There would appear to be some dissatisfaction over the recent appointment of Tim Ablitt as chairman of the English Defence League, following the sudden departure of Stephen Lennon and Kevin Carroll. But who should replace Ablitt?
Monthly Archives: October 2013
UAF complains over soft treatment of SDL by police during Dundee protest
Anti-fascist protesters claim the police were too soft in dealing with an extreme right-wing protest in the centre of Dundee, and have made a formal complaint.
The Unite Against Fascism (UAF) alliance has written to Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and Dundee City Council chief executive David Dorward about events surrounding the visit of the Scottish Defence League (SDL) on Saturday October 5.
The UAF alleges that officers took no action to deal with a double assault by right-wing demonstrators and fraternised with the extremists by lending them their police hats for photographs. Police also permitted them to drink alcohol in public, contrary to local byelaws, and display and shout offensive slogans, the UAF claims.
A week is a long time in counterjihadism: A balance sheet of Stephen Lennon’s break with the EDL
A week ago when Stephen Lennon announced, at a press conference organised by the Quilliam think tank, that he and Kevin Carroll had resigned from the leadership of the English Defence League, his game plan seemed obvious.
It looked as though Lennon intended to use Quilliam to provide a cover of legitimacy for his entirely spurious break from far-right extremism, and then set up a more mainstream Islamophobic organisation which, by distancing itself from the racist thugs and neo-Nazis who infest the EDL, would enjoy greater credibility within the international “counterjihad” movement. Presumably, having served their purpose, Quilliam would then be ditched by Lennon in favour of building links with the Islamophobia industry in the US, which is after all where the big money is to be found.
At first, all seemed to be going to plan. The Quilliam press conference last Tuesday worked even better than Lennon could possibly have hoped, resulting in saturation coverage from TV channels and national newspapers and launching Lennon into a series of softball media interviews in which he faced no serious challenge over his four-year record at the head of a mob of violent anti-Muslim psychopaths.
Lennon’s main links to the US Islamophobia industry, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, had been primed in advance about his decision to leave the EDL. They immediately issued statements (here and here) enthusiastically endorsing Lennon’s move and declaring that they looked forward to working with him in the future. The former EDL leaders’ refusal to condemn their US associates was taken by Spencer as confirmation that there was “no indication that Robinson or Carroll have given up on their resolve to resist jihad terror and Islamic supremacism”. As I wrote at the time, it appeared that Quilliam had succeeded only in smoothing the way for Lennon’s transition into the leadership of a new and more profitable “counterjihadist” enterprise.
Exeter group formed to counter EDL march
A group has been set up to counter the planned national protest being organised by the English Defence League in Exeter.
The EDL have announced their intention to stage a demo in the city on Saturday, November 16 and – despite the resignation of leaders Tommy Robinson and Kev Carroll – said it was still going ahead as planned.
City councillors have now joined with several local organisations in supporting a statement that condemns the proposed demonstration.
Exeter Together is an umbrella group that was formed two weeks ago after a meeting of 30 people. It is launching a statement that has already been backed by both Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors, as well as by many local faith groups, trade unionists and community organisations.
West Yorkshire PCC in call for greater EDL powers
West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner is calling for forces to have more power to ban demonstrations such as those held by the English Defence League (EDL).
It follows an EDL rally in Bradford on Saturday that cost the force about £1m to police. Mark Burns-Williamson wants the government to allow chief constables to have the power to ban such demos. One EDL supporter at the rally told the BBC it was “the only way” to be heard.
About 1,000 police officers from several forces were involved in policing Saturday’s protest between the EDL and We are Bradford. Police said it involved about 700 EDL supporters and 120 counter protesters. Eleven people were arrested for public order offences.
At present, static protests such as those held by the EDL cannot be banned. Mr Burns-Williamson said he would be writing to the government “clearly setting out” that it “needs to review the legal framework”. He said he wanted more powers given to the chief constables, who in consultation with police and crime commissioners and other organisations, could make “informed decisions” about such protests.
Moscow: Nationalist mob in anti-migrant riot
Moscow is reeling from its worst bout of ethnic unrest in three years after the alleged murder of a young Muscovite by a foreign immigrant last week.
Nationalist mobs rampaged through the streets of a southern suburb on Sunday after the murder of 25-year-old Yegor Sherbakov, chanting “Muslims are the shame of Russia.” The gang turned over cars, blocked streets and fought running battles with riot police late into the night.
Louboutin wins case against Vlaams Belang, who respond by launching new anti-Islam poster
Belgian anti-Islam campaigners must remove all posters featuring the stilettos of the luxury French footwear designer Christian Louboutin after a court ruled in the company’s favour on Monday.
The poster promoted by the campaign group “women against Islamisation” showed the legs of Anke Vandermeersch, a former Miss Belgium and now a senator for the far-right Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party.
Beside the image of her wearing the shoes, a key showed what it claimed was Islam’s view of a woman, as measured by the length of her skirt, from “sharia compatible” at floor level to “whore” just above the knee and “stoning” at the top of the thigh.
Louboutin said it had not authorised the use of its shoes in the campaign and that their inclusion damaged the company’s image. The group must remove all its posters within 24 hours, the court in Antwerp ruled.
Tea party protestor says US is ‘ruled by a president who bows down to Allah’, calls on Obama to ‘put the Qur’an down’
At a veteran-led rally that hit the World War II Memorial, the National Mall and the White House on Sunday, one tea party rallier had choice words for President Barack Obama, blaming him for the government shutdown and calling on him to step down.
Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch, a conservative political advocacy group, said the country is “ruled by a president who bows down to Allah,” and “is not a president of ‘we the people.'”
“I call upon all of you to wage a second American nonviolent revolution, to use civil disobedience, and to demand that this president leave town, to get up, to put the Quran down, to get up off his knees, and to figuratively come up with his hands out,” he said.
Reports and comment from Islamophobia Watch 7-13 October
Reports and comment from Islamophobia Watch 7-13 October 2013
Mail on Sunday publishes apology to Joel Hayward, has paid ‘substantial’ damages for libelling him
In August 2011, under the headline “Ayatollah of the RAF: Academic ‘university’ head is Muslim convert who claims Nazi gas chambers were British propaganda and criticises Libya air strikes”, the Mail on Sunday published a disgraceful attack on Joel Hayward, at that time dean of the Royal Air Force College at Cranwell.
Finally, over two years later, the Mail on Sunday has admitted that it libelled Hayward and has published the following apology in today’s paper: