Race rant Camden Road manhunt by police

A man who racially abused two children and punched a wheelchair– bound man in the head is being hunted by police.

A 53-year-old disabled man was waiting at the bus stop opposite Kwik Fit on Camden Raod, Holloway, at around 2.15pm on October 4 when he saw a suspect racially abusing two Asian school children.

When the disabled man, who is also Asian, got on the bus the suspect then approached him and began to shout racist abuse. The victim pushed him away but the suspect punched him in the head. He continued his racist tirade before delivering a final blow and jumping off the bus near Holloway Prison.

The suspect is a tanned white man, about 40-years-old, clean shaven with short dark hair and a medium build. When he made the attack he was wearing a black suit jacket and dark coloured trousers. He also spoke with a mock West Indian accent.

Police ask anyone with information to call Pc Rachel Hallam on 0207 421 0296 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

London 24

Thanks to Zaahid for the heads-up

An emphatic stand against racism in English football

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Independent

Liverpool furious as Luis Suárez banned in Patrice Evra racism row

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guardian

Redbridge mosque attackers jailed by judge

Four thugs who smashed up a Redbridge mosque before hurling a brick at the imam have been jailed for a total of 12-and-a-half years today.

The gang shattered the windows of Redbridge Islamic Centre, Eastern Avenue, before trying to storm their way inside while taunting worshippers with sickening chants.

Rocky Beale, 19, of Purleigh Avenue, Woodford Green and Eliot Jones, 19, of Keswick Gardens, Redbridge, pelted the centre with bricks, along with 18-year-old Matthew Stephenson, of Burrow Road, Hainault.

Harry Deluca, 16, whose name can now be revealed after an order was lifted by the judge, also pelted the centre and repeatedly screamed “EDL” throughout the assault on March 24.

All four denied violent disorder but were convicted by a jury last month after just 90 minutes of deliberation.

Judge Timothy King sentenced Beale, Jones and Stephenson to three-and-a-half years each in a young offenders’ institution during yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Deluca, of Manford Way, Hainault was given a two-year detention and training order.

The judge told them: “It is difficult, it seems to me, to imagine a case of violent disorder more serious than this one.”

Cllr Shoaib Patel, cabinet member for community safety on Redbridge Council, told the Recorder: “I am delighted with the result and it is great news for all the people that suffered because of the attack.

“It shows that Redbridge will not tolerate racial abuse after the community has worked hard to promote strong cohesion.”

Ilford Recorder

Sikh Summer Camp of 125 kids in Chigwell attacked by racist idiots

Racist thug attacks a volunteer's car

There is a Sikhi Camp for kids from 7+ currently taking place at the Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College in Chigwell, Essex running up until Sunday. The Camp involves the overnight stay of 120 children. The incident took place yesterday afternoon.

At first around 5 Chavs, thought to be from a nearby estate, walked into Khalsa College and caused a significant level of commotion. They attacked one Singh who approached them asking what they wanted. They were then successfully forced out of the College premises by a group of Camp sewadars and a fight broke out on the road outside the College. The situation was diffused by a passerby (claiming to be a off duty policeman), who drove the chavs off in his 4×4.

Around an hour later the Chavs returned in a larger number of 20 tooled with baseball bats and blocks of wood. A small group of Sikh kids from the camp were out on a nature walk and were verbally abused but managed to get back into the college. One of the elder sewadars had his car damaged as the group jumped on his bumper and bonnet.

Sad racists twats who think it's okay to attack a kid's camp

What mainly happened then was a stand off between the Chavs and the Sewadars around the perimeter of the Khalsa College. The Chavs mainly hurled racial abuse “Pakis, Muslims, razors and other EDL type chants” although they were tooled up to do more. Eventually the Police came and arrested 2 of the Chavs but the remaining were still adamant to carry on. The situation diffused as more Police intervened, however the Chavs still hovered around the area of the Khalsa College.

Around 50 local Singhs turned up last night to provide security to the Kids Camp, something that should have been organised by the sewadars before!!! It is an overnight camp where kids stay on the premises. It’s also concerning as we believe these Chavs must be hovering around the college during the day unchallenged.

There is a very strong chance the local Chavs from the estate will return (in perhaps larger numbers) and it was decided by local Singhs that a strong level of security is to be maintained at the college whilst the Sikhi Camp takes place until Sunday. The sewadars of the Camp should have factored in the security from the beginning even though no previous incidents had taken place in the Camp’s 30 year history.

Global Sikh News

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

Hunt for racist thug in English Defence League T-shirt who attacked Asian man in Rochdale

CCTV images of the man police want to question over the attack

A racist thug who abused and attacked a passer-by in a shopping precinct is being hunted by police.

The man, who was wearing a T-shirt promoting the English Defence League, targeted a 31-year-old Asian man as he walked through the Wheatsheaf Centre in Rochdale town centre. Images from CCTV cameras have been released by police in a bid to identify him.

The thug began to racially abuse the man as he walked past then grabbed hold of his shirt collar and pressed a ballpoint pen to the side of his face. Police said the victim could also feel a sharp item being pressed to his back. He struggled free but the abuse continued until security guards intervened.

The thug then escaped. He is white, in his late 40s to early 50s, around 6ft tall and skinny. He was wearing a T shirt labelled 'EDL Stockport'.

Sgt Colin Macdiarmid said: "The abuse this victim suffered can only be described as vitriolic and appalling. Thankfully he was not hurt though the behaviour of the offender led him to fear for his safety. Racist thugs are not welcome anywhere in Greater Manchester."

Call police on 0161 856 9961 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Manchester Evening News

Thanks to Tony for the heads-up


Update 11/6/11.

Man charged following racist attack in town centre

A man has been charged after a racist attack on an Asian man in Rochdale town centre.

Wayne Peter Taylor, 44, of Stock Close, was charged with racially aggravated common assault.

He is due to appear at Rochdale Magistrates Court on Monday 20 June 2011.

At about 4.00pm on Monday 9 May 2011, the victim, a 31-year-old Asian man was threatened a number of times in the Wheatsheaf Centre on Yorkshire Street.

Thanks for your help.

Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati quits Twitter over race hate abuse

Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati has quit Twitter after receiving racial abuse.

The actress, who plays Sunita Alahan in the ITV soap, has received race hate messages over the last two weeks. Last week she posted a message on the site saying: "Surprised at the racial abuse and desire to try and hurt people for no reason. I think I'm giving twitter a wee rest..gobsmacked."

But the 44-year-old has now apparently decided to quit the site altogether, telling her 18,467 followers: "Thanks for the banter I've enjoyed my time on twitter. Over and out."

Shobna, who is of Indian descent, has campaigned against racism and intolerance and used Twitter to spread information about her campaigns. She set up an account in support of the Sophie Charity, in honour of Sophie Lancaster, 20, who was murdered in Bacup in 2007.

Steve Huison, who played Eddie Windass in the Street, posted a message saying: "Absolutely disgusted to see that my lovely friend Shobna has been driven off Twitter because of racists. Shame on them."

Julie Hesmondhalgh, 41, who plays Hayley Cropper, in the soap has also received abuse via Twitter. Julie Tweeted: "Those who just use this to bandy their own hatred and desperation really need to look at themselves."

Manchester Evening News

Gants Hill: Racist attack on mosque

Racist abuse was shouted at worshippers at a busy mosque.

Police were called to Eastern Avenue in Gants Hill after reports of a group of men causing damage to parked vehicles in the road. Six men were seen heading in the direction Redbridge roundabout towards Redbridge Islamic Centre, also in Eastern Avenue. As they reached the mosque they shouted racial abuse and threw bricks at the building, which broke glass in the front doors.

The incident occurred at around 7.45pm on Thursday (March 24), near the start of evening prayers. A number of worshippers had already entered the mosque but there were still some people outside the building when the attack occurred. One man suffered a minor head injury but did not need any medical treatment.

Six men were arrested by police and remain in custody at Ilford Police Station.

Chief Inspector Stan Greatrick, of Redbridge police, said: “We would appeal for anyone who was in the Eastern Avenue area and saw the group of males to contact us. We have spoken to a number of people in the area and continue to liaise closely with members of the Redbridge Mosque.

“We have already secured additional patrols for Eastern Avenue and we would like to reassure the local community, and those who worship at the Redbridge Mosque, that we are treating this case extremely seriously.”

Anyone with information should contact Redbridge CID on 020 8345 2632.

Waltham Forest Guardian

Police hunt racist thugs over attack in Manchester

Police are hunting a gang of racist thugs who attacked and robbed a door-to-door salesman in Greater Manchester.

The victim, a 20-year-old Asian man, was working on the Limeside Estate, in Oldham, selling digital television products, on the afternoon of Wednesday 5th January when he was assaulted. He was working around Walkers Road, Oak Road and Firth Avenue but throughout the afternoon, a group of five white men were walking around the estate shouting racial abuse at the victim.

At about 6pm, on Hollins Road, the group approached the victim, grabbed him, racially abused him and demanded his mobile phone and cash. They pushed him against a wall and patted his body for items. As they tried to grab his mobile the victim resisted and he was punched twice to the head by one of the offenders, who then intimated he had a knife. The group ran off with the phone.

The main offender in the group was about 5ft 6in tall of medium build with dark hair. He was wearing a lime green hooded top.

Police Constable Andrew Swettenham said: "This was a horrendous experience for this man, who was simply trying to do his job. The abuse that he suffered culminated in an attack where he was robbed. Someone on this estate will know who these people are and may even have witnessed this incident."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 9577 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Click Manchester

BNP leader gives evidence in Burnley protest case

BNP leader Nick Griffin told a jury that he was subjected to racist abuse by a motorist who made a gun gesture towards him and threatened to shoot or kill him.

The politician was giving evidence at Preston Crown Court in the trial of a Burnley man accused of causing racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence while a British National Party demo was taking place in Burnley town centre over the arrest of four people.

Tauqir Khalid (23), of Windermere Avenue, Burnley, denies the charge relating to alleged events on the afternoon of November 19th last year. A demonstration was taking place outside the police station on Parker Lane over arrests which involved some leaflets. Mr Griffin told the court that some people had hooted support for the demonstration that afternoon, while others were not in favour. He gave a number of TV, radio and newspaper interviews that day.

In an initial incident, an Asian man in a taxi shouted abuse which he could not quite catch. There followed a second incident with a different car as an asian male shouted "white bastards" through his open window. He claimed the same vehicle returned a few minutes later, with the man making a gang gun gesture at him, with two fingers straightened out.

Mr Griffin told the court: "He shouted out 'Griffin you b... I'm going to...'. I took it to be 'kill you or shoot you'. It went at the same time of the gun gesture."

He said he took advice and for a short time decided to withdraw himself from the demo. "We decided it would be good to make myself scarce in case he came back and tried to shoot me".

He rejoined the demonstration about half-an-hour later. The court heard that someone noted the registration number on a "vote BNP" placard.

Mr Ian Metcalfe (prosecuting) said Khalid was arrested and interviewed about a month later. He admitted driving past the demo two to three times, but claims he had merely told Mr Griffin "get out of Burnley" and had possibly directed a V sign at him. Under cross examination by Mr Mark Stuart (defending), it was claimed that the words "white bastards" had not been shouted at him, but rather "Nick Griffin you fucking wanker".

Mr Griffin said he did not believe he had got it wrong and in response to a question from the judge, he said he was not lying about it. Mr Griffin disagreed with a suggestion that the words "get out of Burnley" had been shouted at him. He maintained that a gun gesture had been made to towards him and not a V sign.

He added: "I'm quite used to having people flick various gestures at me and it doesn't bother me. There is a difference between a gesture like that. It is a direct threat. There's nothing political about threat."

The trial is expected to expected to last three days.

Burnley Express

Family evicted 'for racial abuse'

An Edinburgh family has been evicted from their home following claims that they had racially abused their neighbours over a period of years.

Sarah Hutton, 36, and her five children were forced to move from their home in Wardieburn on Thursday after being accused of harassing other residents. It is one of the first evictions on the basis of racial abuse and harassment secured by Edinburgh City Council. The family has moved into private accommodation in Edinburgh.

Officials said incidents included extensive vandalism including damaging cars, smashing public toilets, kicking open stair doors and breaking door-entry systems, throwing stones and bricks at people and houses, smashing windows and threats and general abuse to neighbours. One family was even forced to move from the area after they were subjected to years of racial abuse, racist graffiti and assault.

Before the family was evicted the council said it used "every resource available" to work on ways to improve behaviour and to "prevent nuisance". The local authority said it had sent the tenant "numerous warning letters" and had organised joint visits from the council and the police on more than one occasion. She was also offered support with tenancy issues from the council's neighbourhood support team.

However the council said in this case legal action was necessary due to the "serious nature of the complaints" and because the family made no effort to change their behaviour.

Paul Edie, Edinburgh City Council community safety leader, said: "This action sends a clear message that we will not tolerate any sort of racially motivated harassment. Praise should go to residents for standing up and giving evidence against these people despite fears they may have."

Ch Insp Denise Mulvaney, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We take the issue of hate crime very seriously, and we believe the robust action taken in this case was the right thing to do and has resulted in the right outcome."

BBC

Racist Chippenham thug is jailed

National Front thug Aiden Minnis, who launched an unprovoked racist attack on a man in the street, has been jailed for four years and three months.

Minnis, of Woodlands Road, Chippenham, who used to be a member of the far right party, hit his mixed race victim over the back of the head with a port bottle in the late night attack. The 22-year-old, who has a history of violence, shouted racist insults at his victim and before the assault in Chippenham.

A judge at Swindon Crown Court today jailed Minnis for the attack and a number of other violent incidents including a robbery and attempted robbery.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told the court how the race attack on Darren McMillan took place on Sunday September 2 last year. She said he had been out on the Saturday night in Chippenham and Bath and was walking home along Bristol Road towards Hungerdown Lane at about 3am. He noticed two men walking towards him and heard them starting to shout the racial abuse.

“At first he was not bothered but as they got closer he took out his mobile phone and started to call the police,” she said.

“He recalls being on the phone to the operator when he heard one say ‘Yeah, you get help’ and use more racial abuse. As he went along he felt himself being stuck to the back of the head by something hard. He fell to the ground still connected to the operator.”

He came round to find he was covered in blood from a cut to the back of his head which required nine staples.

Miss Marlow said the man who was with Minnis called the police to tell them how he had seen him strike the victim with a bottle of port he had been drinking from.

The court heard that two months later Minnis robbed one man of his wallet and contents and tried to rob another, punching both to the face, and in January this year he and an accomplice assaulted a homeless man.

Minnis pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery, common assault and unlawful wounding.

The court heard he had a long history of offending, most of which involved violence, including a racially aggravated public order offence. Jason Taylor, defending, said his client was still a young man and was striving to change his ways.

“He was a member of the National Front, a class A drug addict and an alcoholic by the age of 20,” he told the court.

“Since then he no longer associates with the National Front, no longer has an addiction the class A drugs. The last addiction he had to alcohol he says even now is entirely under control and was before he was remanded into custody on the last occasion.”

At the time of the offending he said his client was living on friends’ sofas after being thrown out of home. He said he was now in a stable relationship with a woman who was pregnant with his child and due to give birth in May.

Jailing him Judge Douglas Field said “Aiden Minnis, you are 22 years of age and you have a long record of serious offending. Much of your offending has to do with violence and now I have to deal with you for three groups of offences all of which have a violent element to them.”

Chippenham Gazette and Herald