EDL support NF rally in Newcastle

The National Front held its annual St George's Day rally in Newcastle on the 23rd of April. The English Defence League showed up to join their friends, but anti-cuts and anti-fascists did not let them take control of the City Centre.

23 April 2011, St George's Day, and Newcastle (upon Tyne) starts the day with the Lord Mayor raising the St George's Cross (England's flag) at the Civic Centre, followed by a parade through the City Centre by the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, who also have Honorary Freedom of the City.

Unfortunately, I did not get to see the positive start to the day. As I arrived at around quarter to midday there was a sea of St George's Flag - it was the National Front holding their annual St George's Day rally in Newcastle. "Great," I thought "this isn't going to do St George's Day any PR favours." Why would the openly neo-Nazi National Front celebrate a Middle-Eastern man who is associated with England's good values?

Surely if St George was living in England today then the NF would be calling for his repatriation?

Imagine Monument as a square. On the North (facing Waterstones) and East is the National Front, on the South is a festival celebrating England to 'reclaim St George's Day' (progressive patriotism?) and on the West are the left-wing stalls, including Amnesty International and Coalition of Resistance, as well as Fight Racism, Fight Imperialism.

An interesting mix of groups likely to cause some shouting. The National Front kept trying to make their way towards the left-wing stalls, but a heavy police presence stopped them. Then, just as Coalition of Resistance were about to send people off for the planned UKuncut action, a group chanting "E-E-EDL" came from the South West of Monument (Also Known As Grainger Street).

What were the English Defence League, a group that claims not to be racist and doesn't like being likened to the BNP and NF, doing at a NF rally? Like they have done in previous weeks, the EDL targeted the anti-cuts stalls. It has been reported that under a month ago one EDL member commented that he didn't mind bankers getting large bonuses, as long as they were white.

The Police were swift to act, and quickly formed a line between the English Defence League, anti-cuts, lefties and in turn anti-fascists, and the National Front. A shouting match between the EDL and anti-fascists quickly kicked off, with support from their friends in the NF. The video footage, which you can watch at the bottom of this page, shows all of this. You can see that the EDL turned up angry and had just come out to cause trouble.

There was a much happier feeling on the anti-fascist side, as we chanted and even danced a little bit to the celebration of multiculturalism event starting off behind us, playing such songs as "Everybody Needs Somebody" and spreading messages of tolerance. The feeling on the EDL and NF sides seemed to be that of pure hate. They certainly weren't letting of a positive vibe.

After over an hour's stand off, the NF hurdled off together, leaving behind a few EDL members.

St George's Day should be a celebration of this great country of England and all of its good values, not the rotten racism which peaked during the 80s. The St George's Flag is ours. It's not copyrighted to the NF or EDL.

A FRFI activist started off on the megaphone, shouting about how nationalism breads intolerance and that St George's Day should not be celebrated. That sort of message turns people towards the EDL in fear of their losing their identity. Progressive Patriotism must be welcomed on the left so that particularly working class people do not feel like racism is a legitimate alternative.

On a happier note for anti-fascists, even those who do not celebrate St George's Day, the EDL's Facebook page was taken down today.

Northern Indymedia

The Extremist Defence League

Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) with Alan Spence (Inset) Spence with BNP leader Nick Griffin

The English Defence League likes to parrot its worn out mantra, “We are not the BNP and we are not nazis”, over and over again. Simon Cressy takes a closer look and finds a different story.

Is the EDL racist? People have asked the question since the inception of the EDL back in summer 2009. The EDL itself says on its website: “Some organisations and media reports have branded the EDL as ‘racist’, ‘fascist’, ‘far-right’, or even ‘Zionist’. All of these accusations are flat out untrue. We take an actively anti-racist and anti-fascist stance.”

As always the EDL is being economical with the truth. There can be no argument over the EDL’s racism as the organisation is full to the brim with known BNP members together with a number of hardcore nazis, who are using the EDL as a vehicle to further their vehement xenophobia.

Despite being proscribed by Nick Griffin, the British National Party leader, BNP activists regularly attend EDL events.

The EDL leader parades around as Tommy Robinson and hid his identity behind a mask for over a year until Searchlight uncovered the fact that he is a former BNP member called Stephen Yaxley-Lennon who has served 12 months’ imprisonment for assaulting an off-duty police officer.

Robinson’s cousin Kevin Carroll is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the EDL. In July he lost his appeal against his conviction for shouting abuse at Islamic protesters at the Luton homecoming parade for the Royal Anglian Regiment. It was the events in Luton in March 2009 that prompted the EDL’s formation.

He insists he is not racist, yet he revealed in a BBC documentary, Young, British and Angry, that he had signed the nomination papers in the 2007 Luton council elections for Robert Sherratt, a BNP candidate and activist in the tiny nazi November 9th Society. Carroll apparently was very keen to stand as a BNP candidate himself but was prevented by his partner’s intervention.

Other founding members of the EDL are also known to have been BNP members and activists.

Davy Cooling from Daventry and Chris Renton of Weston-super-Mare were fully paid up members of the BNP, with Renton described as an “activist”.

One face seen at most EDL events is Alan Spence from Newcastle upon Tyne. Spence is pretty much now the EDL organiser in Newcastle, but in May 2010 he stood as the BNP parliamentary candidate in Newcastle East where he received 3.5% of the vote. He also contested Kenton ward on Newcastle City Council, where he finished in last place with 7.3%.

Spence, who is a BNP gold member and has only recently deleted swastikas and Combat 18 images from his Facebook page, has appeared in photographs with both his spiritual leaders, Griffin and Robinson.

Often accompanying Spence to EDL events is his son Steven who also sought election to Newcastle City Council in May as the BNP candidate in Fawdon ward.

Rob Purcell

Another regular at EDL protests is Rob Purcell, the former Birmingham BNP organiser. Purcell, who hides his identity on Facebook by using the moniker “Rob Jones”, joined the BNP in 1997 and has stood in local, parliamentary and European elections. He makes a tidy living selling BNP and EDL tat on Ebay using the strange nickname “Brit Pancake”.

Stuart Bates and Michael Fritz have attended various EDL demonstrations. Both are from Birmingham but that is not all they have in common, as they are both trusted members of the BNP West Midlands security team. In fact Bates is so highly regarded that he was drafted in to provide security for Griffin at the BBC Question Time fiasco and at his High Court appearance last month.

It seems the BNP security team has a penchant for the EDL as Jock Shearer, a convicted drug dealer and BNP bodyguard, appeared at last month’s 9/11 “flash” protest by the EDL in Oldham.

Dave Bradley, a BNP activist from Blackburn who turned up at the High Court to support Griffin, is also regular EDL participant. He is known to be close to the Blackburn EDL leader Shane Calvert.

Charlie Baillie and Max Dunbar, both seen with the EDL in Bradford on 28 August, were Scottish BNP candidates in the 2009 European election.

Also at Bradford was the former Wakefield BNP organiser John Aveyard, who was recently released from prison after being convicted of assaulting his girlfriend. On Aveyard’s coat tails was another BNP candidate from Wakefield, Grant Rowe.

Other BNP candidates who have taken part in EDL protests include Karen Otty from Liverpool, the Rotherham BNP organiser Marlene Guest and Sion Owens, the Swansea BNP organiser. Owens was photographed at the Swansea Welsh Defence League demonstration with a group of well known hardcore nazis including Wayne Baldwin, an EDL regular. Baldwin, a 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.

Two other nazis who have attended EDL events are now languishing in jail. Trevor Hannington and Mike Heaton were both convicted in June. Members of the shadowy nazi Aryan Strike Force, they were jailed for posting violent and vicious racist messages on the internet.

Heaton, of Leigh, Greater Manchester, and Hannington, from Cardiff, described Jews as “scum” and called for them to be “destroyed”. Heaton was found guilty of stirring up racial hatred and jailed for 30 months. Hannington pleaded guilty to the same charge and other offences and was imprisoned for two years.

The EDL might like to think it is not racist, but the proof is in the pudding. As the BNP implodes many of its activists are finding a new home in the EDL.

Leon McCreery

The English Defence League’s head steward comes from a notorious UDA family in East Belfast.

Leon McCreery, who now lives in Stockport, is the nephew of the former Manchester United and Northern Ireland footballer David McCreery.

His father, Leonard McCreery, is a convicted UDA thug who served 11 years in prison for the attempted murder of Geordie Legge, a leading member of the paramilitary UDA and the Ulster Freedom Fighters, in 1997. Legge sus-tained knife wounds to the heart and twice died on the way to hospital but was revived by paramedics in the ambulance.

Leonard McCreery believed Legge was responsible for the murder of his brother Ned five years earlier. Ned McCreery was an East Belfast UDA brigadier who met a bloody end when he was murdered by the UFF after they labelled him a police agent.

Leon McCreery, now 28, fled Belfast in 1999 with his mother, brother and sister after he was attacked and slashed in the face by rival loyalists. He required 63 stitches and 17 staples for head and body wounds. In 2004 he was awarded £25,000 compensation.

Despite all this Leon McCreery still displays pro-UDA sentiments on his Facebook page.

Hope not Hate

Newcastle protests defy the racist EDL

At least 1000 trade unionists, LGBT activists, Muslims, anti-war campaigners, students and others turned out on the streets of Newcastle [Saturday] to succesfully counter the racist English Defence League (EDL) march

The 600-strong EDL march was kept to its Bigg Market march route through pressure from a 600-strong Unite Against Fascism (UAF) counter-march and a 100-plus mobilisation by North East Against Racism (NEAR). It was denied control of Grey's Monument (commonly regarded as the centre of Newcastle) by an anti-racist rally jointly organized by the TUC and Hope not Hate, which attracted at least a further 400 people.

The TUC, UAF and NEAR events were constituted mostly by local anti-racists. In contrast the EDL, a far right marching organization consisting of football hooligans and racists, had bussed in most of its marchers from around the country to allegedly campaign against “the spread of Islam and Islamic extremism”. I overheard a member of its 'Gateshead Division' stating to his friend “Its like a match day”.

The UAF march began at St James Park, home of Newcastle United, and proceeded to move through Newcastle city centre to passionate chants of “EDL, Off our Streets” and “When the EDL spread racist lies, We fight back and organize”.

Its climax was a rally at Newgate street, right next to the EDL march route, where UAF demonstrators cheered speeches from UAF, NUT, RMT and trades council speakers.

As Weyman Bennett, joint secretary of UAF, said, “we have trade unionists on our side who have a history of protecting workers rights. Who do the EDL have? Football hooligans, good at nothing but spreading hatred and violence”.

Josh and Rose, from near Berwick-upon-Tweed, caught the bus to attend the UAF demonstration and commented that it was “great to see this many people demonstrating against the EDL today” and said that they wanted to “see more people challenging racist views in their everyday lives”.

A group of local LGBT activists said the various counter marches, when added up, had resulted in a “good turnout ” of anti-racists, though one said it was "a shame about the separations between them.”

The marches all passed off peacefully, thanks in part to high quality stewarding by UAF and NEAR members. Police kept the anti-racists and EDL members separated at all times, without resorting to using the controversial 'kettling' tactics that provoked widespread condemnation on a number of previous occasions.

Counterfire

EDL in the toon

Today, Newcastle breathed a sign of relief as EDL "taliban hunters" poured in to rescue us all from terrorists. I was very pleased with this as although I hadn't seen any I heard there were a lot about.

Apparently, the best method of ridding your town of this societal menace is to get pissed and then start on the locals. There was a beautiful moment when one small, older lady (potentially a terrorist!) was being interrogated by a balaclava-wearing bloke (who was twice her size) who kept thrusting an England flag in her face. Nice work, EDL.

The day ended up with loads of EDL on one side and an equally-sized crowd of opposition on the other.

However, the vast majority of the EDL's crowd had to be bussed in from other parts of the country as Newcastle is actually a really tolerant city. Racists - go back were you came from. Newcastle is united.

anna at Indymedia

Extremists hijack Newcastle United’s crest

An anti-Islamic football group is being investigated by Newcastle United lawyers

The club is taking legal advice after their black and white crest was used by English Defence League Newcastle - a right-wing group which campaigns against Muslim extremism. The EDL has made its first steps to infiltrate football in the North East by setting up a Facebook group on the internet. It has already attracted more than 600 members.

Magpie bosses are keen for people to know that the club is in no way connected to the extremist body. A spokesman said: “Newcastle United wish to make it clear this has absolutely nothing to do with the football club and are also seeking legal advice over the misuse of its crest.”

Following a probe by the Sunday Sun, the EDL removed the NUFC logo from its Facebook web page.

The group claims it is not racist, and says it is campaigning only against extremists and no one else. A statement on its site says: “The UK is faced with a Muslim extremist problem. We have to unite together and peacefully protest against the extremists that will not integrate into the British way of life.”

However, Show Racism the Red Card says the EDL is known to have links with fascist organisations. The charity, which has strong support from NUFC, has warned fans they should not become involved with the EDL.

Chief executive Ged Grebby said: “We know that the EDL are a racist organisation and since they have been set up they have caused mayhem. Wherever they have set up bases, such as in Birmingham and London, they have targeted the Asian community in a blatantly racist way. Even though they claim not to be racist, they clearly operate in a racist way.”

He is concerned that the Facebook group is the first step for the EDL to set up a base in the North East.

Show Racism the Red Card is determined to stamp the group out before it even gets started.

Mr Grebby said: “We don’t want them in the North East, they are not welcome here. This is a desperate attempt to get some kind of base here, using what they know is a fantastic symbol. This organisation does not have the support of the club, but our organisation does. We have fantastic support from NUFC. The club are doing more and more community work all the time with Show Racism the Red Card,” he said.

Sunday Sun

Thug jailed for racist remarks in Newcastle

Roaming the streets and hurling vile abuse, he thought he was untouchable. But today racist thug Paul Grainger is in prison after his hate-fuelled campaign finally caught up with him.

Grainger was caught on camera trying to kick in the door of a mosque in Newcastle’s West End as he brandished a Union flag and St George’s Cross. With his pet bulldog in tow, he hurled abuse at the 400 Muslims inside, who were praying on the holiest night of the Islamic calendar.

The jobless 40-year-old was let off with a fine for that offence but Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard details of two fresh tirades.

On the first occasion, he followed a black man, walking with his wife. Melinda Blackburn, prosecuting, said: “He was saying, ‘Go back to your own country. Newcastle is for whites’. He than spat at the injured party. Many members of the public were present. The victim arrived at the bus stop by Eldon Square and an unknown female stepped in to try and stop him but it was unsuccessful. Moments later, officers attended and were flagged down by a bystander, but even when they arrived, he still continued.”

The court heard Grainger’s racist rant continued while he was being arrested and taken to Pilgrim Street Police Station. He spat in the face of the PC dealing with him.

Grainger was given a community order for the racially-aggravated offence and assaulting a police officer. Despite that, months later he was up to his old tricks again, this time on Blackett Street, also in Newcastle city centre.

He spotted a group of girls standing with some men of African origin. Ms Blackburn said: “He saw the victims and approached them, using racial remarks. They were offended by it as they knew the comments were directed at them and they feared for the safety of their friends.”

Grainger, who now lives in his mother’s house on Eleventh Avenue, Stobhill, Morpeth, was arrested and went on to plead guilty to using threatening words or behaviour, which were racially aggravated.

The court was given details of his racist track record and took into account he committed the fresh offence in breach of a community order. And after hearing details of another offence of criminal damage, in which he hurled a paving slab through an off-licence window, he was jailed for four months.

Lewis Pearson, defending, said: “He fully admits he has racist views. That in itself is not illegal. But he has to hold those views in private.”

His jailing came after his previous offence, which took place at the mosque, in Newcastle’s West End. Then living on Campbell Place, Elswick, he staged his racist rampage during the month of Ramadan. Hundreds had packed the mosque from 8.30pm and planned to pray until 6am the following day. But they were disturbed by a drunken Grainger. When police arrived, they saw him standing with his dog and flags and shouting abuse.

Chronicle Live

Football clubs lend support to keep out BNP

Two of the region's football clubs have joined community leaders to urge people to keep the British National Party (BNP) out of the North-East in this week's local elections.

Campaigners from North-East Unites Against the BNP say the BNP is run by "hard-line Nazis" who deny the Holocaust happened.

Two of the region's Premier League clubs, Newcastle United and Sunderland, are urging people to use their vote to keep the BNP out. They are joined in the campaign by the Bishop of Durham, actor Ross Kemp, and Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson as well as GPs, members of clergy and grassroots sports leaders.

Canvassers from the crossparty campaign are distributing leaflets in areas where local elections are taking place. The leaflet says: "The British National Party tries to appear moderate and respectable but they are not. The BNP is run by hard-line Nazis who believe the Holocaust, in which millions of innocent people were murdered by Hitler's henchmen in the Second World War, didn't happen."

The pamphlet, which delivers the "Hope not Hate" message says the BNP is "jam-packed with criminals, terrorists and thugs". It also alleges the BNP has met with racist organisations including a US neo-Nazi group, The National Alliance, and the Ku Klux Klan. It accuses the BNP of not respecting women after comments from one of their senior leaders, Nick Eriksen, deemed rape as a "myth". And it says the BNP is unpatriotic as the party believes the UK should not have fought Hitler in the Second World War.

Last night, Labour MP Mr Wilson said he was proud to be part of the cross-party alliance against the BNP.

"What is excellent about this is it is the whole community standing against the BNP," he said. "They have got to be exposed for what they really are. They are racist, they try to con the electorate by offering simple solutions to complicated issues and they talk about immigrants like the Nazis used to talk about Jewish people in the Thirties. The BNP has no place in our community."

A spokesperson from Newcastle United FC said: "We are very proud of the multi-cultural society in which we live and we have no time for those that discriminate on the basis of race or religion."

A spokesperson for Sunderland AFC said: "Sunderland AFC deplores any form of racism or anti-social behaviour and believes this has no place in our communities or society as a whole."

Ken Booth, North-East organiser for the BNP, said the campaign had been organised by "communist bully boys" in the Labour Party. "It doesn't sound very democratic. That is communist bullyboy tactics. It is all these communists hiding in the Labour Party. The Labour Party are behind it secretly. They are afraid of losing votes to the BNP."

He said the Bishop of Durham should leave politics alone.

"The Bishop of Durham needs to go on a Bible refresher course," he added.

He also denied the BNP was a racist organisation.

The Northern Echo

Theme park claim anger

A school governor has been criticised for comparing a concentration camp with a theme park.

Ken Booth, a parent governor of Hawthorn Primary School, Elswick Road, Newcastle, and Tyneside organiser of the British National Party, made the claim when asked about school trips to Auschwitz. Mr Booth, a school governor for four years, said he believed there was too much focus on Auschwitz and too little on other areas savaged by war.

He said schools should spend on books and equipment instead of educational trips to the death camp. Mr Booth, who says his own father suffered at Belsen concentration camp, said: “No-one is comparing Disneyland to Auschwitz but we are talking about how it has become more akin to a theme park.

“Everyone agrees atrocities took place. But to over promote one facet perpetually gives the impression that some one entity has the franchise on self-pity and suffering and all the other casualties of the war were less significant. Why can’t we all just remember all of the war dead on our normal Remembrance Sunday? Money could go to better things like books and equipment. It has started to be run as a theme park and promoted as such.”

But one St Mary’s Roman Catholic Comprehensive school pupil, Brendan Shepherd, 16, went to Auschwitz in October and said he thought it was an experience pupils should be able to have.

He said: “It was a good thing to do and helped me learn more about what went on. I didn’t have an image before but now it will stay with me.”

Andy Roberts, chair of Hawthorn school governors, said: “Mr Booth has made these comments as an individual and his views should be in no way be seen to reflect the views of the school governing body or the school and its staff. The head and I utterly distance ourselves from them.’’

Chronicle Live

Cops delighted with rise in race crimes

Racially-motivated crimes in the North have tripled over the last eight years we reveal today . . . yet both the police and ethnic communities are delighted. They say the increase proves there are better relations between the authorities and minority groups, who are now more prepared to complain to cops when targeted.

A Sunday Sun probe found there were 2936 race-hate crimes recorded to March 2006 — the most recent figures available — compared with 954 in 1999. . . a massive 207 per cent increase.

Hari Shukla, of the Newcastle Council of Faith, a multi-faith organisation that promotes understanding between religions, said: “In the past people were reluctant to report these crimes because they feared there would be repercussions. But now the police are actively encouraging people to report these incidents and the communities are also keen to help challenge this type of behaviour. Community leaders and groups are also actively encouraging reporting of such matters as we believe the police are our best friends in the fight against racism.

“There will always be a problem because of groups such as the BNP. But the North East is, in my opinion, better than other UK regions because of the hard work all our communities have done in the past 30 years to promote understanding between different faiths and cultures.”

The figures — supplied by the Ministry of Justice — reveal Cumbria Constabulary recorded the highest rise over the period from 45 incidents to 324 — an astonishing 620pc increase.

Chief Superintendent Ian Cardwell, head of Cumbria Constabulary’s hate crime unit, said: “We take all hate crimes and hate incidents very seriously and have established dedicated officers in each policing area. Consequently, people feel more confident in reporting such crimes and incidents to us, and this is one of the main reasons for the increase.”

Durham Police saw a 380pc increase from 75 to 360. PC Chris Watkins, of its Diversity Unit, commented: “Like many forces Durham has made a real commitment in the last few years to tackling racially-motivated hate crimes. Reporting procedures have been constantly improved through in-house training and the creation of a dedicated Diversity Unit, which includes specialist hate crime officers.”

Meanwhile in Cleveland the number rose from 147 to 545 . . . a 270.7pc increase. Inspector Simon Edwards from the Diversity Unit at Cleveland Police said: “The rise is a result of a number of initiatives, both locally and nationally, to raise the awareness and importance of reporting racially-motivated crime. Scrutiny of the figures actually reveal that significant rises appear to be in the harassment categories and in the criminal damage category. These offences invariably involve verbal abuse or perhaps minor damage not previously reported. This points towards a rise in awareness and better reporting and recording of crime rather than an increase in crime committed.”

Sunday Sun