Category Archives: Far right racists

Packed organising meeting for ‘We are Bradford’ event

Posted on by Bob Pitt

We Are Bradford

Around 150 people crowded into a meeting called to organise for the “We are Bradford” unity event on Saturday 28 August. The “We are Bradford” event will be a peaceful, united and multicultural response to plans by the racist English Defence League to bring their anti-Muslim hatred to Bradford.

Last night’s meeting brought together a broad mix of local people, including black, white and Asian people, Muslims and members of other faith groups, trade unionists and young people. The mood of the meeting was positive but serious, with participants resolved not to abandon their city to the EDL. The meeting heard confirmation from the police that a static demonstration by the EDL would not be banned.

Bradford East MP David Ward told the meeting that he wanted to attend the “We are Bradford” celebration to show that the EDL was not welcome in the city.

UAF joint secretary Weyman Bennett said a peaceful, multicultural event in Bradford was essential. The experience of Stoke and Luton has shown that where the EDL is unopposed its supporters are more likely to go on the rampage. Weyman poined out that support for the “We are Bradford” event is coming from across the country, with the trade unions PCS, CWU, UCU and TSSA already giving their backing.

The Rev Chris Howson, City Mission priest and one of the ‘We Are Bradford’ organisers, called for a peaceful response to the EDL to show the world that the EDL only wanted to use racism to divide the city. ‘We are Bradford’ unites all those who stand for peace and unity, he argued.

The meeting also heard Kanja Sesay, Black students’ officer for the National Union of Students speak about the importance of providing a safe focus for young people to show their opposition to the racism of the EDL.

Bradford trade unionists from the PCS civil servants’ union and the NUT teachers’ union spoke from the floor about how they were building the event.

Local activist Ashiq Hussain, who chaired the meeting, urged everyone to play their part in building a peaceful, united response to the EDL, to sign the campaign statement and volunteer as stewards for the event.

Thousands of leaflets were distributed to be handed out across the city.

What you can do

UAF is mobilising for the event nationally. You can download aleaflet here. Please see our transport page for regularly updated coach details.

UAF news report, 6 August 2010

Dutch MPs condemn plan for coalition backed by Wilders

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Dutch MPs returned temporarily from their summer recess today for a special debate with chief negotiator Ruud Lubbers about the progress of the coalition talks.

The public gallery was jammed solid as the party leaders on the left and the right passed judgment on the proposed coalition of the conservative VVD and the centre-right Christian Democrats which could become the first minority government in the Netherlands since World War II. They plan to rule with parliamentary support from Geert Wilders’ anti-Islamic Freedom Party.

Labour Party leader Job Cohen said Geert Wilders was the real winner. He was “the puppet master pulling the strings behind the scenes. With all the advantages and none of the responsibility.”

Green Left’s Femke Halsema called the minority coalition the “worst conceivable alternative” and accused Christian Democrat leader Maxime Verhagen of betraying his principles. She quoted his own words about Geert Wilders about whom he once said “by spreading fear and hatred he is involved only in destruction”.

RNW, 4 August 2010

EDL members arrested over suspected mosque bomb plot

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Several English Defence League members were sensationally arrested last week by police investigating an apparent plot to bomb a British mosque.

Tim Ablitt, partner Tanya, Alfred and Tracy Saint, and a man known only at this stage as “Poole Knight” were arrested by officers in Dorset on Thursday evening and held for 24 hours while police investigated their potential involvement in an bomb plot thought to involve Bournemouth mosque.

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Netherlands: Wilders to enter coalition talks

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders emerged Saturday as a possible member of the next Dutch government after the centrist Christian Democrats agreed to informal talks with Wilders and the free market party that won recent Dutch elections. “I am very happy … I hope we can sit at the table as soon as possible,” Wilders told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “It is positive news.”

Associated Press, 24 July 2010

Berlin: Islamophobic politician faces expulsion over invitation to Wilders

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Geert Wilders, the anti-Islam Dutch politician, is set to address like-minded Germans in October, triggering criticism Thursday in Berlin, with city Christian Democrats saying they may expel a politician who invited Wilders to the German capital.

Rene Stadtkewitz, a Christian Democratic deputy in the legislature of Berlin state, was unrepentant over his invitation to Wilders. He said they would meet October 2 to share views on how to fight political Islam. He gave no details of any public appearances.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Chancellor Angela Merkel is an opposition party in the Berlin regional legislature. The city and suburbs constitutes one of Germany’s 16 states.

Frank Henkel, caucus leader of the city CDU, said he would expel Stadtkewitz from the caucus if he did not call off the Wilders visit. “I won’t cancel the invitation to Wilders. That would go against my fundamental political convictions,” Stadtkewitz responded.

Stadtkewitz resigned his CDU party membership in 2009 in protest at a fellow member who has built bridges with city Muslims, but remains a member of the CDU caucus in the state legislature. He has campaigned against plans to build the newest mosque in the city. He has charged that the Merkel party is “too soft and too tolerant” towards “violence-prone, radical Muslims.”

Earth Times, 22 July 2010

EDL accused of threatening, intimidating and harassing Luton residents

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Luton July 2010

Luton Mayor Councillor Tom Shaw and council leader Hazel Simmons have said that threatening or intimidating behaviour in the town will not be tolerated after a stand off between EDL members and opposing groups yesterday afternoon.

Crowds of EDL members, in the town to support Kevin Carroll, who was in court appealing against public order offences relating to an incident at the Poachers’ homecoming parade last March, had to be separated from groups of other men by lines of police in St George’s Square. Officers from the Metropolitan Police, some on horseback, and the British Transport Police had to be drafted in to help keep the peace as angry exchanges broke out.

In a joint statement, Councillors Shaw and Simmons said: “It is not for us to comment on the decisions made in court, and it would not be appropriate for us to do so. We can say, however, that any behaviour carried out by any person to threaten, intimidate or harass others is completely unacceptable and we will not tolerate behaviour of this type in Luton.

“Luton is a diverse and vibrant town, with many people from all over the world coming together and living in harmony. The absolutely unacceptable behaviour of a small group of trouble-makers will be viewed with anger and dismay by the overwhelming majority of people in our town. We understand that most of those gathering in Luton today came from other parts of the country.

“We fully support the police in their actions to protect public safety.”

Luton Today, 23 July 2010

Most of the media coverage of yesterday’s events referred to “rival groups of protestors”, but what appears to have happened is that the EDL racists who had come to Luton to support Carroll staged a provocative and intimidatory demonstration in the town centre and local people understandably reacted angrily against this.

Dudley: police continue to disperse EDL members

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police and EDL in DudleyPolice are still trying to disperse pocket groups of EDL members who are still in the town centre following today’s protests.

Trouble again flared following a seemingly calm protest of around 500 gathered English Defence League protesters, who converged on Stafford Street. At around 3.30pm, as the protest finished, some members flooded out of the car park and began a further stand off with police, as they began loading on to their coaches.

Despite EDL leaders promising today’s protest would be peaceful, a group of around a couple of hundred supporters tried to get down The Inhedge, as they tried to make their way into the town centre and the Unite Against Fascism counter protest.

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French police probe mosque vandalism

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islam hors d'EuropePolice have opened an investigation after vandals scrawled swastikas and xenophobic slogans on the construction site of a mosque in north-western France, prosecutors said Thursday.

Inscriptions reading “Islam get out of Europe”, “No to Islam and to burkas”, along with swastikas, were discovered on Wednesday in Herouville-Saint-Clair, a suburb of the city of Caen in Normandy.

The incident came a day after French lawmakers passed on first reading a bill banning women from wearing the full-face Islamic vail in public.

RFI, 15 July 2010

EDL’s latest provocation in Dudley condemned

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Faith representatives, politicians and community leaders have spoken out against the return of the English Defence League to Dudley Town Centre.

The Bishop of Dudley said: “People in Dudley from across cultures and faiths have lived and worked together for decades. EDL, by their repeated and unwanted visits are only trying to undermine the town with its reputation and relationships. We want as many residents to show we belong together; that Dudley is home for all of us.”

A peaceful, community rally, aimed at celebrating the diversity and unity of Dudley is set to take place on Saturday afternoon. The event, which has been organised by Dudley Borough Interfaith Network and supported by Unite Against Fascism, will take place between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. It will take place at the same time as a rally by the English Defence League, which will be taking place in Stafford Street.

Steve Sparrow, Coordinator of Dudley Borough Interfaith Network, said: “Dudley is a great place to live with warm and welcoming people. This celebration event shows just how futile the EDL’s attempts to separate us are.”

Dudley News, 15 July 2010

See also Dudley demo assembly details on the UAF website

And “Dudley unites against the EDL”, The Stirrer, 15 July 2010