AFN go wild in the West Country: Exeter demo report

From AFN:

Report from Brighton Anti-Fascists

Around forty comrades made the trip from around the country to Exeter to check out the last EDL national demo of the year (don’t worry folks, there’s still a few regionals to counter).

Perhaps ignorantly we’d considered Exeter to be a bit of a void politically speaking so we were pleasantly surprised by the size of the turn-out of the Exeter Together effort. Around a thousand locals marched into town from Belmont Park (accompanied by a slow funereal soundtrack of the kind more usually associated with a witch-burning).

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EDL’s Bradford hate tour an overwhelming success for anti-fascists, a humiliation for the EDL.

 

 

From AFN:

[reblogged from Bradford Anti-Fascist Network]

For all their bluster about Bradford being the BIG ONE less than 250 English Defence League braved the Yorkshire rain to try start their race war in the city. They didn’t stand a chance, the Police were out in force but so were the people of Bradford. Around a 150 went into the official demonstration area run by the UAF and were kettled there far away from the EDL but a similar number of Antifascist activists along with perhaps 300 other locals went into the streets to face the EDL and voice their anger at their city being invaded by these bigoted, racist, nut jobs. The EDL were drowned out as Anti-fascists and locals mocked their chants and raised their voices with their own. The streets of Bradford truly belonged to the Bradfordians and there was a festival feeling as even the cops couldn’t help but smile at the  humour of the diverse crowd reworking football chants and singing anti-fascist songs together. Bradford Anti-fascist Network was at the fore of the protest and our members were cheered by other locals as we shouted down the vile EDL. We handed out 200 leaflets on the day calling for the anti-fascist mood to be carried over into other actions, which was positively received.

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Bradford: come to fight fascism. Stay for the tea

 

From AFN:

The English Defence League have announced they plan to bring their hatred to Bradford’s streets on the 12th of October. A new group of anti-fascists has formed who are busy making plans to defend the city. Whether you are from from Bradford or coming from further afield to offer mutual aid, you are welcome to join Bradford Anti-Fascists in militant opposition to the EDL on our streets.

This is a national EDL demo and we know they see this city as the place to start the race war they so desire. They will turn out in numbers. On the 12th of October we must act together to show them that they are not wanted, not needed and not welcome in the city of Bradford.

The EDL have already scored an own goal as Bradford City’s schedule has had to be rejigged for their hate march. The police have asked Bradford City and Tranmere Rovers to change their proposed football match to the 11th of October amid fears supporters would be using the same transport as the English Defence League. The clubs have relented due to safety concerns for EDL members being surrounded by working class football supporters but fans are not happy:

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Nottingham EDL moonlighting with EVF

From East Midlands Anti-Fascists:

Clearly realising that the EDL now offers less opportunities for excitement than a soggy chip wrapper, several former Nottingham EDL activists signed up to go to the EVF’s demo in Birmingham yesterday. Adam Bilyk, Adam Repton, Ian Firmstone and Jack Stevens all said they were going on the event’s Facebook page.

News from Extremis

Birmingham Mail: English Volunteer Force protest in Birmingham’s Centenary Square finishes trouble-free. ‘A major police operation ensured that rival demonstrations in Birmingham city centre by far-right extremists and anti-fascist campaigners ended peacefully yesterday. The English Volunteer Force (EVF) – an offshoot of the English Defence League (EDL) – gathered in Centenary Square to protest about the ‘Islamification of Great Britain’. A counter-protest, organised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) in Chamberlain Square, was also trouble-free’.

The Independent: Baroness Warsi: Fewer than one in four people believe Islam is compatible with British way of life. ‘Highlighting unpublished research showing that a majority of the country now believes that Islam is a threat to Western civilisation Baroness Sayeeda Warsi will say that “underlying, unfounded mistrust” of Muslims is in itself fuelling extremism’.

The Guardian: ‘Muslim patrol’ gang: police arrest three more after homophobic video. ‘Detectives investigating a self-styled Muslim patrol gang have made three more arrests, Scotland Yard has said. Officers are investigating a string of incidents in east London over the weekend where the group harassed members of the public. A video posted on YouTube showed the gang hurling homophobic abuse at one man, whom the police have urged to come forward’.

Belfast Telegraph: Jury undecided on hoax bomb message. ‘A jury has failed to reach a verdict in the case of a taxi driver who sent a message to the English Defence League (EDL) saying one of its marches was going to be bombed. Father-of-five Sakander Mahmood, 26, admitted sending the right-wing group a hoax message through its website which said: “14th July in Bristol, You are getting bombed”.’

The Guardian: Six charged with violent disorder after attack at anti-fascist event in Liverpool. ‘Six men have been charged with violent disorder after anti-fascist campaigners held a fundraising event in Liverpool city centre. The men, aged between 17 and 52, are all believed to belong to the North West Infidels, an extreme far-right group. Among those charged is Shane Calvert, 31, from Blackburn – known as “the diddyman” in nationalist circles and thought to be the Infidels’ second-in-command.’

Varsity: Opposition mobilises as English Defence League march announced in Cambridge. ‘The English Defence League (EDL), an extremist far-right pressure group, has announced that they are planning a march in Cambridge. The anti-Islamic group will gather on the 23rd February, following their controversial march in July 2011. In response, the Cambridge branch of Unite Against Fascism (CUAF), a national anti-fascist campaigning organisation, has called for a ‘massive’ counter march.’

Comment: The Independent: These misguided Muslim ‘Sharia squads’ are playing right into the EDL’s hands. ‘Now here’s a news story to inflame the prejudice of internet Islamophobes…No wait, I’m a practising Muslim and this gets my blood boiling too; a string of videos under the name ‘Muslim Patrol’ recently surfaced on YouTube, showing Muslim vigilantes on night patrols in London streets…’

Source

Wilders’ new anti-mosque campaign inspired by UK Islamophobe

Nick Lowles at HnH:

According to the excellent Loonwatch website, which reports on the activities of the self-styled ‘Counter-Jihadists’, Geert Wilders has launched a new website, MoskNee (MosqueNo), which aims to “offer advice to non-Muslims who want to mount a legal challenge to plans for a new mosque in their area.”

His website claims: “Netherlands is not an Islamic country and should never be. Yet we see the influence of Islam increase hand over hand…. Under the influence of the fast-growing Muslim population – around 1 million people in 2013 – the number of mosques has increased sharply. Netherlands now has more than 450…. What would be nice is a Netherlands without mosques. The PVV therefore says: enough is enough. As far as we are concerned there will be no more mosque in Netherlands.”

In an interview with Algemeen Dagblad Wilders states that “the mosque is a symbol of an ideology of hatred, violence and oppression” and that ideally the PVV would like to ban mosques from the Netherlands altogether.

Now, where have we heard that before? Oh yes, from Gavin Boby the planning lawyer who in his spare time campaigns against planning applications for mosques and other Islamic buildings.

The activities of Boby, and his Law and Freedom website, was the subject of a three-page investigation in the latest HOPE not hate magazine.

Boby shared a platform with Wilders to rile against the threat of Islam in the European Parliament last July and it appears that this was the inspiration for his latest anti-Muslim enterprise. Also speaking was EDL leader Stephen Lennon.

Forgotten Estates: Time for a Rethink?

By Nick Lowles at HnH:

So 24-year-old Liam Ferrar has pleaded guilty to leaving a frozen pig’s head outside a community centre used by a Muslim group in Leicester.

Lerrar is an active member of Forgotten Estates, a group formed to oppose the selling of a former scout hut to a Muslim organisation. He has even regularly acted as police liaison for the group.

For some bizarre reason, Leicester Council has entertained Forgotten Estates as a legitimate community group. After initially agreeing to sell the Scout hut to the muslim organisation – largely because it was the only buyer – the council backed down after local protests.

The council has even given Forgotten Estates funding for future activities and decided that they should be given the scout hut instead.

Last year HOPE not hate revealed that the people behind Forgotten Estates had been active in the English Defence League and the breakaway group, the Infidels.

Perhaps now, after Ferrar’s disgusting actions, the council might review the support it is giving Forgotten Estates.

Griffin support rejected by Orgreave campaign

By Nick Lowles at HnH:

Photo: John Harris http://www.reportdigital.co.uk/

Some people might have noticed that BNP leader Nick Griffin last week tried to get himself involved in the campaign for a public enquiry into the Orgreave affair. He publicly backed calls for an enquiry and said that the campaign should be as broad as possible.

In a statement issued last night, the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign made clear that they did not want to have anything to do with the BNP leader.

“It has been drawn to our attention that the fascist British National Party’s leader Nick Griffin has voiced support for the campaign for a public enquiry into violent police action at Orgreave cokeworks during the 1984-85 miners’ strike.

“We wish to make it unequivocally clear that Griffin and his BNP are anti-trade union and enemies of the miners and the organised working class. “His support for our wider campaign is unwanted, unwelcome and rejected.”

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign is seeking truth and justice for all miners victimised by the police at the Orgreave Coking Plant, South Yorkshire, on June 18th 1984. It is being supported by the Hillsborough ’96 campaign.

HOPE not hate activists are involved in this campaign and we would urge our supporters to back it in every way they can.

For more on Orgreave: http://www.unionhome.org.uk/?p=1857

To sign the e-petition: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/41844

Unite the shite

From East Midlands Anti-Fascists:

Derbyshire based far right kingpin, Tony Curtis, never ceases to give us a good laugh. When he’s not in his bedroom playing computer games or collecting ghost stories (usually about “the muslamic menace”), Curtis assures his handful of loyal worshippers that he’s working behind the scenes on a top secret plan to “unite the right”. Any day now, he keeps saying, he will achieve unity of the tribes and crush the evil multicultural empire.

Seeing as it was precisely these kind of shady deals that got him kicked out of the EDL in the first place, we’re a wee bit sceptical about whether Tiny Tone can really pull it off. But if he did, who would be the key players?

2012 far-right activity round-up in the Three Counties

By 3cafa:

As we start 2013 we thought we would give a brief overview of fascist and far-right activity in the Three Counties region over the last year. They really haven’t given us too much to worry about!

English Defence League: None of the local ‘divisions’ have done anything notable all year. Following the national trend, the Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire divisions seemingly no longer exist beyond occasionally-updated Facebook pages. There’s no evidence of any of the local halfwits attending any of the national demos.

British National Party: As opposed to their peak a few years ago, there’s only one ‘active’ branch left in the region now. Their organiser/candidate Carl Mason did very poorly in the local elections in Worcester, and also got himself some very cheap publicity for breaking into the office of a local college to deliver the Union Flag for them to fly. Must. Try. Harder!

English Volunteer Force: Formed as one of the dozens of EDL splits in the summer. Started a Facebook page for their Hereford ‘group.’ Managed to achieve a mesmerising 20-odd ‘likes.’ Haven’t done anything else.

General racism and idiocy: Some Swastikas and ‘Welcome to Poland’ graffiti appeared on road signs in Herefordshire. A racist halfwit got jailed for attacking a Cheltenham mosque. Worcester City player, Lee Smith, was let go for his tweet about ‘illegal’ immigrants. A kiddy got in trouble for another racist tweet before the Cheltenham Town FC vs Hereford United FC derby match. Ross-on-Wye huntsman, Lee Peters, was found guilty of racially abusing an anti-hunt protester.

As we go into 2013 we’ll continue to monitor far-right activity in the region, support call-outs from anti-fascists elsewhere in the country as well as support and involve ourselves in the Anti-Fascist Network. If last year was the ‘Year of the Infidel,’ we cannot wait to see what this year will be…