Czechs keep the largest distance from Romanies out of all ethnic minorities, with less than 10 percent of them saying they could imagine a Romany their partner, friend, neighbour or colleague at work, a poll by Focus agency has shown. About one-fifth of people are willing to accept Romanies as Czech citizens. However, 43 percent would not let Romanies enter the Czech Republic or they would expel them from the country, the poll showed. The second least tolerated ethnicity are the Vietnamese. One-quarter of the respondents said they would not mind a Vietnamese being their partner, friend, neighbour or colleague at work. Fifteen percent said they would accept an Ukrainian in this connection. About one-third of those polled said they would accept the Vietnamese and Ukrainians only as visitors to the Czech Republic. The Czechs show a more accommodating stand to Poles and Germans. Five and 6 percent of Czechs can imagine a Pole or a German as their life partners, respectively.
Sixty percent of Czechs would not mind Poles as friends, neighbours and colleagues. One-fifth would accept them only as visitors to the Czech Republic. Germans would be accepted as friends, neighbours and colleagues by 39 percent of Czechs. One-third of Czechs consider them acceptable only as visitors, the poll showed. Over two-thirds of the respondents said they can imagine a resident of Bohemia as their partner, and a half said they can imagine a Moravian. One-fourth of the respondents said they would accept a Slovak as their partner. Of all ethnicities, Slovaks were most frequently named as acceptable friends. A total of 35 percent of the respondents said they could imagine a Slovak as their friend. The poll showed that residents of Bohemia keep a larger distance from Moravians than vice versa. Out of the respondents from Bohemia, 81 percent said they could imagine a resident of Bohemia as their life partner, but only 37 percent said they can imagine a Moravian. On the other hand, 68 percent of Moravian residents would accept a Moravian as their partner, and 53 percent would accept a Bohemian, the poll showed. The Focus agency conducted the poll on April 10-23 on 1018 Czech citizens aged over 15.
Prague Monitor
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
CASE OF CZECH SOLDIER WITH NAZI SYMBOL SHELVED
A state attorney definitively shelved the case of Czech soldier Jan Cermak who wore Nazi symbols on his helmet while serving in the Afghan mission, public Czech Television (CT) reported today. The attorney concluded that no further punishment was needed after Cermak was dismissed from the military, demoted and lost the right to severance pay and bonuses. Cermak wore the symbol of the SS Dirlewanger Brigade, which was one of the most infamous SS combat units of World War Two. His former colleague, Hynek Matonoha, was also dismissed from the military last year for the use of Nazi insignia on his helmet. After the case surfaced last November, Czech politicians and military heads declared that troops should be severely punished for any demonstration of extremism.
Prague Monitor
Prague Monitor
GAY-LESBIAN GROUP OVERCOMES OPPOSITION AT U.N.
The United Nations on Monday accredited a major gay and lesbian organization that Egypt, Russia and others had tried to keep out as a group permitted to lobby at the world body. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, a U.S.-based advocacy group, had applied for "consultative status" at the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) three years ago. Last month, a U.N. committee that accredits nongovernmental groups rejected the application after "no" votes from countries including Egypt, Russia and China. Western diplomats vowed at the time to override the committee vote. The United States, Britain and other Western delegations urged the full 54-nation ECOSOC to vote on the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's application, which it did on Monday. It was approved with 23 "yes" votes, 13 "no" votes and 13 abstentions. Among those who voted "no" were once again Egypt, China and Russia, along with Niger, Morocco, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Those voting in favor included the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, Brazil and Japan. U.S. President Barack Obama hailed the outcome. "I welcome this important step forward for human rights," Obama said in a statement. "Today, with the more full inclusion of the International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission, the United Nations is closer to the ideals on which it was founded, and to values of inclusion and equality to which the United States is deeply committed." British Deputy Ambassador Philip Parham told ECOSOC that the group's presence at the world body "will add an important voice to our discussions at the U.N." Cary Alan Johnson, the group's director, said the decision was "an affirmation that the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have a place at the United Nations as part of a vital civil society community." "The clear message here is that these voices should not be silenced and that human rights cannot be denied on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity," Johnson said.
http://www.reuters.com/
http://www.reuters.com/
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Iraq inquiry: Saddam posed very limited threat to UK, ex-MI5 chief says
The former MI5 director general Eliza Manningham-Buller today delivered a withering assessment of the case for war against Iraq, saying it had significantly increased the terrorist threat to Britian.
Giving evidence to the Chilcot inquiry, Manningham-Buller said the threat posed by Saddam Hussein before the US-led invasion in 2003 was low.
But the toppling of Saddam allowed Osama bin Laden to gain a stronghold in Iraq and radicalised young Muslims in Britain, she said.
In evidence that undermined the case for war presented by the former prime minister Tony Blair, she was asked whether it was feared Saddam could have linked terrorists to weapons of mass destruction, facilitating their use against the west.
"It certainly wasn't of concern in either the short term or the medium term to me or my colleagues," she replied.
Manningham-Buller said the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan had radicalised parts of a generation of Muslims who saw the military actions as an "attack on Islam".
She added that, prior to the Iraq invasion, the prospect of it fuelling terrorism in the UK had been communicated through joint intelligence committee reports. She said she had also spoken to the home secretary about the risk.
Manningham-Buller was damning about the impact of the invasion on Iraq, saying the toppling of Saddam had allowed Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida to move in. "Arguably, we gave Osama bin Laden his Iraqi jihad," she added.
She said the focus on Iraq had "reduced the focus on Afghanistan", and was damning in her assessment of every stage of the invasion, from the low threat posed by Iraq and the quality of intelligence provided to the reconstruction process after Saddam was toppled.
Manningham-Buller said there was no evidence of Iraqi involvement in the September 11 attacks on the US, a view she said was shared by the CIA and which prompted the then US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to set up an alternative intelligence unit.
She revealed that, during a visit to New York, she had tried to persuade Paul Wolfowitz, the then deputy secretary of defence, not to disband the Iraqi army.
Asked whether she had any chance of succeeding, she said: "Not a hope." She said there was "plenty of evidence" that planning for the aftermath of the invasion was "not sufficiently done by the US".
Manningham-Buller said that by 2004, the year after the invasion, the British security services were "overburdened" by intelligence reports on terrorist plots posing a threat to the UK.
That was despite the fact that MI5's budget had been doubled after a request she made to Blair in the autumn of 2003.
To coincide with Manningham-Buller's evidence, a letter she sent to John Gieve (pdf), a permanent secretary at the home office a year before the Iraq invasion, was declassified.
In it, she wrote that there was "no credible evidence" Iraq was implicated in the September 11 attacks, and that Saddam was "unlikely" to order terrorist strikes unless "he perceives that the survival of his regime is threatened". She noted that the Iraqi dictator was more likely to use conventional weapons against targets in the region of Iraq than terrorism or chemical weapons against western states.
In her evidence to the inquiry, she said she had not subsequently changed the opinions expressed in the letter.
She told the panel the joint intelligence committee was "fallible" and "inadequately challenged" on Iraq and that the intelligence used to justify the invasion was not up to scratch.
Manningham-Butler did say that the threat of terrorism "shouldn't stop you from doing what is right" but that will prove scant comfort to the proponents of the war after one of the most damaging sessions of evidence heard at the Chilcot inquiry to date.
Asked by Sir John Chilcot if she had any general reflections, she replied: "The main one would be the danger of going to war on fragmentary intelligence."
The Guardian
Giving evidence to the Chilcot inquiry, Manningham-Buller said the threat posed by Saddam Hussein before the US-led invasion in 2003 was low.
But the toppling of Saddam allowed Osama bin Laden to gain a stronghold in Iraq and radicalised young Muslims in Britain, she said.
In evidence that undermined the case for war presented by the former prime minister Tony Blair, she was asked whether it was feared Saddam could have linked terrorists to weapons of mass destruction, facilitating their use against the west.
"It certainly wasn't of concern in either the short term or the medium term to me or my colleagues," she replied.
Manningham-Buller said the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan had radicalised parts of a generation of Muslims who saw the military actions as an "attack on Islam".
She added that, prior to the Iraq invasion, the prospect of it fuelling terrorism in the UK had been communicated through joint intelligence committee reports. She said she had also spoken to the home secretary about the risk.
Manningham-Buller was damning about the impact of the invasion on Iraq, saying the toppling of Saddam had allowed Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida to move in. "Arguably, we gave Osama bin Laden his Iraqi jihad," she added.
She said the focus on Iraq had "reduced the focus on Afghanistan", and was damning in her assessment of every stage of the invasion, from the low threat posed by Iraq and the quality of intelligence provided to the reconstruction process after Saddam was toppled.
Manningham-Buller said there was no evidence of Iraqi involvement in the September 11 attacks on the US, a view she said was shared by the CIA and which prompted the then US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to set up an alternative intelligence unit.
She revealed that, during a visit to New York, she had tried to persuade Paul Wolfowitz, the then deputy secretary of defence, not to disband the Iraqi army.
Asked whether she had any chance of succeeding, she said: "Not a hope." She said there was "plenty of evidence" that planning for the aftermath of the invasion was "not sufficiently done by the US".
Manningham-Buller said that by 2004, the year after the invasion, the British security services were "overburdened" by intelligence reports on terrorist plots posing a threat to the UK.
That was despite the fact that MI5's budget had been doubled after a request she made to Blair in the autumn of 2003.
To coincide with Manningham-Buller's evidence, a letter she sent to John Gieve (pdf), a permanent secretary at the home office a year before the Iraq invasion, was declassified.
In it, she wrote that there was "no credible evidence" Iraq was implicated in the September 11 attacks, and that Saddam was "unlikely" to order terrorist strikes unless "he perceives that the survival of his regime is threatened". She noted that the Iraqi dictator was more likely to use conventional weapons against targets in the region of Iraq than terrorism or chemical weapons against western states.
In her evidence to the inquiry, she said she had not subsequently changed the opinions expressed in the letter.
She told the panel the joint intelligence committee was "fallible" and "inadequately challenged" on Iraq and that the intelligence used to justify the invasion was not up to scratch.
Manningham-Butler did say that the threat of terrorism "shouldn't stop you from doing what is right" but that will prove scant comfort to the proponents of the war after one of the most damaging sessions of evidence heard at the Chilcot inquiry to date.
Asked by Sir John Chilcot if she had any general reflections, she replied: "The main one would be the danger of going to war on fragmentary intelligence."
The Guardian
Jobbik deputy group leader sacked for voicing concern over uniformed wing
Jobbik's deputy parliamentary group leader Lajos Posze has been removed from his post because of his comments distancing himself from the Hungarian Guard Movement, the uniformed arm of the party, are unacceptable, the leader of the radical nationalist party Gabor Vona told reporters on Monday.
Posze told conservative daily Magyar Nemzet at the weekend that it was unfortunate that the party's name was so often associated with the Guard - which has been outlawed - and other extremists. He said that his view was shared by several other members of the party's parliamentary group.
Vona told MTI that Posze's sacking served as a warning but further measures would not be taken. He said there was no difference of opinion between Jobbik and the Guard and added that the "friendly, brotherly relations" between the party and the movement would persist in the future.
Vona said that Posze had admitted fault in connection with his statement. He added that all MPs of the party have contributed 50,000 forints (EUR 173) each to a fund to help those they believe have been persecuted for practicing "their political right, the right to assembly."
Politics Hu
Posze told conservative daily Magyar Nemzet at the weekend that it was unfortunate that the party's name was so often associated with the Guard - which has been outlawed - and other extremists. He said that his view was shared by several other members of the party's parliamentary group.
Vona told MTI that Posze's sacking served as a warning but further measures would not be taken. He said there was no difference of opinion between Jobbik and the Guard and added that the "friendly, brotherly relations" between the party and the movement would persist in the future.
Vona said that Posze had admitted fault in connection with his statement. He added that all MPs of the party have contributed 50,000 forints (EUR 173) each to a fund to help those they believe have been persecuted for practicing "their political right, the right to assembly."
Politics Hu
Ceremonies mark anniversary of failed plot to kill Hitler
Ceremonies marking the anniversary of the failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler will be held at sites around Berlin on Tuesday, as Germany remembers the attempt that came closest to killing the Nazi leader.
Commemorations in the German capital on Tuesday will mark the anniversary of the failed plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The attempt on the life of the Nazi leader was the culmination of efforts by the German resistance.
The ceremonies begin with an ecumenical service at the Ploetzensee Memorial Center in Berlin, which commemorates the victims of the Nazi regime. The center, formally a prison, was the site of nearly 3,000 executions.
At midday, government officials will take part in a ceremony at the Bendler Block building to remember the fallen members of the German resistance, many of whom gave their lives in the effort to topple the Nazi regime.
The Bendler Block was the headquarters of the German officers who carried out the failed assassination attempt, known as Operation Valkyrie.
Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Bundesrat President Jens Boehrnsen will attend the event, which will be followed by the laying of wreaths at the site.
The ceremonies will also see over 400 soldiers in Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, give their pledge of allegiance in front of the Reichstag, the German parliament. The rite has been taken annually since July 20, 2008, to honor the plotters of the failed attempt on Hitler's life.
On July 20, 1944, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg planted a bomb in a briefcase inside Hitler's Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenberg in East Prussia, now a part of Poland.
The briefcase was positioned under an oak table in a room where Hitler and a host of Nazi military personnel were holding a meeting. However, one of the table's heavy supports protected Hitler from the explosion, leaving him virtually unscathed but killing four others.
Hours later, Stauffenberg flew back to Berlin in an attempt to initiate a military coup, but was rounded up, along with other accused co-conspirators, and executed in the courtyard of the Bendler Block building, from which the resistance had sought to initiate the post-assassination coup.
DW World
Commemorations in the German capital on Tuesday will mark the anniversary of the failed plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The attempt on the life of the Nazi leader was the culmination of efforts by the German resistance.
The ceremonies begin with an ecumenical service at the Ploetzensee Memorial Center in Berlin, which commemorates the victims of the Nazi regime. The center, formally a prison, was the site of nearly 3,000 executions.
At midday, government officials will take part in a ceremony at the Bendler Block building to remember the fallen members of the German resistance, many of whom gave their lives in the effort to topple the Nazi regime.
The Bendler Block was the headquarters of the German officers who carried out the failed assassination attempt, known as Operation Valkyrie.
Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Bundesrat President Jens Boehrnsen will attend the event, which will be followed by the laying of wreaths at the site.
The ceremonies will also see over 400 soldiers in Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, give their pledge of allegiance in front of the Reichstag, the German parliament. The rite has been taken annually since July 20, 2008, to honor the plotters of the failed attempt on Hitler's life.
On July 20, 1944, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg planted a bomb in a briefcase inside Hitler's Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenberg in East Prussia, now a part of Poland.
The briefcase was positioned under an oak table in a room where Hitler and a host of Nazi military personnel were holding a meeting. However, one of the table's heavy supports protected Hitler from the explosion, leaving him virtually unscathed but killing four others.
Hours later, Stauffenberg flew back to Berlin in an attempt to initiate a military coup, but was rounded up, along with other accused co-conspirators, and executed in the courtyard of the Bendler Block building, from which the resistance had sought to initiate the post-assassination coup.
DW World
COALITION TALKS REACH A CRUCIAL PHASE AS A NEW POLL GIVES WILDERS A WIDE LEAD (Netherlands)
Talks between the two Liberal parties D66 and VVD, Labour and the left-wing greens GroenLinks are heading towards a crucial phase this week, the NRC reports on Monday. The talks are now entering their third week and none of the party leaders would comment in any detail before Monday morning's session. In the meantime, it is apparent that the VVD have the most to lose from joining forces with the three left of centre parties, the paper says.
Differences
The party will have 31 out of 81 coalition seats in parliament if the talks come to fruition and is under pressure over its plans to slash government spending, the paper says. Over the past two weeks, the parties have been outlining their differences. 'The getting to know you phase is now over,' one insider told the paper.
Wilders
An internet poll by Maurice de Hond this weekend gave Geert Wilders' anti-Islam party 35 seats in parliament - making it by far the biggest party. The VVD lost eight seats in De Hond's poll, taking it back to 23. Labour was second - down three seats at 27. Wilders on Monday made a personal plea to VVD leader Mark Rutte not to join forces with Labour and the others. 'Purple plus will be a nightmare for the VVD,' Wilders said. Purple plus refers to the mixture of party colours. Initial talks on forming a right-wing coalition between the PVV,VVD and Christian Democrats stalled over CDA reluctance to get involved.
Dutch News
Differences
The party will have 31 out of 81 coalition seats in parliament if the talks come to fruition and is under pressure over its plans to slash government spending, the paper says. Over the past two weeks, the parties have been outlining their differences. 'The getting to know you phase is now over,' one insider told the paper.
Wilders
An internet poll by Maurice de Hond this weekend gave Geert Wilders' anti-Islam party 35 seats in parliament - making it by far the biggest party. The VVD lost eight seats in De Hond's poll, taking it back to 23. Labour was second - down three seats at 27. Wilders on Monday made a personal plea to VVD leader Mark Rutte not to join forces with Labour and the others. 'Purple plus will be a nightmare for the VVD,' Wilders said. Purple plus refers to the mixture of party colours. Initial talks on forming a right-wing coalition between the PVV,VVD and Christian Democrats stalled over CDA reluctance to get involved.
Dutch News
Monday, 19 July 2010
WOMEN STERILISED WITHOUT CONSENT IN CAMPAIGN TO LOWER BIRTHRATE (Usbekistan)
Saodat Rakhimbayeva says she wishes she had died with her newborn baby. The 24-year-old housewife had a Caesarean section in March and gave birth prematurely to her son Ibrohim, who died three days later. Then came a further devastating blow: She learned that the surgeon had removed part of her uterus during the operation, making her sterile. The doctor told her the hysterectomy was necessary to remove a potentially cancerous cyst, while she believes he sterilised her as part of a state campaign to reduce birthrates. "He never asked for my approval, never ran any checks, just mutilated me as if I were a mute animal," the pale and fragile Mrs Rakhimbayeva said. "I should have just died with Ibrohim." According to rights groups, victims and health officials, Mrs Rakhimbayeva is one of hundreds of Uzbek women who have been surgically sterilised without their knowledge or consent. Human rights advocates and doctors say autocratic president Islam Karimov this year ramped up a sterilisation campaign he initiated in the late 1990s. In a decree in February, the health ministry ordered all medical facilities to "strengthen control over the medical examination of women of childbearing age". It did not specifically mandate sterilisations, but critics allege that doctors have come under direct pressure from the government to perform them: "The order comes from the very top," said Khaitboy Yakubov, head of the Najot human rights group in Uzbekistan. The Central Asian nation of 27 million has a population density among the world's highest in areas such as the fertile Ferghana Valley. Rights groups say the government is dealing with poverty, unemployment and severe economic and environmental problems that have triggered an exodus of Uzbek migrants to Russia and other countries. Heightening the government's fears is the spectre of legions of jobless men in predominantly Muslim Uzbekistan succumbing to the lure of Islamic radical groups. Uzbekistan once had one of the Soviet Union's highest birthrates, four to five children per woman.
Scotsman
Scotsman
Violence flares at English Defence League’s Dudley protest
Admin : A revised figure is that 21 people were arrested in the disturbance in Dudley on Saturday.
Taxpayers and traders were today a facing a bill of at least £150,000 after a controversial protest brought Dudley town centre to a standstill.
Houses and cars were damaged, missiles were hurled at officers and steel fences were pulled down as trouble flared between demonstrators and police.
Shops were boarded up, the market cancelled and roads closed in preparation for the arrival of hundreds of English Defence League protestors from across the country.
Councillor Anne Millward, leader of the council, said today the protest had cost the authority more than £150,000 and businesses, forced to close for the day, had also been hit hard by the loss of trade.
By 2pm on Saturday there were around 600 protesters on the protest site at the car park in Stafford Street, less than half of the 1,500 police had been expecting.
They continued to chant and rattle the fencing until around 2.20pm, when a group of around 200 protesters broke through the gates and headed towards Greystone Street and Steppingstone Street where they met lines of police and vans.
Bricks and cans were thrown at officers forcing them to change into riot gear and police dogs were brought in as a back-up. After a 10-minute stand-off with police the protesters returned to the car park.
After speeches the protest drew to a close at around 3.30pm, but trouble flared again as several hundred tried to get to Tower Street where the Interfaith Network and Unite Against Fascism (UAF), were holding their own event. The EDL protesters were met by a barrier of officers in riot gear and after some 40 minutes most of them made their way towards their coaches.
The EDL said it was demonstrating against a planned £18million mosque in Hall Street but Dudley Council said protest was “pointless” as talks continue with Muslim leaders over an alternative to the scheme.
Councillor Millward said: “Yet again this group of outside extremists brought disorder and violence to our town.
“Honest, hard working people who run local shops and businesses have again been hit as hard as anyone.
“The local authority share their frustrations and expect the protest will have again cost the council in excess of £150,000.
“This was the same when the EDL protested in April, and is clearly a complete waste of local taxpayers’ money.”
Express and Star
Taxpayers and traders were today a facing a bill of at least £150,000 after a controversial protest brought Dudley town centre to a standstill.
Houses and cars were damaged, missiles were hurled at officers and steel fences were pulled down as trouble flared between demonstrators and police.
Shops were boarded up, the market cancelled and roads closed in preparation for the arrival of hundreds of English Defence League protestors from across the country.
Councillor Anne Millward, leader of the council, said today the protest had cost the authority more than £150,000 and businesses, forced to close for the day, had also been hit hard by the loss of trade.
By 2pm on Saturday there were around 600 protesters on the protest site at the car park in Stafford Street, less than half of the 1,500 police had been expecting.
They continued to chant and rattle the fencing until around 2.20pm, when a group of around 200 protesters broke through the gates and headed towards Greystone Street and Steppingstone Street where they met lines of police and vans.
Bricks and cans were thrown at officers forcing them to change into riot gear and police dogs were brought in as a back-up. After a 10-minute stand-off with police the protesters returned to the car park.
After speeches the protest drew to a close at around 3.30pm, but trouble flared again as several hundred tried to get to Tower Street where the Interfaith Network and Unite Against Fascism (UAF), were holding their own event. The EDL protesters were met by a barrier of officers in riot gear and after some 40 minutes most of them made their way towards their coaches.
The EDL said it was demonstrating against a planned £18million mosque in Hall Street but Dudley Council said protest was “pointless” as talks continue with Muslim leaders over an alternative to the scheme.
Councillor Millward said: “Yet again this group of outside extremists brought disorder and violence to our town.
“Honest, hard working people who run local shops and businesses have again been hit as hard as anyone.
“The local authority share their frustrations and expect the protest will have again cost the council in excess of £150,000.
“This was the same when the EDL protested in April, and is clearly a complete waste of local taxpayers’ money.”
Express and Star
BULGARIANS PROTEST AGAINST ARREST OF ALLEGED NEO-NAZI ATTACKERS
About 200 people gathered Sunday for a protest procession against the arrest of six alleged “neo-Nazi” who have been arrested for attacking youngsters in a tram in the Bulgarian capital. On June 6, boys with hoods on attacked four people between 17 and 23 years of age, who were on their way to a rally against the illegal detention of foreigners at the Special Center for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners in the Sofia suburb Busmantsi, widely known as the Bulgarian Guantanamo. According to the Prosecution's Office, the attackers were Dimitar Lazarov, Vasil Pavlov, Matey Penev, Emil Aleksiev, Rosen Kanev, and Mario Abdel Gamal. The Sunday rally has been organized through a group in Facebook, which gathered 160 supporters. The protest started from the National Palace of Culture and ended in front of the courthouse, where the protesters have put posters of the fense saying “Freedom for Mitko” and “Freedom for Rosen”. Many of the protesters have worn t-shirts saying “Emo is innocent”, “Justice for Rosen” and “Justice for Mario”. The parents of some of the accused have also joined the rally. According to them, the boys have been set up and the real perpetrators have not been found yet.
The father of one of the arrested boys has claimed that his son has been home at the time of the incident. He said he does not have an explanation why his son's name was on the defendants' list. Rosen Kanev's mother has also claimed her son was home all day on June 6. At the rally, she has been wearing a t-shirt saying “The true perpetrators are free, the innocent are in jail”. According to her, the attack in the tram has been done by an ambassador's son and Rosen was only a scapegoat. Rosen's friends have admitted he had hooliganism activities in the past but in their words, they had nothing in common with the attack in the tram. “If his file was clean, he would not have been arrested because there are no proofs for his guilt,” said one of the protesters and added that Rosen will be in jail until September because the judges were “on vacation”. Other participants in the rally have also wondered if there were other proofs against the six boys except that the victims have recognized them in photos. Some protesters expressed their concerns that the arrests have been done only in order to prove that the Bulgarian police is working effectively. “The boys have been caught in a situation where each one of us may fall too and this is why they should be supported,” the protesters said.
Novinite
The father of one of the arrested boys has claimed that his son has been home at the time of the incident. He said he does not have an explanation why his son's name was on the defendants' list. Rosen Kanev's mother has also claimed her son was home all day on June 6. At the rally, she has been wearing a t-shirt saying “The true perpetrators are free, the innocent are in jail”. According to her, the attack in the tram has been done by an ambassador's son and Rosen was only a scapegoat. Rosen's friends have admitted he had hooliganism activities in the past but in their words, they had nothing in common with the attack in the tram. “If his file was clean, he would not have been arrested because there are no proofs for his guilt,” said one of the protesters and added that Rosen will be in jail until September because the judges were “on vacation”. Other participants in the rally have also wondered if there were other proofs against the six boys except that the victims have recognized them in photos. Some protesters expressed their concerns that the arrests have been done only in order to prove that the Bulgarian police is working effectively. “The boys have been caught in a situation where each one of us may fall too and this is why they should be supported,” the protesters said.
Novinite
Two spoiler candidates bid for BNP leadership
Barnbrook is one of three candidates who have declared their intention to try to replace Nick Griffin as leader of the racist party. He and Derek Adams are latecomers to the contest, although Eddy Butler, who has been actively gathering support since May, has predicted for some time that Griffin would put up a “stooge” candidate.
Candidates for the leadership have to obtain nominations from 20% of the 4,200 members of at least two years’ standing, something that Butler describes as “incredibly difficult” as most of those 4,200 are “armchair members, unknown to most organisers and activists”. The more candidates, the more difficult it is for any one of them to obtain the 840 signatures needed.
On Sunday Butler claimed that the mastermind of the “stalking horse” campaign was Patrick Harrington, Griffin’s old friend from his National Front days, who is now a member of the executive committee of Third Way, a rival to the BNP. Harrington was recently taken onto the BNP’s payroll in a human resources role, a bizarre position for the general secretary of a trade union, except that “Solidarity” is not a real union but a BNP front. It is unlikely there will be any action soon from Solidarity to represent those BNP employees who were not paid in June because the party has run out of money.
Barnbrook, the BNP’s London Assembly member, is prominent in the BNP in London and the south of the country. It had been thought that he was supporting Butler and had been sacked as the party’s Barking and Dagenham organiser because of it. However Butler says enigmatically that Chris Roberts, the BNP’s London organiser, replaced Barnbrook by an unnamed “hard working and well respected local activist who is, I believe, a supporter of Nick Griffin”, so that Barnbrook could concentrate on his London Assembly role.
Adams, who used to run a pub in Manchester that was used for a BNP victory rally after Griffin’s election to the European Parliament last year, is more likely to attract support among BNP members in the north. His electoral pitch amounts to very little: he loves the BNP, it is doing very well, but if you think a change is needed then nominate me, a “clean-hands candidate who will be a fresh face but who, unlike Mr Butler, has not sought to advance my candidacy by working with supporters who spread lies and black propaganda”. Despite his claim not to be “a stalking horse for undeclared and shadowy third parties”, his parroting of Griffin’s line shows that is exactly what he is.
Although Griffin does not need to collect signatures as his name goes forward automatically, he has also set out his stall in the hope that members will tick the box on the “official” nomination form in support of him continuing rather than nominating Butler. Hypocritically he, who has so often sacked party employees on the spot in contravention of employment legislation, and has most recently incurred a huge liability to settle with Michaela Mackenzie who took her unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal, argues against Butler’s plan to close the party’s Belfast call centre as it would mean breaking contracts and sacking “our young team”.
Arrogant as always, Griffin does not appeal for support but for no election at all. “In ten years, our activists and I have turned this party from a bad political joke into a major factor in British politics. There is still much to be done, and it is best done under proven, principled and visionary leadership, without futile, time-wasting elections.”
Many supporters and opponents of the BNP believe that the party remains a “bad political joke”, judging by Griffin’s recent actions, such as making the party liable for up to £170,000 because of his stupid and infantile act of including the image of a jar of Marmite on the BNP’s general election broadcast.
The announcement of the candidates on the BNP website, posted on the BNP website in the early hours of Monday 19 July, makes a point of listing the candidates’ 150-word statements in alphabetical order. Is it coincidence that both the new candidates appear higher in the alphabet than Butler, in a petty ploy to exploit the ultra short attention span of many BNP members?
The official scrutineer, whose job it will be to collect nomination forms from the PO Box set up for the purpose and to open them, is Andrew Brons MEP. Brons works closely with Griffin in the European Parliament and shares constituency office staff with him. It is unclear whether Butler agrees that Brons’s appointment is the “fairest way” to ensure that the “process is seen to be fair and totally impartial”.
Butler has rejected the election rules, drawn up by Clive Jefferson as head of the BNP’s “elections department”, under which nominations for the leadership can only be made by members personally posting their “official” nomination form, with witnessed signature, to Brons. He continues to urge his supporters to download forms from his blog (the existence of which is itself a contravention of Jefferson’s rules) and to return them to him.
Nominations close on 10 August, after which a new outbreak of accusations and recriminations about whether Butler has been validly nominated is expected, a row that is likely to end up in court.
Hope Not Hate
AS FAR RIGHT GROUP PLAN MARCH TO CITY CENOTAPH (uk)
The Scottish Defence League is planning a march on Glasgow to pay tribute to soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan – despite a
veterans’ group warning that troops do not want its support. An application has been lodged with Glasgow City Council for a march on Saturday, September 18, during which up to 250 members of the far right organisation will lay a wreath at the Cenotaph on George Square. Its March for Heroes is part of a fresh bid to win support in Scotland, after dismal marches on major Scottish cities where the SDL was hugely outnumbered by counter-demonstrators and bussed off by police. The event is intended to pay tribute to soldiers fighting in current wars as well as the veterans of past conflicts. But The British Legion, which represents soldiers and veterans, said the armed forces would be furious that the cenotaph was being used as the fulcrum for a protest. George Ross, general secretary of the Royal British Legion Scotland, said: “The Cenotaph is there to remind us all of the sacrifice of
individuals, past and present, who have given their lives in the line of duty to bring about democracy and freedom.
“The legion would not get involved in any political events. “Using the cenotaph to make a political point is totally wrong. It’s disgraceful.” When asked if veterans of either modern conflicts or past wars would be angry about the SDL’s protest, Ross said: “Yes. We are one great country. We believe in democracy and freedom, which our forefathers fought to bring about.” Aamer Anwar, the human rights lawyer who brought together rival political parties, trade unions and activists under the banner of Scotland United to oppose the SDL, said: “I think the whole of Scotland and Glasgow will be united in their disgust and will be determined to make sure these people do not get to march in the city.” The SDL has not previously sought permission for marches in Edinburgh or Glasgow. A form which was submitted to Glasgow City Council ahead of its abortive rally last year did not have a full name on it, rendering the application ineligible. The current application was filed by a Mr Scott Clinton and seconded by Mr D Close. The address was given as an office building in Glasgow. Clinton did not want to speak to the Sunday Herald. The far right organisation is trying to regroup after being confronted with mass protests when it attempted to rally in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A previous march in Kilmarnock in protest at the opening of a mosque marked a change in tactics, targeting a smaller town to avoid the same scale of opposition. However, it has no clear leadership structure in Scotland, relying on small, cell-like groups that do not have contact with each other. The man who led the Kilmarnock demonstration, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t know who Scott Clinton is. “There are different divisions, which is our strategy. “The EDL don’t have a lot to do with us. They just let us do our own thing.” Glasgow City Council has not yet met with police and organisers of the march, or decided whether it will allow it to go ahead.
Herald Scotland
“The legion would not get involved in any political events. “Using the cenotaph to make a political point is totally wrong. It’s disgraceful.” When asked if veterans of either modern conflicts or past wars would be angry about the SDL’s protest, Ross said: “Yes. We are one great country. We believe in democracy and freedom, which our forefathers fought to bring about.” Aamer Anwar, the human rights lawyer who brought together rival political parties, trade unions and activists under the banner of Scotland United to oppose the SDL, said: “I think the whole of Scotland and Glasgow will be united in their disgust and will be determined to make sure these people do not get to march in the city.” The SDL has not previously sought permission for marches in Edinburgh or Glasgow. A form which was submitted to Glasgow City Council ahead of its abortive rally last year did not have a full name on it, rendering the application ineligible. The current application was filed by a Mr Scott Clinton and seconded by Mr D Close. The address was given as an office building in Glasgow. Clinton did not want to speak to the Sunday Herald. The far right organisation is trying to regroup after being confronted with mass protests when it attempted to rally in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A previous march in Kilmarnock in protest at the opening of a mosque marked a change in tactics, targeting a smaller town to avoid the same scale of opposition. However, it has no clear leadership structure in Scotland, relying on small, cell-like groups that do not have contact with each other. The man who led the Kilmarnock demonstration, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t know who Scott Clinton is. “There are different divisions, which is our strategy. “The EDL don’t have a lot to do with us. They just let us do our own thing.” Glasgow City Council has not yet met with police and organisers of the march, or decided whether it will allow it to go ahead.
Herald Scotland
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Dudley protest collision 'not deliberate'
The ambulance service was called to the incident in King Street, Dudley, at 1605 BST on Saturday.
West Midlands Police said initial witness accounts had suggested that a family car had become caught up in a small pocket of protesters.
No-one received life-threatening injuries in the incident.
A force spokesman said the investigation was in its very early stages.
He added: "Whilst trying to work its way clear the car collided with some of the protesters as they left the protest area."
The force said on Sunday it was starting a separate post-event investigation into disorder and criminal offences which happened in Dudley on Saturday.
Twenty-one arrests were made during a police operation - 17 for violent disorder, two for affray, one for a public order offence and one for possession of an offensive weapon.
The force said it was starting inquiries into incidents reported, including criminal damage to buildings and incidents of disorder.
Anti-fascist group Unite Against Fascism held a counter-protest against the English Defence League, which says it is against Islamic extremism in the UK.
BBC News
Stasi files shed light on West German spy agency's Nazi past
It's one of the country's worst-kept secrets. Yet questions still surround the presence of former Nazis and war criminals in West Germany's police, secret service (BND) and politics. Who were those people, what positions did they hold in Nazi Germany and later in post-war West Germany?
Crucial information about the BND's past has long been hidden in the Stasi files - the vast archive of information meticulously gathered by former Communist East Germany's secret police, the Stasi. The aim was to either blackmail Western agents or to discredit its capitalist neighbor to the west.
After reunification some of those documents were made available, but parts of the archives remained locked away for reasons of data privacy.
Continuity between Nazis and West Germany
Recently, the last remaining documents from the Stasi files were released to the public. Journalist Andreas Foerster had requested them as early as the year 2000, but his request was turned down twice. After persisting for years, he was finally granted access.
Foerster outlined how one policeman climbed through the Nazi ranks and was ultimately employed after the war by West Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the domestic security service.
"In 1944, he became an SS member and worked in the Dachau concentration camp," Foerster said in an interview with Deutsche Welle. "The Nazi documents indicate he did such a good job that he was transferred to Auschwitz. There, he worked in the so-called department for pest control - that's where they ordered and received the Cyclon B gas which was then used in the gas chambers of Auschwitz."
The main task of West Germany's secret service after World War II was to work against the Soviet Union, and when it came to recruiting staff, a Nazi past was often overlooked if the recruit seemed capable of playing a useful role in the new struggle against communism.
The Nazi past of those cases was well known to their organizations, but it just didn't seem to matter, Foerster said.
Much of the information being released in Germany is already available in the United States. The 1998 Nazi War Criminal Disclosure Act led to the CIA releasing more than 700 files on Germans with whom the US had worked in the aftermath of World War II - even though they were known war criminals.
Reluctance to confront the past
West Germany's intelligence service had a relatively high number of former Nazis and war criminals in its ranks in its early years.
"Some 20 to 25 percent of the secret service were former SS men," Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, the head of a research institute that monitors intelligence services, told Deutsche Welle.
"But if you broaden this to include the generals and officers in the regular armed forces, the Wehrmacht, who'd been involved in war crimes - then this may add up to 50 percent of the Gehlen organization, which was initiated by the CIA and was the immediate predecessor to the secret service, being made up of war criminals," he added.
The BND itself was formed out of the Gehlen Organization, headed by legendary spymaster Reinhard Gehlen - a former German army general who worked as an intelligence officer on Hitler's eastern front.
Over the years, the BND has made several attempts to shed some light on its shady past. Between 1962 and 1965, an internal inquiry looked into its members' Nazi links. As a result, 70 people had to leave the secret service. But they were only a fraction of the number who should have been sent packing, critics have said. The domestic intelligence service did a similar internal inquiry and also let a number of people go.
"But these things were all only internal inquiries," Foerster said. "That's what these organizations still stand to answer for. Those who had to leave left quietly and, of course, still get their pension. Neither the BND nor the domestic intelligence service have to this day openly dealt with their Nazi roots"
The Stasi documents on the issue are now finally all open to research. What remains classified are archives of the organizations themselves.
In 2006, the BND said it would fund a research project into its own past, but little progress has been made. The historian chosen for the project quit in 2008 over what he said was a lack of support for his work.
DU World
Crucial information about the BND's past has long been hidden in the Stasi files - the vast archive of information meticulously gathered by former Communist East Germany's secret police, the Stasi. The aim was to either blackmail Western agents or to discredit its capitalist neighbor to the west.
After reunification some of those documents were made available, but parts of the archives remained locked away for reasons of data privacy.
Continuity between Nazis and West Germany
Recently, the last remaining documents from the Stasi files were released to the public. Journalist Andreas Foerster had requested them as early as the year 2000, but his request was turned down twice. After persisting for years, he was finally granted access.
Foerster outlined how one policeman climbed through the Nazi ranks and was ultimately employed after the war by West Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the domestic security service.
"In 1944, he became an SS member and worked in the Dachau concentration camp," Foerster said in an interview with Deutsche Welle. "The Nazi documents indicate he did such a good job that he was transferred to Auschwitz. There, he worked in the so-called department for pest control - that's where they ordered and received the Cyclon B gas which was then used in the gas chambers of Auschwitz."
The main task of West Germany's secret service after World War II was to work against the Soviet Union, and when it came to recruiting staff, a Nazi past was often overlooked if the recruit seemed capable of playing a useful role in the new struggle against communism.
The Nazi past of those cases was well known to their organizations, but it just didn't seem to matter, Foerster said.
Much of the information being released in Germany is already available in the United States. The 1998 Nazi War Criminal Disclosure Act led to the CIA releasing more than 700 files on Germans with whom the US had worked in the aftermath of World War II - even though they were known war criminals.
Reluctance to confront the past
West Germany's intelligence service had a relatively high number of former Nazis and war criminals in its ranks in its early years.
"Some 20 to 25 percent of the secret service were former SS men," Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, the head of a research institute that monitors intelligence services, told Deutsche Welle.
"But if you broaden this to include the generals and officers in the regular armed forces, the Wehrmacht, who'd been involved in war crimes - then this may add up to 50 percent of the Gehlen organization, which was initiated by the CIA and was the immediate predecessor to the secret service, being made up of war criminals," he added.
The BND itself was formed out of the Gehlen Organization, headed by legendary spymaster Reinhard Gehlen - a former German army general who worked as an intelligence officer on Hitler's eastern front.
Over the years, the BND has made several attempts to shed some light on its shady past. Between 1962 and 1965, an internal inquiry looked into its members' Nazi links. As a result, 70 people had to leave the secret service. But they were only a fraction of the number who should have been sent packing, critics have said. The domestic intelligence service did a similar internal inquiry and also let a number of people go.
"But these things were all only internal inquiries," Foerster said. "That's what these organizations still stand to answer for. Those who had to leave left quietly and, of course, still get their pension. Neither the BND nor the domestic intelligence service have to this day openly dealt with their Nazi roots"
The Stasi documents on the issue are now finally all open to research. What remains classified are archives of the organizations themselves.
In 2006, the BND said it would fund a research project into its own past, but little progress has been made. The historian chosen for the project quit in 2008 over what he said was a lack of support for his work.
DU World
Man with neo-Nazi ties leading border patrols (USA)
Jason "J.T." Ready, a 37-year-old ex-Marine, is taking matters into his own hands, declaring war on "narco-terrorists" and keeping an eye out for illegal immigrants. So far, he says, his patrols have found only a few border crossers, who were given water and handed over to the Border Patrol. Once, a patrol found a decaying body in a wash and alerted authorities.
But local law enforcement officials are nervous given that Ready's group is heavily armed and identifies with the National Socialist Movement, an organization proclaiming that only non-Jewish, white heterosexuals should be American citizens and that everyone who isn't white should leave the country peacefully or by force.
Ready said he takes offense at the term "neo-Nazi" but admits he identifies with the National Socialist Movement.
"We're not going to sit around and wait for the government anymore," he said. "This is what our founding fathers did."
Ready is a reflection of the anger over illegal immigration in Arizona. In April, Gov. Jan Brewer signed a controversial new immigration law that requires police officers to question a person's immigration status if they have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally.
But Brewer hasn't done enough, Ready said, and he's not satisfied with President Barack Obama's decision to beef up federal security forces at the border.
Law enforcement officials said patrols such as Ready's could undercut the work of the thousands of officers on duty every day along the border, especially if the patrols try to carry out vigilante justice.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said there haven't been any incidents with the group as it patrols in his jurisdiction.
But Babeu is concerned because an untrained group acting without the authority of the law could cause "extreme problems" and put itself and others in danger.
"I'm not inviting them. And in fact, I'd rather they not come," Babeu said. "Especially those who espouse hatred or bigotry such as his."
Statesman.Com
CRACKDOWN ON ‘HIDDEN’ HATE CRIMES AGAINST THE DISABLED (uk)
A ‘hidden’ crime is being targeted in Greater Manchester. Lawyers and police believe hundreds of cases of disability hate crime go unreported every year – from abusive name calling to theft or assault. Three years ago, just five people were successfully prosecuted in the region but last year the figure rose to 34. And this week an open day will be held at Bury police station and the town’s magistrates’ court to give victims the confidence to report crimes. Earlier this week, the M.E.N revealed how a bus driver was caught on camera refusing to help a woman in a wheelchair get off his single-decker. Award-winning disability rights campaigner Renu Duggal criticised the driver for ignoring her pleas to put a ramp out so she could alight. Her son, Arjun, filmed the incident on his mobile phone. Alison Mutch, chief crown prosecutor for Bury, Bolton, and Wigan, and lead lawyer on disability hate crime, said: “A conference was held in Manchester to which 80 people from disability groups were invited to discuss how the criminal justice system works in relation to this type of crime.” She said that as part of an action plan the open day is being put on – and around 45 people, with physical and learning disabilities, have signed up to attend. The day will focus on how the police and the justice system deal with hate crime cases and it will demonstrate how disabled victims can give evidence through video links and even take a break in the hearing if medication is needed. The prosecutor added: “The police station has full disabled access, but buttons and ramps don’t mean a thing if the attitude of staff dealing with complaints doesn’t give victims confidence.
Support
“We have had great support from the police but there is a lot of fear about reporting disability hate crime – people fear they will not be taken seriously. “We want to assure people that they will.” In 2007, Greater Manchester’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dealt with five defendants involved in disability hate crimes and all were successfully prosecuted. In 2008, 24 were prosecuted, 19 convicted, and last year there were 42 defendants dealt with, 34 of whom were convicted. So far this year 24 out 27 defendants have been convicted. Stacey Davis, community engagement manager for the CPS (north west), said: “We have spoken to disabled people who have suffered hate crimes. One lady was living at home being looked after by a carer and her food was being spat on. “She was warned that if she complained she would be taken into care.” In another case, a disabled man’s coat was set on fire and an able bodied girl was bullied at school because her parents are disabled. She added: “If a crime is not reported a situation can escalate. Sometimes a disabled person will not want a prosecution – a visit from a police officer and a caution – something to get the behaviour stopped will be enough.”
Manchester evening news
Support
“We have had great support from the police but there is a lot of fear about reporting disability hate crime – people fear they will not be taken seriously. “We want to assure people that they will.” In 2007, Greater Manchester’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dealt with five defendants involved in disability hate crimes and all were successfully prosecuted. In 2008, 24 were prosecuted, 19 convicted, and last year there were 42 defendants dealt with, 34 of whom were convicted. So far this year 24 out 27 defendants have been convicted. Stacey Davis, community engagement manager for the CPS (north west), said: “We have spoken to disabled people who have suffered hate crimes. One lady was living at home being looked after by a carer and her food was being spat on. “She was warned that if she complained she would be taken into care.” In another case, a disabled man’s coat was set on fire and an able bodied girl was bullied at school because her parents are disabled. She added: “If a crime is not reported a situation can escalate. Sometimes a disabled person will not want a prosecution – a visit from a police officer and a caution – something to get the behaviour stopped will be enough.”
Manchester evening news
VANDALS DESECRATE GRAVE OF POLISH HOLOCAUST HEROINE (Poland)
Vandals have desecrated the grave of a Polish woman who saved about 2,500 Jewish children from death during World War II, the public TVP television channel announced. The words "Jews out" were sprayed on the Warsaw grave of Irena Sendler, who spirited out Jewish children from the city's Ghetto to Catholic institutions and convents to save them from death, images on television showed. Sendler, a Catholic, organised the smuggling of children out of the Ghetto, in boxes, suitcases and trolleys, under the pretext of conducting inspections of sanitary conditions during a typhoid outbreak. The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel recognised her as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, a special honour awarded to those who did most to help the Jews escape the Nazis. Sendler died in May 2008 at the age of 98.
AFP
AFP
BNP hate party face ruin over joke Marmite ad
Nick Griffin’s racist BNP is facing financial ruin after featuring Marmite in an election broadcast.The party was hit with a massive claim – estimated at up to £170,000 – over the TV stunt, in which leader Griffin was pictured beside a huge jar of the spread.
The party then showed a jar of Marmite – slogan “Love it or hate it” – with its own motto “Love Britain Vote BNP”.
Griffin claimed he intended the film as a humorous dig at Marmite, who he believed had mocked the BNP in their online and TV ads featuring a “Love Party” and their rivals the “Hate Party”, whose leader appeared to be loosely based on Griffin.
But bosses at Marmite makers Unilever were furious at the BNP broadcast and began High Court proceedings for breach of copyright.
BNP caved in and the amount claimed is put by insiders at between £70,000 and £170,000.
Former National Organiser Eddy Butler has said the BNP is “on the brink of bankruptcy”.
And last night a spokesman for anti-racism group Searchlight said: “The Marmite fiasco has been a disaster from start to finish for Griffin.”
Unilever confirmed a settlement had been reached but said the terms were confidential.
Sunday Mirror
Saturday, 17 July 2010
EDL UPDATE - Council leader condemns "pointless" protests
The leader of Dudley Council has condemened today's "pointless" protests, which are expected to have cost borough taxpayers a further £150,000.
Councillor Anne Millward,said: “We are extremely saddened that Dudley has again been targeted by the English Defence League. Yet again this group of outside extremists have shown they are incapable of demonstrating peacefully and have brought public disorder and violence to our town.
“While the number of EDL protesters was significantly fewer than their protest in April, those that did come appeared to be intent on causing trouble.
“I hope the drop in numbers from around 1,500 to less than 500 is a result of more people seeing the EDL for what they are and recognising that they have no place in Dudley and make no positive contribution to local issues."
Mrs Millward added: "Dudley Council does not have the powers to ban this protest but we have made it clear from the outset that we are opposed to the EDL and have worked closely with the police to do all we could to protect, reassure and support local people.
“People from all backgrounds across Dudley get on well together and I am sad that many have felt intimidated and had their weekend affected by these outside extremists.
“Honest, hard working people who run local shops and businesses have again been hit as hard as anyone by the EDL’s pointless protest. While we were encouraged to see some open for business, many were again forced to close for the day.
“The local authority fully share their frustrations and expect the protest will have again cost the council in excess of £150,000. This was the same when the EDL protested in April and is clearly a complete waste of local taxpayers money.”
Stourbridge News
Councillor Anne Millward,said: “We are extremely saddened that Dudley has again been targeted by the English Defence League. Yet again this group of outside extremists have shown they are incapable of demonstrating peacefully and have brought public disorder and violence to our town.
“While the number of EDL protesters was significantly fewer than their protest in April, those that did come appeared to be intent on causing trouble.
“I hope the drop in numbers from around 1,500 to less than 500 is a result of more people seeing the EDL for what they are and recognising that they have no place in Dudley and make no positive contribution to local issues."
Mrs Millward added: "Dudley Council does not have the powers to ban this protest but we have made it clear from the outset that we are opposed to the EDL and have worked closely with the police to do all we could to protect, reassure and support local people.
“People from all backgrounds across Dudley get on well together and I am sad that many have felt intimidated and had their weekend affected by these outside extremists.
“Honest, hard working people who run local shops and businesses have again been hit as hard as anyone by the EDL’s pointless protest. While we were encouraged to see some open for business, many were again forced to close for the day.
“The local authority fully share their frustrations and expect the protest will have again cost the council in excess of £150,000. This was the same when the EDL protested in April and is clearly a complete waste of local taxpayers money.”
Stourbridge News
HUNGARY PM VOWS TO OUTLAW FAR-RIGHT GUARD MOVEMENT
Hungary's prime minister said on Thursday he would outlaw the radical nationalist Hungarian Guard, a movement backed by the far-right Jobbik party, describing it as an agent of disorder. The Hungarian Guard, whose members stage marches in black uniforms in areas where they say security is low, was dissolved by a court ruling last year only to be resurrected recently under a different name. It seeks to protect what it calls national values, being criticised for staging anti-Roma marches. Its opponents say its uniform and insignia are reminiscent of the Nazi era. The Guard is backed by the Jobbik party, which became the third-biggest force with 47 lawmakers in parliament at elections in April and whose leader, Gabor Vona, took the oath of office wearing the movement's black waistcoat. Speaking at a news conference after meeting Jobbik MPs, Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- whose centre-right Fidesz holds a two-thirds majority in parliament -- said he opposed not just the movement but the philosophy behind it as well. Orban said the resurrection of the movement under a different name, the Hungarian National Guard, was the abuse of a right and that he would not accept any organisation challenging the state's monopoly on maintaining order. "This manner of interpreting the law points towards disorder. The Hungarian Guard itself sweeps Hungary towards a lack of order as opposed to order," Orban said. "I will not rest until legal regulation exists which unequivocally rules out the possibility of this game of hide and seek that we are now experiencing." "This is not worthy of a democracy and a constitutional system," Orban said. Fidesz had 66 percent support among decided voters in early July according to a recent poll, while Jobbik scored 12 percent.
Reuters
Reuters
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