Violent neo-Nazi activity on the rise in Germany, official says

Head of federal office in charge of monitoring extremist groups indicates German extreme rightists are leaving traditional far-right parties in favor of more violent groups.

Extreme and violent German neo-Nazi groups have seen a recent rise in membership, a government official told a German daily on Monday, indicating that extremists in Germany were deserting traditional far-right parties in favour of more violent groups.

Speaking to the Neuen Osnabrücker Zeitung, Heinz Fromm, head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, an organization responsible for gathering intelligence on extremist groups in Germany, warned of a rise in neo-Nazi activity, saying "violent neo-Nazi scene has become stronger."

While Fromm indicated that the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) saw a decrease in membership in 2010, the extremist and often violent Autonomous Nationalists have seen a rise in activity.

"The Autonomous nationalists, who repeatedly make their presence felt through violence during demonstrations, show similar trends," Fromm said. "Among this group, a rise in the past year from 800 to 1,000 people was observed."

In contrast to the NPD, the Autonomous Nationalists reject participation in a political system they view as illegitimate, seeking to implement their political agenda outside of elections.

Haaretz

Ex-soldier jailed for burning Koran in Carlisle (UK)

A former soldier has been sentenced to 70 days in prison for setting fire to a copy of Muslim holy book the Koran in the centre of Carlisle.

Andrew Ryan had previously admitted religiously aggravated harassment and theft of a Koran from a library.

The 32-year-old, of Summerhill, said he had been "shocked" watching a Muslim burning a poppy on Remembrance Day.

Shoppers and schoolchildren witnessed the burning, outside the old Town Hall, on 19 January.

Sitting at Carlisle Magistrates' Court, District Judge Gerald Chalk described it as a case of "theatrical bigotry".
'My country'

He said: "It was pre-planned by you as you stole the book deliberately.

"You went out to cause maximum publicity and to cause distress."

Ryan struggled with security guards in court after the sentence was passed.

While being handcuffed he shouted: "What about my country? What about burning poppies?"

About 10 people were in court to support Ryan, and as they left the court they shouted "do you call this justice?".

After sentencing, Insp Paul Marshall, of Cumbria Police, said: "This incident was highly unusual for Cumbria as we have such low levels of hate crime in the county."

BBC News

David Copeland Terrorist and BNP Member (UK)

Yesterday marks the start of the 12th anniversary of the white supremacist terrorist bombing campaign carried out by the ex-BNP member David Copeland in Soho, London.

Following the Admiral Duncan pub bombing by former BNP member David Copeland, Griffin stated "The TV footage of dozens of 'gay' demonstrators flaunting their perversion in front of the world's journalists showed just why so many ordinary people find these creatures so repulsive." Wikipedia.org


Here's a video about it.



Please support the videos uploader bnpinfo and his channel.

Cloak-and-dagger day with the BNP – a party in crisis (UK)

The low-key launch of the BNP's English manifesto in a deserted Stoke-on-Trent shopping street yesterday was in marked contrast to previous events held by the group in the area. In 2008 the city played host to a 300-strong BNP rally; only around 30 members turned up yesterday.

With three volunteers holding up modest Union flag backdrops to ensure they did not blow over during the speech by the deputy leader Simon Darby, and press interviews held in the corner of a giant retail centre car park, the event was notably different from last year's general election campaign launch. Then, a man dressed as St George appeared with the leader Nick Griffin in Stoke to begin the party's ill-fated push for a Westminster seat. Mr Griffin was unable to attend this time due to poor health, leaving the floor – or rather pavement – for Mr Darby to address his small gaggle of followers.

He called the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband an "alien", a "reptile" and a thoroughly "odd-looking bloke", and accused Labour of gerrymandering the council ward boundaries to reduce the BNP's presence.

Michael Coleman, one of five BNP councillors in Stoke, said its nine-page policy document was intended to stop an "invasion and occupation by a foreign body of people", lauding it as "exciting, positive and uplifting".

All members present denied they were racist, but anti-Islamic rhetoric dominated the short affair, with Mr Coleman claiming white folk will flee the area because they are intimidated by the building of a mosque. "They've got no right to be in this country and everybody knows it," he said.

Mr Darby portrayed the BNP as the underdogs and claimed some of its supporters faced prison for their beliefs. He professed his delight to be out campaigning on a "sunny English day", but it appeared yesterday that the BNP's moment in the sun could be coming to an end.

It is expected to field about 200 candidates in next month's elections, compared with more than 700 in the comparable campaign in 2007, and faces losing all the seats that it is defending. Following its relatively poor general election showing, the BNP has been riven by internal strife, including a failed challenge to Mr Griffin's leadership. Some disaffected former BNP members have defected to the English Democrats, while others have set up a breakaway party, British Freedom.

Matthew Goodwin, of Nottingham University, an analyst of far-right politics said "Their situation is very grave. Even in their core areas, the BNP are struggling to find candidates."

Independant

Scotland and the veil: ‘I was attacked by a racist gang … It was because of what I was wearing’ (UK)

WHEN a gang of youths launched a terrifying attack on a young Scottish Muslim family in broad daylight, the victims were left in no doubt about why they were targeted: the veil.

Glasgow-born Samina Ansari and her loved ones were assaulted because she was wearing a traditional Islamic hijab, which covers the hair, but not the face.

It happened last year, when Ansari, her husband and their baby were driving along a main road. The gang, armed with bricks and chains and accompanied by a snarling dog, surrounded the car, shouting “get the Paki bastards” and “go back to your own country”, before attempting to smash the car windows.

Samina locked the doors while her husband frantically dialled 999, fearing for the safety of the baby in the back seat. One man brought the chain down on to the windscreen, while another tried to smash in through the passenger window.

Luckily, the young Muslim mother was able to speed off when the men moved away from the front of the car.

“It was racist,” she said. “But it was also Islamophobic. It only lasted a minute-and-a-half, but the trauma lingered for months. I felt too scared to go out walking with my baby in a pram. It was horrible.”

The trauma of the attack pushed Samina into launching a campaign to educate the Scottish public about the veil and Muslim women’s decision to wear it.

Read the complete item at The Herald Scotland

Neo-Nazi rally in front of Statehouse ends early (USA)

Authorities said four people were arrested but there were no major incidents at a poorly attended rally held by a neo-Nazi group in front of the Statehouse on Saturday.

The approximately 50 members of the National Socialist Movement group were shouted down at times by 300 counterprotesters. The scheduled four-hour rally ended after only 90 minutes.

State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones said one of arrests was made after a tire iron was used to break a window at a Bank of America.

Jones said troopers also charged two others with fireworks possession and failure to follow an officer's instructions. Trenton police also made an arrest on an outstanding warrant.

There was a strong police presence, with protesters and counterprotesters kept far apart from each other. Jones said there were "hundreds" of officers equipped with riot gear from state, federal, municipal and county law enforcement agencies.

The State Police incurred no overtime because schedules were flexed to include rally security into regular workweeks, Jones said.

National Socialist Movement members made speeches criticizing various government policies, focusing mostly on immigration and foreign affairs. Core beliefs include "defending the rights of white people," according to the group's website.

Counterprotesters focused on what they say is the National Socialist Movement's hate message.

Some returned the message. Daryle Lamont Jenkins, head of One People's Project, which monitors activity of alleged racist groups, shredded a Nazi flag and stomped on the remains.

"This group, generally speaking, is irrelevant," said Jenkins, a former Somerset County resident who now lives in Philadelphia. "Hating black people and hating society is the least of their problems, because when you really get at it, you find they hate themselves."

The event was held in chilly temperatures with increasing rain showers. Trenton resident Bryan Williams held a sign that said it was raining because "God don't like Nazis."

Daily Record

DETECTIVES PROBE NAZI WAR CRIMES (UK)

Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into new allegations that a Nazi war criminal is living in Britain.

Detectives are looking into claims about an elderly suspect. If they find enough evidence, the alleged war criminal will be arrested and interviewed despite his advancing years.

Many of the SS officers responsible for atrocities at death camps in Germany and Poland during the Second World War have now died or are in their 90s.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Inquiries are ongoing in relation to allegations of offences committed in Europe during the war.

“At this stage we have not identified specific offences and as no one has been arrested we are not prepared to discuss the identity of the individual involved or where they live.”

The Express

Mosque attack angers Montreal Muslim group (Canada)

The Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM) is calling for harsher penalties and zero tolerance for hate crimes in the wake of an attack last week on a Dorval mosque.

“It is indeed distressing that in a pluralistic and multicultural society such as ours, we have religious institutions being targeted again and again in crimes of hate and violence,” Salam Elmenyawi, president of MCM, said on Saturday. “These attacks go against the very Canadian values and principles that we are all committed to and must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

Elmenyawi’s comments follow an overnight break-in last Monday at a mosque at the corner of Neptune Blvd. and Nightingale Ave. in Dorval.

The intruders broke in through a fire exit door and stole a computer and fired steel bolts through a couple of windows.

In 2009, the mosque was vandalized four times, usually with graffiti painted on walls. The last time it was vandalized was in September 2009.

The mosque has about 2,000 members and has been operating since 1994.

Montreal Gazette

Arrests follow Halifax opposing protests (UK)

Fourteen people have been arrested following two rival demonstrations in a West Yorkshire town centre.

Officers said the protests in Halifax by the English Defence League (EDL) and the Muslim Defence League mostly passed peacefully with minimal disruption.

Police said the arrests were made for minor public order offences.

About 150 people gathered in the Bull Green area for the EDL protest while about 50 took part in the other demonstration in Park Ward.

West Yorkshire Police said about 200 officers were deployed to the events.

A spokesman said that during the EDL demonstration one man was taken ill and refused to be taken to hospital by ambulance. It was thought he had recovered and left the area without giving any details to officers.

Acting Supt Martin Lister said: "Our officers enjoyed a tremendous response to today's operation from the local public which ensured that today's demonstrations could both pass peacefully without disorder, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank residents and businesses of Halifax for this."

BBC News

Soho pub shuts its doors hours before gay kissing protest (UK)

A pub at the centre of a dispute over a gay kiss shut its doors last night as hundreds of demonstrators converged on it to hold a kiss-in.

James Bull, 23, and Jonathan Williams, 26, were enjoying their first date on Wednesday evening when they said they were forcibly removed from the John Snow pub in Soho, central London, by management who described their behaviour as "obscene".

Word of the ejection caused a storm on social networking sites and a protest was quickly organised on Facebook for demonstrators to fill the John Snow and start a kiss-in. But after learning of the event, the pub management decided to close for the evening

Continued at The Independant

TRUE FINNS' NATIONALISM COLOURS FINLAND ELECTION

An anti-immigration party in Finland - the True Finns - has surged in popularity and could produce a surprise in Sunday's general election, opinion polls suggest. Jan Sundberg, Professor of Political Science at Helsinki University, looks at the True Finns phenomenon and the party's chances of joining the next coalition government.

The True Finns saw political potential among the neglected people in society. Their political message is two-fold: social-democratic welfare combined with nationalism and xenophobia. They have targeted dissatisfied Finns who have suffered from the previous governments' economic policies. The last time Finland faced a similar situation was in 1970, when the True Finns' predecessor, the Rural Party, surged from almost nothing to 18 seats in the 200-seat parliament. Later the Rural Party split, but it made a successful comeback in the 1983 election.

'Embraced to death'
Finnish politics has been stable for years because ruling coalitions have integrated and then diluted the radical parties of left and right. That was the fate of the Communists and, later, the Rural Party. Novelist Leif Salmen wrote that the Communists were "embraced to death". The True Finns emerged from the Rural Party in the 1990s when that party failed to keep its election promises. Finland is officially bilingual, but the True Finns' nationalism has no room for Swedish. It excludes Swedish as something unfamiliar to Finnish culture. Polls suggest that most Finns share that view and want to stop the teaching of Swedish in Finnish schools. There is also a widespread view that immigration is damaging Finland and Finnish culture. Parties tend to follow popular trends among the electorate, even if they have an authoritarian streak. That is a general weakness of democracy. The right-wing populist Danish People's Party is not a strong actor in Danish politics, but its xenophobia has spread to the major parties. The Sweden Democrats, on the other hand, are kept isolated by all parties in the Swedish parliament. In contrast to Sweden, parties in Finland have adopted - to differing degrees - the nationalist stance of the True Finns. That is certainly true of the Christian Democrats and Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi's Centre Party.

Nationalist message
The True Finns' manifesto indicates they have much in common with right-wing populist parties elsewhere in Europe. They believe that a low birth rate is not solved by immigration, as that results in problems and foreigners are do not fit into Finnish culture. Instead, young women should study less and spend more time giving birth to pure Finnish children. That is like a faint echo of Nazi ideology. If the True Finns do as well as expected the rival parties may opt for the traditional strategy of integration, but this time it is likely to backfire, because the economic climate has changed. Finland suffered when the Soviet economy collapsed, because the USSR was a major export market for Finnish goods. But in 1995 Finland joined the EU and Nokia developed into a globally successful mobile phone manufacturer. Finland joined the eurozone wholeheartedly in 2002. But for many Finns today EU membership is no longer sexy - not when it involves bailing out countries like Greece, the Republic of Ireland and Portugal. Other companies have caught up with Nokia and even the traditional "green gold" of Finland - timber - has lost its lustre. One paper and pulp mill after another has closed and many workers have been fired. If the True Finns join the next coalition Finland will turn in some degree towards stronger nationalism and protectionism.

BBC News

Racist leaflets delivered to residents (UK)

A leading anti-fascist campaigner has slammed a racist leaflet delivered to homes in Millom.

The leaflet, which was delivered to homes in the Newtown area of Millom, has been described as ‘a poor attempt at satire’.

Police believe the leaflets to have been made by an amateur but are treating the incident as ‘serious’.

Residents gave police the leaflets while they were investigating anti-social behaviour in the Market Street area.

They have also been delivered in Lord Street and Albert Street.

The leaflet refers to the Muslim burka, a veiled dress traditionally worn by women, as a ‘black crow like tent’ and describes the British Government as ‘treacherous’.

Paul Jenkins, chairman of Unite Against Fascism north west, said: “Whoever is getting this sort of thing out there is completely unacceptable.

“In the same way in the 1930s Hitler’s Nazis targeted Jews, now far right groups and others are trying to scapegoat Muslims.

“Muslims are not to blame for the cuts or other problems.

“Our communities are better united than divided.”

A number of residents have voiced their concern following the news.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “I think there is a problem.

“I don’t think everyone is racist but if people start a foreign restaurant there is always a lot of trouble, a lot of people have left the town because of it.”

Arthur Ferguson served in Burma during the Second World War.

He said: “I am not a racist and I despise anyone that is, it is ignorant.

“I fought alongside a lot of Burmese people and Gurkhas, and dealt with Indian people all my life in business – they are just like anybody else.”

Harry Turner, of Devonshire Road, Millom, said: “It does surprise me.

“There are only a few different races in the town and nobody seems to bother.

“Everyone always speaks to you no matter what.”

Sergeant Ashley Bennett of Copeland Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We have been made aware of several leaflets being posted through doors in the Millom area over the last week.

“They read like they have been written by a person of Islamic faith however upon closer examination they appear to be spoof in nature.

“They have clearly been done on somebody's word processor as they have not been professionally published and printed.

“That said we take all forms of racism very seriously and are investigating the matter.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0845 3300247

North West Evening Mail

Tribute page to slain teenager Negus McClean targeted by racists (UK)

Racists have targeted a website set up in tribute to a teenage boy stabbed to death in Edmonton.

More than 11,000 people have joined a Facebook site paying tribute to 15-year-old Negus McClean, who was murdered on Sunday evening in Westminster Road.

However, the site has been infiltrated by people posting racist remarks, offensive pictures, and twisted jokes.

Many of the offensive posts, including pornography and depictions of Hitler, have been removed by Facebook bosses but some have continued to appear today.

Friends of the teenager have called for the page to be shut down to stop the abuse, and for the perpetrators to be caught and prosecuted.

One person wrote: “Let's all just ignore the racist comments and insults now, responding is exactly what they want.

“There's no point arguing with them cos you can't argue with a mad person.”

New Facebook sites paying tribute to the Edmonton County pupil have been set up to try to dodge the abusive comments.

Negus was stabbed repeatedly in the thigh and chest by a gang of up to 13 teenagers on mountain bikes who had chased him and his younger brother Elijah along Bounces Road.

It is believed they were fleeing from the gang after a dispute over a mobile phone.

Two teenage boys, aged 14 and 16, were today arrested on suspicion of murder, and remain in police custody for questioning.

Four others, aged 14, 16, 18, and 20, were arrested earlier this week and have been released on bail pending further police enquiries.

Enfield Independent

Dutch anti-Islam MP seeks new judges for trial (Netherlands)

Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders wants the withdrawal of a new panel of judges chosen to try him for hate speech, his lawyer said Friday, claiming they were biased.

"Mr presiding judge, I will demand the recusal of your chamber," lawyer Bram Moszcowicz told judge Marcel van Oosten at a hearing in Amsterdam six months after Wilders succeeded in having a first panel of judges withdrawn.

Wilders and his lawyer question the new judges' partiality based on their refusal to open a perjury probe of a witness accused of lying to the court.

An independent chamber of judges has been assigned to rule on the latest application.

The trial of Wilders, who leads the Netherlands' third biggest political party, opened in October last year but was abruptly halted three weeks later when the judges trying him were ordered to step down by a panel of their peers who upheld the politician's claims of bias.

In March, the new judges ruled that the trial must go ahead, dismissing Wilders' claims that they had no jurisdiction in the case.

Wilders, 47, faces five counts of giving offence to Muslims and of inciting hatred against Muslims and people of non-Western immigrant origin, particularly Moroccans.

The allegations arise partly from the short film "Fitna", which catapulted Wilders to international notoriety in 2008 and in which he mixes Koranic verses with footage of extremist attacks.

In the film he likens the Koran to Hitler's "Mein Kampf".

The MP, whose Party for Freedom gives parliamentary support to a right-leaning coalition, faces up to a year in jail or a 7,600 euro (10,300 dollar) fine for comments made in his campaign to "stop the Islamisation of the Netherlands".

Prosecutors initially dismissed dozens of complaints against Wilders in June 2008 but were compelled by appeals judges to mount a case against him in 2010.

Expatica

Italian far-right urges use of weapons against refugee 'invasion'

Two politicians from Italy's Northern League party want to control Italy's refugee problem by taking up weapons. The staunchly anti-immigration party is an increasingly strong voice in Silvio Berlusconi's government.

Two right-wing politicians from Italy's Northern League party have pushed for the ability to use weapons against the influx of migrants flocking to southern Italy.

More than 25,000 migrants, mostly Tunisian nationals, have arrived at the southern Italian island of Lampedusa since January, prompted by the conflict in the North Africa.

Speaking to an Italian broadcaster, Deputy Transport Minister Roberto Castelli said Italy needed to protect itself against the "invasion."

"This problem could become so unbelievably big that we must ask ourselves if we need to use weapons," he said. "There is a risk this invasion could grow to millions or tens of millions."

'Violating Italy'
His comments were echoed by his party colleague, Francesco Speroni ,who is a member of the justice committee in the European Parliament.

He said "all means" should be used to suppress the influx of people who are "violating Italy and her rules."

"That means weapons as a last resort," he added.

Both politicians argued that if resorting to force was admissible in Libya, then the same should be true of the situation in Lampedusa.

"Europe uses weapons in the same setting in Libya. I don't understand why in one case weapons can be used, and not in another," said Speroni.

League's political power
The Northern League is staunchly anti-immigration and is a partner in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's coalition government. They have several representatives in Berlusconi's cabinet, including Interior Minister Roberto Maroni.

At a meeting of EU interior ministers on Monday, Maroni questioned whether Italy should remain an EU member if other countries in the bloc did not offer to share the burden of the thousands of migrants.

The Northern League currently holds a great deal of power in Italian politics, as they are the glue keeping Berlusconi's crumbing coalition together.

In power since 1994, Berlusconi's ruling Freedom Party has suffered setbacks in recent months, as the prime minister became embroiled in fresh scandals.

Several members of Berlusconi's government resigned in November, forming a breakaway center-right political movement under the guidance of former Berlusconi-ally Gianfranco Fini.

Berlusconi now heavily relies on the Northern League to prop up the coalition, meaning he also has to make concessions to them in order to ensure their continued support.

Shortened trials
On Wednesday Italy's lower house of parliament approved a bill that would cut the length of some criminal trials. The measure was seen by opposition politicians as a bill tailor-made to end Berlusconi's trial for allegedly bribing his lawyer David Mills.

The measure passed by a narrow margin of 314 to 296, amid boos and shouts from the opposition.

If passed by the Senate - where Berlusconi has a strong majority - it would cut eight months from the Mills trial, effectively bringing it to an end this summer.

"The law on short trials is an amnesty in disguise, thought up to avoid having the prime minister face trial," said Piero Fassino, a deputy from the center-left Democratic Party.

Berlusconi denies accusations of paying Mills a $600,000 (414,400 euros) bribe to give false testimony about his business dealings.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the parliament building on Wednesday, accusing Berlusconi of amending the law in his own interest.

DW World

Interior minister says far-right group breaking law by patrolling eastern town (Hungary)

Interior Minister Sándor Pintér said yesterday that members of far right paramilitary group the Szebb Jövő Society had committed "misdemeanours" in Hajdúhadháza, Hajdú county. The police and authorities will handle the transgressions in proportion to their illegality, he added.

Some 200 Society members have since Tuesday been patrolling the town, which has a large Roma population. The area's Fidesz MP, the Socialist Party, the national federation of municipal councils and six NGOs have all asked the cabinet to take decisive action. However the group has remained in the town, despite Pinter's request.

Police stepped up checks on Wednesday night and on Thursday evening searched and checked the identification cards of ten guard members outside the local train station.

Politics.Hu

Editorial: Neo-Nazi rally at N.J. Statehouse is a disgusting display of hate (USA)

The prospect of jackbooted marchers, swathed in swastikas and spouting racist propaganda, is an unsettling one. An embodiment of Hitler and all his hate, they thrust their fringe beliefs, rudely and crudely, in the face of decent people.

When these skin-headed thugs have shown up uninvited but with plenty of notice in other corners of the country, it’s been rather easy to view the issue as a classic example of the American right to free speech. Their message is odious, but they are free to express it.

Then comes word that members of the Nationalist Socialist Movement plan to rally in front of the Statehouse in Trenton tomorrow. A group leader says they will protest high taxes, illegal immigration and crime. Given their history, the much more likely reason they are coming to the capital of New Jersey is to provoke. With inflammatory rhetoric, and incendiary symbol and their very presence, they intend to provoke.

Whether they choose Skokie, Illinois, or our own back yard for their antagonistic display, the conclusion remains: Their message is odious, but they are free to express it.

The message is indeed odious. Outlining the NSM rally to Times writer Alex Zdan, chief of staff Jason Hiecke mildly described himself as a “patriot of the United States with European heritage.” Yet a cursory glance at the group’s website reveals videos with burning crosses, salutes to Hitler and even children outfitted in Ku Klux Klan robes.

Read the full item at NJ.com

English Defence League postpones Blackpool march (UK)

The English Defence League has agreed to rearrange a planned march in Blackpool following a request from police.

Lancashire Police had been concerned the march would clash with Blackpool's Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers on 14 May.

An EDL spokesman said: "The EDL are only to happy to facilitate this request with the local police."

However the match might be rearranged if Bolton make the FA Cup Final.

An EDL march through Blackburn earlier in the month cost police £500,000, the Lancashire Police Authority said.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said the force would not be releasing any details about the meeting until next week.

BBC News

Ukraine officials dismiss UEFA fears that Euro 2012 tournament will be plagued by fascist attacks

Ukraine's political officials have dismissed fears that visitors could be the victims of fascist attacks during the Euro 2012 tournament.

Borys Kolesnikov, the Deputy Prime Minister, was responding to a UEFA report that documented more than 200 serious hate crimes at matches in Ukraine and Poland during an 18-month period. These included fans racially abusing their own black players, the use of fascist banners and violent attacks on anti-racist groups.

"Ukraine is 100 percent ready with regards to security," Kolesnikov told The London Times before using the Heysel disaster, in which 39 people died after fan rioting, as his example to suggest no country is exempt from problems. "Look at the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus. Any country can have reason to be cautious about fans. Fears can always exist."

The majority of the incidents in the report by the East European Monitoring Center happened in Poland, but 62 happened in Ukraine, including an attack by neo-Nazi Dynamo Kiev fans on left-leaning Arsenal Kiev supporters. One fan was stabbed three times at the match last August while Dynamo fans chanted "Heil Hitler."

Markiyan Lubkivskyi, Ukraine's tournament director, said, "Racism is not a Ukrainian problem, but we know we have to work with police in terms of communication and language. It's the tip of the iceberg. We have to show we are not a police state, but we have to be sure everyone can feel safe."

Michel Platini, the UEFA president, has promised a zero-tolerance approach to hooliganism, but Martin Kallen, the body's operations director of 2012, admitted concern at crowd trouble before last month's friendly between Poland and Lithuania.

That prompted Poland's Interior Ministry to announce a raft of new measures, including banning orders and summary trials to be held within stadiums. Analysts claim that football hooliganism in Poland now has strong links with organised crime.

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Lubkivskyi said safety and security were his main concerns but with a million visitors expected, he admitted to fears about health and medical facilities, too.

"It would be relatively easy to organise a tournament in Austria and Switzerland, but here we are faced with very different problems," he said.

Euro 2012 will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine next year between 8 June and 1 July.

Fox Sports

"Family Friendly" Machine Gun Festival Welcomes Neo-Nazi Extremists (USA)

The Knob Creek Gun Range in West Point, Kentucky advertises its World Famous, twice-a-year Machine Gun Shoot as "Family Friendly" entertainment. The slogan: "Nothing brings families together like blowing stuff apart...safely."

I won't deny the red-blooded-American joy of firing automatic weapons at exploding targets.

Still I have to ask: What's up with the little kids in Nazi shirts?

I was on site at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot fewer than 20 minutes last Saturday before I passed a shaved-head lad with with a Totenkopf death head on his chest. (The Totenkopf was the symbol of the Nazi SS division that ran death camps like Auschwitz during the Holocaust.)

The shirt looked brand new. I took that to mean the kid or whoever gave it to him bought it from one of the dozen or so permitted vendors who openly sold white supremacist merchandise. This included a wide selection of t-shirts and flags bearing symbols popular with racist skinheads and neo-Nazis. (And no, I'm not counting Confederate battle flags.) Also for sale were the race war fantasy novels Hunter and The Turner Diaries by William Pierce, founder of the National Alliance, a notorious hate group. A Friends of the NRA fundraising booth was located within sight of a stall of swastika flags.

Continued at AlternNet.org

Police in CCTV plea over racist abuse at newsagents (UK)

These are the two men police want to speak to about the racist abuse of shop staff.

The two alleged hate crimes by took place on different days at Wright News on Copplehouse Lane, Fazakerley.

The first took place on Friday February 25 at around 8.15am.

A man entered the shop with a dog, and then hurled racial abuse at staff after being asked to take his pet outside.

In the second incident, on Saturday March 19 at about 8pm, a man confronted staff and then racially abused them before leaving the shop.

Officers are now looking to speak to the two men in the CCTV images to help them with their enquiries.

DS Michelle Hogg, of Knowsley’s sigma unit, said: “We are dedicated to stamping out racist and any other type of hate crime in Knowsley.

“This kind of behaviour is clearly unacceptable and we will aim to take positive action to put offenders before the courts.”

Anyone with information about the men pictured is asked to call police on 0151 777 6545.

Alternatively anyone with information can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Liverpool Echo

Youth 'bully' website shocks Germany

A website enabling teenagers to post insults and racist comments about their peers has prompted an outcry in Germany after 20 youths beat another teen senseless over remarks made on its forums.

"Michelle is one of the biggest whores in the school"; "Elizabeth is a slut and bad in bed"; "Carola in class nine is screwing her biology teacher" - a selection of comments on the site where users can post in total anonymity.

Other postings on the German-language site are anti-Semitic or xenophobic. One forum is entitled: "We should get rid of these dirty Turks once and for all".

The site, iShareGossip.com, has hit the headlines after online baiting turned to real-life violence.

A 17-year-old boy confronted another teen who had insulted his 18-year-old girlfriend on the site, dubbed the "bullying platform" in the press.

In a resulting fight, he was attacked by about 20 other people, suffering serious head injuries and needing an emergency trip to hospital.

Another recent brawl, also after barbs were traded on the site, resulted in bystanders coming to the aid of a 15-year-old boy who was set upon by about 20 others.

In another incident from the forum, a secondary school in Berlin had to close for two days after a pupil boasted he was going to cause carnage there.

Youth protection agencies have called for the closure of the site, which was apparently inspired by the hit US drama Gossip Girl in which a New York teenager blogs about her daily life, dishing about friends and acquaintances.

The site has caused uproar in Germany, where people are especially sensitive about privacy and where insults can be punished with a jail term.

Appeals to boycott the site have begun to surface on social networking website Facebook and some of its own users itself have taken a stand. "This site should be banned," one correspondent wrote.

"At least 20 youths hospitalised a 17-year-old in Berlin. The young man wanted to prevent an argument and ended up with concussion. You should all be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves," wrote another.

The authorities have been stung into action by the wide media coverage. Prosecutors in Frankfurt, who are responsible for cybercrime, have begun a probe into the website.

The family ministry has announced the site would be placed on a list of web pages deemed harmful to young people. This does not mean it will be taken down but German search engines will not direct users to it.

In Britain, the owners of a similar website closed it down after racist comments and other malicious remarks were posted.

And a high-profile case in 2006 in the United States showed how far so-called "cyber-bullying" can go when a 14-year-old girl hanged herself after being harassed on the MySpace website.

The founder of iShareGossip.com said in the only interview he has given, and on condition of anonymity, that the site was hosted by the same Swedish server as document-sharing platform WikiLeaks.

The site itself says it "aims to contribute to more transparency on the web". Anonymity allows users "to exchange opinions that they might not publish under their own name," the site adds.

And in a defiant response to rumours it was set to be shut down, a recent post read: "I do not know where people have got this information from. iShareGossip will definitely not be going offline."

Herald Sun

ITALIAN BASKETBALL PLAYERS TO PROTEST AGAINST RACISM BY PAINTING FACES BLACK

Italian basketball players and fans have been urged to paint their faces black during the next round of fixtures to show support to a player who was racially abused. The idea was prompted by the case of Abiola Wabara, 30, who was abused and spat at while playing for Bracco Geas SS Giovanni in the A1 women's league quarter-final win over Comense. At the time officials took no action, but a subsequent investigation by the federation, Federbasket, resulted in the call for a day of protest across all Italy's basketball leagues. Among the campaign's slogans, which all begin "I would like black skin", are: "I would like black skin so I can be like her and shout to the world our desire for freedom;" and: "I would like black skin, or red, green, yellow. I would like to have the skin of all colours of the soul." In 2001 the entire Treviso football team painted their faces black during a home match against Genoa after their Nigerian striker Akeem Omolade was abused, prompting a group of supporters to walk out in protest.

The Guardian

Cable in outspoken attack on Cameron over migrants (UK)

Vince Cable has broken Coalition ranks to accuse David Cameron of risking inflaming tensions over immigration.

The LibDem Business Secretary called the Prime Minister’s words “very unwise” and suggested they were calculated to win votes in next month’s local elections.

The Tory leader used a keynote speech to warn the UK needed “good immigration, not mass immigration”. It came just weeks after he caused a storm by attacking multiculturalism.

Mr Cable condemned the speech and appeared to accuse Mr Cameron of blatant electioneering.

“I do understand there is an election coming but talk of mass immigration risks inflaming the extremism to which he and I are both strongly opposed,” he said.

Mr Cable disowned the Prime Minister’s plans to cut immigration to tens of thousands, saying they were not Government policy but “Tory party policy”.

However, within hours he appeared to have done a U-turn, saying he backed the plans.

Mr Cameron rejected the accusation he was inflaming problems, saying he was talking about “sensible” measures.

Labour accused the Coalition of being in chaos over the row, which comes just months after Mr Cable narrowly kept his job following reports he had said he was waging war on Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul.

At the time he was in charge of deciding whether Mr Murdoch would be allowed to proceed with a multimillion takeover of broadcaster BSkyB. Many thought Mr Cable would be forced to resign, but in the end he was stripped only of some responsibilities.

The LibDems have disagreed with the Tories on immigration before, and just weeks ago party leader Nick Clegg defended multiculturalism.

The new row comes as both parties face local polls in England and Holyrood elections next month.

A poll published by Ipsos Mori yesterday showed that more than half of people think some form of cap on immigration is needed, and only one in seven oppose such a measure.

Further evidence of the parties’ attempts to emphasise their separate identities to voters was seen when Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes yesterday described the Coalition as a “practical business relationship” rather than a “meeting of minds”.

Labour’s Keith Vaz warned the split in Coalition ranks over immigration could be exploited by extremists. He said: “We are not at all clear what he (the Prime Minister) means by bad immigration.

“We understand the need to debate these issues but we should have clear definitions and some clarity as to where Government policy actually is.”

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron was accused of getting his figures wrong for the second time in less than a week. On Monday Oxford University reacted angrily when the Prime Minister accused them of only accepting one black student last year – saying that the real figure had been 26.

Yesterday, the Tory leader said net migration from the EU into Britain over the course of a year had been just 27,000.

However, the Government’s official statisticians, the Office for National Statistics, said that figure had been quoted incorrectly, and did not include countries which had joined the EU since 2004, such as Poland.

The true figure was more than twice as high, at 57,000.

Herald Scotland

Sion Owens BNP Koran Burner ITV1 Wales a video report (UK)

Here's a video report from ITV Wales about the BNP Koran burning member Sion Owens.

Far-Right party offers only return to a hate-filled past (UK)

Northern Ireland must reject the BNP's politics of division, says Matthew Collins

The British National Party (BNP) has announced that it is going to put forward candidates in the May 5 elections in Northern Ireland. As a registered political party, it is entitled to take part in the democratic process like any other party.

After 10 days of stark reminders for the people of Northern Ireland of the return of dark histories, the BNP is itself another unwelcome throwback to conflict and hatred.

From the very top of the party right down to the shallow bowels of its diminishing membership, the BNP represents ideals of hatred, division and conflict.

Sadly, for Northern Ireland, the hate party has taken it upon itself to offer its own brand of poison to the electorate at a time when it is being driven out of its home in England by mounting debts, internal division and allegations of corruption.

The BNP ran its fundraising in Belfast for three years, while making an element of political headway in England. Now the party is on the brink of extinction in England, decimated by infighting and financial scandal, while its Belfast operation has ended in acrimony.

The BNP wants to put itself forward to voters in spite of owing people here thousands of pounds in unpaid bills and salaries, having taken advantage of local people's goodwill and Northern Ireland's low-wage economy.

When the BNP did a vanishing act from its premises in Dundonald just before Christmas, it left behind its local workforce facing the festive season without money.

One exasperated printer from Belfast, owed money by the BNP, is reported to have travelled to Wales last month in the desperate hope that they could receive payment for the work carried out in good faith for the BNP.

In spite of this, the BNP now wants to cash in again on the local economic climate. This time the party is hoping it can gain from the misdemeanours of the global banking industry and lay the blame for cuts in services and jobs on the heads of Northern Ireland's migrant community.

The BNP is likely to try to position itself in the unionist community and play on difficulties and competition over the allocation of services, like housing and schools, while further dividing and splitting the unionist vote.

Can we really trust a party that does not even pay the local printer who produced its previous divisive and hateful promises?

We've seen the likes of the BNP before in Northern Ireland. When its leader, Nick Griffin, was the leader of the National Front in the 1980s, his Ulster organiser was imprisoned for his part in firebombing the homes of RUC officers and was lauded as a 'prisoner of war' by Griffin's party.

Later, Griffin turned up in Libya and was photographed posing under a portrait of his then political hero, Colonel Gaddafi, again in a search for money.

He and his party were shown the revulsion they deserved by the community here which they believed held their electoral hopes.

Of course, that was all a long time ago. Yet two months ago, the BNP's civil rights group, Civil Liberty, praised the views of Gerard Mc Geough, the former IRA man who had just been convicted for the attempted murder of an off-duty UDR man in 1981.

It seems that, wherever there is hatred and wherever there is darkness, people like the BNP will try and make gains from it.

On May 5, they'll be trying to do it at the expense of people who have come to Northern Ireland for new lives to work in hospitals, drive taxis, work the land and live as our friends and neighbours.

They come in search of a new start and - like the overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland - they want to live in peace.

No amount of flag-waving, expediency and IOUs from the BNP can disguise the fact that they are a step back into the darkness and have only come here to hate.

Belfast Telegraph

Carlisle man who burned Koran due to be sentenced on Monday (UK)

Andrew Ryan, who claims to be a member of the English Defence League, will appear at Carlisle Magistrates Court.

Ryan, 32, of Summerhill, London Road, has pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated harassment and theft of a copy of the Koran from Carlisle Library.

The court previously heard he set fire to it on January 19.

News & Star

Mum who spat in bus driver’s face during racist attack was caught by DNA (UK)

A bus driver used a ‘spit kit’ to bring a foul-mouthed young mum to justice.

Mohammed Tawasin used the DIY forensic equipment to trap Hayley Warburton after she spat on his face during a racist tirade.

The 21-year-old mum objected to the £2 fare after boarding the First Bus service with her baby daughter.

Warburton screamed racial abuse at Mr Tawasin for more than 12 minutes in front of around 20 passengers during the incident last June.

Sean Brady, prosecuting, said furious Warburton ended up squirting a sun oil bottle at the driver’s face as she exited the bus on Ashton Old Road, before spitting and fleeing with the baby in a buggy.

Warburton, of Horstead Walk, Levenshulme, told Manchester magistrates court that she had sprayed and spat at the driver but denied using racist language.

However, she was convicted of racially aggravated assault and sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work for the community, as well as being ordered to pay £150 compensation to the driver and £100 costs.

Mr Brady said Mr Tawasin had used his spit kit, which is issued to drivers to prevent abusive incidents, to swab his face and the sample matched
Warburton’s DNA.

In a statement to the court, the driver said the attack had left him questioning whether to carry on with the job.

He said: “I believe she did this because she is racist and didn’t want to pay the fare and wanted a fight.

“This has left me terrified and angry. The fact she squirted oil into my face has shook me up – it could have been anything.”

Passing sentence, the chairman of the bench said: “What you did was very serious and aggravated by the racial abuse.”

Manchester Evening News

Scottish election: National Front profile (UK)

The National Front is a far-right, whites-only political party whose major activities were focused on the 1970s  and 1980s.

It was founded in 1967 from a number of racist groups including the Racial Preservation Society, with the aim of opposing immigration and multi-culturalism in Britain.

The NF describes itself as a "Racial Nationalist Party" - and says it wants a halt to all non-white immigration to Britain and the forced repatriation of all people of non-European descent.

Its website attacks the BNP for "admitting the Holocaust in the face of the evidence".

In the 1970s it was known for its violent demonstrations, particularly in London, where it often faced anti-fascist protesters from opposing left-wing groups.

Hundreds of police officers and demonstrators were injured in marches during this period, when the party was led by John Tyndall, a white supremacist who later went on to form the BNP.

The party says it stands for "white family values" and the "Fourteen Words", a white nationalist slogan that states: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."
Split in two

Its policies include the recriminalisation of homosexuality, repealing the 1967 Abortion Act and the withdrawal of Britain from the EU and Nato.

The prison service and police currently forbid its employees to be members of the party.

After the 1979 general election, where the NF received 0.6% of the vote, the party was nearly bankrupted when more than 300 candidates' deposits were lost.

In the 1983 general election the National Front vote fell from 191,000 to 27,065, and the party effectively split in two.

On one side were young members such as future BNP leader Nick Griffin, who had little interest in contesting elections and wanted to devote all their time to bringing about nationalism through "revolution".

The other faction argued that the NF should continue fighting elections and playing on populist and racist sentiments.

Mr Tyndall was expelled over the NF's financial difficulties. He went on to form the British National Party.

The National Front fielded little more than a dozen candidates in each of the general elections in the 90s, and its vote share dropped from 0.1% in 1992 to 0% in four ballots from 1997.

In February 2010, when the British National Party had to change its constitution to allow non-whites into the party because of a High Court decision, the NF claimed to have received more than 1,000 membership inquiries from BNP members.

The party is this year standing for the first time in a Scottish election, fielding five candidates, four in the north east and one in the Livingston constituency.

BBC News

BNP activist’s Facebook threats (UK)

A BNP candidate has caused a storm by make making a vile comment about a voter in St Helens.

James Winstanley, an active member of the BNP who stood in last year’s general election, made the comment on his Facebook webpage along with a crude racist slur.

Shaven-headed Winstanley, 21, boasted that a woman had shouted at him as he leafleted for the forthcoming local elections and then joked about how he would return later that day to post excrement through her letterbox instead.

Winstanley, of Poynter Street, Thatto Heath, was a key member of a gang of party activists who stormed Birkenhead Magistrates’ Court last month and threatened to arrest a judge.

He has also stood in several local elections for the party, recently contesting the Haydock by-election - where he only mustered 141 votes.

And his latest outburst is unlikely to win many votes in the Bold ward - where he is standing in the May 5 local elections.

Winstanley, who is part of the North West BNP security team and has acted as a bodyguard to party leader Nick Griffin, could not be contacted for comment and there was no answer when the Reporter visited his home.

But a BNP spokesman jumped to his defence.

He said: “I’m sure James was merely figuratively speaking. When the BNP membership list was leaked a couple of years ago the comedienne Jo Brand said something similar - what’s the difference?

“If our guy (Winstanley) had called the police to report the lady for a public order offence he would have been a laughing stock. Lots of comments like this go on Facebook every day.”

Other messages posted by Winstanley included offensive remarks about Muslims and told how he had stormed into Birkenhead Magistrates’ Court as part of a “lawful rebellion” to arrest a judge for not acting under common law.

Simon Cressy, of Searchlight Magazine, who first came across Winstanley’s posts, told the St Helens Reporter: “Winstanley’s disgusting comments represent the true face of the British National Party. This goes to show the contempt that the BNP have for the voters of the area.”

Admitting that the language Winstanley used about Muslims was “not something I approve of”, the BNP spokesman added: “Searchlight is a publicly funded body which receives a lottery grant and spends all its time following our members on Facebook. Why can’t they attack us on policy instead?”

St Helen's Reporter

Dirty rotten racist (BNP)

A BNP Assembly candidate is exposed as a racist who calls Muslims ‘Ragheads’ and refers to Catholics as ‘Taigs’.

And Steven Moore, who will contest both the East Antrim Assembly and council elections, also has a fascination with Hitler

The party’s Ulster Organiser is one of the first BNP candidates to finally put themselves at the mercy of the electorate.

On Wednesday the far-right party announced they would be contesting three Assembly seats and would also be targeting four council seats.

Another of the candidates is former Traditional Unionist Voice candidate Ann Cooper who caused controversy when she gave support to seven customs workers who were sacked for deliberately underpaying ethnic minorities.

She said the sacked workers deserved a medal!

Hooligans

The BNP have cranked up their efforts in Northern Ireland in the run-up to the election on May 5.

Last week before the Northern Ireland soccer match at Windsor Park, BNP activists connected to football hooligans from Leeds handed out sick anti-Muslim leaflets to fans.

The shocking leaflet carried the headline, “Our Children are not Halal Meat” and warned how Muslim paedophile gangs are “preying on vulnerable white girls”.

But we can reveal Moore is a real walking rightwing cliché!

He’s seen here posing in braces, jeans and a Fred Perry t-shirt sporting a pair of dark shades and the obligatory skinhead and tattoo.

Despite attempts from the far-right party, led by convicted racist Nick Griffin, to re-brand themselves as a friendly non-racist party they continue to be run by people like Moore.

Ulster organiser Moore is exposed here as a racist who loves Hitler videos, slagging off ethnic minorities and listening to twisted skinhead bands.

Moore may claim to have all the Protestant credentials needed to run the BNP in Northern Ireland, but he also comes with the usual embarrassment of sectarian hatreds and relaxed attitude towards rape and violence.

Moore has joked online how he had been arrested after raping a female work colleague for an April Fool’s joke and made unsavoury comments about the blind.

And Moore’s grasp of Northern Ireland isues is disturbing.

He described the pogrom against Roma families in south Belfast three years ago as an act against people who are “inherently criminal” and “Stinking Gypsy bastards”.

When Moore isn’t posting videos by white power bands such as Skrewdriver on Facebook, he reveals his fancy for all things “Third Reich” by sharing videos of Adolf Hitler with his online friends.

One apparent favourite is entitled: “Why the world cannot forget Adolf Hitler”.

He also has a penchant for songs and videos of the German Wehrmacht.

Mosque

Elsewhere, Moore has thrown his energies into trying to stop a mosque allegedly being built in Ballymena and more recently launched a campaign to terrify the people of Larne that a proposed detention centre for failed asylum seekers will turn their town into some sort of Asian ghetto.

Like most BNP members, Moore calls Muslims “ragheads” and Catholics “taigs”.

Other pointers to Moore’s opinions are revealed in some of his Facebook entries.

One starts: “Why the f**k do parents allow their daughters to run about at all hours of the night with Asians when these outrages are common knowledge? Bring back the rope.”

And another highlights his loyalist roots: “F**k the Bloody Sunday enquiry.We have always been the victims of republican genocide.”

Last night anti-Fascist campaigner Matthew Collins told the Sunday World that the people of Northern Ireland do not need the BNP.

“The BNP represent a dark age where bigotry is seen as a simple solution to complex issues,” he said while on a visit to Belfast.

“To move forward Northern Ireland has to reject racism as well as sectarianism. The BNP offers nothing on both.

“Their appointment of Steven Moore is a step into the past judging by his warped views and opinions and I don’t think the people of Ulster will be in a rush to get behind this right wing dinosaur.”

Sunday World

Web-based hate activity on the rise; A report (Canada)

Anti-Semitism has gone digital as social media and new technologies provide an easy way to spread hate messages, according to a 2010 audit conducted by a human rights organization.

The League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada released its annual report Monday. The Audit of Antisemitic Incidents has been tracking anti-Semitic incidents across Canada for the past 29 years.

The League received 564 reports of Web-based hate activity with a Canadian connection in terms of content, perpetrators and/or victims last year, up from 435 reports in 2009 and 405 reports in 2008, according to the 2010 report.

"It has become so easy to make a hate comment, there's so much expression on the Internet "said Allan Adel, the League's Montreal-based national chairman.

"There seems to be a banalization of racist or anti-Semitic expressions, (an adoption) of the idea words don't hurt," Adel added. "Our position is that's the wrong approach."

Adel urged policy-makers, police and everyday Canadians to adopt a zero-tolerance policy wherever they see anti-Semitism, whether it be in the community or online.

"This kind of hatred is infectious and insidious," said Frank Dimant, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada. "It destroys the very fabric of Canada's multicultural society, and those that would deny its gravity are part of the problem, not the solution," he said.

A total of 1,306 incidents - 965 cases of harassment, 317 cases of vandalism and 24 cases of violence - were reported to the League in 2010, a 3.3-per-cent increase over 2009 and, a fourfold increase over the past decade.

Although Montreal saw a slight decrease in anti-Jewish hatred with 277 incidents reported in 2010, down from 310 incidents in 2009, the city is in no position to celebrate, the report's authors noted.

One third of all hate crimes reported to Montreal police in 2010 were against Jews. And in a section of the report highlighting anti-Semitic incidents across the country, several examples from Montreal were included.

Among them: the April 2010 mugging of a pregnant Jewish woman in Montreal's Vézina Park; the January 2010 smashing of windows at Hebrew Academy in Côte St. Luc; an anti-Semitic YouTube video posted by a Montrealer in May 2010; and slurs hurled by passersby at a Holocaust commemoration event on the steps of Montreal's city hall in April 2010.

"The paradox is that Canada had made such progress and now the Internet is turning the clock back," said Chaim Steinmetz. Steinmetz is the rabbi of Congregaton Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem in Côte St. Luc, one of six Montreal synagogues that had its windows broken one night this January.

"The footprint of hate on the Internet is very large," he said.

Montreal Gazzette

THREE COUNTRIES OFFER TO TAKE MIGRANTS FROM MALTA

hree EU member states this morning offered to take migrants from Malta to ease the migration burden. Sources close to the ongoing meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Minsters in Luxembourg told timesofmalta.com that Belgium, Germany and Hungary have presented offers to Malta to resettle a number of migrants. No numbers have been given yet although Germany has confirmed that it has offered to take up to 100 refugees. Following the civil war in Libya, more than 1,000 migrants arrived in Malta in the past two weeks. Malta has asked for the activation of the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive obliging member states to share the burden with Malta by resettling displaced persons fleeing Libya. However, the Commission has so far refused to make a formal proposal. Commenting prior to the start of the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg this morning, Commissioner Malmstrom said: “It is still premature to activate the temporary protection directive and there are other ways to help Malta and Italy.” She said that she will be asking all member states to take migrants from Malta. The ministerial meeting is being attended by Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici.

The Times of Malta

Far Right suggests foreigners undergo enforced Norwegian tuition

The Progress Party (FrP) wants to take legal measures to ensure children from a minority background learn Norwegian.

 Restrictions

“We want a proactive public integration agency in Oslo that will coordinate information and make sure they comply with the orders the agency gives them,” says former FrP leader Carl I. Hagen.

He suggests giving the “integration agency” powers to cut benefits payments if minority families do not, arguing the right to impose demands for as long as families receive public money.

“When a child is born, the hospital should send the authority a report in cases where it believes parents do not seem to be able to speak Norwegian. The agency will then follow this up, giving instructions, and ensure that these are followed.”

Mr Hagen believes minority children who can speak fluent Norwegian before they start school will be an aid to integration, claiming 2 out of 3 pupils have problems in Oslo’s schools.

Aftenposten says it has documented that 40 percent avoid applying to minority-based schools because of pupils’ poor language skills.

Marginalised

An earlier report by the paper has highlighted that ethnic Norwegians feel like outsiders in their own country amongst increasing numbers of different ethnic minorities that have not been integrated into society.

Patrick Åserud and his wife are one such example. They decided to follow in the steps of 3,000 ethnic Norwegians who have left Groruddalen in the past two years and move out of Oslo with their kindergarten-aged daughter.

“I will not let my children grow up here. I will not take that chance. It has been hard to be an ethnic Norwegian here. [Our decision] is because of huge language problems, as well as a pressure to adapt to the norms that feel totally alien to us who have a Western way of life and thinking,” he told Aftenposten.

The Åseruds claim it has reached a point where they believe they should be the ones who need to be integrated as a minority in their own country. Figures from Statistics Norway confirm Groruddalen’s Norwegian community has sunk by 20,000 in the last 15 years, while the rest of its population has increased. Just over half are now Norwegian.

“There are kindergartens with parents and children that hardly speak Norwegian, and schools where children are threatened with being beaten for having salami sandwiches. Girls are bullied for being blonde, so they colour their hair dark to fit in. It is not okay to be gay at schools, an atheist, and certainly not a Jew.”

Anti-Semitism and racism have been found to be common in Norwegian schools, with some teachers accused of looking the other way.

Meanwhile, multiculturalism does not seem to be an issue for pupils at Oslo’s Mortensrud School in Søndre Nordstrand. 97 percent have immigrant parents, and one pupil told Aftenposten he learns more because of it

“We don’t think so much about where people are from,” said another, 12-year-old Navin Jegakumaran.

 The Foreigner

English Defence League attack peaceful French embassy Islamic veil ban protesters in London (UK)

Time and time again the EDL have declared themselves to be not violent and that they are just a peaceful protest movement opposing radical extremist Muslims.

Yet yesterday as a peaceful protest of Muslims and non-Muslims demonstrated outside the French Embassy in London against Frances Islamic veil ban. The EDL stormed into the crowd attacking the protestors.

Any and all claims made by the EDL that they are not violent, or that they are only targeting extremist Muslims can clearly be seen as a total pack of lies, when watching this simple video report from PressTv.

Police reveal rise in hate crime against the elderly (UK)

Police in the Lothians have started recording a new category of hate crime - against pensioners.

The force has been noting age as an "aggravating factor" in crimes committed against the elderly - but also young people - where they believe it was a motive behind an attack.

A total of 43 age-related hate crimes were reported in the force area last year, compared with 23 for the previous year.

Age Concern Scotland welcomed the figures as evidence that police were more aware of crimes being committed against people who were targeted specifically due to their advancing years.

The figures showed that race-related hate crimes had risen to 1241 last year against 1164 in 2009. Hate crime against the disabled and people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) community also increased last year.

Inspector Helen Boyle, from the force's diversity unit, said: "Legally, only hate crimes relating to race, sexuality, religion or disability are covered by legislation as aggravating factors. There is nothing that covers age, but Lothian and Borders Police decided we would start to record that too.

"Although it's not covered by the legislation, an offence which we record as having an age-related element could be taken into account during sentencing in court.

"It's actually a fairly even split between hate crimes committed against the young and older people. In the case of older people, it may be that they are being viewed as vulnerable.

"Because we don't have a set standard, it's often up to the perception of the officer investigating an incident to determine whether age was an aggravating factor."

A spokesman for Age Concern Scotland said: "It is encouraging that people are coming forward and reporting these matters to police.

"When elderly people are the victims of a particular attack, I think it's unlikely they would see it in terms of being a hate crime. Perhaps the police are becoming more aware of the issue of elderly abuse."

The number of hate crimes reported against the disabled also rose to 29 last year, compared with 21 for 2009.

Hate crimes against members of the LGBT community climbed from 103 to 131 over the same period.

The Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009, means that sentencing relating to crimes which are motivated by malice based on a victim's disability or sexual orientation must take into account.

The force's Public Perception Survey 2010 revealed that 60 per cent of hate crime victims did not make a report to police, with many believing that nothing would be done.

The Scotsman

Naples neighbors targeted by religious hate crimes (USA)

Neighbors in a Naples community have become the victims of a rash of recent hate crimes.

The graffiti plastered on Michael Gilberg's garage door tears open old wounds. A large swastika has been painted there in plain view.

This is the latest attack he's received because of his religion.

"It's unfortunate. It's despicable and it shouldn't happen," Michael says.

Last week, Michael and his neighbor, Rick Mellon, also received hate mail.

"It was a picture of a fist with a raised middle finger with a personalized message," Michael said.

"It was the culmination and the most despicable display of anti-Semitism," said Rick.

They believe someone in their gated Naples community could be to blame for the religious persecution.

"It has to be somebody here, or somebody who has access," Michael says.

The executive director of the Wyndemere Homeowner's Association says this is an isolated incident. They are appalled and Wyndemere values their multi-cultural community.

Rick doesn't agree.

"There is a great degree of anti-Semitism in Wyndemere," he says, "It started because we stood up for the rights of our families and the right of our religious beliefs."

Rick and Michael say they felt a backlash after asking that a menorah be included in the holiday décor and when they questioned the association for not allowing gardeners and other contractors to work inside Wyndemere on Christian holidays.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crimes, and some neighbors have offered to help paint.

Meanwhile, the men worry about what may happen next.

Rick believes, "If we don't address hate crimes, if we don't address the anti-Semitism, if we don't stop it not only for people of the Jewish religion, but for all people of any religion, it's going to escalate."

NBC-2

Police probe racist bullying claim at Bramhall High School (UK)

Police are investigating claims of racist bullying at a school.

Khadeja Fahat,13, has now left Bramhall High in Stockport claiming she was targeted by bullies more than 30 times since September.

The Year Eight pupil claims other children called her racist names, tipped out the contents of her bag, vandalised her school work and, on one occasion, punched her.

Her mum, Saiqa Shabir, claims the school has refused to tackle the problem and has reported the alleged bullying to the police.

Greater Manchester Police confirm they have recorded Khadeja’s complaint as a hate crime and plan to visit the school, which insists it has fully investigated the claims and has done everything to support her.

Mrs Shabir, a Muslim of Pakistani origin, said: “I feel my daughter has been robbed of her education. We can’t believe that in the 21st century this has happened.

“The school has not done enough to stop it happening. The attitude is if those responsible apologise afterwards then it is all okay. The school is letting my daughter down.

“This whole thing has left her very insecure and withdrawn. She used to be a bright confident young girl.”

Mrs Shabir has also contacted her MP George Osborne. His office confirmed he had contacted the school and was waiting for a reply.

Mrs Shabir is now trying to find Khadeja a place at Kingsway School in Cheadle.

She used to be a pupil at Priestnall School, in Heaton Mersey, but enrolled at Bramhall in September when her mum moved to Wilmslow.

Headteacher Heather Cooper said all allegations made had been logged and fully investigated.

She added: “We feel that we dealt with all incidents thoroughly, and have done everything we possibly can to put support in place for Khadeja.

“To ensure that we continue to develop our work on diversity we had meetings with the local mosque and the council’s ethnic diversity team as well as other services for this area – this included involving Khadeja’s parents in ideas for the school's diversity week.

“The school has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and racism, and incidents of that kind are very rare.

“Robust systems are in place to deal any allegations of racism or bullying and we have clear, agreed policies.”

Manchester Evening News

Czech court gives Slovak neo-Nazi six month suspended sentence for hate speech (Czech Rep)

Today the Teplice District Court handed down a criminal injunction against a 62-year-old man from Slovakia for a speech he gave on Saturday in Krupka during a rally for the Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS). The court said his speech incited hatred against members of a particular ethnicity. News server Novinky.cz reports that the man left the court with a six month sentence suspended for two years and promised to leave the Czech Republic as quickly as possible.

Presiding judge Roman Dobeš told the Czech Press Agency that the court also confiscated some of the man's property - a t-shirt, a baseball cap, and a badge, all of which displayed banned Nazi symbols. The man also has the eagle of the Third Reich tattooed on his body. However, Dobeš said the court could not punish the man for wearing the symbols, as he had kept them covered up during the rally.

Promoters of the extreme right demonstrated in the streets of Krupka (population 15 000) on Saturday. By marching, they allegedly wanted to draw attention to an incident that took place there not quite one year ago, when two young Roma men brutally beat and raped a 12-year-old [non-Roma] boy. The first-instance court sent one of the assailants to prison for 10 years, but an appeals court reduced the sentence by half. Both courts found the attack was racially motivated. The second assailant could not be criminally prosecuted as he was not yet 15 years old when he committed the crime.

At the entrance to the Maršov housing estate, where a large number of Roma people live in Krupka, the DSSS march was blocked by a group of more than 200 Roma people and chaplains leading prayers who refused to obey police orders to disperse. After several dozen minutes of tense waiting, police units dispersed the worshipers using stun grenades and truncheons. There were 700 officers deployed for the entire event.

According to Miroslav Brož, spokesperson for the "We Don't Want Neo-Nazis in Ústí!" Initiative, which organized the counter-demonstration, organizers are now preparing to take several legal steps against the police, including a constitutional complaint and filing suit in administrative court. Brož believes that in a democratic state it is not possible for police to disperse people who are praying together. Joel Ruml, chair of the Ecumenical Council of Churches, has also condemned the police intervention.

Romea

Neo-Nazi ringleader nabbed in Vienna

An infamous fascist has been put in custody as investigations against a disputed website continue.

Gottfried Küssel was arrested yesterday evening (Mon), prosecutors confirmed this morning. The outspoken neo-Nazi is accused of cooperating with the people behind "Alpe-Donau", a controversial discussion platform of neo-Nazis on the internet. The site was taken offline last month after state prosecutors in Vienna asked their counterparts in the United States for support.

Austrian officials were forced to watch on as anonymous neo-Nazis posted hate messages against foreigners in German on the homepage. "Alpe-Donau" also made headlines for revealing the home addresses and private phone numbers of several journalists and left-wing politicians.

US officials vowed to cooperate with Austria in the matter. Viennese prosecutors failed to find a way to take action against "Alpe-Donau" for months after it became clear that the platform is managed via a server located in the USA.

Küssel’s arrest comes around half a year after investigators confiscated data storage devices and documents at dozens of apartments and offices in Vienna. Around a dozen of users of "Alpe-Donau" – which promoted events held by Küssel in cooperation with Czech neo-Nazis – were identified in the meantime.

Officials said today that, apart from Küssel, another suspect was put in custody. They added that various objects depicting Nazi era logos and slogans – which are banned under Austrian law – were seized as six flats were searched yesterday evening.

Investigators think that some of the suspects may also have links with the Freedom Party (FPÖ), the third-strongest political force in the federal parliament, according to reports from today. FPÖ boss Heinz-Christian Strache has pointed out many times over the past months that he and his party wanted to disassociate themselves from the disputed online forum.

Strache was pressed to speak out on the issue after participators of discussions on the website praised his party for its current policies. The FPÖ sparked outcry among most political competitors for campaigning against members of the Islamic community in Austria who are unwilling to integrate into society. Strache warned of the creation of "parallel societies" in several speeches on the campaign trail in recent years. Surveys show that the right-wing party could come first were Austrians asked to the polls in general elections this month.

Organisers of "Alpe-Donau" and people engaging in discussions in the website’s forum face several years in jail if prosecutors press charges under Austrian anti-Nazi propaganda regulations.

Austrian Independant

Padiham set for UK’s first BNP mayor (UK)

A member of the British National Pary is set to become Padiham’s mayor and probably his party’s first civic leader in England.

And community leaders have hit out at the appointment of John Cave as deputy mayor of Padiham Town Council for the next 12 months.

The role means Coun Cave, who is married to BNP county councillor Sharon Wilkinson, will take over the mayoral chains from Coun Bob Clark in a year.

Coun Cave said he believed the town council was non-political and that he was entitled, and proud, to serve the town of his birth.

But politicians and campaigners questioned the appointment, and the Bishop of Burnley said a BNP member could not serve the whole community without ‘rejecting his party’s philosophy.’ Coun Shah Hussain, who represents Daneshouse and Stoneyholme on Burnley Council, said: “I have concerns with what the BNP stands for and its policies. It is a party that is divisive to the community.”

Bishop of Burnley John Goddard said: “I always see the role of the mayor and deputy mayor as the chief citizen of the community, and they have a responsibility to uphold and defend the rights of all British citizens of the town, regardless of race, colour or status.

“Given that I look forward to the deputy mayor showing that the BNP are wrong in their racist policies.

“It will be interesting to see if he acts in the best traditions of a mayor in the community, and I pray he does, as he will have to reject the philosophy of the BNP.

“If he retains the BNP political philosophy then how can he expect to serve and represent the whole of the community?”

The appointment of Coun Cave was confirmed at a recent town council meeting, when the majority of councillors voted in favour of him taking over the role of deputy mayor.

A spokesman for the Hope not Hate campaign, which celebrates ‘modern Britain’ and claims to expose the BNP, said: “We are disappointed that anybody holding the views of the BNP can secure a position of this kind.

“The role of mayor in any community is to act as the figurehead of the community and we don’t see how that role can be carried out by anybody who represents a party whose sole aim is to divide communities.”

Coun Cave had previously said some town councillors were trying to find a way around him being appointed to the role.

He said: “I am pleased that it is has all been sorted out and has cleared up a few misunderstandings.

“It is a very proud moment for me. I was born in Padiham and have always been closely associated with Padiham.

“It is a non-political council and my politics have not encroached on what happens in Padiham. It has been easier than I expected to remain non-political in the past 12 months.”

Peter Pike, former Labour MP in Burnley, said: “I think it is unfortunate that we have councillors who represent the BNP and now I think it is unfortunate that we have a deputy mayor in Padiham who represents the BNP.

“But if they are elected on to a council then there is always a chance they could hold a mayoral title.”

It is not the first time this year that the role of mayor in Padiham has attracted controversy.

In January mayoress Carol Stinton appeared on Channel 4 reality show Come Dine With Me and attracted criticism for her over-exuberance.

Burnley Citizen

Arizona immigration law loses in court (USA)

The controversial Arizona law targeting immigrants for police scrutiny has been blocked again in an appeals court ruling.

The fate of Arizona's controversial Arizona law targeting illegal immigrants remains in limbo, after the state's latest attempt to lift a injunction blocking the law failed.

The Ninth US circuit court of appeal ruled [pdf] that the federal government was likely to win its case that the law is unconstitutional, and so turned down an appeal by Arizona's Republican governor Jan Brewer to lift the injunction imposed last year.

The battle now is likely to go all the way to the US Supreme Court.

The law, known as SB 1070, became a national controversy after Brewer and Arizona Republicans accused the US government of not doing enough to stem illegal immigration and enacted their own, more stringent regulations, which drew bitter complaints from civil rights organisations and immigrant groups.

The new law would require state police to check the immigration status of all arrested suspects and hold indefinitely anyone else they have "reasonable suspicion" of entering the country illegally. It also punishes non-citizens for failing to apply for or carry "alien registration papers", or for seeking jobs.

The law also allows for "warrentless arrest" if the police have probable cause to believe they have committed a public offense that makes them removable from the United States – such as entering the country illegally.

Critics say it gives Arizona authorities the power to harass Hispanic residents, legal or otherwise, while the federal government objected on the grounds that the law encroached on its powers over immigration enforcement.

In July last year a US district court judge issued an injunction against the most controversial parts of the law, and today's appeals court ruling only applies to the injunction, not to the challenge to the law itself.

At the time of the injunction Brewer said: "I will battle all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary, for the right to protect the citizens of Arizona."

The Guardian

Support for anti-Islam party falls (Netherlands)

The right-wing VVD Liberals remain the biggest party in the latest Maurice de Hond opinion poll and would take 36 seats if there was a general election tomorrow, five more than they currently hold.

Labour remains in second place with 25, down five, and the anti-Islam PVV loses a further two and is on 22. At its height, just after the last election, the PVV was on 30 seats in a string of De Hond opinion polls.

Dutch News

BNP 'Quran man' to stand in elections (UK)

A BNP member accused of burning a copy of the Quran will still stand in the Welsh Assembly elections, his party has confirmed.

Sion Owens, 41, of Bonymaen, Swansea, had a charge against him dropped today - but was told by magistrates legal proceedings may resume after further investigations.

Owens was arrested last weekend after The Observer newspaper reportedly handed police a video, which appeared to show Mr Owens dousing a copy of the Quran with paraffin before setting it alight.

The alleged incident drew widespread condemnation from political and ethnic groups in Wales - who are urging voters to shun the far-right BNP in the May 5 poll.

Owens is third on the list out of four candidates the BNP is putting up for the South Wales West regional seat.

Plaid Cymru described the alleged incident as appalling but “hardly surprising”.

A party spokeswoman said: “Our advice to the electorate of Wales is to ignore their call for race hate as we have always done, ensure they lose their election deposits and above all quickly recycle their leaflets - as that is all they are good for.”

The BNP issued a 2,000 plus word statement on its website in response to Owens’ court appearance, complaining of “hypocrisy” by the authorities.

A party spokesman said Owens would continue to stand as a candidate in the Welsh Assembly elections.

BNP leader Nick Griffin added: “The British National Party does not favour burning any book, although if there is any repeat of last year’s Poppy burning insult and subsequent lack of police action, we may well review that position.”

He also said the BNP favoured freedom of speech - saying there needed to be a “resistance to the intimidation” encouraged by Muslim extremists.

However, Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council countered the claims, saying the BNP had abused that democratic right.

Chief executive Taha Idris said: “While people have freedom of speech and freedom of action in the UK, it is a privilege that should never be abused.”

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