say that the EDL was not an extreme right-wing group.

"The present particular challenge to us, constitutionally, is they are not extreme right-wing organisations," he said. "On the one hand, they are seen by many as the single biggest threat to community cohesion in the UK, but they are most certainly not extreme right-wing organisations."

Communist Party of Britain general secretary Rob Griffiths said that "nobody should be fooled" by the claim that the police to not monitor trade unions and student groups.

"It is well known from recent history that the intelligence services disrupt trade unions and the peace movement by targeting socialist and communist activists within them and making this the excuse for spreading the net across the whole organisation," he said. "If he does not know the fascist affiliations of leading and founder members of the English Defence League then we should club together and buy him a subscription to Searchlight magazine, where he would find these links set out in fine detail."

Morning Star

Wanted for the deaths of 430,000 Jews. Evaded justice for 67 years. Died a free man.

11 Comment (s)
Samuel Kunz was third on the Simon
Wiesenthal Centre's list of most-wanted Nazi war criminals

Like hundreds of other suspected Nazi war criminals before him, the former death-camp guard Samuel Kunz died quietly at his home in the German provincial city of Bonn last week at the ripe old age of 89.

He was never obliged to stand trial although he was thought to have the blood of thousands on his hands. Despite being one of the world's most wanted men, he managed to escape the courtroom where he would have faced charges of mass murder.

Even in today's Germany where a renewed effort is under way to bring war criminals to trial, the wheels of justice turn slowly. Kunz was the third on the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's list of most wanted Nazi war criminals. As a camp guard at the Belzec extermination camp in occupied Poland he was suspected of taking part in the murder of more than 430,000 Jews.

However yesterday, it was left to Alfred Brendel, the German state prosecutor, to announce his death. "Samuel Kunz died on 18 November at 5.30 in the afternoon," he said in a statement. "Most probably he died at his home," he added.

Efraim Zuroff, the Wiesenthal Centre's chief Nazi hunter admitted that he found it "incredibly frustrating" that Kunz had died before his impending trial which had been due to open early next year. But he noted it was important that he had been indicted at all. "At least a small measure of justice was achieved," he said.

Like many other Nazi war criminals, Kunz was ignored by the German justice system for decades. After the war he managed to live quietly in Bonn. Until his retirement 14 years ago he had worked as a handyman in Germany's Federal Ministry for Building and Urban Development.

That he was charged at all was the result of a significant change in official German attitudes to Nazi war criminals. A little over a decade ago state prosecutors, under pressure from organisations such as the Wiesenthal Centre, launched an attempt to bring the last of them to justice.

One of them was the world's most wanted suspected war criminal, the Ukrainian-born John Demjanjuk, who is thought to have been a murderous guard at the Sobibor death camp. Now aged 90, Demjanjuk is on trial in Munich where he is charged with taking part in the murder of 27,900 mostly Dutch Jews.

Demjanjuk, who is accused of unspeakable acts, including driving naked Jews into the gas chambers with a whip, had managed to escape justice for decades. He was finally extradited to Germany from the United States in 2009 and his trial began almost exactly a year ago.

The decision to indict Kunz came as a by-product of the Demjanjuk investigation. Prosecutors only began questioning him in January after his name surfaced during preparations for the Demjanjuk trial. Not only did Kunz face a trial of his own, but he had been due to appear next month as a key witness in the Demjanjuk trial.

As a member of an ethnic German family living along River Volga in the USSR before the Second World War, Kunz's wartime record was similar to that of many ethnic Germans. At the beginning of the war he joined the Red Army. But when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, he was captured and given the choice of working with the Nazis or being interned.

Kunz almost certainly chose to co-operate with the Nazi invaders. He is alleged to have attended a training camp for SS death-camp guards at Trawniki in Nazi-occupied Poland. Thereafter, he was widely suspected of having served as a guard at the Belzec extermination camp which was little more than a murder factory. According to SS records 434,508 Jews were gassed, shot or beaten to death there between January 1942 and July 1943.

The Demjanjuk trial opened a year ago and was scheduled to end in April 2010. The final date for a verdict has now been put forward to March 2011. Some relatives of Holocaust victims have said they fear that Demjanjuk may be dead by then. Kunz, it seems, may not be the only one of the world's last remaining suspected Nazi war criminals to escape justice.

WIESENTHAL CENTRE'S OTHER MOST-WANTED NAZIS

Dr Sandor Kepiro

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre's most-wanted Nazi war criminal, Kepiro is being sought for his participation in the massacre of 1,200 citizens in Serbia in 1942. He was convicted in Hungary in 1944, but never punished; Hungary refuses to implement his sentence, but is conducting a new criminal investigation – which has so far taken three years.

Milivoj Asner

A Croatian police chief, and second on the Wiesenthal list, he was involved in persecuting and deporting Serbs, Jews and Gypsies. Now living in Austria, where his extradition to Croatia was refused on medical grounds in 2005. Last year doctors said he suffered from dementia, but he has given media interviews, which raise doubts about the diagnosis.

John Demjanjuk

Demjanjuk has faced three decades of court actions over his Nazi history. At the age of 90, he is finally on trial on charges of a role in the death of almost 30,000 Jews as a death camp guard – but the process has repeatedly been delayed because of his ill health. A year after the case opened, it is not expected to conclude before March 2011.

Independent

Is a storm brewing in Europe?

3 Comment (s)
Click on image for full-size
On platform one at Bolton train station in England a mob of about 100 men punch the air in unison as a chant - "Muslim bombers, off our streets!'' - goes up. Their voices echo loudly, and as more men suddenly appear, startled passengers move aside. The protesters wave St George's Cross flags - the red and white English national emblem - and raise placards. Some wear balaclavas, others black-hooded tops. There is an air of menace.

These are some of the most violent football hooligans in Britain and today they have joined in an unprecedented show of strength. Standing shoulder to shoulder are notorious gangs such as Cardiff City's Soul Crew, Bolton Wanderers' Cuckoo Boys and Luton Town's Men In Gear: a remarkable gathering given that on a match day these men would be fighting each other. But today they are not here for football; it is politics that has drawn them. Their destination is Manchester to support a protest by the newly formed English Defence League.

The police are here in force, too. "Take that mask off," barks a sergeant to one young man. The man does so immediately but retorts: "Why are they allowed to wear burqas in public but we're not allowed to cover our faces?" The sergeant snaps back: ''Just do what you're told."

A man with a West Country accent standing next to me says: "It's always the fxxxxx' same these days. One rule for them and another for us. I'm sick of this fxxxxx' country." He draws on a cigarette before flicking it to the ground in disgust. He starts to complain again, but when the public address system announces the arrival of the train to Manchester Piccadilly, he raises his hands above his head and starts another football favourite: "Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves ..."

His companions join in singing, and as the train comes to a halt beside the platform the crowd surges forward. The carriages are almost full, so the men pack into aisles followed by police speaking into radios. A group of young men drinking beer at a table eye the protesters warily, but one protester wearing a baseball cap notices their fear and reassures them. "It's all right lads, nothing to worry about. We're protesting against radical Islam. Come and join us," he says, and as the train draws nearer to Manchester, the singing starts again. "Eng-e-land, Eng-e-land, Eng-e-land ..." the men sing rowdily. The English Defence League is in town.

A ready-made army?

The league seemed to spring from nowhere in 2009, but since its formation the far-right movement has held major protests in nearly all of Britain's cities. Although it claims to be a peaceful group, violence has erupted at most league demonstrations, with its supporters fighting on the streets against police, Muslim youths and a group called Unite Against Fascism, an umbrella organisation consisting mainly of students and trade unionists and formed in 2003 to oppose the far-right. During the fighting hundreds of people have been arrested, weapons have been seized and city centres have been brought to a standstill.

Britain has not witnessed such street violence for many years and there are growing fears that the league - despite its official multiracial stance - has become a ready-made army for neo-Nazis who for years have operated underground and that tensions will erupt resulting in major disorder.

All mainstream political parties in Britain have criticised the league, including John Denham, the former communities secretary, who compared the group to Oswald Mosley's Union of British Fascists, which ran amok in London during the 1930s.

Tinderbox northern towns such as Bradford and Oldham - which witnessed race riots in 2001 - have been among the league's targets this year and a countrywide police team set up to combat domestic extremism, the National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit, has been investigating the movement.

I had met members of the league for the first time in a derelict building in Luton, near London, three weeks before the Manchester rally. They had agreed to talk on the condition that I did not identify them. Eleven men turned up. All wore balaclavas and most had black league hoodies with ''Luton Division'' on the back. A man using the pseudonym Tommy Robinson did most of the talking and explained the movement's background.

"For more than a decade now, there's been tension in Luton between Muslim youths and whites. We all get on fine - black, white, Indian, Chinese - everyone does, in fact, apart from some Muslim youths who've become extremely radicalised since the first Gulf War. Preachers of hate such as Anjem Choudary have been recruiting for radical Islamist groups in Luton for years. Our government does nothing, so we decided we'd start protesting against radical Islam, and it grew from there," he said.

With Islam Europe's fastest-growing religion - Muslim populations are projected to expand rapidly in coming decades - the group's fear that traditional British culture is under threat have been exacerbated.

Robinson could barely conceal his anger as he described radical Muslims protesting as the Royal Anglican regiment paraded through the town on its return from Afghanistan in May 2009. Following the incident, he and others set up a group called United People of Luton. After linking up with a Birmingham-based group called British Citizens Against Muslim Extremists and a group calling itself Casuals United, they realised there was potential for a national movement. Robinson said members wore balaclavas to protect their identities because league members had been targeted by Muslim extremists.

But although the league publicly espouses peaceful protest, there is growing concern over its secrecy and quasi-paramilitary appearance - as well as some of its membership. According to the international anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, far-right British National Party activists and other fascist extremists are at the core of the league. The publication's allegations have been backed by a former league member called Paul Ray who claimed that the group had been hijacked by the anti-immigration British National Party.

Then there is Casuals United. The group came to the fore about the time the English Defence League was formed. An unprecedented alliance of football hooligans, it was the brainchild of Jeff Marsh, a member of Cardiff City's Soul Crew who has been convicted three times for violent offences. This included a two-year jail sentence for stabbing Manchester United fans. Marsh has now taken a back seat, so the public face of Casuals United is fellow Welshman and Soul Crew member Mickey Smith.

Casuals United makes full use of modern communications and uses social networking websites such as Facebook to organise the 50 or so gangs that have been recruiting members around Britain. Other neo-Nazi groups, including the British People's Party and the British Freedom Fighters, have also participated in league protests, despite their opposition to the league's multiracial position.

A 'perfect storm'?

The high command of the league is much more astute than its foot soldiers, however, and distances itself from violence. In a Covent Garden pub I meet a computer expert from London called Alan Lake who runs a website called Four Freedoms. Last summer he contacted the league and offered to fund and advise the movement.

His aim, he says, is to unite the "thinkers" and those prepared to take to the streets. He describes this marriage as "the perfect storm coming together," adding that street violence is not desirable but perhaps inevitable. "There are issues when you are dealing with football thugs - but what can we do?"

He strongly criticises fascist organisations, however, and says that one of his conditions for backing the movement is that it does not associate with far-right groups. "There are different groups infiltrating and trying to cause rifts by one means or another, or trying to waylay the organisation to different agendas. The intention is to exclude those groups and individuals."

But while some league leaders may oppose fascism, there are others who seem to have no problem with extremism. At league protests in Swansea, Wales, skinheads chanted British National Party slogans and raised Nazi salutes. In Northern Ireland, according to Searchlight, loyalists have started an Ulster Defence League, backed by the former paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association, while in Scotland, the hooligan Inter City Firm attached to Rangers football club helped set up a Scottish Defence League.

At an EDL protest in the city of Leicester, the movement's supporters pelted police officers with bottles, cans, bricks and coins resulting in 17 arrests. One police officer suffered a broken leg.

The EDL protest garnered the largest police deployment in Leicestershire since the miners' strike 25 years ago. Police deployed 1,400 officers from 12 forces to deal with around 1,000 EDL supporters and a counter demo of around 700 anti-fascists.

During the demo, the International Arts Centre Fabrika had to be evacuated, with journalists and staff making their escape through the back entrance as EDL protesters attempted to break into the building and smashed windows. The Leicester Mercury, a local newspaper, reported that there were also confrontations between the protesters and a group of Asian and black men in the Humberstone Road area, near St Matthew's, with pockets of fighting.

What is concerning many people in Britain is that the movement is becoming more organised and stronger and feeding off growing Islamaphobia. With its anti-Islam stance, the EDL has been gaining support from abroad. Pamela Gellar, the woman leading the protest against the Islamic centre near Ground Zero in New York, has backed the movement and EDL members were welcomed when they flew to the US to oppose the Muslim community's plans on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Leader Robinson was refused entry at JFK airport, however, and taken into custody and flown straight back to the UK.

Support has also come from Europe and on October 30, the EDL joined forces with the newly formed French and Dutch Defence Leagues at an event in Amsterdam. The meeting, organised by the European Freedom Initiative, was promoted as a demonstration for freedom and in opposition to Sharia. It was planned to coincide with the end of Dutch politician Geert Wilders' trial for hate speech and inciting racism.

The fears are, however, that European cities could soon be witnessing the widespread violence being experienced in Britain.

al-Jazeera

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

November 22, 2010

EDL founder pleads not guilty to assault

19 Comment (s)
Stephen Lennon, a founder member of the English Defence League
Stephen Lennon, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer during violent clashes on Armistice Day

The founder of the far-right English Defence League, Stephen Lennon, today pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer during violent clashes on Armistice Day. Lennon, 27, of Layham Drive, Luton, was arrested in Kensington, west London, after clashing with police and members of Muslims Against Crusades – a small extremist Islamic group.

Five others associated with the EDL and two members of MAC were also arrested for public order offences.

Lennon, who formed the EDL in Luton last year, pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing today at West London Magistrates Court to assaulting a police officer. He was granted unconditional bail and a trial date was set of 12 January.

Guardian

Nick Griffin planned to exploit war hero

0 Comment (s)
Shameless Nick Griffin intended to capitalise on a leading Conservative industrialist’s distinguished war record until an arrest put paid to his plans.

Michael Smith, son of Sir Alan Smith, was due to stand for the British National Party against Gordon Brown at the general election until he was charged with killing two cormorants with a shotgun on the banks of the River Tay in Perthshire in January.

The 62-year-old denies the charge and claims his human rights were breached when he was cautioned and interviewed by police without being given the chance to speak to a lawyer. Although this has been normal procedure in Scotland, the UK Supreme Court recently upheld an appeal by a teenager whose assault conviction was based on evidence gained before he spoke to his solicitor, ruling that this breached human rights law.

Sir Alan, a former RAF pilot, 92, fought alongside Douglas Bader and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for “valour, courage or devotion to duty”. He was furious when his son, a lifelong Tory, defected to the BNP in 2006 and announced his plan to contest Brown’s Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat.

Smith, who owns a farm in Kinross, claimed he had become disillusioned with the Conservatives’ move away from the right and said he would fight an anti-immigration campaign. Griffin welcomed him and said the party would capitalise on his father’s war record during the election. Smith’s arrest ended their plans.

Hope not hate

Police disperse unplanned Wolverhampton EDL Protest

0 Comment (s)
Cops had to disperse a surprise protest in Wolverhampton city centre held by the Far Right English Defence League yesterday.

About 50 members of the extremist organisation marched through shopping areas on Saturday morning before being moved on by police. Shoppers and city centre staff were forced to flee as the chanting protesters moved along Dudley Street.

“There were about 50 of them walking up the street,” said one shop worker, who did not want to be named. “They had banners and were chanting and singing. It didn’t last very long but was quite scary.”

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Protesters arrived at 11.45am and dispersed just before 2pm. There were no reports of disorder. An additional police presence remained in the city and local officers visited shops to update staff and shoppers.”

The spokesman added the force were aware that the EDL were planning an event and were prepared for it.

Two people were arrested after the protest but cops said they may not have been connected to EDL activities.

Sunday Mercury

November 21, 2010

EDL rejects Barnbrook approach

14 Comment (s)
A lonely Richard Barnbrook, who resigned the British National Party whip in the London Assembly over Griffin’s financial mismanagement of the party, has been rejected by the Islamophobic thugs of the English Defence League.

Spotted hanging around the EDL’s violent protest in Leicester on 9 October, Barnbrook then turned up at a meeting of London EDL and Casuals United Youth on 19 November but, reports the Casuals United blog, he was “forced to leave for his own safety”.

Casuals United, which describes itself as “uniting the UK’s football tribes against the Jihadists”, explained that it had no objection to “people who voted BNP in the past as a protest vote joining as long as they arent [sic] BNP members now … but your hardcore Nazi types and holocaust deniers like Barnbrook are NOT wanted in our movement. We arent [sic] racists, we are patriots.”

Barnbrook is not particularly at the forefront of Britain’s Holocaust deniers and the EDL is not normally so fussy. As Searchlight revealed in October, Wayne Baldwin, an EDL regular and convicted criminal, is an unabashed nazi who has the obligatory swastika tattoo on his chest and has been photographed posing in front of a swastika flag. And Trevor Hannington and Mike Heaton, members of the shadowy nazi Aryan Strike Force, attended EDL events before they were jailed in summer for posting violent and vicious racist messages on the internet.

More likely is that the EDL just doesn’t like the pathetic twerp obsessed with his own self-importance, who used to go nowhere without his London Assembly identity badge, once starred in his own gay porn movie, and is probably only looking for new drinking companions with whom to succumb to his well known vice.

Hope not hate

EDL thugs 'help' terror groups

3 Comment (s)
The EDL: defending the right of all Englishmen to piss wherever they please
Far-right groups such as the English Defence League are driving people into the hands of terrorists, police said yesterday.

EDL activists claim they are fighting the rise of radical Islamists. But anti-terror police say the group's violent tactics are convincing British Muslims to join fanatical organisations waging a holy war against the West. The EDL, which emerged in 2009, has held several highly-charged demos that ended in trouble. Its hooligans threw a smoke bomb at police and clashed with anti-fascist protesters at a rally in Leicester last month.

Det Supt John Larkin, from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said the places where the EDL has been active have seen a worrying rise in Muslims joining radical groups.

Nick Lowles, of anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, said: "The time has come for the authorities to start taking the gloves off with the EDL. They are not a legitimate protest group. They are thugs bent on sowing division and hatred in communities across the country."

Mirror

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

Lancashire Police gears up for EDL rally in Preston

6 Comment (s)
Lancashire Police say they are working hard to ensure a planned demonstration by the English Defence League (EDL) next week causes minimum disruption.

The EDL demonstration in Preston city centre on Saturday, November 27, is likely to attract a counter event from Unite Against Fascism, police said. Police and council chiefs want people to be able to go about their daily business despite the gatherings, which have caused flashpoints of trouble at similar events elsewhere, including Bolton.

Chief Superintendent Tim Jacques, divisional commander for central division, said: "We want to make sure that Preston remains open for business as usual on the day and that there is no disruption to daily life, although obviously there will be a highly visible police presence throughout the day."

Preston Citizen

November 20, 2010

How Griffin turned nasty to oust Barnbrook from Barking

11 Comment (s)
Nick Griffin threatened to ditch the British National Party’s sole London Assembly member last year if he stood in the way of Griffin being the party’s Parliamentary candidate for Barking in the general election, it has been revealed.

Richard Barnbrook, who was also a BNP councillor in Barking and Dagenham, felt it was his right to stand in what the BNP thought its most winnable constituency, but many in the BNP leadership were concerned at his dismal performances in the London Assembly, his tendency to make “factual errors” that led to appearances in front of council Standards Committees, and his alcoholism that was at the root of all his other problems.

According to Eddy Butler, who failed in his attempt to oust Griffin as BNP leader this summer and has since been expelled from the BNP, it had been agreed in the party that Griffin should not be the Barking candidate as he would look like a carpet-bagger. Instead, the day after Griffin’s Question Time debacle, Griffin went on a walkabout in Thurrock and announced his commitment to standing for Parliament there.

Butler had the job of persuading Barnbrook to stand down, after Barnbrook had already put up billboards in the constituency stating “Barnbrook for Barking”. Barnbrook told Griffin he would not stand down in favour of any lesser candidate than Griffin himself, but apparently prevaricated. So Griffin composed a long press release detailing Barnbrook’s shortcomings, which he threatened to release if Barnbrook did not back down.

The blackmail had the desired effect. According to Butler: “On 14th November in front of the media and a room full of members, Nick Griffin with his faithful onion at the ready, put on one of his stock weepy performances … as he shamelessly announced that Richard Barnbrook, had voluntarily stepped aside to allow Nick Griffin to contest Barking!”

The rest is history. Griffin polled abysmally and Barnbrook, who had been promised the leadership of Barking and Dagenham council, lost his council seat, as did all the other BNP councillors. Clive Jefferson, the BNP’s moronic national elections officer (among several other party positions), persuaded Barnbrook to act as a stalking horse candidate to thwart Butler’s challenge to Griffin’s leadership. Eventually at the end of August Barnbrook showed that despite his “weaknesses” he still had some principles and resigned the BNP whip in the London Assembly until Griffin’s financial mismanagement of the BNP had been tackled. He now sits as an independent and has not updated his blog since that day.

As for the press release, it shows, in case anyone doubted it, the lengths to which Griffin will go to get what he wants, even if it damages his own party. We reproduce it in its entirety so that readers can gain an insight into both the character of Griffin and – as we have no reason to believe the details in it are untrue – the way Barnbrook has represented those who voted him into the London Assembly.
Withdrawal of BNP Whip From London Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook

It is with regret that the British National Party announces the withdrawal of the party whip from Richard Barnbrook, up until now a BNP councillor in Barking and the party s sole Member on the Greater London Assembly.

We are aware that sections of the media will use this as a stick to beat the BNP, and have worked hard to persuade Mr Barnbrook to make the changes to his lifestyle and attitudes which could have avoided this outcome. In the end, however, the party’s short term political convenience has to be put second behind the interests of our voters and the long term need to maintain our reputation for honesty and competence.

We are therefore unable any longer to allow our voters and our members to be abused and let down by a man who, after so much early promise, has let everyone down so badly.

In itself, Richard`s refusal to seek treatment for his alcohol dependency would be his personal problem and tragedy, but this illness is now having a catastrophic impact on Barnbrook the elected politician. The main, but not the only, problems that result are

* His increasingly erratic and poor attendance record at the GLA

* His repeated and personally disloyal attempts to bully and blame staff members and BNP colleagues for his own failings

* His failure to perform his constituency duties, cancelling meetings without warning or valid excuse. The final straw in this regard was his recent decision to go on an Internet blind date rather than take up a request to attend the funeral of a young victim of the London knife crime epidemic on which he was so active when first elected

* His attending meetings and disciplinary hearings, and giving interviews while drunk

* His ignoring repeated warnings and pleas from colleagues not to drink and drive. We make this a matter of public record here in the hope that the resulting possibility of greater police scrutiny will compel him to revert to travelling by public transport and thereby prevent a serious accident that is at present just a matter of time

* His breaking of his personal pledge to give 10 % of his gross salary to the party, giving instead irregular smaller amounts and repeatedly refusing to provide copies of his council pay slip so as to allow a proper assessment of the resulting shortfall

* His repeated approaches to BNP members with requests for donations and 'investments' into private business proposals and unauthorised personal political projects

* His repeated attempts to blackmail the party leadership by threatening to 'go Independent' in the GLA a move which he has actively discussed with senior officials at the GLA and to split the BNP vote in Barking by standing there in the General Election as an Independent under the slogan 'Barnbrook for Barking'

* His underhand efforts to secure BNP staff time and donors' money for his proposed Independent parliamentary campaign by claiming that this is authorised by the party leadership.

* His insistence on acting as an unofficial spokesperson on television and radio. His two most recent performances after his disciplinary hearing and also following Question Time in themselves make it clear that Richard, for all his qualities, would be wholly unsuitable to represent the Party in the highest level of government in Britain and the most demanding debating chamber in the world.

A number of meetings have been held between Mr Barnbrook and members of the BNP leadership in an effort to resolve these and other problems, but it has been impossible to reach a satisfactory outcome. As a result, Richard Barnbrook's status as a BNP councillor and London Assembly Member is revoked with immediate effect. This decision is reversible if he responds to this sacking by seeking and accepting professional help to deal with his alcohol problem, which is clearly the root of all the failings outlined. But failing that he will not be standing as a BNP candidate in any elections for the foreseeable future.

Our council group in Barking and Dagenham will be reduced by one, but will continue to be led by Cllr. Robert Bailey. The two BNP members who are at present working for Mr Barnbrook in the GLA have been informed that it is entirely their own decision as to whether to continue in post should he wish to retain them. As far as we are concerned it is now no different to any civil service job and we wish them well.

We will be announcing our prospective candidate for the Barking constituency following a selection procedure in which Mr Barnbrook will not be considered. We will be going all out to unseat Margaret Hodge and to replace her with a loyal, competent British National Party MP who will serve the electors of Barking with the dedication they deserve.
Hope not hate

BNP members accused of Aberdeen attack

0 Comment (s)
Trial hears alleged victim defaced billboard

Two BNP members attacked a protester who pelted one of their Aberdeen billboards in the run-up to the General Election, a court has heard.

It was alleged Stefan Knust, 21, was racially assaulted after he paint-bombed a British National Party poster on Aberdeen’s Great Northern Road.

Gregor Thomson, 44, whose address was given in court papers as 10A Summerfield Place, Aberdeen, and Steven Thomson, 20, whose address was given as 5 Gibblestone House, Shetland, both deny assault.

The trial continues at Aberdeen Sheriff Court next month.

Evening Express

Pub landlord is jailed for forging signature

0 Comment (s)
A pub landlord and parliamentary candidate for the British National Party has been jailed for forging a signature to assist the sale of a Northumberland hotel.

Peter Mailer, 54, had used his former manager’s signature to push through the £245,000 sale of the Hen and Chickens Hotel, in Berwick.

Mailer, who stood as a BNP candidate in Berwick in this year’s General Election, was jailed for 18 months yesterday after jurors found him guilty of forgery offences last month. Newcastle Crown Court heard how Mailer had been ordered to pay Trudy Waugh £5,600 compensation after she won a tribunal case against him for unfair dismissal after he took over ownership of the pub in 1999.

A county court charge was later put on the hotel when Mailer failed to pay up in the years that followed, Newcastle Crown Court heard. That meant the business in Berwick could not be sold while the charge was still in place. But Mailer passed the hotel to his brother in August 2006 for £245,000, the court heard.

Mailer, from Bricksheds, Belford, had used his former manager’s signature to push through the sale of the Hen and Chickens Hotel. And when an accountant began to investigate the outstanding compensation, it was discovered that two key documents had been forged with Ms Waugh’s signature.

Jailing him, Judge Roger Thorn QC told Mailer: “One of the most serious aspects of this case is your continuous scheming to subvert the course of justice. To this day Ms Waugh has not received a penny from you. You forged the document to the Land Registry and entered in bogus agreements. This demonstrates a nasty side of your character and your meanness.”

Mailer, who was convicted of forgery and using a false instrument by a majority verdict last month, bowed his head as the judge jailed him before looking at his equally devastated family.

The first offence involves an allegation he produced a bogus written agreement between himself and Ms Waugh. The second relates to an official Land Registry form saying the county court “charge” had been removed, the court heard. Mailer was arrested last November after the documents were passed to police.

Tony Davis, defending, said: “There is no one more humiliated than him. He has been incarcerated for 39 days now on remand and it has been awful. It has been a shock to his system.”

Mailer will now face a proceeds-of-crime hearing in an effort to claw back some of his ill-gotten gains. He was also stripped of his other pub licences.

Journal Live

November 19, 2010

BNP’s campaign falls flat in Croxteth

17 Comment (s)
The British National Party has failed to secure a seat in the council by-election in Croxteth. Despite determined campaigning, the people of the ward overwhelmingly rejected the fascist party and its violent convict candidate, Peter Tierney.

Tierney, 52, owns the Quiggins Attique antiques shop on Aigburth Road and holds a conviction for actual bodily harm. In April 2009, he assaulted a man with a camera tripod for handing out anti-fascist leaflets in Liverpool City Centre. Tierney’s personal election leaflet claimed that he was against bullying.

As part of his campaign, the BNP turned out in the ward numerous times to deliver leaflets door-to-door.They also held a rally in the area on polling day, whilst DVDs filled with racist propaganda were dropped through letter boxes under the title of “Liverpool Anti-Traitors.” The DVDs contain a version of the CCTV footage from Peter Tierney’s court case, which the party have time-lapsed to try and make it appear as though he was innocent. They also contain a You Tube BNP video from the general election, footage of a Welsh branch of the BNP being “horrified” by the “terrifying” presence of ethnic minorities in Wembley, and several videos espousing racial separatism which were created and promoted by white supremacist groups.

At the polls, the BNP’s share of the vote dropped to 2.58% from the 3.11% they gained when complete unknown George Muse stood for the party in Croxteth in 2008.

The full breakdown of results is as follows:

Lab: 1447
Lab: 1424
LD: 611
LD: 479
SLP: 135
BNP: 117 (2.58%)
SLP: 70
Green: 63
UKIP: 50
English Democrats: 35
English Democrats: 33
Con: 31
Con: 29
UKIP: 19

A spokesperson for Liverpool Antifascists said: “This result fits with a typical pattern for the BNP. Despite being far more active in campaigning than any other party, they have been roundly rejected, and their share of the vote has decreased with a higher turnout. After a series of succesful election campaigns by Liverpool Antifascists, and being run out of the City Centre twice in a row, people are alert to the fact that they are not an alternative to mainstream politics but its worst extreme. And at a time when the working class are under concerted attack from those in power, less and less people are convinced by the dead-end road of race politics.”

Martin Cummins and Stephanie Till of Labour were elected to represent Croxteth ward. Till, as the lowest polling of the two victors, will have to defend her seat at the local elections in May.

Liverpool Antifascists

American huge compensation lawsuits after racist crimes

4 Comment (s)
This article was submitted by one of our readers, Roddy Newman. We welcome any contributions from our supporters (as long as those contributions conform to the law and are in reasonably good taste). Please send your articles to us via email.

Some mainstream European politicians have been agonising recently about the growth of racist far right parties, which have recently entered parliament for the first time in Europe's least racist country, Sweden, which are currently propping up, or part of centre-right coalitions in Europe's most liberal countries, Holland and Denmark, and which have recently been part of right wing coalitions in more conservative countries like Italy and Austria.

However, there is a simple solution to the problem of racist far right organisations which could consign the heavily in debt BNP, and also the NF, EDL, SDL, WDL, EFP, BPP, etc. to the history books: The huge compensation award lawsuits after racist crimes which the USA's Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama civil rights law firm, have been using for decades to bankrupt numerous American racist organisations and activists.

For example, after White Aryan Resistance skinheads beat an Ethiopian man, Mulugeta Seraw, to death with a baseball bat, SPLC successfully sued WAR, and its leader, Tom Metzger, for $12.5 million compensation. As a result, Metzger was forced to sell his home, and was bankrupted. WAR continued, but like Metzger, it still has to make regular payments to Seraw's family, in Metzger's case out of his welfare cheques.

In another case, SPLC successfully sued the Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, its state leader, and 4 other individual members for $37.8 million compensation (later reduced to $21.5 million on appeal) after they burned down an African American church. As a result of the compensation award, the Christian Knights immediately went from being one of the most active KKK groups in the US, to effectively ceasing to exist.

You can read about these, and other hate and extremism lawsuits on the SPLC website. All of them have been funded by donations from SPLC supporters, as the SPLC do not take any money from the people who they sue on behalf of.

If the BNP, NF, EDL, SDL, WDL, EFP, BPP, etc., and their leaders all faced huge compensation award lawsuits after every racist or religious crime which they or their members engaged in, for engaging in, or inciting racist or religious criminality, or for using malicious and deliberate lies to incite racist or religious criminality, they could all obviously be bankrupted very quickly.

Nick Griffin was of course successfully prosecuted for inciting racial hatred after he denied the Holocaust in an article, but unfortunately, he was not sued for a huge compensation award, which could have been paid to Holocaust survivors.

The USA has no racial or religious hatred incitement laws, which is why so much Holocaust denial literature is printed in the US, and why SPLC lawsuits cannot sue on those grounds, but British laws, and European laws in general, are much stricter, as they should be.

Hitler and the Nazis would have been bankrupted long before they got into power if Weimar Republic Germany had had such laws, and if an SPLC type law firm had used them rigourously.

For example, the Russian Tsarist secret police (Okhrana) forgery, "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion", which the Okhrana created to turn the hatred which much of the Russian public felt for the Tsar into hatred of Russia's Jews, incited people to vote for the Nazis, who popularised the document, and who were later incited by "The Protocols" to organise the Holocaust.

You can buy Norman Cohn's book about "The Protocols" inciting people to vote for the Nazis, and inciting the Holocaust here.

Today, racist organisations are in some cases far more extreme than the Nazis, as I explained in an earlier article which discussed the current or past BNP and EFP leaders who admire, or admired a now dead American fascist party leader who was far more extreme than the Nazis, as he openly advocated killing all of the world's billions of non-white people and Jews, so it is very important that huge compensation award lawsuits are used to destroy racist organisations which have used "Protocols" type malicious and deliberate lies in their propaganda to win votes, and whip up racial hatred, and thus racist criminality.

Anti-racist lawyers could thus contact the SPLC for advice, and could then begin bankrupting all British far right organisations and leaders, by suing them because of racial or religious hatred inciting malicious and deliberate lies in past leaflets, articles, and other propaganda which would have led to past racist or religious crimes by them, or their members.

Anti-racist lawyers could also contact any lawyer friends they have in other European countries, to suggest the same tactic to them.

"Searchlight" magazine, and other anti-fascist organisations, have long been documenting the remarkably large numbers of criminal convictions for terrorism, hard drug dealing, paedophilia, gang rape, inciting racial hatred, racist violence, football hooliganism, etc. which racist activists have, so the law, and a deluge of huge compensation demand lawsuits, are the correct way to deal with the criminals who are responsible for organised racist activism once and for all.

November 18, 2010

The death of it?

14 Comment (s)
For some time the apologists and political rent-boys close to the BNP's leadership have been "putting it about", as they say, that the party's income has stabilised at around £1000 per day - a preposterous and currently uncheckable figure, conjured up as being the minimum necessary to sooth the worries entertained by large parts of the remaining membership that the BNP is flirting with insolvency, if it is not insolvent in fact.

Now a membership of 14,000 - as claimed before the General Election - is, via donations, membership fees, sales etc., certainly capable of producing an income well in excess of £1000 per day, but not in any sustained manner. Members might be persuaded to dig deep and often for an election push, but that effort and enthusiasm never lasts past election day.

The trouble for the BNP is, however, that most of its claimed 14,000 members did little beyond pay an annual sub. The majority never attended meetings or made a monetary contribution. The bulk of the party's financial efforts fall on the shoulders of a far smaller number of members.

Even then, since the general election the BNP has lost thousands of (admittedly) paper or low activity members, but with them have gone substantial numbers of stalwart activists and donators, to the point that in large parts of the country the party has ceased to exist or exists in name only.

Estimating the current size of the membership, and further estimating from that the probable size and number of income streams available to the party is problematical, but we are fairly safe in assuming that the BNP's current income bears little comparison with its pre-election income, and that the foggy £1000 per day figure is a gross exaggeration.

The BNP is approaching its old annual membership renewal cycle, and would normally be looking for a substantial replenishment of its coffers, but the omens aren't good. The majority of those renewals are due from paper and fair-weather members all too well aware of the electoral catastrophe that overwhelmed the BNP in May, and perhaps dimly aware of the internal strife that has beset the party ever since. These were the first to desert the National Front in similar circumstances in 1979, while the majority of activists - I am informed by sources who were involved at the time - clung together, if in ever increasing acrimony.

While we can and frequently do compare the BNP's debacle in 2010 with that of the NF in 1979, there are important differences.

There is the lack of a hardline hardcore element loyal to an alternative potential leader, such as that which coalesced around John Tyndall. Without that determined element to support and sustain him, Tyndall's career may well have ended in 1979. And, of course, without Tyndall, that element could never have survived and gone on to found the BNP.

Much of the "moderate" element of the National Front was drawn into Andrew Fountaine's NF Constitutional Movement, which, unhappily for them, quickly went the way of all "moderate" British nationalist parties.

The situation within the BNP does not compare with that of the old National Front. The BNP has a leader who it cannot remove, and is supported by a strange and sycophantic array of hardliners, "moderates", political illiterates (Paul Morris and friends), hangers-on, dependants and chancers whose only real point of agreement is that - unfathomably - Nick Griffin must remain as the BNP's leader.

And, of course, unlike the BNP, the National Front had tangible assets, and so far as anybody is aware, never came close to going broke.

Eddy Butler, in fairness, has never portrayed himself as an alternative BNP leader, and played what might be considered a good game until that moment he accepted the rejection of his leadership nomination bid on Griffin's terms, when the ball was unnecessarily dropped and discontent set in. Though he has sat tight ever since, the same cannot be said of his supporters, who quickly began to drift away. There was no Eddy Butler "situation" in 1979.

The formation of the tiny British Freedom Party might be said to have parallels in 1979, but only as the faintest of echoes. Regionally based, led by unfamiliar names and purporting to have abandoned racism, the BFP is of only the mildest interest to anti-fascists. If we can torture a comparison with anything then it would be Anthony Reed Herbert's Leicester-based British Democratic Party - but Reed Herbert's was a well-known and respected name and his party highly active. Of course, Reed Herbert and the BDP were brought down by rogue elements, roles currently adopted in the BFP by Lee Barnes and Simon Bennett. Few seriously expect the BFP to be a long term venture.

Complicating everything is the BNP's mountain of debts and the unnecessary and ruinously expensive court cases in which it has become embroiled. Unlike the National Front, the BNP really could disappear overnight. One successful creditor demanding a substantial sum would be enough (Eddy Butler claims that two are presently "well advanced in the process of taking insolvency proceedings against the party and against Nick Griffin").

Whispers have also been reaching anti-fascist ears for some time now that the Griffinite neutrality displayed towards clam-like MEP Andrew Brons is not quite what it seems, and is of the belligerent variety. At its simplest, the BNP leadership believes that Brons should have sacked Eddy Butler (who is employed on Brons's European staff) and publicly declared his support for Griffin. Brons has not sacked Butler, and his public utterances of support for Griffin have been at best lukewarm and evasive. There is clearly more to be told here, since Brons could solve Griffin's Butler problem very quickly (if at the probable but worthwhile cost of an employment tribunal) but chooses not to do so.

On the 29th of this month the final part of the case Nick Griffin and Simon Darby brought against the December Rebels is due to be heard at Newcastle High Court. Griffin and Darby lost the first two parts of the case, and according to the remaining rebels have "tried every trick in the book" to postpone the very proceedings they instigated, which they are expected to lose, and lose at great expense to the BNP.

At the weekend rumours that Griffin would not contest the final part of the case began to surface. We cannot confirm these rumours, and in any event past form tells us to be cautious of any rumour originating with the BNP leadership, but whatever the truth, on November the 29th the BNP is very likely to pile another £50,000+ on to its frighteningly high debt mountain. We doubt that the shabbily treated Kenny and Nichola Smith, Steve Blake and Ian Dawson will be prepared to wait long to recover their costs.

The situation of the BNP makes that of the 1979 NF appear hideously uncomplicated by comparison, the great irony of it all being that the BNP's dictatorial leadership system was conceived in the fallout of the 1979 debacle and was intended to ensure that such an implosion could never happen again - yet it has proved to be the fount of so many BNP ills over the past eleven years, and at the last may prove the death of it.