Category Archives: Far right racists

The growing influence of Bloc Identitaire

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Bloc IdentitaireTOURVES, France — They feasted in the verdant back country of picture-postcard Provence, the delight of tourists and the pride of France.

But it was no ordinary country idyll. The extreme right Bloc Identitaire, or Identity Bloc, was lashing out at Islam while dining on pork roast and local wine – off limits to practicing Muslims.

The group, an emerging force on France’s far-right scene, likens Muslim immigrants to invaders threatening the identity of the French heartland and menacing European civilization. The movement – with a wild pig as its logo – is gaining traction through its blend of Islam-bashing and romanticizing of French rural culture.

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Stoke-on-Trent mosque arsonists jailed

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Simon Beech and Garreth FosterTwo men have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of deliberately setting fire to a Stoke-on-Trent mosque.

Ex-soldier Simon Beech, 23, and Garreth Foster, 29, both from Stoke, were found guilty of setting fire to Hanley’s Regent Road mosque on 3 December. The pair both denied running a pipe into the building from a nearby gas meter in a bid to spark an explosion at the mosque, which suffered about £50,000 damage as a result of the fire.

Speaking after the verdicts were delivered, Rana Tufail, a member of the mosque committee, said it was “difficult” to describe the arson attack. He said: “It is a community project. They have put their soul into it. They have put their earnings into it and they [Beech and Foster] tried to destroy it. We are happy that it’s still standing.”

Ch Supt Bernie O’Rielly, from Staffordshire Police, added that he had no doubts that the pair’s intention was to “blow the mosque up”. “Without doubt that would have caused hate in the community, division in the community and broken down all the cohesion and good work we do,” he said. “The community around this area have been an absolute credit. They’ve acted with such restraint and so dignified in the face of such provocation.”

BBC News, 8 December 2011

See also “EDL soldier and crony jailed for 10 years for Stoke mosque arson”, UAF news report, 8 December 2011

The IRR’s recent study The new geographies of racism: Stoke-on-Trent provides some useful context to the case. It can be downloaded here.

Hanley mosque arson accused’s links to far right parties

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Simon BeechOne of the men accused of setting fire to a Stoke-on-Trent mosque was a member of the British National Party (BNP) and English Defence League (EDL).

Simon Beech was a serving soldier with the 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, based at Weeton Barracks near Preston, Lancashire, when he is alleged to have set fire to the City Central Mosque in Regent Road, Hanley, in the early hours of December 3 last year.

He is accused of entering the mosque, which was still under construction, with his co-accused Garreth Foster. The Crown Prosecution Service allege the pair were responsible for starting a blaze on the ground floor and feeding a gas pipe upstairs, from a neighbouring property.

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Another member of the ‘non-racist’ EDL exposed

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Portsmouth Nazi Watch provided useful details of two English Defence League members who recently appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court (see here and here). It has now posted a revealing report on another local EDL member, a self-confessed petty crook named James Bateman, whose Facebook page lists his religious beliefs as “see a muslim kill a muslim”.

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Police appeal for help in identifying EDL thugs

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL thugs wanted

Last week at Newcastle Crown Court nine EDL supporters were sentenced for their part in an attack on an Irish centre where a Socialist Workers Party meeting had been scheduled to take place. After the SWP called off the meeting for fear of violence, the EDL attacked staff at the centre instead. Six of the gang were given prison sentences and three others received suspended jail terms.

Police have now released CCTV pictures of a further six suspects who are wanted in connection with the attack.

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University of California – Muslim and Jewish students turn out to oppose Terry Jones

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Terry Jones and Nachum ShifrenA diverse array of UC Irvine students were prepared to protest against a controversial pastor after it was announced he might speak on campus.

Students gathered in front of Langson Library, some sitting on blankets, facing the area covered in caution tape where the Rev. Terry Jones intended to speak. However, Jones was told not to come on campus after UCI police received intelligence informing them of suspicious activity associated with the visit that aroused safety concerns.

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EDL’s North East boss Spence jailed for attack on left meeting

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Alan SpenceThe English Defence League’s North East regional organiser Alan Spence has been jailed for his part in an attack on a socialist meeting, along with several of his racist and fascist cohorts.

Spence is a leading figure in the EDL – and a key link between the EDL and the British National Party: he stood as a parliamentary candidate for the BNP at the general election.

He was sent down for seven months today, following the attack at the Tyneside Irish Centre, where the Socialist Workers Party was holding a meeting last September.

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