Blair Peach died after being struck on the head at a demonstration against the NF
Campaigners believe the anti-fascist protester was killed by police during a demonstration in 1979
A highly critical report into the death of Blair Peach, the anti-fascist campaigner widely believed to have been killed by police in 1979, is expected to be published on Tuesday. Some 2,000 pages of documents will be released, including a previously secret police report. Peach, a 33-year-old teacher from New Zealand, died after being struck on the head at a demonstration against the National Front in Southall, west London. Witnesses said they saw him being attacked by police, but after an internal investigation no officers were charged.
It is understood the report has been redacted to protect the identities of individual officers. However, most interest is expected to focus on a report by commander John Cass, the Metropolitan police officer who investigated the death.
The Met agreed to release the report after Ian Tomlinson, a passerby at the G20 protests in London, died of internal bleeding last year after being attacked by a police officer. The incident, caught on film obtained by the Guardian, prompted comparisons with the Peach case.
At the April 1979 demonstration, more than 40 people, including 21 police, were injured and 300 were arrested. A pathologist report said Peach died from injuries likely to have been caused by a lead-weighted rubber cosh or hosepipe filled with lead shot. When officers' lockers were raided, unauthorised weapons including a metal cosh were found, but this was ruled out as the weapon that killed Peach.
Up to 20 members of Our England Today waved placards and St George's Cross flags at KFC in Deepdale Shopping Park, Preston, on Friday
The restaurant is one of around 80 outlets across the country taking part in a trial following requests to provide halal food in parts of the UK.
Officers from Lancashire Police attended and several of the group's members were kicked off by retail park security staff for drinking cans of lager. They handed out leaflets, put them on car windscreens and tried to dissuade customers going into KFC.
Louise Nixon, 39, from Freckleton, near Preston, said: "They were just saying, do you know it's halal meat or something. They tried to give me a leaflet but I didn't take it, it might put me off. It's the first I knew about it. The girl inside said it changed in February. I don't think the protest is very nice really."
A police spokesman said no arrests were made and the group left after around an hour to go to a nearby pub.
Halal meat means the animal has been killed in accordance with Islamic dietary laws. Traditionally, it is killed by hand and must be blessed by the person doing the job. But some Muslims, including the Halal Food Authority, say a mechanised form is also now acceptable. KFC recently met with the Lancashire Council of Mosques to defend its halal chicken products.
The group, mainly young men, some with children, said the protest was not an English Defence League (EDL) demonstration. However it was advertised on an EDL social networking website page and a statement on their website said: "We would like to encourage "flash demos" at these restaurants".
An Our England Today spokesman said: "This KFC has taken it upon themselves to serve Halal. We were not asked, we had no choice and if we want to eat KFC we have no choice other than to eat Halal."
A KFC spokesman said: "Although these stores are now halal accredited, we are still offering the same great tasting chicken and meeting the same high standards of animal welfare that we always have and, wherever possible, we have made sure that a trial store is near a non-halal restaurant to give our customers a choice. We hope the majority will understand that we are offering halal food in a number of our restaurants in response to demand from our customers."
A Unite Against Fascism spokesman said: "This was a very small turnout, quite a pathetic demonstration, attempting to fuel hate and racism."
The Archbishop of Canterbury has backed a decision to ban the British National Party (BNP) from a hustings in a Lancaster church
All candidates in the Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency - except the BNP - have been invited to the event at St Thomas's Church on Tuesday. A party spokesman described the snub as an "affront to democracy". But Dr Rowan Williams said the party had often exploited events "to say inflammatory and silly things".
The archbishop said bishops all over the country were writing letters to their congregation urging people to organise such events.
Asked whether he supported the decision to ban the BNP, the archbishop told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Personally, I think if that's the decision I'd be happy to go with it. I find it very difficult to see the BNP as part of a serious political discussion and very often people will exploit the platform to say inflammatory and silly things. So I can understand why people don't want to see the BNP as part of that discussion, as if they were to be taken as seriously as the other parties."
The debate in Lancaster has been arranged by Lancaster Churches Together, an organisation representing a number of Christian denominations. But organisers declined to invited BNP candidate Debra Kent, saying that a church was not the place to allow what they described as "racist views" to be promoted.
Steve Greenhalgh, a spokesman for the BNP, questioned the validity of the debate without his party's candidate.
"I think if you are going to hold a debate you have all the democratically put forward candidates - or none at all," he said. "I would say the church should be really more concerned with the falling numbers of their congregations and not the views of the British National Party. It's pointless challenging it because if you challenge it then you become an extremist, and you become a person who is trying to cause hassle."
Candidates standing in Lancaster and Fleetwood are: Gina Dowding: Green; Clive Grunshaw: Labour; Debra Kent: British National Party; Stuart Langhorn: Liberal Democrat; Fred McGlade: UK Independence Party; Eric Ollerenshaw: Conservative; Keith Riley: Independent.
BNP leader Nick Griffin has been secretly filmed out on the far-right party's campaign trail, where he compared east London to Nairobi
The BNP is well known for having controversial policies, but it would appear the party also has controversial opinions when it comes to canvassing voters.
An undercover reporter from the People tabloid recorded what happened when senior party member Richard Edmonds was out leafleting in Dagenham.
When a woman told him she would not vote BNP, Mr Edmonds' response as he walked away was: "Silly ******* aren't they? Maybe she's got a black kid you see? Or maybe her sister's got a black kid? That I think is always the explanation around here. Once they go with blacks, they're part of the black tribe. Wicked, horrible, stupid. I've seen it many, many times."
Mr Griffin was also filmed talking about canvassing in Barking, where he is trying to oust Labour's Margaret Hodge.
"Yes, it's something like leafleting central Nairobi isn't it, I'm afraid," he said.
A spokesman for the BNP said the remarks were made after Mr Edmonds had been verbally abused in the street. The party did not want to comment further on the filming.
At its manifesto launch last week, the BNP insisted it was not a single-issue party.
Inside hate-filled world of BNP as boss bids to be MP
Race-hate peddler Nick Griffin launched his bid to become an east London MP by likening the seat to Nairobi - one of Africa's biggest cities. The BNP leader made the sneering comparison to Kenya's capital as he prepared to go out canvassing in Barking, where about a fifth of the population are from ethnic minorities.
He smirked: "It's something like leafleting central Nairobi, I'm afraid."
The jibe reveals racism is still at the core of the British National Party - and makes a mockery of Griffin's insistence they are not hawkers of hate.
He made the remark to an undercover People reporter who joined the BNP last month - and landed a job as Griffin's minder. Within days our man was signed up as a minder and was asked to the home of BNP stalwart Richard Barnbrook, a Greater London Assembly member.
When he arrived at the house in Dagenham, he found Griffin tying his shoelaces ready to start canvassing in nearby Barking. It was then that Griffin - bidding to oust tourism minister Margaret Hodge as MP and overturn her 12,183 majority - made his sick crack about Nairobi.
Our man told Griffin he had been harangued while canvassing for the BNP with party activists in Dagenham the day before. Griffin replied: "Well, when you think about what they have been told it's not surprising. They think you are on their doorstep to eat their baby."
Our man also told Griffin he had seen BNP supporters clash with members of United Against Fascism at the UK Border Agency office in Croydon two weeks ago. Griffin blamed police for the violence, whining: "They want to spark a reaction - that's what goes on television. The police are a bit caught because if they stop them too early they'll get done for abusing their human rights to protest. They've let it basically go too far. That's a lot of the cop-out."
Griffin said he picked Barking for his election bid because his anti-immigration stance appeals to white working-class voters who feel abandoned by Labour. As he took to the streets with camera crews in tow, Cambridgeeducated Griffin said: "There's a lot of support for us round here from honest, hard-working people who are fed up with being lied to."
Our man watched BNP activists knock on at least 1,000 doors - but only five potential supporters shook his hand. Later, Griffin told a radio phone-in he discussed immigration with a West Indian family he met canvassing - and claimed they backed his views.
He said: "They were saying the same as white people - that our kids are at the back of the queue when it comes to housing behind Somalis and Albanians who have only just arrived and it's not fair. There are plenty of West Indians agreeing with our message that Britain's full. They're not racist and nor are we."
But at no time during the hours we spent with Griffin in Barking did he talk about immigration to any West Indian family.
Griffin last night stood by his Nairobi jibe. He said: "Labour has given housing to West Indian immigrants because they need the black African vote after years of neglecting the white working class."
Catalogue of shame
Our man was routinely exposed to the violent hatred infesting the BNP during his three-week probe.
Desmond O'Flynn - who says he is a BNP organiser and boasts of having a criminal record - ranted: "I hate Muslims. I'd love to be a candidate in the election but I've got too much previous."
Gabriel Angelos, standing as a councillor in Enfield, also bragged about his violent past and raged against anti-BNP campaigners. He said in front of his own young daughter: "I hold them in contempt, the f***ing bastards."
And Richard Edmonds, 57, told our man not to visit addresses in Barking marked with an "F" on his copy of the electoral roll. He said: "F is for foreigners. There's no point talking to them. They're doing very well out of us and they want all their tribe over here."
Toy soldier Adam Walker and BNP leader Nick Griffin chat to the punters
A controversial BNP election candidate is being investigated by police after he posed as a soldier
Adam Walker wore desert fatigues while campaigning alongside the far-right party’s leader, Nick Griffin. But Walker, 41 – who is standing in Bishop Auckland, County Durham – is no longer a serving member of the Armed Forces and might have broken the law by dressing as one.
Police were alerted when a member of the public made a complaint.Walker, who was a member of the Royal Armoured Corps from 1985 to 1990, claims he has done nothing wrong. At the rally in Barking, Essex, last weekend, he was asked if he was a real soldier and admitted he wasn’t. But he said: “I’m wearing this uniform in solidarity with our boys in Afghanistan.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We have received a complaint and officers will now decide what action, if any, is required.”
Walker could be charged with a breach of the 1894 Uniforms Act which says that wearing a military uniform without permission can “bring contempt” on the Army. If convicted, he could face up to a month in prison or a hefty fine.
His appearance at the rally was labelled “disgraceful” by serving soldiers and Forces’ organisations. A spokesman for the ABF soldiers’ charity said: “There is no place in the Army for racism or politics. Nick Griffin should know better.” One soldier using an online forum said: “This is disgraceful. The scumbag should be prosecuted.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “Neither serving nor retired military personnel are permitted to wear uniform in support of political activities as this could undermine the impartiality of the Armed Forces.”
It is not the first time that former teacher Walker, of Spennymoor, County Durham, has attracted controversy. In 2007, he was caught posting alleged slurs against asylum seekers, immigrants and homosexuality on the BNP’s website during lesson time at the sports college where he worked. He left the college shortly after the scandal broke but claimed the comments had no link to his work. He is awaiting a General Teacher Council hearing.
Rock star KT Tunstall has broken all ties with her mother's husband after he decided to stand as candidate for the BNP at the General Election.
David Orr is married to Tunstall's biological mother, Carol-Ann, who gave up the St Andrews-born singer for adoption when she was born. He says his decision to stand for the far right party as Westminster candidate in his home town of Livingston has prompted Tunstall to sever all contact with him. "This has caused huge problems in my family, it's really put the cat amongst the pigeons," he said.
"I've had KT's people on the phone basically saying that she won't have anything further to do with me and doesn't want to see me ever again."
The 61-year-old former taxi driver added: "I've never used the family connection for political gain, it was a big no-no from the start. She's still in touch with my wife Carol-Ann, mainly through texts. It has caused huge problems but I've had these political views all of my life and Carol-Ann knows that. It doesn't bother me that KT won't speak to me. I've nothing to be ashamed of. I am bothered for Carol-Ann though. She just wants to keep out of it all and stay in touch with her daughter."
A spokesperson for Tunstall confirmed the estrangement, saying: "KT abhors the BNP and all they stand for. She now has no contact with David Orr."
Porky Griffin talking crap, with a BNP nutter in a stupid outfit to add a little dignity
The British National Party unveiled its manifesto yesterday. Leader Nick Griffin said of the 90-page pamphlet: 'It's weighty - it's a serious piece of political kit, this.'
Headings include: 'Immigration: An Unparalleled Crisis which only the BNP can solve' and 'Counter Jihad: Confronting the Islamic Colonisation of Britain.' Key pledges include banning the burka and the building of further mosques in Britain. Elsewhere, the decline of pubs is explained thus: 'The indigenous British population has been ethnically cleansed and the new immigrant communities have no interest in maintaining that aspect of British culture.'
The launch was held in the Civic Centre in Stoke on Trent. The BNP considers the city something of a stronghold as it has nine seats on the council and is fielding three general election candidates in the area.
As he spouted on, Mr Griffin was flanked by a pasty-faced, pudding of a henchman dressed in a St George costume that looked like it had been hastily knocked up by his mum from a pair of old curtains - complete with chintzy tassled tie-backs - and what could have been an unloved saucepan for a helmet. Mr Griffin, presumably thinking this was a great stunt to pull, greeted the press by wishing them 'Happy St George's Day.' It might almost have all been comical were it not for the bile the BNP actually peddles.
Mr Griffin arrived in a maroon Range Rover. His 'security', two heavies wearing wrap-around dark glasses and ear-pieces, strutted around outside keeping an eye on a crowd of protesters who chanted 'Nazi scum'. Knowing they would attract this kind of attention, the BNP had kept the location of their manifesto launch a secret, revealing it only to 'invited guests'. But it did not take long for word to spread and after a brief game of cat and mouse the protesters soon got wind of where to go.
Among them was James Bethell, director of the anti-racist group Nothing British who have analysed the BNP's so-called policies. He described the new manifesto as 'a deluded and dangerous piece of racist ideology.' He said: 'The BNP simply don't have coherent answers to Britain's problems. They have worked up an economic policy which is based on pub room economics borrowed from Italian fascists.'
After giving his manifesto launch speech, Mr Griffin left with his 'St George'. When reporters asked the henchman in fancy dress if he felt silly, Mr Griffin butted in and asked them: 'Do you feel silly in a tie?'
That comment made about as little sense as everything else he said yesterday.
Despite the BNP’s proud boast to have produced “one of the most comprehensive and detailed manifestos in its history” there’s very little new in the document they’ve just released.
Some central trends that jump out at first glance:
They remain the same race based party they always have been. The BNP is keen to emphasise that they would expel illegal immigrants, but reading between the lines there is obviously a much more sinister end goal. There is an ominous mention of a “long-term resettlement programme” for third world nationals (pg 20), the clause-28 proscription against “the promotion of racial integration in schools and the media” (pg 22) remains party policy, and there is an even a suggestion that the BNP regards all immigration since 1997 as invalid, needing to be ‘reviewed’ (pg 16).
No compromise with the electorate*. We expected the BNP to significantly row back their more extreme, absurd and authoritarian policies in this manifesto in order to try and appear more moderate to the general public. Instead, the vast majority of their policies remain the same. The BNP still want to legalise guns (pg 41). They still want to censor popular television shows (pg 45). The media is still to be put under greater “democratic … control” (pg 43) and the death penalty still brought back (pg 48). There’s even a new one – the BNP wants to create a new penal colony for the worst criminals on the island of South Gerorgia (pg 48).
The BNP is trying to excite mass anti Muslim bigotry. During this election campaign one of the BNP’s central strategies has been an attempt to cynically take advantage of the fear of extremist Islamic terrorism. In this manifesto, the BNP seem to cross the line into a grotesque, racist and sectarian full out war on Islam, completely at odds with any sense of traditional British tolerance and liberalism. Not only will the burka and further mosques be banned but as “Islam is by its very nature incompatible with… western democracy… Islamic immigration [must] be halted and reversed” (pg 30).
The manifesto contradicts itself extensively. Is the money for foreign aid to be used for paying for the BNP’s resettlement programme (pg 21) or paying off the national debt? (pg 68) Or is it for ending poverty in Britain? (pg 64) Or perhaps paying for the NHS? (pg 52) If science is so important to the nation (pg 56), then how come the BNP wants to cut off the industries of the future such as biotech or green energy? GM crops are banned on pg 59 and wind farms stopped on pg 62
None of the numbers add up. The BNP seem to believe that regularly sprinkling in the magic words “revenue neutral” is enough to make their sums work. But with expensive new plans for schools, hospitals and the military, and commitments to cut income tax, council tax, VAT, student loans, car and fuel tax (oh, and the deficit), its not quite clear how this is supposed to work. Despite what the BNP might have you believe, cutting foreign aid will not plug all budget holes – we’ll be looking in more details at their specific numbers later.
In short, the BNP’s platform remains roughly where it was yesterday, with no change from the authoritarian and racialist ideology that puts ordinary families last.
A BNP council candidate is due to appear in court days before the May 6 local elections charged with attacking two women at East Croydon train station.
Dave Clarke, who hopes to win a seat in the Heathfield ward, is accused of punching and shoving the two women, who were anti-fascist protesters, after spotting them handing out anti-BNP leaflets. The 41-year-old is also charged with another two counts of assault in relation to the alleged scuffle.
Clarke, of Dunley Drive, New Addington, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which relate to the alleged incident on May 27 last year. He will face trial just eight days before the local elections.
Clarke is one of 13 candidates the party is putting forward in the local elections for Croydon and Sutton.
Clarke's agent Charlotte Lewis told the Advertiser he had pushed leaflets out of the protesters' hands but maintains he did not hit anyone. She said: "Dave completely denies these allegations and, although as a party we have little confidence in the British justice system, he did not assault these people. These types of people [the alleged victims] are against the BNP. Dave just introduced himself to them and did throw their leaflets into the street but if anything they pushed him. He is adamant that he had nothing to do with this. The Crown Prosecution Service is politically motivated and I am sure if it was the other way round there would not be a prosecution."
Prospective parliamentary candidate for Wallington and Carshalton at the general election, Miss Lewis hit the headlines two weeks ago when pictures of her dressed in a burkha and fishneck stockings clutching an alcopop emerged. She explained that Clarke's reluctance to speak to the Advertiser directly was because of his "shy and retiring nature".
Clarke, whose brother John is also running as a council candidate in Fieldway, denied four counts of assault by beating when he appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on April 7. He will face trial next Wednesday.
Thursday saw a small but lively anti-war demo outside Bristol’s Arnolfini, the venue for the second of the “leadership debates” between Brown, Cameron and Clegg. It made enough of an impact to get onto the BBC News, and the protest forced the police to cordon off the building and the surrounding streets. Mounted police and police in riot gear were present, while (in a rather absurd touch) a boat manned by officers with sub-machine guns patrolled the harbour.
The real downside to this demo was that a group of around ten EDL thugs were able to mingle with the crowd, threatening and abusing demonstrators and openly attempting to start a fight. They were escorted by police officers, who made no attempt to arrest any of them, but eventually walked them to a bar right in the middle of the demo, from which position they were able to continue shouting obscenities and provocations at the protesters with impunity. They stayed until they finished their drinks and were ready to leave. Police officers were seen laughing and joking with them throughout these events.
Later there was some trouble, with the police reporting six arrests – though who was arrested and why isn’t clear as I write this. I suspect the people arrested may have been members of the anarchist group that tried to follow the EDL as they moved off. Maybe it was actually the EDL who were busted, but somehow I doubt it.
The police not only failed to enforce the law in a situation where the EDL were acting in an openly provocative, threatening and abusive manner – they actually seemed to be happy for the EDL to act as a catalyst in turning a peaceful demonstration into a violent one. I’ve been an activist for 30 years, and don’t have any illusions about the role of the cops, but even I was shocked by what I saw. I believe that the collusion of the police has implications for how we deal with the EDL threat. That threat is small at present in Bristol, but it’s essential that all Left and labour movement events are carefully stewarded from now on. Click here for mugshots of some of the EDL knuckle-draggers.
A survey of NUT members in Barking and Dagenham showed an overwhelming majority (94 %) of teachers would not want to work for a BNP led council and 75% would consider no longer working in the borough.
The survey, done in conjunction with Hope not Hate, highlighted teachers' concerns that a BNP gain would impact negatively on the morale of teachers and have a detrimental effect on the education of children in the area.
Teachers' comments warned that "I think it would be the worst thing in the world. I would be frightened for people's safety. I see the ethnic mix of this borough as a positive thing for me and my children. Please stop them." Another simply said 'Disaster!' Others spoke of the need to stay on in the borough and continue to fight against the BNP.
Christine Blower General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers' union, said;
"This survey shows that teachers have a genuine fear of the consequences that a BNP-led council would bring to schools in Barking and Dagenham and the threat it will pose to ensuring our schools are protected as havens of tolerance and community cohesion.
"The growth of far-right organisations in recent years is of grave concern to the NUT, particularly when this means they could have influence on schools, and the lives of our members and the pupils they teach. That is why we are using our political fund to campaign vigorously against the BNP during the election period."
A spokesman for the anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate said:
"This poll graphically illustrates the danger of the BNP. Would you want your child's education in the hands of a party that praises the Nazis and claims the Holocaust never happened? Their politics of division, extremism and hate have no place in our classrooms."
Blair Peach died after being struck on the head at a demonstration against the NF
