Police confirm five arrests made at Portsmouth’s EDL march

Five people have been charged with offences under the Public Order Act following an EDL demonstration in Portsmouth.

The five men were arrested during Saturday’s march by members of the far-right wing English Defence League and counter protests by groups affiliated with United Against Fascism.

They are Phillip Pallett, 35, of Pulborough Way, Bognor Regis, who is charged with breaching section 5 of the Public Order Act, behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Timothy Lister, 23, of Lockyer Street, Plymouth. He has been charged with assaulting police and behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

They have been bailed to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on July 26.

Daniel Clements, 34, of Jervis Road, Portsmouth, Graeme Stubbington, 50, of no fixed abode, and David Heard, 36, of Cumberland Street, Portsmouth, have been charged with breaching section 5 of the Public Order Act.

Mr Heard has also been charged with obstructing police.

The three will appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on July 25.

Two women arrested at the event have been released without charge after speaking to officers.

Portsmouth News

Blackburn: councillors, mosques and activists unite against EDL

Local councillors, the Lancashire Council of Mosques, the Bishop of Blackburn and a host of trade union activists are all urging local residents to come out and show unity against the racist English Defence League on Saturday 2 April.

Racist

The racist EDL – which has links to the British National Party and other fascist groups – wants to bring its poisonous message to the Lancashire town on that day.

But Blackburn & Darwen United Against Racism supported by UAF, Blackburn Trades Council, Blackburn College Students Union and the Youth On A Mission organisation have called a celebration of multicultural Blackburn on 2 April, to show that the racist EDL is not welcome in Blackburn.

The organisers say:

'On that day people from all sections of our community will be uniting in a public & peaceful celebration of our intent to live our lives, free from hatred, racism, intolerance and bigotry.

We do not wish to see our town become the venue for the latest display of EDL intimidation and violence, which is the hallmark of all of their public activity. Please come along and join in our celebration. There is far more that unites us than divides us.'

Mosques

Lancashire Council of Mosques this week urged Muslims and non-Muslims alike to join the multicultural celebration event and show their opposition to the EDL. They said:

'We encourage all people of all backgrounds to come out and attend the celebration of multicultural Blackburn being held in Sudell Cross on 2 April. We particularly call on the mosques to encourage their congregations to actively come out and support this event.

It is important that we demonstrate to the country at large that the vast majority of hard working and decent people in Lancashire abhor the poisonous and divisive messages of the EDL and that there is no place for the views they propagate in our communities.'

Backing

The list of local politicians, faith leaders, trade union activists and others backing the event includes: Lancashire Council of Mosques, Bishop of Blackburn Mr Nicholas Blackburn, Sir Bill Taylor, Michael Hindley leader of Hyndburn Council, Lancashire County councillor and former MEP Lancashire East, Kate Hollern leader of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, David Foster leader of Blackburn and Darwen Liberal Democrats, Councillor Mohammed Khan, Councillor Tony Humphrys, Councillor Pat McFall, Councillor Dave Harling, Councillor Jim Shorrock, Councillor Salim Sidat, Councillor Andy Kay, Councillor Faryad Hussain, Councillor Abdul Samad Patel, Councillor Maureen Bateson, Councillor Eileen Entwistle, Councillor Naushad Surve, Councillor Mike Johnson, Peter Billington Lancashire TUC, Shaukat Hussain chair Labour Party local government committee, Karen Narramore secretary Unison East Lancs branch, Peter Dales chair Unison East Lancashire Health branch, Simon Jones secretary Blackburn with Darwen National Union of Teachers, Paul Hogan assistant secretary Blackburn with Darwen National Union of Teachers, Anjum Anwar director of Womens Voice, Phil Riley secretary Blackburn Labour Party, Craig Hammond chair University & College Union Blackburn branch, Ashley Whalley secretary University & College Union Blackburn branch, Ian Gallagher Blackburn & District TUC, Gareth Roscoe secretary Unison BwDBC Local Government branch, Hansa Canon Unison black members officer, Pat Maudsley Blackburn Labour Party, Frances Bradley senior Unison steward, Dave Bradley Unison steward, Frank Davis Unite senior union rep Crown Paints, Bob Wellham Unite senior union rep Crown Paints.

UAF

BNP leader NickGriffin defends decision to attend Queen's garden party

Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, today defended his decision to accept an invitation to the Queen's garden party despite previously claiming his attendance would "embarrass" the monarch.

The far-right politician is expected to be among the 8,000 guests at the event, which will be hosted by the Queen and also attended by the Duke of Edinburgh.

Griffin is due to attend this afternoon's event with three family members.

Buckingham Palace said he is automatically eligible for a garden party ticket in his capacity as an elected member of the European parliament, but his invitation has caused outrage among anti-fascists.

Other members of the royal family who will be mingling on the palace's lawns include the Duke of York, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

Griffin pulled out of the event last year following a public outcry, claiming he had "no wish to embarrass the Queen".

He was due to attend a palace garden party as a guest of his BNP colleague, Richard Barnbrook, who is a member of the London assembly, prompting London mayor Boris Johnson to protest and accuse Griffin of a "political stunt".

The BNP party leader dismissed Johnson's comments as "alarmist, stupid and juvenile" and insisted today that his status as an MEP for the north-west had changed things.

Speaking on GMTV, Griffin said: "Richard was put under immense pressure for me not to go and since I was not there under my own steam and my own elected right I decided to pull out. This time it's totally different – 800,000 people voted for us in the European elections and I was voted an MEP.

He added: "The palace have made it very, very clear that they will not discriminate against any elected MEP and I think that's the proper thing to do, so there's no embarrassment there at all."

He said he was "pretty sure" he would not meet the Queen during the event and had absolutely no intention of trying to speak to her. But he added: "If we happen to meet over the sandwiches, of course I will."

A Unite Against Fascism spokesman said: "We are opposed to Nick Griffin appearing anywhere in public. Events like this help to make Nick Griffin and the BNP seem legitimate in the eyes of racist voters.

"The Queen does not just represent Britain but the Commonwealth. Her staff or whoever invited him really need to take a long, hard look at what this day represents – Nick Griffin and racists or multiculturalism."

The Guardian

Edit:- BNP leader Nick Griffin's invitation to royal garden party withdrawn as he was using it for 'party political purposes'. More details soon.

Government urged to ban EDL rally

Bolton Council last night unanimously backed the authority’s appeal to Home Secretary Alan Johnson to ban a planned English Defence League rally later this month.

A motion was tabled in the name of Labour council leader Cllr Cliff Morris, Conservative group leader Cllr John Walsh and Lib-Dem leader Cllr Roger Hayes. It said the council was “very concerned” about the planned EDL rally, which is due to take place in Victoria Square on March 20. Bolton Council is currently putting together a proposal to send to Mr Johnson.

Neither the council nor Greater Manchester Police has the power to ban a static demonstration under current legislation and the council is keen to stress that it does not want to suppress free speech. However, the council is concerned about the associated threat of public disorder on the day and the impact that could have on the town.

These points will be emphasised in the submission to the Home Secretary. Cllr Morris revealed that he is seeking a face-to-face meeting with Home Office ministers to put forward Bolton’s case for banning the rally The motion at last night’s meeting stated: “Bolton has a very strong track record on community cohesion. The council is confident that this will not be harmed by the EDL and urges local people not to be provoked by the prospect of the EDL event.”

Before last night’s council meeting, members of Bolton Against Racism (BAR) and the local Green Party held a demonstration outside, urging councillors to support the motion. BAR chairman Helen McHugh said: “We are united in Bolton and we want the Government to back the calls to ban the rally.”

Today, police and Town Hall chiefs are due to meet with town centre businesses, to update them. It is understood that shops, pubs and other businesses will be given up to date information and then given the chance to make an informed choice over whether to remain open on the day of the demonstration.

The EDL, which says it protests against Islamic extremism in the UK, originally planned to hold the rally this Saturday, March 6. However, it postponed the rally because a Hindu festival was taking place on the same day.

Previous demonstrations in Stoke and Manchester have seen violent clashes between EDL supporters and opponents. In October, 44 people were arrested during a protest by the EDL in Manchester city centre, when opponents held a counter rally.

Bolton Against Racism has already announced it plans to hold a “celebration of unity” event on the same day, although the organisers have said they would be willing to stage the event away from the EDL rally. According to websites, protesters against the rally plan to arrive in numbers, as part of a UAF counter-demonstration.

Bolton News

English Defence League in Stoke, 23 January

There is a strong Stoke division of the EDL, based around Stoke City supporters, and unofficial Stoke City internet message boards are full of talk about their mobilisation in the city on 23 January.

The link between certain Stoke City supporters (the “Naughty Forties”) and the fascists has existed for a number of years, and has been documented in past issues of Searchlight. The BNP deny that they are in any way linked to the EDL, but in practice the local EDL supporters are also BNP supporters. For example, Shaun Grimsley, who recently stood for the BNP at a by-election in Cannock Chase, is also a self-confessed Nazi and an EDL activist.

There have been some tensions in the local BNP recently. Alby Walker, the leader of the BNP group on the City Council, recently resigned unexpectedly. Walker was seen as a “moderate” (in BNP terms), and is likely to be succeeded as leader by hardline Nazi Michael Coleman.

NorSCARF is the North Staffordshire Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, which was originally founded in 1977 to oppose the National Front. We are an autonomous local anti-fascist campaign covering Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands. We have links with both Searchlight and the UAF: there is no separate UAF group in the area.

NorSCARF has close links with the trade union movement through the North Staffordshire Trades Council. NorSCARF is quite unusual in encompassing all strands of anti-fascist opinion within a single organisation, and of course the kind of debates going on inside the anti-fascist movement generally have been taking place within NorSCARF.

How to relate to the disaffected working-class people attracted to the BNP and the EDL is, of course, the big question. NorSCARF are aware that to date we have been simply firefighting, and that we do need to carry on serious sustained work in the working-class estates where the BNP have made inroads.

One of the particular problems we face in Stoke-on-Trent is the fragmentation of the political scene. The City Council is made up of at least nine separate political groups, including several distinct groups of “Independents”, including some politically close to the BNP.

In this year’s May elections, the BNP are defending three seats. However, seven more are vulnerable to a BNP win (these are wards which have previously elected BNP councillors, or where the BNP has come second). In the worst scenario, the BNP could win all these seats.

Adding these ten to the six not standing for re-election this time, that would increase the size of the BNP group to 16 — the largest single group on the Council, with more councillors than the Labour Party. They would become the official opposition to the current ruling coalition of Tories and Independents.

From a personal (rather than a NorSCARF) perspective, I would add that the Labour Party are barely credible as an opposition. There is an internal war within the party locally, whereby the Blairites (mainly located in Stoke South constituency) are trying to purge the party of the old left (mainly located in Stoke Central and Stoke North), with the assistance of the party’s regional organiser.

A number of very experienced former councillors, including a former leader of the Labour Group, have been prevented from going on the party’s panel of candidates. Only eleven prospective candidates have been approved, despite the fact that there are twenty wards in the City. The Labour Party will therefore not even be able to stand a candidate in every ward.

• 23 January: assemble with NorSCARF 12.30pm, outside NORSACA, Lindsay Annexe, Cannon Place, Hanley ST1 4EP

Worker's Liberty

BNP refutes allegations of homophobia and sexism as unions vote to ban its members

The British National Party has denied being homophobic and sexist, following a Trades Union Congress decision to recognise it as such

Delegates at the TUC's annual conference also decided to campaign for a ban on BNP members working in the public sector in professions such as teaching and the civil service.

The party bars black and Asian people from becoming members, although it is currently debating whether to lift this ban in the face of costly legal action. Along with its views on race, the party also believes homosexuality should be kept behind closed doors and should not be "promoted".

Last weekend, the TUC annual conference approved a motion which called for the encouragement of affiliate groups to point out that the BNP is "homophobic and sexist" in any literature about the party. It also pledged to work with Unite Against Fascism, Searchlight and other organisations to "expose BNP homophobia and sexism".

Speaking to PinkNews.co.uk, BNP spokesman Simon Darby denied the party was anti-gay. He said: "That's not true, we're not homophobic. We couldn't care less about people's sexuality, it's a private matter. If people are over 18 years old it's a private matter what they get up to in their bedrooms. But young children should not be exposed to [teaching about] homosexuality. We don't think it's something that five-year-olds should learn about it, which they currently are."

On the accusations of sexism, Darby said: "We do believe in the concept of being a good mother and although young women are encouraged to go and have careers, they are not encouraged to be good mothers. I suppose the one thing where people could accuse us of sexism is that we don't really agree with sending women into the frontlines of battle. It's not a sign of a civilised society when you have women fighting your wars."

Darby also set out the party's views on gay adoption and the legal recognition of gay relationships. On gay adoption, he said: "We believe we have natural views, rather than conservative ones, on parenting. We believe a healthy childhood should have a mother and a father. He added: "There is scope for longstanding [gay] partners to be recognised, so long as it doesn't undermine the sanctity of marriage."

Darby also claimed that activists such as Peter Tatchell were doing gays "a great disservice" and said the gay community was more concerned about the "spread of Islam" than BNP policies.

In May, PinkNews.co.uk exclusively reported that the BNP had drawn up a list of politicians from all three main parties describing a number of gay MPs as "buggers" and "criminals", grouping them with convicted paedophiles.

Pink News

Beating back the BNP in Barnsley

Red Pepper magazine is running a debate on the future of anti-fascism, one we'd like to bring to the Lancaster Unity community. With Red Pepper's agreement we have republished two of the three articles here and here, each with a different take on the way forward. Belatedly, here is the third and (for the moment) final article...

There is certainly a need for new ways of taking on the BNP, says Paul White, but that doesn’t mean ditching the old ways as well

In the build up to the recent elections in Barnsley, we distributed both UAF and Hope Not Hate leaflets to a much larger section of the electorate. These were the standard-issue ‘Vote Anyone but Nazi’ literature, highlighting the Nazi backgrounds and criminal activities of the BNP’s leading members and candidates. In addition, we held two rallies in the town centre as part of our ‘Reclaim our Town for Democrats’ campaign. This was a response to the BNP having had a regular presence in the main shopping precinct for the past few years on a Saturday, with a stall distributing literature and selling their newspaper. On top of all this, we had established a regular Love Music Hate Racism event at a local club in an attempt to bring young people into the campaign, and to raise awareness.

Despite our best efforts, Barnsley has found itself labelled the fascist capital of Britain, with the BNP achieving its highest percentage of the vote here. Disregarding the factor of the collapse of the Labour vote, it became obvious that simply saying ‘don’t vote BNP/they’re Nazis’ plainly hadn’t worked – again!

There is certainly a need for new ways of taking on the BNP as they become an increasingly more serious threat to everything we have been fighting for all these years. We’ve begun this reflection in Barnsley.

First, while in the past we were just active around elections, we will be active all year round, in the market place, on the streets, on Facebook, in the local press, around football matches – really involving the people of Barnsley. We’ve set up a Barnsley FC supporters group against the BNP, and we are reclaiming the market place.

Second, we are becoming much more deeply engaged with local campaigns addressing the root causes of the many social issues and problems in Barnsley that allow the BNP to capitalise on people’s disaffection. This means defending the health service, campaigning for affordable/social housing, defending jobs. We marched through the city centre last month against job cuts. The BNP had nothing to say.

It would obviously be great if we had candidates standing in the next elections who could offer an alternative, but this is something that will no doubt be discussed in the future.

However, for those of us in localities like Barnsley where the BNP is active and visible, we cannot afford to completely ditch our existing structures, contacts and networks in order to start afresh. We need to maintain our relationship with local trade unions, regardless of what we feel about the Labour Party (I, for one, would not be actively encouraging people to vote for them). The unions provide a vital link to organised workers within the area – significantly, this is something the BNP does not like. We need to learn from what hasn’t (and what has) worked, and develop new strategies and methods, hopefully involving a wider layer of campaigners. We need to be realistic about what works, and what doesn’t. The stakes are far too high to be dogmatic.

Paul White is a trade unionist, socialist and Green Party member

Red Pepper

Right-wing protestors targets Harrow mosque

Muslims in Harrow expressed deep frustration today that their mosque had been targeted by anti-Islamic right-wing protestors whose demonstrations in Birmingham last month led to a series of arrests and street battles with Asian youths.

Harrow Central Mosque, which is located in the heart of London's most religiously diverse borough, was forced to place security guards on their doors as police maintained a heavy presence in response to calls from right-wing protestors to demonstrate against “Islamic extremism” on the anniversary of the 11 September attacks.

The English Defence League, and a group calling itself Stop the Islamization of Europe, was planning to hold the demonstration later this afternoon outside the borough's main mosque, a multi-million pound building which is currently under construction and will provide a prayer space for the area's 35,000 Muslims.

Both groups were behind a series of controversial protests in Birmingham and Luton where demonstrators paraded through the streets shouting anti-Islamic slogans and fought running street battles with incensed Asian youths.

The English Defence League, which first surfaced in the spring, have since been banned from holding any marches in Luton for three months but activists have been using social networking sites such as Facebook to spread their protests across the country.

Stop the Islamization of Europe is inspired by a right-wing group in Denmark of the same name who have held regular protests outside mosques ever since cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad appeared in a newspaper sparking riots across the Muslim world.

Elders at the mosque said the timing of the protests were particularly insensitive because it fell not just on the anniversary of the 11 September attacks, but also during Ramadan, a deeply spiritual month where Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. In an emotional speech during midday prayers the mosque's imam, Ajmal Masroor, called on his followers to go ignore any protestors and resist the temptation to retaliate.

In one reference which generated widespread laughter he remarked: “My father always said to me, 'If a dog bites your leg do you turn around and bite the dog back?' Of course not.” Unlike other far-right groups such as the British National Party – which campaigns on an anti-immigration ticket – both the EDL and SOIE seem to campaign primarily against Islam, rather than all immigrants.

Over the summer the English Defence League have staged approximately half a dozen demonstrations across the country and their emergence has concerned many anti-racism campaigners who fear they could be a sign of rising Islamaphobia within some sectors of British society. Their leaders continue to keep their identities secret and they tend to organize supporters using the internet.

They claim to be a peaceful organisation but a number of their members have been arrested during fights with Asian youths in Birmingham. Stop the Islamization of Europe is currently run by a man called Stephen Glass, who runs a website which uses the strapline: “Racism is the lowest form of human stupidity, but Islamaphobia is the height of common sense.” He has promised to hold a peaceful protest.

“It will be peaceful from our side,” he said. “We mean what we say and we say what we mean regarding racism, because we don't tolerate any kind of racism, but Islam itself is another matter.” “We are against any form of totalitarianism and basically we regard Islam as the nastiest form of totalitarianism ever devised. We fundamentally oppose any introduction of sharia law into England, the UK and the European Union.”

But Ghulam Rabanni, the General Secretary of the mosque, said Mr Glass claims that his group was not racist was “laughable”. “For me this protest is just another form of racism, they are simply here because they don't like Muslims,” he said. “People like that try and claim that they are not racists. But then they say Islamaphobia is somehow the height of common sense? It's racism, simple as that.”

But Mr Rabanni was also critical of anti-racism campaigners from Unite Against Fascism who ignored the mosque's pleas not to hold a counter demonstration. “All these people have come from outside the area to start up trouble in an area that has never had any racial tension. It is very sad.”

Independent

UAF back Birmingham United campaign

The Stirrer's Birmingham United campaign to show the city's peaceful support for our cultural and racial diversity has won backing from Unite Against Fascism. Mike Wongsam, Chairperson West Midlands UAF explains why.

Twice in recent months, Birmingham has played host to racist protestors. Now there is a threat they will return again. How should the people of Birmingham respond?

Adrian Goldberg has suggested a "Birmingham United" event to give people of different colours and varying faiths a chance to show to the outside world the true face(s) of this great city. It is a great idea, and one that Unite Against Fascism will strongly support.

We think the best, and most effective, response to those who would spread hatred and division is for Birmingham to come together in a spirit of unity. Birmingham is a multi-cultural city and proud of it. We are one society and many cultures. Our diversity is one of the things that make this city special.

We do not want to see a repeat of the violence that broke out on August 8th. If the Birmingham United idea can be turned into reality it would be the best possible demonstration of our rejection of these hate-mongers, and the best possible assertion of the true face of Birmingham. It should be peaceful and united. It deserves the support of all of us.

The story of August 8th, though, should not be distorted. There is an attempt to paint anti-fascist protestors as "outsiders" and "trouble-makers", no different from the racist thugs who came to cause the trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It was obvious to anyone who was there that the anti-fascist protestors were almost exclusively from Birmingham. Large numbers of young people assembled because they feel, rightly, that this is as much their city as anyone else's. And they were not prepared to turn the other cheek when repeatedly provoked by racist gangs hurling abuse.

The days when Black and Asian people felt they had to cross the road rather than risk a confrontation with racists are long gone.

Unite Against Fascism called the protest, responsibly negotiated with the police at all stages, and provided stewards. It is, however, asking a lot for volunteer stewards to achieve what the police were ultimately unable to do in the face of repeated racist provocations.

Those who think this anger can be whipped up by "outsiders" or those with a "political agenda" are deluding themselves. Many people assembled under the banner of UAF, but the truth is that the vast majority were not members of UAF, and most had arrived after hearing from friends that the "BNP" were coming to abuse Muslims in our city centre. In the age of the internet, news travels fast.

Repeated racist demonstrations will inevitably provoke a response. The anger that was felt by these young people cannot be turned on and off by anybody, and certainly not by UAF. But this risks creating a dangerous situation in our city centre. That is a challenge for all of us. And we all have a responsibility to do something positive to respond to it.

In his August 6 column in the Birmingham Mail, Adrian Goldberg said: "In the absence of a ban, it would be nice to see some forthright condemnation of this protest from figureheads in the church and politics, but I guess civic leadership is something we lack in Birmingham right now".

Quite right. It is not enough for us to bury our heads in the sand and hope the problem goes away. All of us who oppose racism and fascism have to stand together and speak out against those would divide our city and inflame tensions.

Let us show that Birmingham really is united.

Join the Birmingham United Facebook group here.

The Stirrer

(Stirrer editor and Birmingham Mail columnist Adrian Goldberg also hosts a nightly phone-in show on TalkSport Radio, between 1 and 5 am.)

Anti-fascist protesters threaten to ‘kettle’ crowd at BNP festival

Anti-fascist groups are planning to “kettle” members of the British National Party at their annual gathering in a Derbyshire village, despite a heavy police presence.

Protesters, angered at the BNP’s success in the recent European elections, told The Times that they would attempt to trap the far-Right party’s political supporters inside the Red, White and Blue Festival.

Anindya Bhattacharyya, a spokesman for Unite Against Fascism (UAF), said that the plan to “kettle” the BNP — corral its members within a diminishing area — would show that most Britons were against the party’s position on race and immigration. He said: “We will be attempting to get as close as possible and make it clear, by the large number of people [protesting], that the BNP are the minority. We’ll kettle the BNP.”

Violence at last year’s event, held in the tiny village of Denby, resulted in more than 30 arrests — primarily because of clashes between police and protesters. Even greater disruption is expected this year after the BNP won two European Parliament seats, including the North West for the party leader, Nick Griffin.

Up to a thousand police officers, equipped with a radio-controlled aircraft to monitor crowds, are to be stationed in Denby for the three-day festival. A collaboration of anti-fascist groups, including trade unions and the UAF, will descend on the village on Saturday. They expect thousands of supporters. The protesters have been warned that they will be heavily restricted by the police, who will put roadblocks in place to prevent them from getting too close to the BNP event.

The organisers have discouraged protesters from becoming violent. Mr Bhattacharyya said that the UAF did not advocate violence and wanted only to make its “political presence” felt.

Simon Darby, the deputy leader of the BNP, said that the kettling tactic was “ironic” considering that left-wing groups had criticised police for using it during the G20 protests in London this year. “Besides, they would need tens of thousands of people to do that. The violent Left are always attacking us. I think this is all a bit of frustration [at the BNP’s election success]. They will cause trouble and we will get the blame for it.”

The party advertises the festival as a family outing to celebrate British heritage with a fireworks display and historical re-enactments. Residents, however, have complained in the past about violence and loud music.

Derbyshire Constabulary said that its operation was unprecedented and that all rest days for officers had been cancelled, a measure usually restricted to the policing of big football matches. A spokesman said: “Our main concern is to try as much as possible to minimise the disruption to local people who get caught up in all this.”

The festival, which is in its tenth year, was moved from Lancashire to Derbyshire three years ago. It will be held on a 34-acre property owned by Alan Warner, a local BNP member. The BNP has not applied for a liquor or entertainment licence but festival-goers are encouraged to bring their own alcohol.

Times Online

Sensationalism is a gift to extremists

Brawls at recent protests highlight how all of us, and especially the media, have a responsibility to fight extremism

On Saturday 8 August a much-touted demonstration in Birmingham turned into a big brawl involving more than 100 people and pitched battles in the high street. In one corner a loose alliance of two groups – Casuals United and English Defence League – in the other, a counter-demonstration called by Unite Against Fascism.

The immediate background to this mass brawl was the protest against British soldiers by some Muslim extremists on 10 March. That was the spark that various far-right groups were looking for to pump up their rhetoric against Muslims. The National Front turned out a big demonstration in Luton on 13 April, which needed police reinforcements from London to control. Not long afterwards, the Luton mosque was fire-bombed.

On 24 May an even bigger demonstration was organised by the English and Welsh Defence League, which turned violent as some demonstrators went to destroy property in Muslim-heavy areas of Luton. There was a smaller protest against extremist Anjem Choudhary on 4 July, and then a big demonstration was organised for 8 August. There's more background here.

There is evidence that the English Defence League in particular was infiltrated by neo-Nazis and BNP supporters. On Stormfront, a popular website for fascists, scores of members urged to join the demonstrations on Saturday. Here is one participant's account.

One of its early organisers Chris Renton is a BNP supporter. Another, Paul Ray, who now says he has washed his hands of the EDL because of differences with Renton, admitted he was opposed to all Muslims practising their faith in Britain.

There are good reasons for minorities to worry, even though some from the EDL carried banners saying they were not racist. During the 4 July protest many participants chanted "Muslims out". As the UAF rightly says, the National Front organised demonstrations against black people in the 70s under the guise of "anti-mugging", and now it seems to be jumping on the "Islamic extremism" bandwagon for the same reason.

More protests are planned over the August bank holiday weekend and in Manchester city centre in early October. There are so many small but hardcore groups involved that I'd advise following Richard's blog for all that.

But there are a few broader points to make, too. I'm not going to condemn the need for minorities to defend themselves in the streets or fight against fascists if necessary. Our forebears fought them off in Southall and it remains as important as ever to keep our streets free from constant far-right intimidation. If the police don't do their job then people will step in to protect themselves.

But that doesn't mean extremist Muslims should be let off the hook. In 2004 the extremist group al-Muhajiroun, in all likelihood also behind the Luton anti-soldiers demonstration, had planned a rally in London where Hindus and Sikhs would be openly converted to Islam. They nearly caused a mini-riot then because Sikh gangs and BNP members had also planned to show up.

Anjem Choudhary carried out a similar stunt recently by apparently converting an 11-year-old boy to Islam. Al-Muhajiroun has always been a small but highly vocal group, which seeks publicity for its stunts to polarise people. It is shunned by mosques across the country, but its stunts nevertheless inflame Hindu, Sikh and white groups thanks to incessant media coverage. Remember, only eight people were involved in the anti-soldiers march in a town with more than 25,000 Muslims, and yet they got front-page coverage.

So here are the choices: the group could be banned for activities on a par with the National Front (it keeps changing its name, the latest being Islam4UK). The police could also become more proactive against extremist groups, and stop local councils giving them any space.

And lastly, Muslim groups themselves need to step up campaigning against these extremists or they will continue making life more difficult for them. More like this, basically.

Britons also need to get re-acquainted with our tradition of free speech and expression, even if it involves people of different skin colour and religion saying outrageous things.

The police and intelligence services also need to start taking far-right extremism in the UK more seriously. To that extent the recent announcements by minister John Denham are most welcome.

But the real people to blame for these riots are the journalists willing to run inflammatory headlines – playing straight into the hands of extremists on both sides. Anjem Choudhary remains a constantly invited figure, even on the BBC, because he offers them entertainment. People are being sucked into a game of sensationalism, which contributed to the mass-brawl on Saturday. It's time for people to stop being taken for mugs.

Comment is free

Warning over BNP focus ‘undermining’ terror battle

Reforms to a multi-million pound scheme to prevent terrorism must not undermine attempts to fight extremism in Muslim communities, according to an MP.

Khalid Mahmood (Lab Perry Barr) issued the warning after the Government announced plans to focus more on threats from the far-right, including the BNP.

The £45 million “preventing violent extremism” programme was set up in 2006 to prevent young Muslims turning to terrorism. But local government minister Shahid Malik has announced that it will now work in deprived “white areas” as well. And it will be re-branded, following reports that some Muslims found the name offensive.

Think tank The New Local Government Network has published a report warning the scheme risked backfiring as some Muslim communities felt stigmatised by it.

Mr Mahmood said: “There is an issue with the BNP. They are extremists as well. But they do take part in the political system. I deplore them, but they are trying to get a democratic remit. What we need to do is to focus on those people who are acting outside the limits of the political system. We know that they exist and it doesn’t make sense to lump them in with the BNP.”

Although al Qaida-inspired terror remains the UK’s main concern, Scotland Yard has switched some officers to monitor a recent surge in the number of suspected far-right plotters.

More than 30 people were arrested over the weekend in Birmingham after violent clashes between Union flag-waving anti-Islamic fundamentalist protesters and Unite Against Fascism marchers.

The NLGN report was written by its deputy director Anna Turley, a former special adviser to David Blunkett, who said the Prevent scheme had enjoyed some notable success in its work with mosques. But she said its unique focus on Muslim communities had fostered resentment in some areas.

Birmingham Post

Birmingham city centre protests: Riot police arrest thirty-three people

Riot police made 33 arrests tonight as they fought running battles with rival protesters as racial tensions spilled over on the streets of Birmingham.

Two people were injured as violence broke out in the city centre between a right-wing group campaigning against Muslim extremists and anti-fascists. The rivals had held vocal but peaceful protests in separate parts of the city centre until trouble flared in New Street just before 7pm.

Terrified shoppers cowered in Primark and Saturday night revellers fled in panic as hundreds of police, some clad in full riot gear, struggled to keep the peace. As our dramatic pictures show, at one point a man shields his head as he lies prone on the ground while a young thug attempts to kick him in the face. Another photograph appears to show a middle-aged man throwing a punch as he is confronted by another man as tensions reach boiling point.

By 8.30pm police had restored order, but tensions remained high. A West Midlands Police spokesman said: ‘‘We can confirm 33 arrests have been made to date the majority for disorder. To date there has been one report of criminal damage to a car, although we expect further reports. We have also had reports of two people being injured and no known injuries to police officers. A high visibility policing presence continues. A post operation investigation has now commenced into any criminality that took place during this afternoon’s protests.’’

The unrest flared after a group called Casuals United (more info on the 'Casuals' here and here) organised the city centre demonstration against Islamic fundamentalists. The group rumoured to have links to the English and Welsh Defence League and the far-right BNP were formed after radical Muslims caused outrage by protesting against returning British troops in Luton earlier this year.

But Unite Against Fascism organised a rival rally after claiming the Casuals are made up of hardcore soccer hooligans intent on causing racial unrest. Their protest took place next to Birmingham’s Bullring, while the Casuals gathered outside the council house in Victoria Square.

It us unclear what sparked the disorder, but riot police were soon involved in a large number of incidents and at one point they were forced to seal off New Street with a steel barrier. Other officers were seen running ran across Corporation Street, desperately trying to keep the opposing sets of protesters apart.

Scared shoppers fled in all directions as chaos and confusion descended on the city centre. Emily Bridgewater was buying clothes in Primark on New Street when violence broke out. She said: "Everything seemed fine until suddenly it all kicked off outside and there was stampeding and screaming. We ended up being locked in Primark, the shutters came down and the alarms went off as the riot police tried to regain control of the street. It was very frightening."

Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood condemned those involved in the disorder. The Labour MP had previously called for the Casuals rally to be banned after the Sunday Mercury first revealed the plans. He said: "I predicted this would happen when the Casuals announced their protest. Lots of innocent people, children and families, could have been hurt in this idiotic incident and I wholeheartedly condemn both sides for taking part in these scenes which have brought shame on Birmingham.

"I condemn the Casuals for organising their protest and inciting this fighting but I equally condemn the anti-fascist campaigners who rose to the bait. People have a democratic right to protest. But perhaps in future West Midlands police should look at holding sensitive demonstrations on separate days. That way they might avoid the scenes which have blighted our city centre tonight."

A West Midlands Police spokesman said the force had been aware of the planned rally by the Casuals but no formal request to march had been received. He said: ‘‘An additional counter protest also took place in the city centre by Unite Against Fascism. West Midlands Police has been in talks with leaders of this organisation and they have fully co-operated with police throughout the planning stages for this event.’’

Sunday Mercury

Peter Tierney arraigned for assaulting anti-fascist

As Peter Tierney of Liverpool BNP was arraigned for smashing an anti-fascists head in with a camera tripod, protesters organised by the magistrates court in opposition to fascist violence. But much more can be done.

Today, BNP "super-activist" Peter Tierney was arraigned at the Liverpool Magistrates Court on assault charges. On St George's Day, he split open a man's head with a camera tripod during an attack perpetrated by him and Steve Greenhalgh on anti-fascists who had managed to organise opposition to the party's city-centre leafleting on a moment's notice. Despite accusing another anti-fascist of attacking him, Tierney was eventually arrested and charged by Merseyside police.

In response, the BNP claimed that it was in fact they, "including women and elderly folk," who were "suddenly physically attacked" by "a mob of violent Tory and Labour-supported UAF thugs." These "thugs," of course, being local anti-fascists who were not "harassing" Tierney and his fellow fascists but leafleting against them and their lies.

In the run up to the court-date, the BNP mailing list urged armchair fascists to "email or phone the Crown Prosecution service," in an attempt to subvert the course of justice with a flood of crank calls. Merseyside BNP also called on "all democratic, peace loving Nationalists" to show "support" for Tierney by protesting outside the court.

Today, however, after Merseyside antifascists organised an opposition rally to "show the BNP that we won’t tolerate their racism and violence in Liverpool or anywhere else," the story was somewhat different. Around fifty anti-fascists turned up at the Magistrates Court to protest both the fascist gathering and Tierney's violence, but the BNP were nowhere to be seen.

On the other side of the road from the antifascist gathering, however, four known local fascists - believed to be of the British Freedom Fighters (BFF) rather than the BNP - gathered to jeer at the protesters and take pictures. In response, many in the crowd produced their phones to photograph the snoops whilst a chant of "I'm on Redwatch and I don't care" started up. Eventually, the four slipped away to massive jeering, though not before skulking under the nearby motorway bridge to take a few more photographs.

Inside the court, meanwhile, Tierney was decidedly the worse for wear, looking as though he was "off his face on some or other substance" and being unable to remember his own address. His bail conditions, namely a ban from Liverpool city centre, were reimposed, and he will stand trial on September 3rd. It is vital that anti-fascists come out to demonstrate their opposition to Tierney's violent thuggery once again.

However, although today's protest served its stated purpose well, I can't help thinking that it could have been better done. Although local Liverpool anti-fascists were the first to call a demonstration, it was Unite Against Fascism (UAF) who quickly dominated the event, with UAF and trade union "leaders" there as speakers. One major problem I have with the UAF and similar organisations is that theirs is an opposition to the extreme right centred on hierarchy and authority, with a lot of neglect as regards grassroots organisation.

In Liverpool we do not simply need a band of people who will come out to hold banners at protests in "safe" areas pre-arranged with the police. What we need is solid, grassroots organisation of activists who will not just come out to shout "scum" at fascists but also mobilise their community, engage with ordinary people, and combat the ideology as much as the physical presence of fascism. We need to be there in great numbers when fascists come out, and to present genuine opposition - not to simply negotiate with police to sell the Socialist Worker in an area of their choosing. Most importantly, we need a movement that is tied into class-struggle, not one that tries to turn people off the BNP by directing them towards a government enacting their worst policies.

Successful anti-fascist movements recognise that real power lies with the people, not with "leaders" and "spokespersons." Moreover, they organise with the aim of taking back the streets from fascists wherever and whenever they may be, and they realise that asking police permission to occupy a small corner for a short time does not even come close to this goal. Tierney and his fellow thugs must be opposed, not by bureaucrats with a permit but by ordinary people with cries of "¡No Parasan!"

Truth, Reason and Liberty

The strange world of Lee John Barnes

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

Those of us who fancy a laugh in the anti-fascist movement tend to look no further than the blog of Mr Barnes, who holds a first degree in law. Here is a guy who likes to blog about conspiracy theories, some bizarre belief in a Norse God, and of course his beloved nationalist cause (he seems to have fallen out with the BNP recently – he has had his BNP email addy removed).

For some time the stuff he posts kept me amused at just how batty the guy actually was. His “logic” was so hard to follow at times it really did make you wonder if it came from a sane person or not. Recently after reading several posts I decided to check on the facts he presented. Around the time of the BNP website problems, which the party and others put down to some pinko-leftie denial of service attack Barnes blogged that he had:

“On sunday morning I contacted the Counter-Terrorism Unit, Scotland Yard and MI5 to inform them that one of the largest DOS attacks in British electronic warfare history was underway against the BNP”.

So I first emailed all concerned and waited and waited. I got replies from both stating that they couldn’t answer if that was true due to freedom of information rules. Mmmm, he wasn’t getting away that easily – so I decided to phone the press offices of those organisations. CTU wouldn’t entertain giving me any kind of answer, but I got interesting replies from both M15 and the Met/Scotland Yard (I treated Scotland Yard and the CTU separately phoning both switchboards in turn). The replies were as expected until a very nice lady in the Met mentioned that she couldn’t answer my questions unless I was phoning to support an earlier report. So I decided to do just that, support Mr Barnes concern about the BNP website being down, so she checked the computer – guess what? – computer said no – there had been no contact recorded on the subject. She assured me that it would appear on the system, and in her words “even the nuttier stuff is logged”. So armed with the new method I tried Scotland Yard who repeated the process – but this time the guy some information, “oh wait he said these are complaints 'about' the BNP, not by them”. He confirmed there were no reports, as did M15, but they took a while and asked me so many questions I think they may have started a file on me now.

A short time later Barnes alleged on his blog:

“Image - members of the same coalition as the UAF demonstrating for free speech and exercising their right of protest in order to kill a police horse and murder a policeman”.

With the following photo

So again this set my non LLB refined miss-speaking alarms off. So I first contacted Getty who confirmed that the photo was taken in London at a demo in early 2009. So I phoned the Met, who couldn’t answer the question there and then, but pointed me in the direction of the inquiry form and suggested I try that. So I did, after a while I received a request for more information from the Head of the Mets Mounted Division. After supplying the information requested the Chief Inspector replied that:

“As the Head of the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch I can confirm the following:

The leaflet '21st Century British Nationalism' dated 9th June 2009 shows a picture of a police officers and horses at a demonstration. In the picture it is Metropolitan Police officers and horses; the photograph was taken at a demonstration in London very early in 2009. The leaflet reports an officer and police horse were killed; neither horse or officer were killed. The report that both were fatally injured is completely inaccurate”.

The Chief Inspector used the term leaflet because the screen shot I had sent did appear to be a leaflet in hindsight – I have also supplied him with the URL since for his info – at his request.

So to be fair I gave Barnes the chance to reply, I asked him where he got the info from, I had several posts in threads comments section asking him to reply – but he never did – I wonder why?

Now I have only checked on two subjects from the Barnes blog to date – but both of them have proved to be false – is he just miss-speaking, to borrow Hilary Clinton's excuse or is a symptom of something more? For that I will leave you to decide.

The BNP have given us a wake up call

We can't rely on others to beat the BNP

In June this year the fascist British National Party won the first seats in a national election for a fascist party in British history - with MEPs elected in the North West and Yorkshire regions. Those who have tried to downplay the significance of this breakthrough do a disservice to everyone threatened by the rise of the extreme right. It was wrong to promote complacency about the BNP's prospects before those elections and it is even more dangerous to underestimate the significance of these results.

In fact, the BNP have been steadily building electoral support over recent years, first gaining seats on local councils, then a seat last year on the London Assembly and now their first ever seats in a national election. That reality has to be faced up to and understood if the trend is to be reversed.

As we have already seen on television, radio and in the press, these results have enormously magnified the ability of the fascists to preach their doctrine of hate. There will be more racist attacks, more homophobic violence and more attacks on Muslims as a result. This has been borne out by the recent hate crime statistics which show that racist attacks have increased up to 27-fold in areas with an increased BNP presence.

Not only that, but Euro-MPs receive massive financial resources which will now be used by the BNP to target key seats in the next parliamentary and local elections. And mainstream parties will bend to the BNP's politics in the mistaken belief that this will stop their growth when it will, of course, only legitimise their ideology of division and hate.

The anti-fascist movement must review its strategy to deal with the increased fascist threat. There have been many debates in recent years and reality has now put them to the test.

First, we must understand what fascism is. It stands for the destruction of the trade unions, the left, democratic freedoms and rabid racism and homophobia, posing a mortal threat to those it targets. At any particular time its targets are selected to take advantage of the prejudices that exist in society and are promoted by the media and mainstream parties. In the 1930s, for example, a cutting edge of the Nazis was anti-Semitism.

Today's fascists are as anti-Semitic as ever, but the main prejudices they feed upon and promote are racism and Islamophobia. Any strategy which does not confront racism and Islamophobia head on will fail to defeat the fascists.

Equally, anyone who thinks you can have an anti-fascist movement in Britain today without Black, Asian and Muslim communities playing a central role, alongside the trade unions, the Left and the lesbian and gay communities is simply splitting the forces that need to unite to defeat the fascists.

A united strategy, which brings together all these social forces and challenges the racist myths which are the cutting edge of the BNP, is the key to success. It successfully stopped the BNP in Oldham when it was on course to make a breakthrough in 2001 and removed it from Tower Hamlets council in 1994.

The anti-fascist movement's strategy must be based on what works. Not wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds of trade union funds on a strategy that divides and weakens the anti-fascist majority.

The BNP vote was based on real racist hatred as shown in the yougov poll for Channel 4 on the European elections. The poll indicated that a third of BNP voters think there is a difference in intelligence between the black and white people (compared to 14% of general voters). 94% think that all further immigration should be halted. 44% disagree with gay and lesbian couples having civil partnerships equal to marriage. 79% think Islam is a serious danger to western civilization. The BNP courted these voters in the run up to the election, stating Black and Asian people in this country should be classified as 'racial foreigners' to be 'repatriated' - something which would only be possible through violence and destroying democracy. Their website also targeted 3 mps on a list of "Liars, buggers and thieves" - including Chris Bryant and Ron Davies, as part of a list of criminals, designed to whip up homophobia. Even with the option of voting UKIP, the BNP used the fears and prejudices fanned by the economic crisis to consolidate a racist vote.

The anti fascist majority has received a wake up call. We don't need puffed up claims of BNP crisis. We need an accurate assessment of what the BNP is and an effective strategy to unite the core forces who can lead the majority to defeat them.

Denis Fernando Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism

Row over BNP man's taxi contract

Council chiefs have admitted that they would make the parents of a black or Asian child with special needs to travel to school in a taxi driven by a firm run by BNP supporters.

In a move anti-fascist campaigners described as 'outrageous', council chiefs said they had awarded the family taxi firm run by Corsham town councillor Mick Simpkins a renewed school run contract, and said that they would not fund an alternative if a black or ethnic minority parent objected to their child being transported to school. Other white parents who have already objected to their children being transported to school by the firm were refused council funding for an alternative, and the council said it would be no different for an ethnic minority family.

Cllr Simpkins said he would treat all children transported by his firm, be they 'black, Asian or anything in between' exactly the same, and said parents who protested were attempting 'to put us out of business'.

The row blew up after the Simpkins family, who all work for the firm, stood as candidates for the British National Party in and around Corsham earlier this month. Cllr Simpkins is also standing as the party's parliamentary candidate at the next general election. The firm was awarded a council contract to ferry children with special needs to school in nearby Chippenham, often without chaperones. Some 18 months ago, one parent, Cheryl Walker, objected to her daughter, who has special needs, being taken to school by the firm.

"I was told that it was a BNP taxi or nothing, basically. I asked if they could just give me the money they would pay them but they said no to that, or to providing a different taxi firm. I'm not the only one who won't put their child in those taxis. There aren't any children from ethnic minorities that need this transport at the moment, but it could happen. I really don't think the council would say the same to a black parent as they said to me, but there's no way we'd know unless it happened," she added.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Council said there was no problem with the firm transporting children, and that their membership of the BNP was not an issue.

"We have a duty to the people of Wiltshire to get the best value services across the whole of the council. We have a rigorous process to ensure all drivers who transport children on behalf of Wiltshire council have satisfactorily completed all the relevant checks," he said. "Our strict, open tendering process allows all contracts to be carefully chosen based on a number of criteria. These criteria include value for money and quality, but take no account of race, religion, gender or political leaning. Should we have any complaints about the delivery of any of our services, we would of course investigate them fully."

Cllr Simpkins said his firm provided a valuable service to special needs children, and was a service provided regardless of ethnic background. He described the objections by Cheryl Walker and others last year as 'an attempt to put us out of business'.

"Well, mum now has to take her child to school herself while we still have our council contracts for the other school children," he said. "The fact is the council, the school and we are only concerned with getting the children to and from school safely and because they all have different special needs, each one is treated specially. There is no room for playing politics with the children. I'm surprised no one has asked the obvious. Yes, they are all white but would be treated exactly the same if they were black, Asian or anything in between."

A spokesman for Unite Against Fascism, which organised a demonstration after Cllr Simpkins was elected unopposed to Corsham Town Council two years ago, said the situation was 'outrageous'.

"This is quite shocking."

The Bath Chronicle

Four nazis arrested at anti-BNP protest

The image is blurry but you can still see these nazi twats sieg-heiling

North West UAF held a vibrant and noisy protest outside the BNP's 'Victory Rally' today. Exactly how many of their party attended the rally is unclear. But it is interesting that there was no sign of them at the hotel windows, no display of numbers or any celebration.

Just over 100 people from around the region took part in the protest; which was great, given that there were only a few days in which to organise and publicise it. Banners included those from Blackpool Trades Council; Blackpool and Fylde College UCU; Greater Manchester UAF and the local PCS.

Several speakers addressed the crowd and onlookers on the promenade. Points made included: why we say 'no platform for Nazis'; the fact that they are virulently homophobic as well as racist; the level of misogyny within the party and ended with a promise to Griffin that wherever he tries to appear publicly in the North West, we will be there too. Speakers talked about the fact that anti-fascists represent the majority and that UAF will organise protests to outnumber and oppose the Nazi BNP wherever they try to organise.

Andrew Wheatley, from Blackpool Trades Council, emphasised that, despite Griffin winning the North West seat, the BNP do not represent the majority of people in the area. Pete Marsden, of Blackpool UNISON, speaking in a personal capacity, criticised the “British Jobs for British Workers” slogan which had benefited the BNP.

Jain Gawn, of Blackpool and Fleetwood Unite Against Fascism, talked of the legacy of fighting Fascism in Britain, including the Battle of Cable Street and the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. Jain also cited the recent attacks in Belfast as an example of where racism leads. Other speakers included Dione Bough of UNISON, Independent Socialist Councillor Michael Lavalette, and others.

Weyman Bennett, joint-national secretary of UAF, called for people to attend the demonstration against the Nazis’ “Red, White and Blue” event in August, while Dave Sewell of Manchester University Students Union spoke about the need to continue a No Platform position against the BNP.

Off to the clink we go...

There was anti-nazi representation from across the North-West, with protestors from Blackpool and Fleetwood, Lancaster, Wigan, Preston, Liverpool, Kendal, Manchester, Barrow, and elsewhere, and representation from the North West’s LGBT community.

A letter was read out from the two Blackpool MP’s, Joan Humble and Gordon Marsden, which had been sent to the New Kimberley Hotel, opposing the Hotel’s hosting of BNP events, stating “The Nazis too deceived, frightened and scapegoated people – just the same as the BNP try to do. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that many BNP activists try to deny the Holocaust.”

Unfortunately, the rally was not entirely free from Nazis. Several of them came out of the hotel to harass people. This is a new development for BNP gatherings in Blackpool and was obviously born out of a new confidence they've gained since the elections. We will have to make sure that that confidence is short lived. While many of their thugs lolling around in gangs were dressed in suits, a small group of skins sauntered over in ‘nationalist’ t-shirts and started sieg-heiling at the crowd (with a wall and cops in between, to protect themselves, obviously). Whilst this was met with fury and much shouting, no on attempted to physically attack them. Instead we slowly moved them on along the prom.

It was quite obvious that the episode was orchestrated purely to provoke us into a violent response. When the old Nazi salute didn't cause anyone to loose control and attack them, they started chanting the names of concentration camps, as a taunt. As they descended into a tirade of racial abuse the police intervened and four of them were arrested. It would be hard to find a clearer example of the fact that the BNP is a haven for hardcore, unreconstructed, Nazis.

Some of the crowd at the demo

As time went on we noticed small groups of thugs strategically positioned down the promenade. Like vultures they were gathering in order to pick people off as they left the protest. It was agreed that the best way to avoid anyone getting hurt was to leave the area outside the hotel together as a group. With the numbers involved, this became a demonstration in its own right. We marched down the prom singing and chanting.

While it was depressing to see them so confident and closer to our demo than in other years it is important to bear the following in mind: anti-fascists are by far the majority; it looks like we had far more people outside that hotel than they had inside it and while we can march through the streets, they can't. It is going to be a long, hard summer making sure that this remains the case. They've got their seats in Europe, but that does not mean we have to allow them the chance to take over our public places. As their 'Victory Rally' was such a flop, they’re likely to try again at the Red, White and Blue gathering. We need to make sure they have nothing to celebrate when they get there!

MPs slam Blackpool BNP host

Blackpool's MPs have written an open letter condemning the hotel at the centre of today's British National Party rally.

The New Kimberley Hotel, on New South Promenade, South Shore, will play host to the far-right group who are celebrating winning their first seats in the European Parliament. But Gordon Marsden and Joan Humble have today blasted the hotel for opening its doors to the party.

In the joint letter, the two Labour MPs said: "The BNP is a group that works by dividing our communities – it deceives, tries to frighten and scapegoat people. It's a group that encourages anger to new people, ideas and experiences. Your open door to them brings hate, not happiness, to Blackpool. It hinders our prosperity and welcome to visitors – especially in Armed Forces and Veterans Week. Think about the variety and different backgrounds in your own friends and families – and next time, think again."

Mrs Humble and Mr Marsden alleged some BNP members were Holocaust deniers and claimed the party created "hatred and division". They also questioned the need for a victory rally by the BNP, saying nine out of 10 voters in Blackpool had voted against them.

But James Clayton, the BNP's organiser in Blackpool, said the MPs and protesters were the ones stirring tensions. He said: "I think it would be more appropriate for Joan Humble and Gordon Marsden to be writing to the protesters. The concern over this weekend's events is created by the protesters who are known for being disruptive. If they didn't turn up, we would basically be inside the hotel and for all intents and purposes, the people of Blackpool wouldn't even know we were here. It seems like Joan Humble and Gordon Marsden, when they're not busy claiming their expenses, are trying to disrupt what we are doing and I don't think that is appropriate."

The New Kimberley Hotel refused to comment on the letter.

At least 500 campaigners, organised by the group Unite Against Facism, are expected to hold an anti-BNP protest outside the New Kimberley Hotel today. Extra police have been drafted in to keep the peace.

Blackpool Gazette

Protests at BNP's 'victory' rally

Hundreds of anti-fascist demonstrators are expected to picket a British National Party "Victory" rally.

Extra police will be on patrol as Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right party, attends the two-day event entitled Victory 09, at the New Kimberley Hotel on the promenade in Blackpool.

About 100 BNP activists are expected at the event, which has been held in the past as a party summer school but as the party now has two MEPs in its ranks, Mr Griffin said it will be a mixture of a victory celebration and a "de-brief" about their European election campaign.

Mr Griffin, one of the party's MEPs, will speak at the event just weeks after he was targeted by protesters who attacked his car and pelted him with eggs when he arrived for the Euro election count at Manchester Town Hall. He had to be smuggled in by a back door after emerging from a police van. And he was again attacked by demonstrators on the Green outside the Houses of Parliament as the BNP tried to stage a news conference the day after his election.

A spokesman for Unite Against Fascism (UAF) said he expects "hundreds" to turn up outside the hotel to protest. The UAF said trade unionists, students and ordinary members of the public had pledged support to show their opposition to the BNP.

Lancashire Police said officers will be on patrol around the area of the venue to keep the peace. Chief Inspector Karen Simister said: "A policing operation focused on ensuring the safety of the public has been put in place to ensure that the event and associated protests pass without incident."

Southport Visitor