Griffin's Dog Day Afternoon

Hardly a year goes by when some kind of far-right extremist does not disgrace themselves on Remembrance Day.

For the last few years, the annual solemn and dignified moment of pause for reflection has turned into a circus of poppy burners versus the would-be book burners. Both sides, with their vile and mutual expediency do little more in reality than a brisk dance on the graves and memories of the dead in a vain bid to show their own dwindling constituents that their seemingly unquenchable thirst for attention continues even in the face of all human decency.

The BNP has long soiled the day by turning up in their suits to rub shoulders with civil society at ceremonies across the country, pretending but fooling nobody, that they are somehow the inheritors of something other than the actual mantle of hatred, self-denial and genocide which brings many people to remember the fallen. It is in the celebration of that Nazism and a celebration of genocide that the BNP was in truth formed.

This year, in a race to the bottom to rub shoulders with the imbecilic poppy-burning Muslims Against Crusades (MAC), Nick Griffin’s BNP tried to steal a leap on their moronic rivals in the English Defence League by camping out overnight in London to “protect the poppy” from the MAC. They did this knowing that no member of the rival EDL could be awake all night and not be in either a prison cell or a pub.

The EDL, short on publicity for a few hours since the “Little & Large” show of Kevin and Tommy on a roof in Zurich a couple of days before, appointed themselves instead of saviours of the poppy, as the saviours of the city of London instead. They made threats and very real plans to attack the “Occupy” camp outside of St Pauls Cathedral on Remembrance Day. Over 170 of the drunken idiots made an attempt to execute that plan too.

Across town, not only was Nick Griffin rubbing shoulders with failed drug smugglers as the BNP served up bacon sandwiches (what possibly else could they offer?) to disinterested passers by, his party also played host to self-styled paramilitaries, people smugglers and mercenaries.

The “Combined ex-Forces” (CXF), are a bizarre EDL off-shoot of rag tag far-right extremists whose leader Michael Rafferty brags of having guns and snipers that they are willing to use against police officers. Rafferty even issued an internet warning that they were “comming to London” (sic), with their “riot trained officers” for some kind of clash. Perhaps the police did not take the threat from Rafferty to the Prime Minister seriously, because Rafferty could not even spell David Cameron’s name correctly, writing “Mr Camoron (sic) ... trust me cunt i (sic) am comming (sic) for you..” The group were later swooped upon by police and searched for weapons.

Griffin will no doubt say that he and his BNP were unaware of who exactly the CXF are. It’s common when his party is faced by drug dealers, paedophiles, rapists and terrorists in their midst to deny all knowledge and responsibility. Well Mr Griffin, what do you do when a group of men in (illegal) paramilitary uniforms with pictures of guns emblazoned on their backs turn up at your desperately flailing demonstration? You give them a bacon sandwich, obviously.

No wonder Simon Darby was harassing the students from UCLU with their cameras.

When you lie down with dogs, you will always get up with fleas. Threats to kill a Prime Minister are always taken seriously.








Hope not Hate

This is a video that CxF have put out about their day day in London.

Who Owns Remembrance Day?

One of the greatest, and most insidious, myths of “Nationalism” is that Remembrance Day is somehow “theirs”.

The queasy spectacle of Griffin grandstanding at whatever Cenotaph he decides to fetch up at each year has become an annual treat for his dim-bulb followers, and their mantra of “The Britain Of Today Isn't What They Fought For” has been so often repeated that it has entered the Lexicon of Nationalist Truths alongside such old favourites as “Asylum Seekers Get Free Houses And A 52” Plasma Telly” and “They Won't Even Let Us Have Christmas Now”.

Yesterday, along with a few hundred others, my family and I went along to our local War Memorial to pay our respects.

We walked back with a neighbour, “Mr C”. You'll know the sort - getting on for 90, but fit as a flea and still thinks it's fine to try climbing a ladder three storeys to clean out his own guttering. In January.

He never fought in the War. Like my own dad (who worked at Rolls Royce building Merlin engines), he was in a Reserved Occupation (Railway Engineer), but lost a Brother in the Merchant Navy.

Walking home, Some of the talk was about the Poppy Burning Incident. Naturally enough, everyone condemned it out of hand as the stupid piece of rabble-rousing it was. Refreshingly, Mr C's perspective on the whole affair is just a little more sanguine than some.

Like so many people who've reached a great age, he's seen it all before: Apparently, in the late 30's, a group of Communists burned the Flag on Remembrance Day as an anti-war protest. Predictably, there was universal condemnation (including, loudly, from the Communist Party) and Mosley's British Union of Fascists thought all their birthdays had come at once...

To quote Griffin: “There is a strong, direct link from Oswald Mosley to me.”

You don't say.

Just as arrogant stupidity by tiny groups of dimwits runs down the ages, so, it seems, does the propensity for equally revolting groups to capitalise upon it to their own ends.

As with the BUF, who would make a great show of their fake “Patriotism” on Remembrance Day, so with the BNP.

As Mr C said: “That lot aren't fit to show their faces.”

He's right. The BNP, the EDL and all the other groups of flagwaving, xenophobic cretins who like to shout their supposed “Patriotism” have no place at an annual memorial to people who died seeing their lot off the first time around.

P.S: Later on, we had a screening at The Ritz (Derbyshire's Finest Independent Cinema TM) for Remembrance Sunday of Alberto Cavalcanti's 1942 thriller “Went The Day Well?”. Track it down if you've never seen it before: Great, exciting Anti-Nazi propaganda. And if that isn't enough you also get Thora Hird packing a rifle.

EDL founder charged with assault

Stephen Lennon is arrested by police at a
Remembrance Day protest on Exhibition Road in London

The founder of the English Defence League (EDL) has been charged with assaulting a police officer during clashes with Islamic protesters.

Stephen Lennon, 27, of Layham Drive, Luton, was held by police in Kensington, west London, as the nation stopped to mark the anniversary of Armistice Day. Five others associated with his group were also arrested as members of Muslims Against Crusades (MAC) burned remembrance poppies.

Two Islamic protesters, aged 30 and 25, were arrested for public order offences after the poppies were set alight and protesters chanted "British soldiers burn in hell" during the two-minute silence.

One officer was taken to hospital with a head injury during clashes as about 50 men linked to EDL were kept separate as they shouted abuse.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said Lennon had been released on bail and would appear at West London magistrates' court on November 22. He said four other men, aged 41, 42, 19 and 18, all arrested on suspicion of affray, were released on bail until mid-December. It is not yet known what happened to a fifth man who was held on suspicion of possession of class A drugs.

The spokesman added that the two members of Muslims Against Crusades had been bailed until mid-December pending further inquiries. Meanwhile, parents of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan condemned the inflammatory protest by the hard-line group.

AOL News

BNP hijack Mitcham Remembrance Day

The photograph which appeared on the London Patriot website

The BNP hijacked Mitcham’s Remembrance Sunday event, parading a party banner in front of the War Memorial and duping residents to appear in a photograph. The propaganda shot has since appeared on London Patriot - an extreme right-wing website - sparking fury among those in the picture who believed it was a photocall for the local newspaper.

Witnesses to the event, which happened moments after Mitcham’s Remembrance service finished on November 8, said the BNP banner was deceitfully handed to a group of children at the front of the picture and quickly hidden away after the shot was taken.

Daphne Adkins, 64, was looking on the memorial for the name of her grandfather who died in World War One when the photocall was hastily assembled around her. She said: “I thought it was just disgraceful. We were completely oblivious to what was going on and I can’t imagine many of the other people knew either. I just thought this was something for the local paper organised by the British Legion. Remembrance Sunday has nothing to do with these people. It was sneaky and disrespectful.”

Her son Dean Adkins, 45, a civil servant in the Home Office said he feared his job would be put at risk by association with the BNP. He said: “There was just no way of telling. All I was trying to do was look for my great grandfather’s name on the monument and it wasn’t until afterwards that my wife told me they were holding up a BNP banner.”

A spokesman for the Royal British Legion, said: “The act of Remembrance must be kept above partisan political politics. These events are about recognising valour and sacrifice.”

Mitcham MP Siobhain McDonagh added: “You don’t go to a Remembrance service and expect to be hoodwinked into a photo for the BNP. This is about paying your respect for those who have lost their lives. It’s an invasion of someone’s privacy and a complete abuse of trust. It’s extremely crass that people would choose to use a Remembrance service to make a political point.”

But a spokesman for the BNP said: “We strongly suspect the motivation for some of the complaints received were themselves politically motivated. If any member of the public unwittingly joined the group photograph then we apologise for any misunderstanding. We do however find it a sad situation that people feel they may lose their jobs for merely standing with people who are BNP members.”

Your Local Guardian

Row erupts over BNP wreath note

A row has broken out over a note of remembrance left at Cleckheaton's Memorial Park on Sunday.

A wreath was laid by the BNP during the ceremony to mark Remembrance Sunday. An attached note read ‘Your sacrifice will never be forgotten!! But as you look down on today’s England you may wonder why you and your comrades bothered. Respect forever, The British National Party’.

A member of the public tore the note from the wreath shortly after the conclusion of the ceremony, with several onlookers angered by its political message. However David Exley, BNP organiser for Kirklees, said the note did not come from anyone in his party and claimed someone was trying to ‘stitch up’ the BNP on an important day.

“The wreath was presented by Richard Brown, in his capacity as a representative of the party and also as an ex-member of the parachute regiment who has seen active service. On that wreath, he wrote ‘you will never be forgotten, Kirklees BNP’,” Mr Exley said, adding that someone must have taken the original note and substituted it with a different one.

“All our representatives have been told that it’s a non-political event and should not be politicised in any way. We have always recognised this. In my view, someone has criminally damaged and stolen part of the wreath, which was a personal message to those who have given their lives in conflicts for this country.”

He added that the incident had been reported to the police and he believed someone was trying to cause trouble for the party.

Eddie Morton, chairman of the Spenborough branch of the Royal British Legion, agreed that the event should be non-political.

“As a political party with an elected representative in the area, they have a right to parade along with other political parties. The note that was left with the wreath could have been more sensitive to the dignity of the occasion and should not have tried to make political gains from a non-political event,” he said.

Spenborough Guardian

Romford scouts investigated over anti-Jewish chants

Members of explorer troop shouted 'kill the Jews' at veterans during remembrance parade

A scout troop is being investigated by the police after its members shouted death threats and racist abuse at Jewish war veterans during a remembrance parade. Dressed in full uniform, the explorer scouts, who were taking part in Remembrance Sunday service in Romford, Essex were heard to repeatedly shout "Let's kill the Jews" at Jewish second world war veterans.

The head of the scouts in the area has issued a full apology for the incident, which was witnessed by a senior policeman standing a few feet away. A Metropolitan police spokesman said the Met was investigating two allegations of "racially aggravated harassment" involving more than one member of the Romford explorer scout unit. He would not say how many scouts were involved.

The Rev Lee Sunderland, who was taking part in the service, expressed shock after hearing the scouts shout: "Here come the Jews, let's kill the Jews." Other witnesses said the racists chants were started by a boy believed to be 15 years old. One of the troop has since come forward and been interviewed by police. He has been ordered by the Scout Association to visit the rabbi of the Romford and district synagogue to apologise in person.

Jack Rose from the synagogue said: "They were boy scouts who are supposed to be true to their cause. Somewhere along the line someone has been completely stupid or they really think these things."

Rose said Chief Inspector John Harlow witnessed the incident. He took statements from other witnesses and delivered a stern reprimand to the scouts for their behaviour.

Paul Freedman, an 84-year-old Jewish former RAF pilot who laid a wreath at the service, challenged the scouts. "I was absolutely fuming ... I told them I was a Jew and I'd spent four and a half years in the RAF during the second world war, and that Jewish people had sacrificed so much for freedom," he told the Evening Standard.

The county commissioner of greater London north-east scouts, Dean Jefferys, issued a letter of apology to the synagogue. He said he was "shocked and appalled" and that all scout members offered their "most sincere and profound apologies".

"I understand that a senior police officer spoke to all of the explorer scouts at the time of the incident. All the young people were left in no doubt as to the seriousness of the remarks and the consequence of further such behaviour."

Simon Carter, a spokesman of the Scout Association, said the scout who confessed to starting the chant flouted the scouting ethos. "As scouts we promise to do our duty and to help other people. Clearly this child has not lived up to this promise."

Guardian

Fury after BNP poppy wreath laid among Sikh tributes at Birmingham ceremony

Sikhs spoke of their “disgust” today after a BNP poppy wreath was laid among Sikh tributes at a Birmingham Remembrance ceremony.

The BNP laurel appeared to have been deliberately placed in the middle of those left by members of the city’s Sikh community inside the Hall of Memory in Centenary Square.

Guru Ram Dass Singh Gurdwara, in Balsall Heath, was one of the temples which had laid a decoration on the plinth inside the hall. Girval Singh, general secretary of the Moseley Road temple, claimed the British National Party, which restricts membership to white-only British citizens, had shown a lack of respect for Sikhs who had fought and died in the British Army.

“I’m absolutely disgusted,” he said. “Many Sikhs were born in this country and many fought for this country so we deserve respect. They should be ashamed of themselves and show more respect for that particular event and day. I’m very, very disappointed.”

The wreathes had been laid to honour British soldiers who lost their lives in conflicts past and present as the square hosted ceremonies for Remembrance Sunday and yesterday’s Armistice Day.

Kulwant Singh Purewal, a 41-year-old electronics engineer from Edgbaston, attended the Armistice Day service in Centenary Square to mark the bravery of his father and uncle who both served in the British Armed Forces.

He said: “I’m a Sikh who was born in England and is proud to be a member of the British Empire. It gives me pride to remember the men who gave their lives to defend unity, democracy and freedom. Many Sikhs were born here and should not be subjected to this kind of insensitivity. What message is this sending out?“You are born in England and fight for England but then we have to kick you out. Members of my family spent 35 years in the British Army. They served proudly and this is a disgrace to their memory.”

Simon Darby, deputy leader of the BNP, said the party had every right to place wreathes wherever they wanted. He said: “We have as much right to lay a wreath as anyone else. If we don’t lay a wreath we get criticised so we can’t win. Some of our policies are very popular with Sikhs. We don’t regard them as a threat - they are welcome to stay should they wish.”

Earlier this week BNP leader Nick Griffin MEP was accused of whipping up patriotism and support for his party when he joined mourners as the coffins of six British servicemen were presented through Wootton Bassett.

The Royal British Legion, which oversees the collection of wreathes for public remembrance services, said the BNP decoration had not been received by its staff and had been laid independently.

Mike Morris, county manager of the RBL in Birmingham, said: “As far as I’m aware they did not go through our secretary. We are not political animals, of course. Anybody is entitled to place a wreath - we do not police it.”

A spokesman for Birmingham City Council, which helped organise the ceremony, said: “Every member of the public is well within their right to lay a wreath as long as there is no offensive message. We would not want to turn it into politics - it distracts from the importance of the day.”

Birmingham Mail

War heroes' fury over nazi insult

Furious veterans have accused a British Army surplus store of "insulting" the dead by stocking Nazi memorabilia – just yards from the Hull war memorial

Combat Clothing Company, in Paragon Street, city centre, is selling various items of replica memorabilia just 200 metres from the memorial, where hundreds turned out for the annual Remembrance Sunday parade. The memorabilia includes:

• Flags displaying the Swastika
• Swastika armbands, as worn by Waffen-SS soldiers
• Replica Iron Cross medals, complete with a Swastika in the centre

Second World War veteran Perris Coupland, chairman of both the Hull branch of the Royal British Legion and Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, said he is outraged.

The 84-year-old said: "This is an insult to the 700 Hull people who lost their lives in the 83 air raids. The Nazis machine-gunned the centre of this city centre. It is disgusting and insulting to exhibit these items almost within sight of the war memorial, which is dedicated to the memory of those who died fighting these people."

Bill Feller, president of the Hull branch of the Normandy Veterans' Association, said: "It is disgusting. "Stores should be banned from selling this stuff."

Mr Feller, who took part in last weekend's parade at the Paragon Square war memorial, doctored his birth certificate and joined the Army aged 16. He fought in Algiers aged 17.

The 84-year-old added: "The Nazis were known for their cruelty. We had nothing against the ordinary German soldier – they were just like us. But the Nazis were in another league altogether."

Several different designs of Nazi flags hang on a hook next to modern, desert-coloured British Army uniforms in the store. Lapel badges, also featuring the Swastika, are displayed in the same glass cabinet as replica wartime medals issued to British soldiers.

Pat Arksey, organiser of Hull's Poppy Appeal, said: "This store should have more sensitivity, especially at this time of the year when we are remembering those from Hull who died at the hands of the Nazis."

It comes just weeks after four former generals complained about "extremists" who hijack British Army symbols. The four put their names to a letter stating the forces' reputation is being tarnished by right-wing groups. The British National Party (BNP) has been using military symbols, including a picture of a Spitfire alongside the words 'Battle for Britain', in the party's recent European election campaign.

Mike May, owner of Combat Clothing Company, defended his decision to sell the items. He told the Mail: "We have always sold these items. No-one has ever complained. If they were illegal we would obviously not be selling them. It's part of history. Should be stop reenactments at Fort Paull? There are a lot of re-enactors who buy our flags. They can't afford genuine German flags, which cost hundreds of pounds each. Some people might object to us selling British Army camouflage gear, but we stock that."

However, Jeff Baker, manager of Military Wear House, in Hessle Road, west Hull, said: "We do not sell Nazi items. It would be disrespectful to those who lost their lives fighting for this country."

Criminal Robert Cockerline was criticised after appearing before Hull Crown Court last week wearing an enamel badge, which featured the words "Heil Hitler" around a Swastika. Cockerline, 42, who has a record for harassment and criminal damage, appeared for breaching court orders but was allowed to walk free. He is on probation as an alternative to prison.

This is Hull and East Riding

BNP's wreath laying branded 'insult to dead'

Members of the BNP party have been accused of 'insulting the war dead' by laying a remembrance wreath in Rugby.

That's the claim of two Labour councillors after the wreath was laid at the memorial gates in Hillmorton Road during last Sunday's remembrance service. Jim Shera, leader of the Rugby Labour party, said: "Given the BNP's fascist policies and the fact that their leader Nick Griffin has criticised Britain for going to war with Germany in World War Two, to lay a wreath with a BNP logo is an insult to so many who have given so much. It is also an insult to the values of human freedom and solidarity that our services have fought for.

"It may be that the individuals who laid a wreath with a BNP logo on were looking to remember people close to them as we all have friends and relatives who have been involved in conflict but party politics is not the way to do it."

Councillor Tom Mahoney, an ex-serviceman who fought in Northern Ireland, added: "Having served alongside people from all backgrounds, all of whom loved this nation and its values equally, the BNP's insensitive actions have left a bad taste. Surely they can't think that people are so stupid not to see the link between the BNP's politics of hatred based on race, ethnicity or background and what brave servicemen and women fought against in World War Two?"

However, Rugby's BNP organiser Ian Donaldson, the man who laid the wreath, said it was not a political decision.

"It was the first time we had laid a wreath in Rugby and it was simply to show our respects," he said. "If they are unhappy they are unhappy but everyone has a right to remember our war dead. People just hear myths about the BNP. They think we are all knuckle-dragging skin heads but that it is not the case."

Rugby Advertiser

MP's concern at BNP Remembrance Day plans

Horsham MP Francis Maude has condemned British National Party plans to attend the Remembrance Day parade in the town.

In a statement on its website, the BNP said it had been 'formally invited' to attend the official procession in Horsham on November 9 and lay a wreath. But the Royal British Legion said this week that it had not invited the BNP to attend and Conservative MP Mr Maude said: "As far as I am concerned it would be completely inappropriate for any political party to use Remembrance Sunday in this way. No respectable mainstream party would consider doing such a thing and it goes without saying that the BNP should not even think about taking part.

"It would be grossly offensive to those who attend the ceremony to remember servicemen and women who have given their lives for the values that we enjoy in Britain today – values of tolerance and respect that are the reverse of what the BNP stand for."

A BNP activist from Upper Beeding has also confirmed the party will be selling poppies in Horsham to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.

Members of the Crawley and Horsham BNP said they took part in raising cash for the legion last year and contributed nearly £900 to the Poppy Appeal. This year they say they will once again be standing in Horsham town centre selling poppies. BNP member Donna Bailey, of Underhill Road in Upper Beeding, said she did not understand why such a fuss was being made about the party's involvement.

"We are trying to get as many members as possible to come and sell poppies," she said. "Last year we went out as the BNP and sold the poppies for a cause we absolutely fully support. We support the fact our soldiers died in both world wars and while we do not support the war in Iraq and Afghanistan we certainly support our soldiers who are doing a fantastic job there."

She added: "We would like to be there and lay our wreath at the same time as everybody else as is our right to do so. We are doing what we believe in – we are supporting a good cause."

Royal British Legion county manager for Sussex, Mike Payne, said the BNP had not been invited by the legion to attend the parade.

"The Royal British Legion is a non-political organisation," he explained. "The responsibility for inviting political parties, organisational volunteer groups and other groups that wish to take part in the remembrance events is always the responsibility of the civic authority."

Mr Payne said the Royal British Legion had strict rules stating volunteers must not wear anything that may distinguish them as being a member of a particular political party or organisation when raising money for the charity.

Horsham District Council leader Liz Kitchen (Con, Rusper and Colgate) said people could not be banned from attending as it is a public event.

"We can't stop people marching - we can just say it can't be political. We would not want to stop anybody commemorating the fallen providing it is non-political."

Deputy leader of the BNP, Simon Darby, said it was a shame its gesture of support was being taken out of context. He added: "We are not making a big song and dance about it. It is the other parties that accuse us of politicising the charities."

West Sussex County Times