Peter Tierney faces court date for assaulting anti-fascists

In April, I reported on an attack perpetrated by Merseyside BNP activists Steve Greenhalgh and Peter Tierney [left], which took place in Liverpool City Centre on St George's Day. Greenhalgh and Tierney used an upended table and a folded camera tripod respectively as weapons against anti-fascists who had routed their leafleting with counter-leafleting in and around their location.

Despite Tierney's lies, which got one anti-fascist arrested for "assaulting" him, he was ultimately taken into custody and released on bail. The arrested anti-fascist was also bailed, but only after being held in the same station as Tierney and subsequently followed home by a car full of BNP activists threatening "we know where you live, we’re going to fucking kill you."

On Monday, Tierney answered his police bail at St Anne's Street police station. The bail conditions for both Tierney and the victim he claimed to be his assailant included a ban on entering the City Centre, and those conditions were reasserted. Tierney is set to face trial at the Liverpool Magistrates Court on the 5th of August and, as the Merseyside BNP blog reports, BNP activists "will be holding a 2nd Demo outside of the Magistrates Court as he attends." Their intent is to show that they "will not be intimidated and bullied by the state" who have "set a dangerous precedent that decent members of the public CAN NOT defend themselves against attackers." They are in fact demonstrating that their party stands in defence of savage violence by those who grap weapons when faced with non-violent opposition.

As of yet, no counter-demonstration has been arranged to face the fascist contingent outside the courthouse. Even if, as in countless prior Liverpool demonstrations, their numbers barely scrape fifty, they need to be opposed. Merseyside anti-fascists need to show that we will not accept fascist violence under the transparent pretext of "self-defence" against the non-violent, and Tierney needs to learn that the opposition and dissent he so hates will not simply fade away because he picks up a weapon.

Truth, Reason and Liberty

'BNP membership' Police Officer sacked

A police constable whose name appeared on a leaked list of British National Party (BNP) members has been sacked, Merseyside Police said.

Pc Steve Bettley's name was on a document listing details of 12,000 BNP people which was published online. Merseyside Police conducted an investigation into the allegation and concluded he had "knowingly been a member of the BNP". Mr Bettley denied being a party member and will appeal against his dismissal. Officers and police staff are banned from joining or promoting the BNP.

The officer, who was briefly the driver for chief constable Bernard Hogan Howe, had been suspended from duty since the list became public last November.

A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said: "A police misconduct panel has dismissed Constable Steve Bettley after concluding he had knowingly been a member of the British National Party from March 2007 and up to March 2008."

Constable Bettley would like to place on record that he condemns racism and does not support the views of the British National Party
Merseyside Police Federation spokesman

Deputy Chief Constable Bernard Lawson added: "As soon as we were made aware that Mr Bettley had been named on a BNP membership list an investigation was instigated and he was immediately suspended. We have an overriding legal duty to promote race equality and retain public confidence."

Throughout the inquiry Merseyside Police consulted with the Black Police Association and the Independent Advisory Group.

A spokesman for the Merseyside Police Federation, which represented Pc Bettley at the misconduct hearings, said he accepted his name was on the BNP list but he denied being a member of the party. He said he was enrolled in the party by a family member without his knowledge and he planned to appeal against the dismissal.

"We are disappointed with the finding and sanction of the Misconduct Panel and do not believe that there is any evidence presented to the panel which would indicate that he was knowingly a member of the BNP. Consequently the Police Federation believe that their decision that he was a member and can no longer serve with Merseyside Constabulary is flawed," the spokesman said.

The spokesman added: "The Police Federation will be fully supporting Constable Bettley through the appeals process which includes a Chief Constables Review and Police Appeals Panel. Constable Bettley would like to place on record that he condemns racism and does not support the views of the British National Party."

BBC News

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