Category Archives: Far right racists

BNP and EDL join forces to back racist crank

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Margaret Walker and supportersSupporters and anti-racist campaigners turned out at court for the latest hearing in the case of a pensioner who has been ordered to stop sending racist letters in the post.

Margaret Walker who has admitted sending out up to 500 anonymous letters and leaflets filled with vile abuse, has had an interim Asbo order extended until her case goes to a full trial in September.

The order was made at a hearing at Fareham Magistrates’ Court last month. Yesterday’s hearing was to arrange time for legal arguments and set a trial date.

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BNP anti-halal protestors outnumbered by counter-demonstrators

Posted on by Bob Pitt

UAF anti-BNP protest Sunderland

BNP members have met with an angry backlash in Sunderland as they gathered to protest against the use of halal meat in Subway sandwich shops.

Party members and their anti-fascist opponents faced each other across the road as they gathered on either side of St Luke’s Terrace.

The Echo reported yesterday how BNP leader Nick Griffin planned a protest outside the Pallion Subway branch today against the company’s use of halal meat in its sandwiches. Mr Griffin, who failed to turn up to the protest, said the use of such meat was cruel.

Union members, representatives from United Against Fascism and workers on their lunch hour came out to stand in front of the Subway store to prevent the controversial right-wing party from delivering their message.

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Bristol: Lib Dems condemn Labour opposition to English Defence League

Posted on by Bob Pitt

We Are Bristol demonstrationLabour’s Bristol mayor candidate Marvin Rees has been accused by a rival politician of being “naïve and weak” in his handling of the run-up to Saturday’s EDL march and counter-protests.

Mr Rees was also branded as “easily led” in the statement released today on behalf of Lib Dem councillor Gary Hopkins. But the mayoral candidate has hit back – saying he is “disappointed” by the move.

Mr Hopkins’ statement notes that Mr Rees and other Bristol Labour politicians appeared on Unite Against Fascism (UAF) leaflets before the counter-protests on Saturday, and that violent clashes had broken out between counter-EDL protesters and the police.

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BNP launches campaign against Islamification of Sunderland sandwich shops

Posted on by Bob Pitt

BNP Shame on Britain halal leafletBNP leader Nick Griffin is due to lead a demonstration in Sunderland tomorrow. Mr Griffin and members of his party are planning to take part in a demonstration against the use of halal meat in Subway sandwich shops in the city.

However, despite claiming their protest is neither politically or racially motivated, their plans were today condemned. Tahir Khan, chairman of the multi-cultural organisation Unity, said: “Picking on religious beliefs is very evil-minded and is wrong morally. I think the BNP is just wasting its time and resources.”

As part of a day of action, they plan to congregate outside the St Luke’s Terrace Subway shop in Pallion to raise awareness about what they claim is a “barbaric” practice.

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Bill Maher defends Geert Wilders, claims ‘moderate Muslims’ advocate violence

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Colorado Springs Independent has an interview with US talk show host Bill Maher. He is asked why he featured Geert Wilders in his religion-mocking film Religulous – “wouldn’t your hatred for racist xenophobes trump your hatred of religion?” Maher replies that he sees no contradiction:

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EDL member gets three months for breaking Muslim’s jaw

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Steven Crispin

Hope Not Hate reports that thanks to photographic evidence they were able to give the police, an English Defence League member, Steven Crispin, has been convicted of an attack on two Muslim brothers during an EDL anti-mosque protest in Dagenham last year, in the course of which he kicked one of the victims and fractured his jaw. Unfortunately a decision was taken not to charge Crispin with a racially aggravated offence and he received a jail sentence of just three months.

In December last year another EDL member, John McAndrew, received a 14-month custodial term to serve a minimum of seven months having been convicted of participating in the attack on the brothers. He was subsequently handed a five-year CRASBO banning him attending EDL demonstrations or entering mosques, Islamic cultural centres and Muslim festival sites.

Racism and violence from the EDL

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Rather that posting individual entries on acts of racism and violence by members of the English Defence League, here is a roundup of three cases from the past 24 hours.

EDL News reports that Sam Burgess, a member of the EDL’s Norwich Division who has been on training courses to work for the Olympics security team, has pictured himself on Facebook with a gun and posted threats against the Muslim community.

The Hull Daily Mail reports that on Saturday evening a group of youth at Hull railway station were assaulted by a man wearing a Grimsby EDL top (presumably on his way back from the EDL’s protest in Bristol).

STV reports that a Scottish Defence League member from Edinburgh named Raymond Strachan (or “Raymo Sdl Strachan” as he likes to call himself) was sentenced to 200 hours’ community service having been convicted of posting racist messages on Facebook.

Jerusalem: illegal settlers plan to drown out Muslim call to prayer with loud rock music

Posted on by Bob Pitt

After the French Hill neighborhood of Jerusalem has decided to play very loud music, in defiance of the volume and disturbance of the sound of the muezzin at the mosque in nearby Al-Issawiya, two additional Jewish neighborhoods, Pisgat Ze’ev and Har Choma, have announced that they, too, will take up a similar approach. French Hill also decided to go with hard rock, and not Mediterranean tunes, as had originally been planned, because, as they put it, hard rock is more likely to deliver the message.

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