Hope Not Hate profiles the EDL’s allies in the Swedish Defence League.
Category Archives: Far right racists
National Front targets another mosque
Richard Edmonds in front of the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden
No doubt flushed with the “success” of its recent protest at the site of a proposed mosque in Sunderland, the National Front has belatedly latched on to the plan to convert a vacant building in Worcester Park in South London into an Islamic centre, which has already been the subject of local opposition.
The NF reports that fully seven of its supporters (probably almost the entire London membership) leafleted the area on Saturday in order to warn the non-Muslim population of Sutton of the fate that awaits them if the conversion goes ahead. The NF contingent was headed by veteran neo-Nazi Richard Edmonds (who, you may recall, has served as an inspiration to English Defence League leader Stephen Lennon).
Czech police charge man over ‘Breivik-style’ plot
Police in the Czech Republic have charged a man who is suspected of planning attacks similar to those by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway.
The 29-year-old man was charged with unlawful possession of weapons and endangering the public. Weapons, explosives and police uniforms were found in his flat in the city of Ostrava and detectives say he was using the name Breivik on the internet.
Chelmsford: English Defence League heavily outnumbered by anti-racists
The ever-shrinking forces of the English Defence League in Chelmsford
It was a victory for the police as a potentially explosive double-march involving an anti-Islamic group and their anti-fascist opponents passed through Chelmsford almost trouble free on Saturday.
A ring of police officers surrounded more than 50 members of the anti-Islamic group, the English Defence League, as they walked slowly from the Wheatsheaf pub in New Street to Chelmsford Library.
Fearing a repeat of the trouble that broke out during last month’s EDL protest, in which three men were arrested, more than 100 police officers from eight different forces, swamped the city centre, creating blockades with riot vans, to ensure the two groups did not cross paths.
Muslim prayer room defaced with racist graffiti and swastikas
Sud Ouest reports that vandals broke into a former bakery at Le Barp in Val de l’Eyre in south-west France, which has been rented by the Moroccan community for use as a prayer hall during Ramadan, and defaced the walls and carpets with racist graffiti and swastikas.
Belal El Filali, the 70-year-old vice-president of the local Moroccan association, who came to Le Barp in 1969 to work in the strawberry fields says: “For more than forty years I have lived here, and we have never seen this.”
The mayor of Le Barp, Christiane Dornon, who lives nearby, has condemned the attack. “I am outraged, these are people who have lived here for more than thirty-five years, there have never been any problems, it is a community who should be treated with respect.”
Small turnout for Pro Deutschland’s anti-Islamisation protest
Members of a small far-right group have displayed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during demonstrations outside mosques in Berlin, but officials say their protests have gone peacefully.
Saturday’s demonstrations by the Pro Deutschland group – held under the slogan “Islam does not belong in Germany – stop Islamization” – followed a failed attempt by three mosques to get display of the caricatures prohibited. A court ruled they were protected by laws allowing artistic free expression.
Police said a group of up to 70 supporters of Pro Deutschland took part, while a few hundred counterdemonstrators protested against them. There was a heavy police presence.
Dundee: councillors refuse to allow Scottish Defence League to enter City Square
Dundee City Square could be turned into a scene of conflict if members of a far-right group are allowed to demonstrate there.
That was the claim made on Thursday during the city council’s licensing committee as councillors considered a request by Dundee Trades Union Council, on behalf of Dundee Together, to allow their demonstration against racism and fascism to go ahead on September 1.
On the same day, around 150 members of the Scottish Defence League (SDL) are expected to gather in the city despite having been refused permission to hold a static demonstration in City Square earlier this year. The right-wing group is using the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to exercise its freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
Chelmsford: MP backs demonstration against EDL
A far right demonstration is set to be opposed by members of unions, faith groups and political parties. A second English Defence League march is planned in Chelmsford for Saturday, but the group is set to come up against opposition.
The EDL will be in the city centre to make its feelings known on a planning application to rebuild the Muslim Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Essex, which is behind the Royal Mail office, in Victoria Road.
But Chelmsford TUC has rallied supporters to march on the same day. Andrew Coburn, chairman of the Chelmsford branch, said: “We are pleased so many people and organisations from across the community have come out in support of this initiative.”
Simon Burns, Chelmsford MP, has sent a letter backing the action of the group marching against the EDL. His letter is expected to praise the anti-EDL movement and say he is appalled at any attempt to inflame race relations in Chelmsford.
Thurnby Lodge Islamic community centre plan ‘alternatives’ sought
An Islamic charity which plans to turn a former scout hut into a community centre has been told the city council is looking at “alternative premises”.
Leicester City Council said if no site could be found for the As-salaam Trust then negotiations on the sale of the lease would resume.
About 200 people attended a demonstration at Thurnby Lodge last week to oppose the group’s plans.
The As-salaam Trust said it was sad the community could not work together. It said its community centre aimed to provide food sharing services, drug and alcohol advice and education to make community life better for everyone.
Mohammed Lockhat, from the As-salaam Trust, said: “We are in discussions with the council. We are sad that we cannot work together as a community. We would love to, we’ve been trying to, and we are continuing to do so within our limits at the moment.
“The protests are supposed to be directed at the council, but on many occasions they haven’t been. It has been quite intimidating for many of our members.”
German far-right group’s plan to display anti-Islam caricatures does not incite hatred, court rules
A Berlin court has rejected an emergency appeal by three mosques to prohibit a far-right group from displaying caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad at a demonstration this weekend.
The Berlin administrative court ruled Thursday the caricatures were protected by laws allowing artistic free expression and their display alone did not violate laws against slander nor those against inciting hate or violence.
Three mosques had filed the appeal after the far-right “Citizens Movement – Pro Germany” had said it would display the caricatures during its Aug. 18 demonstration in the capital, being held under the slogan “Islam does not belong in Germany – stop Islamization“.
Associated Press, 16 August 2012
Update: See “Anti-Islam group targets mosques and leftists”, The Local, 17 August 2012
Update 2: See “Spencer-Geller allied group, ‘Pro-Deutschland’ targets Muslims and leftists”, Loonwatch, 17 August 2012