An emphatic stand against racism in English football

The men charged with one of the trickiest decisions in FA history were unequivocal

Negro or negrito, it doesn't really matter now. Sometimes it's not what you say so much as how you say it, and how many times you do so and the effect it is plainly having in the hair-trigger atmosphere of a match between such ferocious rivals as Liverpool and Manchester United. That certainly was the conclusion of the independent regulatory panel of three which last night accepted the allegations of Patrice Evra and banned Luis Suarez for eight matches.

As it did so it swept aside the sophistry of the brilliant Uruguayan's defence that he had done nothing worse than slip into a cultural divide, that what he said to an enraged opponent two months ago wouldn't have raised the eyebrow of a black compatriot back home in Montevideo.

It is the kind of argument which can hold up a court for some time – as it did in this minefield of a case which represented such a huge challenge to the nerve and the working morality of the rulers of the game in this country – but had it been accepted the chances of success in similar prosecutions in the future would have slumped to around zero.

There would have been a precedent for the niceties of one man's understanding of what might constitute a serious offence against the pride and the dignity of another. Instead, the judgement was that if Suarez had offended in a way that may have been subtler than when he bit an opponent in the Dutch league – and earned the nickname of the Cannibal of Ajax – he had still crossed an unacceptable line.

The implications are heavy for anyone who, had the outcome been different last night, might have been tempted to join in any regression to the days when racism was such a harsh reality in the English football.

Certainly, although John Terry denies the allegations, it might create a new level of tension for the Chelsea and England captain, who awaits the deliberations of the Crown Prosecution Service as it weighs the evidence in the charge of Anton Ferdinand that he too was a victim of racial abuse.

The adjudicating panel was led by QC Paul Goulding but it is hard not to believe that he received powerful underpinning from his colleague Denis Smith.

A magnificent centre-half for Stoke, and a manager who knew both success and failure, Smith went into the hearing under the bizarre suggestion that an old professional connection with Sir Alex Ferguson's son, Darren, might make him a less than impartial arbiter. For anyone who knew him, the theory might have been etched crudely in crayon rather than tweeted. Indeed, Smith's long, injury-strewn but superbly indefatigable involvement in the hard end of professional footballer made him eminently qualified to note the difference between nuances of language, and intention, and the realities of serious provocation and insult.

Even so the long days of deliberation suggest a near forensic examination of the claims and counter-claims. Surely, it had to be so.

That Evra had once had a similar charge to the one he made against Saurez rejected, and had evidence at another hearing categorised as "unreliable" no doubt emboldened Liverpool's defence of their outstanding player. It is also true that last night's verdict could easily have been shrouded in inconclusive platitudes and irresolute action.

Instead, the men charged with arguably one of the trickiest decisions in the history of FA discipline were unequivocal. Liverpool, predictably, are indignant and last night issued a powerful statement of rebuttal. From the tone of it, it would be surprising if they do not take advantage of the two-week suspension of Suarez's sentence which allows for an appeal.

Liverpool said the decision was extraordinary in that the issue had come down to the word of Evra against Saurez's and that their player had no record of racism, pointing out his mixed-race heritage. They also cited Evra's comment that he did not regard Saurez as a racist.

So what was the accusation against Saurez? It was one with which the panel concurred. He was guilty of misconduct and insulting behaviour and the use of racist language. You could translate that into some mild attempt at incitement to a loss of control in a player with whom you were engaged in a desperate battle for advantage. You could also say that in another context Saurez would have been guilty of nothing more than "cultural" clumsiness.

The decision was, however, much more emphatic. It said that Saurez had succeeded in inflaming his opponent in a calculated and unacceptable way. This could create an interminable argument about cause and effect but the gut instinct here is that a difficult but vital stand has been made. And, you may ask, against what precisely? Hopefully, it is the idea that racism, however it manifests itself, is in English football not consigned to the past.

Independent

Liverpool furious as Luis Suárez banned in Patrice Evra racism row

• Striker set to miss eight games and is fined £40,000
• Liverpool consider appeal against striker's conviction

Luis Suárez has been banned for eight matches and fined £40,000 for racially abusing Patrice Evra, prompting an extraordinary response from Liverpool accusing the Manchester United player of being "not credible" and alleging that the Football Association had deliberately set out to punish their player even before hearing the evidence.

In a statement that also calls for the FA to press charges against Evra, Liverpool described themselves as "surprised and disappointed" with the "extraordinary" decision to find Suárez guilty of aiming racist abuse at the Senegal-born Frenchman during the 1-1 draw at Anfield on 15 October.

Their manager, Kenny Dalglish, tweeted: "Very disappointed with today's verdict. This is the time when @luis16suarez needs our full support. Let's not let him walk alone. KD"

The club are considering an appeal, with the punishment suspended and Suárez free to play until the process is completed, and the wording of their statement makes it clear they will not contemplate taking their own disciplinary action against a player who is understood to have admitted calling his opponent a "negro".

"We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone when no one else on the field – including Evra's own team-mates and all the match officials – heard the alleged conversation between two players in a crowded Kop goalmouth while a corner-kick was about to be taken," the statement said.

"It is our strong belief, having gone over the facts of the case, that Luis Suárez did not commit any racist act. It is also our opinion that the accusation by this particular player was not credible – certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations."

That was a reference to Evra's disciplinary case in 2008 when he was banned for four matches and fined £15,000 after an altercation with a Chelsea groundsman. The FA hearing at the time ruled his evidence was "exaggerated and unreliable" and Liverpool made a great point of focusing on this during the Suárez case.

However, the FA's three-man independent commission, led by Paul Goulding QC, did not accept Suárez's argument that the words he used were perfectly acceptable for someone from Uruguay, a defence of culture and semantics that has led to it being described as one of the more complex cases ever to fall under the remit of the FA's disciplinary unit. Suárez said on Twitter: "Today is a very difficult and painful day for both me and my family. Thanks for all the support, I'll keep working!"

There was no apology and it soon became apparent why as Liverpool turned the focus back on to the man who made the allegation. "It is key to note that Patrice Evra himself in his written statement in this case said: 'I don't think that Luis Suárez is racist'. The FA in their opening remarks accepted that Luis Suárez was not racist," their statement said.

"Luis himself is of a mixed-race family background as his grandfather was black. He has been personally involved since the 2010 World Cup in a charitable project which uses sport to encourage solidarity amongst people of different backgrounds with the central theme that the colour of a person's skin does not matter; they can all play together as a team.

"We do not recognise the way in which Luis Suárez has been characterised. It appears to us that the FA were determined to bring charges against Luis Suárez, even before interviewing him at the beginning of November.

"Nothing we have heard in the course of the hearing has changed our view that Luis Suárez is innocent of the charges brought against him and we will provide Luis with whatever support he now needs to clear his name. We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted himself in his evidence to insulting Luis Suárez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms. Luis, to his credit, actually told the FA he had not heard the insult."

Evra had reportedly pushed away Suárez's hand when the Uruguayan attempted to pat him on the head and used words to the Liverpool player along the lines of: "Don't touch me, you South American." Liverpool have asked the FA to issue the same charges that have now led to Suárez's reputation being tarnished.

The FA's hearing, that began last Wednesday, had ruled that Suárez used "insulting words" that "included a reference to Mr Evra's colour". The full written reasons will be provided to Liverpool in the next few days and they will have 14 days to appeal. However, if they were to lose an appeal Suárez could potentially face an even longer ban. In the meantime Suárez is set to play in the league fixture at Wigan Athletic on Wednesday.

Guardian

Demonstrations against BNP in Liverpool

Anti-fascist campaigners demonstrated outside the Wavertree Cricket club where the British National Party was holding its two day conference.

The far-right group's leader, Nick Griffin, was at the event, and was met with boos from protesters as he arrived. Police officers attended but it is understood the demonstrations passed off peacefully.

Wavertree ward Cllr Jake Morrison said the presence of the BNP had come as a shock and most of the community had been unaware the event, which started at around 9.300am, was being held in the city.

Cllr Morrison, who joined with protesters outside the venue, on Long Lane, said: "It's been a peaceful protest, but some of the BNP members have been hanging out of the windows sticking their fingers up at us. Local residents are deeply angry that they've chosen our neighbourhood for their annual conference. We are here to protest against them and will remain until they are gone."

Liverpool Echo

No ice cream for Nazis on Merseyside

Liverpool turns out against the Nazi BNP (Pic: Tommy Ewing)

Tommy Ewing in Liverpool reports on how local people stood up to the BNP

The British National Party tried demonstrating last night (Thursday) outside Liverpool Arts Centre where this week's BBC Question Time was being recorded. The Nazis were upset that their leader Nick Griffin, who is an MEP for the North West region, had not been invited to participate in the programme. But they were heavily outnumbered by 150 anti-fascists who turned out to oppose them.

There was a real mixture of people on the anti-fascist demonstration—black and white, young and old. There were banners from Unite Against Fascism (UAF), Love Music Hate Racism, the PCS union and many others.

The police tried to keep the anti-fascists in their "designated area". But some of us had approached from a different direction and ended up right next to the Nazis (shudder). We started heckling the BNP, and soon the rest of the anti-fascist demo joined us. At one point anti-fascists even managed to stop the BNP from buying ice cream, chanting "No ice cream for Nazis!" at a nearby van. The BNP looked really depressed. Eventually they folded up their banners and sheepishly scuttled off.

An earlier incident involved BNP heavies trying to set up stall in a skateboard park. But the skateboarders turned on them and told them, "We don't want you Nazis here." The police had to escorted the BNP away.

It was noticeable throughout the demo that we spent most of our time laughing at the Nazis. The humour of local people heckling them was absolutely fantastic. I know the BNP are no joke—but it was uplifting to see them downbeat, demoralised and defeated.

Socialist Worker

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

Anthony Walker Foundation - Festival at Liverpool on July 9th 2011

Click on image for full-size

Liverpool EDL target community bookstore

English Defence League members at a recent flash demo outside Lime Street station

On Saturday 7th May, members of the English Defence League invaded the News From Nowhere radical and community bookstore on Bold Street. The group unfurled a flag within the shop, chanting and shouting at the staff and customers in the shop, before finally moving on.

By the time anti-fascists arrived at the shop, the fascists had gone. Shop workers reported that some of the first ones to come in had asked odd questions at the counter, including whether they carried information on the BNP, before joining the mob by the doors and shouting “why do you support terrorists.” They accused those in the shop of supporting the Islamist group Hamas and of being “anti-British.”

On their Facebook page, members said that “The Liverpool EDL are to be applauded for their bravery” in “keeping left-wing lies off the streets and out of the hands of our children.” An admin added that “Several of bits of l[i]terature in the shop in question promote communism and are anti-royals. A[s] a[n] Englishman i find this unacceptable.”

A spokesperson for Liverpool Antifascists said, “the English Defence League are only the latest fascist group to try and intimidate workers at News From Nowhere for its links to left-wing and radical politics. In the 1980s, it was on the receiving end of a lot of attacks from the National Front and BNP. More recently, neo-Nazis like the British Freedom Fighters had made regular visits to the shop until deterred by anti-fascists.

“The EDL might like to boast of how brave they were, but they are following in the footsteps of people like Liam Pinkham – the Nazi hooligan who was arrested for threatening to burn the shop down. They are cowards and bullies and this is exactly why we stand opposed to them.”

Liverpool Antifascists

Anti-BNP/Peter Tierney protest – new date March 17th

The trial of the BNP’s Peter Tierney for assault has been moved to Wednesday March 17th. Our protest against the BNP will therefore take place on that day: 9. 15am at the Victoria Monument, Derby Square, Liverpool 1.

New flyers and posters are attached. Please distribute widely. If you told anyone about the original date of this event, please let them know that it is now on the 17th.

The change means that we will NOT be leafleting Liverpool 8 tomorrow. A midweek date for leafleting will be set and advertised soon. We will still leaflet door-to-door in Toxteth on Saturday March 13th to build for this event.

We want the maximum possible turnout on the 17th to show that the BNP have no place in our city.


Leaflet
Poster

Liverpool Anti-Fascists

Former Quiggins owner Peter Tierney sued by his advisor

The former boss of Quiggins, in Liverpool, is accused of refusing to pay thousands of pounds in fees for expert help in the doomed battle to save his retail and cultural centre.

Urban planner Professor Iain Taylor is claiming ex-School Lane chief Peter Tierney [a BNP activist, pictured left] owes him over £30,000. This week, the matter ended up in Liverpool County Court and is expected to go to trial in the coming months.

Professor Taylor said he was hired by Mr Tierney when Quiggins, on School Lane, faced multi-million pound developer Grosvenor, in a high-profile public inquiry in 2003. The academic, now living in Canada, said that he struck a verbal contract with Tierney to pay him in the region of £11,000 for his services as a “campaign manager and expert witness”. But Mr Taylor, 66, alleges that, other than an initial payment of £1,000 and some expenses, he received no money.

The former Liverpool Institute pupil said the outstanding £11,000 fee had trebled due to interest and expenses incurred over the last six years. Ultimately, Quiggins lost the public inquiry which paved the way for the centre to be demolished, allowing Grosvenor to build the £1bn Liverpool One complex.

Prof Taylor said: “Peter was paying a lot of people for the campaign to save Quiggins – my bill was small potatoes to him. My fee was based on a 40 hour week, over a five week period, and my professional charge was discounted by 50%. Although there was nothing written down, we had a handshake deal, and it was clear what the arrangement was. But, after the settlement, it was like I’d been forgotten.”

The hearing at Liverpool County Court was adjourned until a later date. The ECHO contacted Mr Tierney, but he declined to talk about the civil dispute with Prof Taylor.

Grosvenor won a Compulsory Purchase Order to enable them to acquire the Quiggins building to create a new shopping arcade.

Peter Tierney, from Hale Village, opened Quiggins in the 1970s and built it into an alternative cultural market and shopping centre that attracts visitors from all over the world. Despite widespread support for Mr Tierney, he lost his fight to keep the hugely popular and iconic centre at its School Lane home.

The closure saw him and his brother Jimmy receive compensation, believed to be over £1m, to be shared between them.

Liverpool Daily Post

Note: Tierney is due back in court accused of assaulting an anti-fascist protestor, on October 29th.

Not in our name

The fight against racism and fascism was firmly on the agenda as the TUC kicked off its annual conference in Liverpool yesterday. A debate on the BNP was followed by a Not in our name vigil involving all delegates.

The conference was also addressed by Gee Walker, mother of murdered Liverpool teenager Anthony Walker. In a deeply moving speech, she told the conference:

"My son and what happened to him is the result of extreme racism. I know that if he was white he would still be alive today. When hate destroyed my son's dream, our community in Liverpool, in the UK and indeed the world was outraged and shocked. We were left devastated and we still are. The positives are that, at that time, we all embraced cohesion and diversity in all its forms. It was a time when race, religion and class and even our own football teams, Everton and Liverpool, sat side by side comforting each other at Anthony's funeral. Unfortunately, that was short-lived and already a lot seems to have forgotten my Anthony already and they have resorted back to their own comfort zones."

Gee's speech should be a timely reminder of the pressing need to combat racism and fascism wherever it raises its head. And with the election of two BNP MEPs the trade union movement gave its committment to do everything in its power to challenge hatred and racism in the workplace and wider community.

HOPE not hate

Demonstrate against the racist and violent BNP in Liverpool on September 3rd

Click on image for full-size

Merseyside BNP member, Peter Tierney, is appearing in court again on September 3rd. He faces charges of assault, following an attack on an anti-fascist protester in April.

Let’s show the BNP that we won’t tolerate their racism and violence in Liverpool or anywhere else. Demonstrate against the racists on September 3rd.

STAND UP TO RACISM AND FASCISM!
JOIN US ON SEPTEMBER 3rd

Demonstrate against the racist and violent BNP in Liverpool on August 5th

Click on image for full-size, then right-click and
'Save As' to save it for printing and circulating

The fascist British National Party have called on their members to support Peter Tierney, BNP lowlife and local ‘businessman’, who is on trial on August 5th. Tierney is charged with assault, following an attack on an anti-fascist protester in April.

Let’s show the BNP that we won’t tolerate their racism and violence in Liverpool or anywhere else.

Tell your friends and let’s have a really big turnout on August 5th.

Stand up to fascism.
Join us on August 5th

Full report of BNP attack on Liverpool Anti-Fascists, April 23rd

BNP Thugs Take to the Streets of Liverpool and Assault Local Anti-Fascists

Yesterday, April 23rd, saw fifteen members of Liverpool BNP members take to the streets of our city again. As word got around that they were leafleting on Church Street, around 12.30pm, local anti-fascists did what they could to mobilise people (not the easiest thing to do mid-week, mid afternoon!). By 1pm there was around twenty anti-fascists leafleting in and around the BNP, making it loud and clear what the BNP stood for, and why people shouldn’t tolerate their presence. This was met by the standard bellowing of ‘get a wash’ and ‘get a job’ from the BNP only serving to further alienate members of the public, from whom they were already getting short shrift.

Before long it became clear that as well as their suited and booted ‘activists’, the BNP had a number of thugs dispersed in the crowd who were taking it in turns to try and intimidate both anti-fascists and uninvolved passers by. This was on top of their standard motley crew of camera men who were systematically patrolling the crowd and filming anybody who showed opposition to their presence.

At around 1.30pm the BNP realised that they were getting nowhere, packed up their stall and moved off towards St. Georges Hall, the site of recent BNP rallies in the city. By the time anti-fascist activists arrived they had set up their stall in St. Johns Garden to the rear of the hall, and once again began leafleting. Anti-fascists responded by striking up conversations with other people in the Gardens and handing out our leaflets. After five minutes the BNP decided they had been beaten once again and got together to leave the gardens. Two anti-fascists ran ahead to get out on to the road in front where they could continue ensuring that the public knew the truth about the fascist organisation.

At this point three of the BNP members, Peter Tierney, Steve Greenhalgh and an as yet unidentified man, decided that they’d had enough of being routed from their chosen leafleting spots, and unleashed a vicious assault on the two who had run in front. Peter Tierney, armed with a folded camera tripod, used his weapon to hit one man around the head, splitting it open. Steve Greenhalgh turned his paste table on its edge and began to use it as a weapon in much the same way that riot police were doing with their shields at the G20 protests, and the third man went in with fists and boots narrowly missing one activists face. On realising the seriousness of the assault Steve Greenhalgh (thought to be Liverpool BNP’s local organiser) then quickly began ushering his minions, some whom clearly hadn’t quenched their blood-thirst, out of the gardens. The group were followed closely by anti-fascists until they left the gardens, ensuring no repeat attack could take place.

In the aftermath of the attack three anti-fascists left the scene together, deliberately going in the opposite direction to the BNP. However, as they rounded a corner they saw the fascists talking to a group of police. Not wishing a further confrontation, the activists walked past, only for the police to run towards them and inform one of them that Peter Tierney (the perpetrator of the armed attack) had made a complaint of assault against him. Without any chance to defend himself, the activist, who was showing no sign of resistance, was cuffed and arrested on suspicion of assault. Police then took over half an hour to take seriously the report that it was in fact the BNP who had launched a vicious attack on anti-fascists. The falsely imprisoned anti-fascist then spent nine hours in custody in the same police station as Tierney, with police telling other comrades that he was in a different station. As a result when the man was released from custody, wearing only distinctive custody issue tracksuit clothing, he was followed by a car full of BNP activists who threatened ‘we know where you live, we’re going to fucking kill you’.

Despite the attack, the day was on the whole successful. Anti-fascists prevented the BNP from having free reign on the streets of Liverpool, seeing that the BNP’s vile politics did not go unchallenged. In the end the BNP were unable to control themselves and showed the public what they are really about: ‘defending rights for whites with well placed boots and fists’ in the words of their chairman Nick Griffin. Once again, Merseyside Police showed themselves to be entirely biased towards the BNP, not only responding to a false claim only made to deflect attention from the fascist attacks, but putting an activist in serious danger by holding him at the same station as Tierney and failing to ensure his safety upon being released.

This is the clearest example yet in Merseyside that the BNP are not simply an far-right racist party, but a fascist organisation who rely on violence when all the cards down. This story must be publicised to its full extent in the run up to the June 4th Euro-Elections in which Griffin is standing as candidate for the North-West. The activist who was injured is now recovering following hospital treatment, and the activist who was arrested has been bailed until July 21st and banned from the city centre.

Messages of solidarity can be sent to lsarf@live.co.uk (Liverpool Students Against Racism and Fascism)

liverpoolred (via Indymedia)

Another one bites the dust

The BNP are not having it their own way in the North West. After the humiliating climbdown in Liverpool it now appears that a planned meeting in Manchester has also been disrupted. This afternoon the BNP announced that it was holding a meeting in Manchester Town Hall on Saturday.

However, the meeting had already been cancelled!

We have learnt that a BNP member had indeed made a booking for a committee room on Monday but this was quickly spotted by eagle-eyed council staff.

The very fact that the BNP advertised the venue suggested that this was more a publicity stunt than anything else and by the time the story was posted on the website an alternative venue had been found. However, just to be on the safe side council staff will once again be looking at the booking forms tomorrow morning.

HOPE not hate

BNP cancels event after match row

Another propaganda disaster for the BNP

The British National Party (BNP) has cancelled an event in Liverpool which police said forced them to postpone Everton's match against Stoke.

The Premier League fixture was due to take place at Goodison on Saturday, 14 March, but was switched to Sunday. The Merseyside force feared it did not have enough officers to police the match and a city centre election leafleting event by the party. But the BNP told the BBC its event was being cancelled for the sake of fans.

Deputy leader Simon Darby said: "It's the right thing to do. It's an unholy political row and football is going to be the loser here, so I don't see why Everton and Stoke fans should be inconvenienced. And if the police can cancel these fixtures as they seem to do at the drop of a hat, then they can rearrange it now."

Merseyside Police and Everton Football Club are yet to comment on the latest development.

The match is still scheduled to take place at 1500 GMT on Sunday, 15 March, following a police request to the Premier League. The force apologised to fans for the rearrangement, but said "public safety was paramount".

BBC

Don't pander to the BNP

It’s bad enough that the BNP will be on the streets of Liverpool spouting their bile next month [though click here for one way it could be stopped]. What makes it doubly hard to stomach is the fact that ordinary, decent Merseysiders are being inconvenienced to accommodate them.

The British National Party will be leafleting in the city centre on March 14 – the day Everton are scheduled to take on Stoke City at Goodison Park. Merseyside Police are unwilling to attempt to police both events at once, so the Premiership clash has been hastily rescheduled for the following day.

It’s simply unfair.

Football fans get heartily sick of fixture changes to suit the TV money moguls who essentially own the game. The TV firms pay the big bucks that pay the big wage bills and, like it or not, they demand the matches are played when it suits them and their armchair audience.

They often switch at short notice and can have a real impact on family life and work shifts. Season ticket holders, in particular, get a raw deal.

It is testimony to the liberal nature of this country’s lawmakers that the BNP are allowed to peddle their dubious politics, almost at will. Especially as their presence usually attracts the hard-line anti-Nazi brigade whose own tactics can create sickening violence when the two groups collide.

Sadly we appear to pander to the negative forces and we just cannot see why that should be the case.

Everton’s game has been set in the fixture list since last summer. Plans have been made. The BNP announced their intentions in January. They are the latecomers to this particular and potentially unpleasant party.

Surely Liverpool’s police and civic leaders should have told the leafleters straight: Another day ... or, better still, another city.

Liverpool Echo

Stop the march of Hate

Stop the marchers of hate

Today the HOPE not hate campaign launched a petition that calls on Merseyside police to ban the BNP from marching through Liverpool City Centre on 14 March.

The BNP's march of hate is designed to whip up racial hatred. Pure and simple. Liverpool is a multiracial society and does not deserve the hatemongers.

Please sign the petition and encourage your friends to do likewise

HOPE not hate

Anti BNP Event and Merseyside Police

Saturday 29th November 2008 saw a massive protest leafleting event against the fascist BNP and the racist leaflet for which 13 BNP members were arrested the previous Saturday. Over 500 Anti-fascists turned out including many from Liverpool’s black community to ensure that Merseyside stays a Fascist free zone.

The Merseyside Coalition against Racism and Fascism (M.C.A.R.F) and Searchlight produced a special leaflet to counter the racist BNP leaflet and printed 10, 000 copies and many were distributed on Saturday.

The President of M.C.A.R.F. Alec McFadden negotiated with Merseyside Police, organized the event, recruited stewards and produced the leaflets. The agreement with Police was that our leaflets would be distributed at the bottom of Church Street near Co-op bank. The Merseyside Police also confirmed that anyone distributing the racist BNP leaflet would be arrested.

On Tuesday 25th November the Crown Prosecution Service C.P.S ruled that the leaflet was likely to increase racial tension but was unlikely to increase racial hatred.

Merseyside Police objected and appealed that decision but on Friday the appeal was rejected, which meant that BNP could distribute their leaflets that were likely to increase racial tension, however M.C.A.R.F. was not informed of this

On Saturday morning 9. 45am the President of M.C.A.R.F. and three stewards were informed by the Senior Police Officer that the BNP were free to distribute their racist leaflets. All 500 plus present were addressed by the President of M.C.A.R.F. of the dangers, the need to work in groups and to contact one of the stewards or the police if anything threatening happened, including the BNP photographing demonstrators, and that personal security was a priority.

Over the next two hours 3000 leaflets were distributed, a number of speeches were made, music played, and the stewards did a great job, although a few BNP did try and take photos of demonstrators leafleting. These were dealt with by Police and Stewards.

The Stewards regularly checked across Liverpool City Centre for any sign of BNP but none were seen other than the few fascists trying to take photo’s.

At around 11. 50am the Police met the Stewards and M.C.A.R.F. President and informed them that no BNP activity was going to take place and that local BNP had stopped the mobilization. Our Steward confirmed that no groups of BNP had been seen. The Stewards and organizers then agreed to celebrate victory against BNP and stop the protest leafleting. The President of M.C.A.R.F. then addressed the Anti-Fascist Protesters and the event wound down in a positive frame of mind and many left the area.

Less than 75 minutes later 40/50 BNP were discovered at St. Georges Platau, and they were escorted into Liverpool City Centre by Merseyside police. The Anti-Fascists who were still in town and a few of the Stewards protested and chanted against the BNP who were lead by Nick Griffin their General Secretary. The protest lasted over one hour and three arrests were made, one BNP for the threatening behavior at News from Nowhere and two Anti-Fascists. No Charges have been made.

It is now very clear that the Police were either mislead by their intelligence, the BNP or mislead the organizers of the Ant-Fascist Event.

Openly racist leaflets were distributed in Liverpool by BNP under the protection of Merseyside Police.

On Monday 1st December M.C.A.R.F, Searchlight plus members of Liverpool Black Leader Forum have arranged to meet senior Merseyside Police after the President of M.C.A.R.F. made a complaint against Police handling of Saturdays Anti-Fascist Event. That meeting will take place this week.

An Early Day motion will go to Parliament on Wednesday from Merseyside M. Ps asking the Crown Prosecution Service to reconsider their position on the BNP leaflet which in the view of the Black Leaders Forum, M.C.A.R.F, and Anti-Fascist Activists will increase both racial tension and increase racial hatred.

Merseyside has always been a Fascist Free Zone and it is the intention of its citizens to maintain that position.

The spectacle of Merseyside Police protecting the Fascist BNP while they walk through the streets of Liverpool City centre distributing openly racist leaflets is an outrage, and must never be repeated. Our diverse community, The Trade Union Movement and all democratic people must ensure it never happens again.

Alec McFadden: President MCARF

Tragic murders the BNP is trying to exploit

Three arrested after BNP city march

Clashes between anti-fascist and BNP supporters in the city centre on Saturday resulted in three arrests.

Anti-fascist protesters gathered at one end of Church Street at 10am, while BNP members met at the other end – near the bottom of Lord Street – at midday. Merseyside Police say both groups had agreed to avoid conflict by remaining in their own designated area.

However, clashes erupted when the groups, numbering around 200 people, came into contact later in the afternoon, culminating when BNP chairman Nick Griffin arrived to give an address at St George’s Hall.

One onlooker said: “I didn’t see any fighting but there was a lot of verbal taunting.”

Peter Molloy, BNP candidate for Belle Vale ward said BNP members had complied with police and had not been involved in the clashes. A Merseyside Police spokesman said: “The force liaised with both groups to minimise disruption.”

The three Merseyside men, aged 20, 22 and 32, were arrested for public order offences but have now been released.

Liverpool Daily Post

BNP members under arrest for "racist" leaflets

Twelve men were arrested today on suspicion of distributing racist material in a city centre, police said.

The men were arrested after distributing leaflets at around 12.50pm in Whitechapel, Liverpool city centre. Merseyside Police said those arrested were: a 29-year-old and a 51-year-old from the Liverpool South area; a 64 year-old from the Wirral area; a 19 year-old; a 46-year-old and a 41-year-old from Liverpool North; a 61-year-old and a 42-year-old from Knowsley; a 70-year-old; a 44 year-old; and a 29-year-old and a 48-year-old from St Helens.

Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Colin Matthews said: “Merseyside Police condemns racism in all of its forms and will take prompt action to support all of our communities. Merseyside Police today arrested 12 people on suspicion of distribution of racist material. This follows the distribution of leaflets in Liverpool city centre, which officers believe to contain racist content. Racist literature is not welcome on the streets of Merseyside in any circumstances. We serve many communities in Merseyside and it is important that all our communities are assured that we will take positive action where it is needed.”

The men have been taken to Merseyside police stations where they will be questioned about the incident. A police source said tonight the arrests were linked to the British National Party (BNP).

The organiser of the Blackpool and Oldham branches of the BNP, Roy Goodwin, confirmed 12 members of the party had been arrested. He said: “I understand 12 of our members have been arrested distributing official party leaflets in Merseyside. There was nothing unlawful in the leaflets - all the contents of the leaflets had been carefully vetted, or they would not have gone out.”

Liverpool Daily Post

Everton and Liverpool hit out at far-right BNP

Everton and Liverpool have united to condemn Merseyside BNP for using their grounds on the front page of its website.

The local site of the far right party has used the clubs’ stadiums as part of six images summing up Liverpool in the run up to the local elections on May 1. But having been firm supporters of FA anti-racism initiatives both clubs moved quickly to distance themselves from the website and the BNP.

In a strongly-worded statement, Ian Ross, spokesman for Everton Football Club, said: “We utterly disassociate ourselves from a party like the BNP. They haven’t sought our permission to use the image of Goodison because they know it would be denied straight away. We will now be demanding that they remove the image from their website. If they are attempting to draw a link between this football club and its supporters then they are a disgrace and should be condemned for even attempting it.”

A Liverpool FC spokesman said: “Liverpool Football Club should not be used to promote a political party full stop. We condemn the use of any images relating to Liverpool FC on the Merseyside BNP's website and in no way do we share their views.”

Steve Greenhalgh, regional organiser for the BNP, said: “We thought the image of two great football clubs summed up the image of Merseyside, no more, no less. Some of our leaflets contain pictures of churches and cathedrals and the public have not had any complaints. People recognise Liverpool and Everton but we don’t want it to cause any controversy. If there is an issue we will look at it and re-evaluate it.”

Liverpool Daily Post