ANGER AS POPE SLAMS UK EQUALITY LAW

Pope Benedict XVI has sparked fury among secular and gay rights campaigners after he attacked equality legislation in Britain for running contrary to "natural law" and restricting the freedom of religious communities.
The Pontiff said the effects of some legislation designed to give equality of opportunity had been to impose "unjust limitations" on the freedom of religious communities to act "in accordance with their beliefs".
"Your country is well-known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society," he told the Catholic bishops of England and Wales gathered in Rome.

"Yet, as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed."

His remarks have been interpreted as an attack on the Sexual Orientation Regulations which forced Catholic adoption agencies to consider gay couples as potential adoptive parents.

By the time the regulations came into force in January last year, five of the agencies in England and Wales had cut ties with their Roman Catholic dioceses in order to comply with the new laws.

The Government also suffered defeats in the House of Lords last week after the churches voiced concerns that the provisions of the flagship Equality Bill could expose them to legal challenges if they refused to employ sexually active gay people and transsexuals.

The Pope's remarks were made in an address in which he gave the first official confirmation that he will make his first apostolic visit to Britain later this year. No dates or itinerary were given, but the Pope, who will be 83 when he visits, spoke of the "living faith and devotion" among Catholics in England and Wales, highlighting the recent visit of the relics of St Therese and the forthcoming beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman.

The National Secular Society (NSS) said it would mount a protest campaign against the visit made up of gay groups, victims of clerical abuse, feminists, family planning organisations and pro-abortion groups among others.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: "The Pope's criticism that British equality legislation 'violates the natural law' is a coded attack on the legal rights granted to women and gay people. His ill-informed claim that our equality laws undermine religious freedom suggests that he supports the right of churches to discriminate in accordance with their religious ethos."

The Express

UK's OLD SOLDIERS IN CLASH WITH BNP

OLD soldiers have clashed with right-wing extremists after the British National Party used underhand tactics to book a Royal British Legion Club for a rally.
Following a public outcry Conservative MP Andrew Selous, who served in the Territorial Army for 12 years, led a campaign to get the meeting scrapped.
He said ex servicemen who fought against fascism in the Second World War were horrified their premises were to be used by the BNP, particularly when the date clashed with Holocaust Memorial Day.
Now the BNP has hit out at the South Bedfordshire MP accusing him of “acting like a fascist” claiming: “Many of our members are ex servicemen and the British Legion should be more patriotic and less political.”
The BNP says it regularly holds meetings on council and Legion premises.
Deputy chairman and spokesman Simon Darby told The Sunday Express on Friday that a political meeting was held at a Legion club in the north-west but refused to say where.
Mr Selous has written to Legion chairman Peter Cleminson asking him to issue guidance to clubs.
Members of the Leighton Buzzard club say their secretary Eileen Johnson was hoodwinked by BNP activist Shelley Rose into booking the meeting under the name British Heritage. It wasn’t until Mr Selous, a club member, discovered their real identity that he asked them to cancel.Mrs Johnson said: “As soon as I heard, we cancelled them. We don’t want those sort of people here. Our members wouldn’t be at all happy.”
Mr Selous said: “I think it is revealing that the BNP did not book the meeting in their own name. They are not prepared to be honest and upfront about who they are.”
The Express

The English Defence League are not a violent organisation. And for my next joke…

Recently in the UK the extremist group Islam4UK has been banned by the UK’s government. But hypocritically the UK’s government has not made any moves to ban the extremely controversial racist violent organisation the English Defence League “EDL”.

The EDL is a group that claim they wholly oppose the so called Islamifaction of the UK (their beliefs not ours). Yet every time this peaceful protest groups (ha ha ha, no seriously that’s what they claim) show up violence scenes follow.

Here’s two videos following show this so called peaceful protesting by the EDL and its peaceful protesting.
The first shows the EDL members attacking a police officer and the second shows that the EDL although extremely violent have no sense of balance in the real world in more ways than one.

the EDL attack a policeman



and the EDL acting like violent prats

One in four children sent pornography, says survey

One in four children have sent or been sent inappropriate material including pornography via email, according to a survey. The research also found that one in 20 children, aged between six and 15, had communicated with a stranger via webcam and one in 50 have actually met a stranger they first contacted online.

The report, which surveyed 500 children, found that many children are getting away with behaviour online that they wouldn’t get away with in the real world, largely because of their parents’ lack of understanding and awareness of their internet habits and of safety precautions.

More than six out of 10 children (62 per cent) said they lie to parents about what they have been looking at online and over half (53 per cent) delete the history on their web browser so their parents can’t see what they have been looking at.

The survey, by TalkTalk, the broadband provider, also found that and one in nine (11 per cent) have either bullied someone online or been bullied online themselves.

In December, the Government announced that every primary schoolchild in the country will be taught about the dangers of the internet and how to safely surf online.

The “Click Clever, Click Safe’ campaign comes in response to a report by Prof Tanya Byron, the child psychologist and broadcaster, who was asked by the Government to consider how to protect children online. Prof Tanya Byron, who oversaw the TalkTalk research, said: “It’s crucial that parents educate themselves about what’s going on online and what their kids are doing there.”

the Telegraph

Are the Czech Republic Romanies the most discriminated against minority in the EU

The Czech government has protested against a European survey that in early December said Czech Romanies are a minority that is the most discriminated against in the EU. Michael Kocab, Czech minister in charge of human rights and minorities, told journalists that a number of Romany intellectuals live in the Czech Republic, who are able to distinguish and describe discrimination and report on it abroad. The Czech government is trying to solve the problem openly and transparently, which, however, does not mean that it can admit Czech Romanies being [referred to as] the most discriminated against in the EU, Kocab said. According to Kocab, the survey's results reflect the relatively high legal awareness on the part of Czech Romanies, their higher ability to identify discrimination in society in which they are far better integrated than Romanies in other countries. "In view of this, Czech Romanies have a much bigger chance of full-fledged integration in society, though they show a strong feeling of being discriminated against," Kocab said in a press release. He said Romanies in the Czech Republic have good knowledge of the country's anti-discrimination measures and of the organisations providing help and advice in this area. This corresponds to the developed network of NGOs that focus on fighting discrimination in the Czech Republic, he said. The Romanies are aware of the impacts of the social and economic transformation. "However, they consider them a violation of the egalitarianism applied by the previous communist regime. They are able to orient themselves in their rights and demand their observance," Kocab said. He said an improvement in this area also ensues from the report on Czech Romanies' emigration to Canada that the cabinet discussed today.


The cabinet also approved a manual for Czech embassies concerning the Romany issue. It will serve for diplomats to respond basic questions about the Czech Republic's approach to Romany integration, Kocab said. The study was worked out by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) on the basis of interviews with 23,000 immigrants and ethnic minority members. According to it, 64 percent of Romanies in the Czech Republic were discriminated against in the past 12 months, and 42 percent of Czech Romanies fell victim to crime. The Czech government's office for Romany affairs, however, says the situation is in fact not that alarming. The office director Gabriela Hrabanova told CTK previously that the objective situation of Romanies in the Czech Republic is better than in some other states, mainly in east Europe. Residents of Romany settlements in Slovakia and Romania face far worse living conditions, she said. Hrabanova, too, pointed to the relatively large integration of Czech Romanies with the majority society, "At some places they live in total segregation. As a result, they do not meet with discrimination at all," she said. She said most Czech Romanies are in contact with the majority society, therefore they better realise mutual differences. The FRA has examined minority members' experiences with discrimination in nine areas of everyday life - in seeking jobs and at work, in housing, health care and social services, at schools, in cafes, pubs and night clubs, in shops and in banks. It also looked into wehther minority members fell victim to crime. The FRA found the strongest discrimination in terms of access to education and work, but said there are shortcomings in other areas as well.

prague monitor

New service for homophobic hate crime victims in Wales

A partnership between Victim Support and Stonewall Cymru has launched a new service to help victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes.
The service has received £50,000 funding from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which Victim Support is using to train staff and volunteers in offering emotional support and practical help to gay and trans people.
This will include advice on personal safety, how to deal with police and the Prosecution Service and support for victims and witnesses during trials.
Gaynor McKeown, Victim Support’s regional manager for Wales, said that support would be tailored to victims' individual needs.
She said: “With more staff and volunteers we will now be able to give a more robust service to victims and witnesses of homophobic and transphobic crimes.

"It’s essential that all victims have someone they can turn to for support, someone who will understand the issues and challenges they may face. Victims and witnesses need easily accessible help and support to suit their needs – that’s why we’ve set up this new service.”

Jenny Porter, community liaison officer at Stonewall Cymru, said: "We at Stonewall Cymru urge victims of homophobic and other hate crimes to take up this offer from Victim Support, receiving focused support and information at such a critical time can make a huge difference to coping with the experience."

Victims of homophobic or transphobic crime can call the helpline on 0845 6 121 900.

Pink News

Billy Bragg Concert to fight fascism for Hope Not Hate

If you are unaware the Hope Not Hate is an excellent organisation in the UK that campaigns against UK’s extreme racist political party the British National Party “BNP”.

The HNH organisation has been very successful with their work and their website is a must view resource for any one seeking information about the BNP or other extreme far right groups in the UK.
The following video is a simple advert for the forthcoming Billy Brag concert in support of the HNH cause.

For tickets and more information please click the link below.
Hope Not Hate

Attention ! please report the following You Tube Race Hate Promoters

Attention ! please report the following You Tube Race Hate Promoters

theGREATAPEHATE

http://www.youtube.com/theGREATAPEHATE

An extreme racist and anti-Semitic hate promoter who has posted a link to another users twitter account in a obvious attempt to generate abuse at that user.

JenkemChimpPimp

http://www.youtube.com/JenkemChimpPimp

A bigoted extreme racist who has been suspended on numerous occasions for extreme racial hatred promotion and abuse.

inevergiveup14O2

http://www.youtube.com/inevergiveup14O2

this user has created a clone channel of another You Tube user with the Id of inevergiveup1402.

What this racist abusive user has done is instead of using the number “0” in their user clone id they have substituted the letter “O” in its place.

Make sure please when reporting this user you report the correct one which is inevergiveup14O2 (“O” being the letter O as on Orange not the number “0” zero).

All these users can be reported by using the tools at the Stop Racism Canada web site
http://www.stopracism.ca/content/cleaning-youtube-and-social-networking-sites

or by using the You Tube Safety tool
http://www.youtube.com/safety_help

Jailed British Godfather Threatened Enemies From Facebook Account

A convicted criminal used Facebook to threaten his enemies while in a maximum security prison for conspiracy to murder, it emerged tonight.
Colin Gunn, an underworld godfather who ordered the killing of a couple, had his social networking site account shut down yesterday, a source said.

The Sunday Times reported the 42-year-old said in one posting: 'I will be home one day and I can't wait to look into certain people's eyes and see the fear of me being there.'

Gunn, from Nottingham, was jailed over the revenge murders of John and Joan Stirland in 2004.

According to the Ministry of Justice, prisoners are prohibited from accessing social networking sites.

But the latest internet breach comes after Jade Braithwaite, jailed for knifing to death Ben Kinsella, 16, used Facebook to taunt his victim's family.

Earlier this month, relatives of victims of violent crime called for the introduction of electronic anti-social behaviour orders, or 'E-Asbos' to stop convicted killers bragging online.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We are extremely concerned that prisoners are able to update Facebook and other social networking sites either through illicit technology or via outside contacts.

'The Public Order Act 1986 created offences dealing with causing harassment, alarm or distress. We will not hesitate to refer to the police any published material that appears to breach this.

'We recognise that it is deeply distressing for victims and their families and friends and we have made it clear to Facebook that we do not think it acceptable or appropriate for these sites to remain active, something Facebook agrees with.'

He added that serving prisoners do not have access to the internet 'except for educational purposes, when access is closely monitored by staff' and access to social networking sites is prohibited.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said: 'I have sought the assistance of Facebook to have these profiles removed and we will continue to press for removal of these whenever we find them or whenever they are drawn to our attention.

'I am also hoping to meet with Ofcom, Facebook, victims' representatives and other government departments with an interest in this area to identify a solution to what is an issue of considerable concern to myself, victims and their families, and many members of the public.

'We will not hesitate to refer to the police any published material that appears to breach the law.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1247422/British-Godfather-taunted-foes-prison-facebook-messages.html#ixzz0eBBcAZu2

Daily Mail

Australia Prime Minister nephew in Ku Klux Klan stunt

The nephew of Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been arrested for offensive behaviour, after dressing up in a Ku Klux Klan costume. Van Thanh Rudd and another man were protesting outside the Australian Open tennis championships, against a recent spate of attack on Indians living in Melbourne. Victoria state police said they fined the pair 234 Australian dollars (210 US dollars) each for offensive behaviour.



BBC News

Russia ranked highest in human rights violations

Russia has the dubious honour of having the largest number of pending complaints filed against it in the European Court of Human Rights in 2009. But some say that the figures are worse than they look

As stated in the official court press release, “as in 2008, 4 States (Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Romania) were the source of almost 56% of the pending applications: in particular 28.1% of the cases were directed against Russia, 11% Turkey, 8.4% Ukraine and 8.2% Romania."

Experts say, however, that the main reason behind Russia’s leadership in this particular category is the size of its population. As Georgy Matyushkin, the country’s representative to the Court of Human Rights pointed out, if the ranking was done by cases per capita, Russia wouldn’t be nearly as high up.

Here’s a video discussing the whole matter.

BNP’s Mark Collett Star of Young, Nazi & Proud To Stand For Election In Sheffield A Foolish Joke Or A Very Cunning Plan We Ask

This week the BNP announced that their representative in Sheffield in the general election will be none other than little Hitler Mr Mark Collett. If you don’t know who Mark is then try to imagine if Der Fhurer had an anorexic grandchild with the only distinguishing personality characteristic is his extreme racism. Mark who has said many really brilliantly bad quotes in the past which include "Hitler will live forever; and maybe I will." And speaking of Aids said "A friendly disease because blacks, drug users and gays have it.”

So is putting him forward as a political candidate in Sheffield a bad decision by the BNP? or is this a very cunning plan by them. As Mark is bound to do something or say something hysterically bad that it will be gold mine of propaganda for us in the anti-BNP community.

And more than likely it will take the media attention away from the lesser know candidates in other areas of the country.

Who knows but its bound to be a giggle fest of news to come.

Incidentally there’s an absolute gem of a write up about this whole thing on the Lancaster Unity Blog site.

We highly recommend every person to read it.

The snowball that rolled into Hell, and other notes on mental health

A Preview Of The BNP Allowing Non-White Members

With the hammer of change coming ever closer to falling on the BNP.
The following video may be very close to the mark

Protests over Super bowl ads for anti-gay Christian group

A gay group is protesting over the decision of US television network CBS to show an advert by Focus on the Family during the Super Bowl next Sunday.

Focus on the Family, which says homosexuality "violates" God's will, is to screen an ad featuring football star Tim Tebow and his mother. Pam Tebow will discuss how she was told to abort her son in 1987.

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League and is the most watched event on US television.

Women's groups have also complained about the pro-life message and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation complained that CBS had rejected a 2004 ad from the gay-friendly United Church of Christ which promoted LGBT equality.

At the time, CBS said the United Church of Christ's ad was "unacceptable for broadcast" as President George Bush had recently proposed a constitutional amendment restricting marriage to heterosexuals.

GLAAD senior director of media programmes Rashad Robinson said in a statement: "CBS spent years denying a platform to an LGBT-inclusive church that wanted to share a message of inclusion with a national audience.

"Now, when it happens to be financially inconvenient for CBS to hold to the standard it had previously imposed, the network's expediency benefits a virulently anti-gay organisation whose advocacy on these issues is the antithesis of that of the United Church of Christ."

CBS said this week that it had changed its policies on ads and that the church's 2004 ad would have been accepted now.

A spokesman told Associated Press this week: "We have for some time moderated our approach to advocacy submissions after it became apparent that our stance did not reflect public sentiment or industry norms."

Rev. J. Bennett Guess, of the United Church of Christ, said: "CBS' about-face only underscores the arbitrary way the networks approach these decisions, and the result is a woeful lack of religious diversity in our nation's media.

"Such flip-flops only lead the public to believe that broadcasters own the airwaves when, in theory at least, they do not."

Pink News

French PM asks top court to help draft law banning full Islamic veil

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has asked France's top court to help the government draft a law banning the full Islamic veil, his office said. The move comes three days after a French parliament report called for the ban. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Friday asked France's top court to help the government draft a law banning the full Islamic veil, his office said.

The government's move comes three days after a French parliament report called for a ban on the burqa and niqab, saying Muslim women who fully cover their heads and faces pose an "unacceptable" challenge to French values.
Fillon wrote to the State Council, the country's highest administrative court, asking it to "study the legal solutions enabling us to reach a ban on wearing the full veil, which I want to be as wide and effective as possible."
He asked the court to "help the government find a legal answer to the concerns expressed by parliament's representatives and to rapidly submit a bill on the subject to parliament."
The State Council is to submit its findings by the end of March.
After six months of hearings, a panel of 32 lawmakers this week recommended a ban on the face-covering veil in schools, hospitals, public transport and government offices, the broadest move yet to restrict Muslim dress in France.

The commission stopped short however of calling for legislation to outlaw the burqa in the streets, shopping centres or other public venues after raising doubts about the constitutionality of such a move.

France is home to Europe's biggest Muslim minority but the sight of fully-veiled women remains rare. Only 1,900 women wear a niqab, 90 percent of them under 40, according to interior ministry estimates.

Supporters of a ban argue that the full veil is being pushed by radicals in the French Muslim community, but critics say the wearing of the garment remains marginal and warn a ban risks stigmatising France's six million Muslims.

In 2004, France passed a law banning headscarves and any other "conspicuous" religious symbols in state schools after a long-running debate on how far it was willing to go to accommodate Islam in its strictly secular society.

The new French debate on the face-veil is being closely watched, three months after Swiss voters approved a ban on minarets.

President Nicolas Sarkozy set the tone in June when he declared the burqa "not welcome" in France.

He has since sought to reassure France's Muslims, declaring this week that freedom to practise religion was enshrined in the French constitution.

French support for a law banning the full veil is strong: a poll last week showed 57 percent are in favour.

The leader of Sarkozy's right-wing party in parliament, Jean-Francois Cope, has already presented draft legislation that would make it illegal for anyone to cover their faces in public on security grounds.
The Netherlands and Austria are considering a ban on the full veil, while Denmark said Thursday it would limit the use in public of the burka and niqab veils although stopping short of an outright ban
France 24

Britain’s mistreatment of holocaust survivors inspires WW2 book

It’s perhaps a less well known episode of the Second World War – the internment of Jews into British camps in Cyprus. Neil McKay speaks to one man about how his own involvement inspired him to write his first work of fiction.

As a 20-year-old Army sergeant he watched speechless as thousands of skeletal Jewish figures were frogmarched off ships at the point of guns and bayonets and led to internment camps – by British soldiers.

The year was 1946 and news of Nazi atrocities in camps such as Auschwitz and Belsen had not reached public consciousness. David, from Murton, County Durham, saw at first hand the effect on the survivors from those, and other concentration camps. And he unwittingly found himself taking part in an episode which still shames Britain.

Internment camps were set up by Britain on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus for Jewish immigrants who attempted to travel to Palestine in violation of immigration quotas set for Jews.

Tens of thousands of Jewish Holocaust survivors escaping to flee Europe for Palestine on transport ships were intercepted on the high seas by the Royal Navy and escorted to Cyprus.

From 1946 until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the British confined 50,000 Jewish refugees on the island. Sgt Hughes was stationed with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on Cyprus and found himself working in the stores supplying one of the internment camps near Famagusta. But the sight of the Holocaust survivors being transferred to British camps still haunts him more than 60 years later.

“It is the sight of the hatred in the eyes of those survivors directed at us which I will never forget. I had never witnessed such hatred either before or since,” he said.

“None of us knew at that time of the horrors the survivors from the Nazi concentration camps had experienced and witnessed, but here we were putting them in another internment camp at the point of the gun and bayonet, with searchlights and barbed wire.”

David, now 84 and living in Houghton- le-Spring is a respected author and charity fundraiser.

Journal Live

BNP to allow non whites, well here’s a preview.

INTERNET RACISM PAIR LOSE APPEAL

Simon Sheppard, 51, was sentenced to four years and 10 months, and Stephen Whittle, 42, to two years and four months at Leeds Crown Court in July.
However, the Court of Appeal has reduced Sheppard's sentence by one year and Whittle's jail term by six months.
Sheppard, from Selby, North Yorks, and Whittle, of Preston, Lancs, controlled US websites featuring racist material.

During their first trial in 2008, they skipped bail and fled to California, where they sought asylum claiming they were being persecuted for their right-wing views, but were deported.

The police investigation began after a complaint about a leaflet called "Tales of the Holohoax", which was pushed through the door of a Blackpool synagogue and traced back to a post office box in Hull registered to Sheppard.
'Abusive and insulting'
Published material found later included images of murdered Jews alongside cartoons and articles ridiculing ethnic groups.
The pair were charged under the Public Order Act with publishing racially inflammatory material, distributing racially inflammatory material and possessing racially inflammatory material with a view to distribution.
Sheppard, of Brook Street, Selby, was found guilty of 16 offences and Whittle, of Avenham Lane, Preston, was found guilty of five.
Sentencing them, Judge Rodney Grant said he had rarely seen material which was so abusive and insulting.

Sheppard's counsel Adrian Davies told the Appeal Court the sites were "entirely lawful" in the US.
He said that there was no evidence that anyone in England and Wales - except for the police officer in the case - had ever seen any of them.

Excessive sentences
Giving the Court of Appeal ruling, Lord Justice Scott Baker said the material had been available to the public despite the fact that the evidence went no further than establishing that one police officer downloaded it.
He said the trial judge had been right to hold that he had jurisdiction to try the pair because much of the activities constituting the crime took place in England.
However, although the Appeal Court judges agreed that "this was truly pernicious material", the sentences handed down had been excessive.

From hope not hate
Sheppard's website, to which Whittle contributed, featured grotesque images of murdered Jews alongside cartoons and posters ridiculing ethnic groups. Sheppard, who had been expelled from the British National Party, was even caught delivering racist pamphlets door to door in North Yorkshire. Shepherd and Whittle are believed to be the first UK citizens to be convicted of publishing racist material online.

Hope Not Hate Original Story

BBC

WILDERS' PARTY IS 'NEW RADICAL RIGHT' (Netherlands)

Geert Wilders' political movement PVV is not an extreme right wing party but contains some radical right wing elements, according to a report into radicalisation in the Netherlands by Tilburg University research group IVA. PVV statements on 'islamisation' and non-western immigrants appear to be discriminatory and the party organisation is authoritarian rather than democratic, the researchers say. The researchers, who were looking into polarisation and radicalism across the Netherlands, describe the PVV as 'new radical right', a party with a national democratic ideology but without extreme right wing roots. In particular, the party's pro-Israel stance shows it is not neo Nazi, the report states. Nevertheless, the PVV has a preference for 'the familiar' and turns against things which are 'foreign' and its political opponents, the report said. This, coupled with an authoritarian tendency show it leans towards a national democratic ideology. And on the internet, for example, the party is a magnet for extreme views, the researchers point out.

Scandalous

Wilders told news agency ANP the report is 'scandalous' - in particular the link between defending the national interest and the radical right. And he attacked the decision to publish it now, just as he is on trial for discrimination and inciting hatred. An earlier version of the report, leaked to the Volkskrant in November, said Wilders' party is an extreme right wing grouping and a threat to social cohesion and democracy. The paper claimed at the time the researchers were under pressure to water down the conclusions because of their political sensitivity. Home affairs minister Guus ter Horst, who commissioned the research, has denied exerting any influence on the report.

IS ANTI-FASCISM A CRIME? (Austria)

This is a user email post to the I CARE website which we found so interesting we decided to repost it here in its entirety

Police and City of Vienna criminalize protest against the extreme-right WKR-Ball (dancing event of the 'Wiener Korporationsring'/Vienna umbrella organization of German-nationalist student's organizations)! Above all, the Vienna police banned an anti-fascist demonstration on the day of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp. On January 29th the ball of the 'Wiener Korporationsring' (WKR) is taking place in the Viennese 'Hofburg', the former imperial palace. Like in the past years numerous proponents of the extreme right will rendezvous there ­ from german-nationalists to virulent anti-Semites, no one wants to miss that chance for right-wing networking. While these activities are not hindered by the authorities in any way, the anti-fascist counter- demonstration was now banned.

At the WKR-ball the 'Who is Who' of the European extreme-right is shaking hands, which is easily revealed by a look on the list of participants: former and current guests at the ball include(d): Jean-Marie Le Pen from the French Front National, the fascist Enrique Ravello, anti-Semites like Alexander Dugin and representatives of the German extreme-right DVU, as well as spokespersons of the Austrian extreme-right parties, among them Martin Graf, third president of the National Council with a tendency to anti-semitic tirades, Barbara Rosenkranz, exponent of a home-stove-'mother's cross' policy and fighter against the 'gender-delusion' and John Gudenus, who has already been sentenced to one year on parole because of Holocaust-denial. It seems to go without saying that there are protests against this gathering. In the last years sizeable demonstrations have already been taking place ­ typically for Austria these have been accompanied by a repressively huge contingent of police and a ban from the premises of the WKR-gathering. But even that seems to be too much disturbance now. The demonstration, which this year had been planned by the alliance

nowkr, queer-feminists, the criticalmass, feminist womenlesbian groups, a number of students' representatives and many other groups, was now completely banned. The reason given by the police is telling: because of the group of people expected to attend the demonstration 'public security' would be endangered ­ an argument, which equals a total negation of the right to demonstrate.

In that the authorities in scandalous manner follow the 'arguments' from German-nationalist students' associations, the FPí ('Freedom Party') and neo-Nazis, who for years have been lobbying for a complete ban of anti-fascist demonstrations or would rather like to take self-administered justice. A notorious neo-Nazi website stated in an entry called 'Tips for House and Home ­ This Time Weapons' that it would be on time to 'question the state's monopoly on violence', just to dedicate their next entry to agitate against 'Entartete' - a nazi-term meaning 'degenerated', in this context denouncing queer-feminists ­ and the 'sub-human filth'. Above all it is the city of Vienna, which ­ personified by its mayor Michael Haupl ­ likes to present itself as an anti-fascist stronghold against the rise of the extreme right, that now together with the police serves in fulfilling right-wing extremists' dreams. This fact tells more about the state of this country than any number of leaflets could. It is only fitting that the ban was announced right on the Holocaust Memorial Day when official representatives of the republic show themselves to be deeply moved. While the importance of anti-fascist engagement is stressed in official settings, actual antifascist activism is banned and neo-Nazis, right wing extremists and anti-Semites are offered room at the 'Hofburg', which after all is also the official residence of the Austrian president.

Even if these developments show their face more clearly in Austria than in other countries, they do follow a disastrous international trend. Anti-fascism is criminalized all over Europe: Only recently the demonstration against the largest neo-Nazi march in Europe has been criminalized in Germany, posters were confiscated, websites blocked and more repression against the organizers of the anti-fascist demonstration followed. All these developments have to be countered resolutely. We won't let

anti-fascism be banned! Therefore: Everyone to the demonstration against the extreme-right WKR-ball!

Origianly posted by Rosa Antifa Wien