Category Archives: UK

Former EDL leader to speak at Holocaust Memorial Day event

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Jimas and EDL
JIMAS joins the English Defence League at a demonstration in Ipswich last June

The Islamic charity Jami’at Ihya Minhaj al Sunnah (JIMAS) announced last week that on 27 January it would be holding a Holocaust Memorial Day event at Suffolk New College in Ipswich. The lineup of speakers included, of all people, former English Defence League leader Stephen Lennon (“Tommy Robinson”).

You might wonder how any self-respecting Islamic organisation could possibly have invited an individual with Lennon’s record of inciting anti-Muslim hatred to speak at one of their events. Didn’t JIMAS realise that, for all Quilliam’s dishonest efforts to present him as an ex-extremist, Lennon still obstinately defends his actions as leader of the EDL?

Only a couple of days ago, after a school in Northumberland cancelled an invitation to Lennon to address their pupils, he was boasting that when he led the EDL “the vast majority of people were agreeing with what I was saying”, and he happily retweeted a message from a supporter applauding him for “standing up to these Islamic brainwashed fucking orrible Muslims”.

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Support for Lincoln anti-racism rally, despite far right disruptions

Posted on by Bob Pitt

LARF rally

Tensions were high at an anti-racism rally in Lincoln on Wednesday night as far right supporters targeted the meeting.

The Lincoln Against Racism and Fascism (LARF) campaign group hosted the ‘Rally Against Racism’ meeting at the Lincoln Labour Club on Newland on January 15, ahead of the planned ‘March Against Racism’ on January 18 – at the same time as the East Anglian Patriots’ second anti-mosque protest.

In the hours before the meeting, the venue was plastered with National Front stickers, which have now been removed.

Around 20 people attended the meeting, which was briefly interrupted by shouting from outside the building.

Two men, wearing Union Jack hats, were asked to leave after they demanded entry, saying: “We’re not here to throw punches, even though some people wanted to come and smash them to bits. It’s all going to come to a head on Saturday.” The men were removed by police.

LARF spokesperson Nick Parker said: “The attempt to delay the proceedings and intimidate us should not be ignored. We will not be intimidated into remaining silent when the far-right organises in our communities, and we won’t ignore their threat and hope they’ll go away.

“We’re calling for everyone to come out onto the streets and join us on Saturday to mobilise against the racism and division that the far-right seeks to spread.”

Steve Score, an anti-racism activist from Leicester, made a guest speech at the rally. He said: “Groups like the East Anglian Patriots cannot be just ignored and hoped to go away. I hope that, at the very least, the demonstration on Saturday shows that there is opposition to these groups coming to Lincoln to try and stir things up.”

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Robust policing set for second Lincoln mosque protest

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Robust policing will be in place in Lincoln city centre on Saturday, January 18, for a planned anti-mosque protest and an anti-racism counter demo.

Lincolnshire Police and City of Lincoln Council said they have carefully planned resources to minimise the impact on residents and shoppers during the two protests.

The East Anglian Patriots will hold an anti-mosque protest in Lincoln from 12.45pm to 1.45pm, the second protest after an initial demo in the city in June 2013.

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Cricklewood protest against ‘terrorist’ Muslim Brotherhood

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Britain First Cricklewood protestA far-right organisation is planning to hold a protest outside the headquarters of a major Egyptian political group in Cricklewood on Saturday.

Members of Britain First (BF) plan to march into the borough following revelations that Muslim Brotherhood (MB) are operating from a flat above shops in Cricklewood Broadway.

MB was a praised political group in Egypt but were ousted from power amid popular demonstrations. They are believed to be launching a fight-back against Egypt’s military rulers from their new home.

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Scottish Defence League plans anti-mosque protest

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Scottish Defence League is planning to demonstrate at Eastwood high school.

On Saturday January 25, members of the controversial group intend to gather to voice their concerns about a proposal to build a mosque in school grounds. The council decision on the subject is set for January 29.

An East Renfrewshire spokesman described the decision to demonstrate as “damaging to our communities and without local support”.

He continued: “A consultation with local residents around changes to a proposed site for a mosque has recently concluded. While there has been opposition to the site identified, the majority who disagreed were opposed only to a particular site and continue to support the view that a mosque is required in East Renfrewshire.

“This has been a robust consultation process on a local planning matter and nothing more. The attention of SDL is shameful and entirely for their own ends.”

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Head says Lennon’s school visit would have been ‘a good opportunity for our students to hear about extremism’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Duchess's High School AlnwickThe headteacher of the school at the centre of the media storm over the cancelled appearance of Tommy Robinson has said that the decision was related to protocol on school visitors. Duchess’s Community High School head Maurice Hall said:

“The planned visit was organised through the Quilliam Foundation, a well-respected anti-extremism think-tank and would have involved Tommy Robinson and Usama Hasan (co-founder of the Quilliam Foundation). This would have been a good opportunity for our students to hear about extremism and how it develops, as well as what can be done to counter the dangers of extremism.

“However, it appears that procedures for outside visitors to school may not have been followed on this occasion and so the visit was cancelled. We are now carrying out a full review of policies and procedures relating to visitors taking part in lessons, which will be concluded by the end of half-term.

“We hope to find other opportunities to help our students, who live in a relatively non-diverse community, to meet and learn from people from a range of cultures and faiths.”

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Fascists behind campaign against Muslim cemetery

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Britain First Solihull cemetery campaign (2)

A controversial application seeking approval to build a 4,000-plot Muslim cemetery on Greenbelt land in Catherine de Barnes has received well over 1,000 objections.

But many of those are from a ‘patriotic political movement’ called Britain First, which has set up a website dedicated to stopping the development.

The organisation – which has the motto ‘Taking Our Country Back’ on its logo – also has a ready-penned letter of complaint which objectors simply have to add their details to to make an objection to the scheme.

Solihull Council is currently in the process of confirming which complaints are genuine in terms of including their name and address.

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Birkenhead man denies mosque blasts terrorist plot

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A man has denied making improvised explosives and plotting to blow up mosques and Islamic centres.

Ian Forman, 42, of Shavington Avenue in Prenton, Birkenhead is charged with engaging in the conduct in the preparation of terrorist acts on or before 6 June. He appeared via videolink at Kingston Crown Court earlier. He was remanded in custody until his trial, also to be held at Kingston Crown Court and scheduled for 3 March.

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Man wanted for racist attack after Farnworth EDL march

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Farnworth EDL assault suspectA racist attacker who punched a man in the face after an EDL march in Farnworth is being searched for by police.

The 19-year-old victim was sat in his car outside a fast food shop in Bradshawgate when he was racially abused. He got out of his car and was punched in the face, leaving him with a cut near his eye. Witnesses intervened and the attackers ran off.

Police are appealing for the public to help them identify a man believed to have been involved.

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Tory MP slams BNP leafleting in Enfield North

Posted on by Bob Pitt

BNP Enfield leafletAn MP has slammed the “scaremongering” tactics of a far-right political party who have been canvassing the borough’s residents.

After he was shown a British National Party leaflet that was posted through the letterbox of one of his Enfield North constituents earlier this month Nick de Bois reacted angrily accusing the right-wing party of “attempting to create tension for political gain”.

The Advertiser has been shown one of the leaflets distributed to households in the borough. It asks residents: “Alarmed by the threat of Islam to your British Identity?” And goes on to refer to scenarios where pubs are converted into mosques which, they claim, would “threaten British identity”.

However the Conservative MP was furious that the leaflets had been distributed anywhere in the borough. Speaking to the Advertiser he said: “This type of ‘copy and paste’ literature – which doesn’t even try to focus on problems in Enfield – is just scaremongering. This type of leaflet is designed to stir up racial tension for the purposes of political gain. It is reprehensible and people in Enfield will see straight through it.”

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