About 30 Muslim graves have been desecrated in Carcassone, south-west France. A legal inquiry has been launched to find the perpetrators and punish them.
The caretaker of the military cemetery of Saint-Michel de la ville discovered racist and Nazi slogans daubed on the gravestones when he closed up on Saturday.
The graves belonged to Muslims killed fighting for France during World War I and were immediately repainted and restored.
The graffiti were “really racist” and “particularly disgusting”, according to Carcassonne prosecutor Antoine Leroy, who has opened an inquiry into the incident.
http://www.english.rfi.fr/france
Monday, 19 September 2011
ANTI-ROMA DEMONSTRATION STAGED IN VARNSDORF (Czech Rep.)
Some 500 members of majority population came to an anti-Romany demonstration in the north Bohemian town of Varnsdorf this afternoon, local police spokeswoman Jarmila Hrubesova told CTK Saturday. However, the police blocked the road of the marchers to the hostel mostly inhabited by Romanies and then the anti-Romany protest was dissolved. There were no incident during the march, but the police detained two persons, Hrubesova said. One of them shouted racist slogans. He had with him two cobblestones and was drunk. The other man, an extremist from Prague, had racist signs tattooed on his arm, she added. If convicted, both of them can be sentenced up to three years in prison. The demonstrators were joined by members of extremist groupings, but they only constituted a minority of the crowd, Hrubesova said. The march stopped about 50 metres before the hostel where the police had formed a barrier. At 15:15, a town hall representative called on the demonstrators to disperse, but they did not obey. Instead, the crowd went past the hostel and was heading to the town centre.
"The other march was not announced and since it is illegal, we will ask its participants to go away. Those who will disobey will be taken to the police station," Hrubesova said. The rally started with the Czech national anthem, followed by other songs. Some protesters demanded that the mayor of Varnsdorf resign. By staging the demonstrations, the locals want to attract attention to their plight. They seek changes in the legislation and criticise the government for being indifferent to the problems in north Bohemia. They unfolded a big banner saying "Necas has no time for us." Prime Minister Petr Necas has not been to north Bohemia since the situation came to a head in the area, but unofficial sources say he will go there next week. Tension between the majority society and Romanies has been escalating for some time in a northern Bohemian border area, including the towns of Novy Bor, Rumburk, Sluknov and Varnsdorf. Locals say the crime rate is rising because of Romanies who have recently been moving to the area.
In August, two violent incidents occurred and the police are prosecuting several Romanies. Locals protested against the violence but the situation is being used by extremist groups that started organising protests in the area. The police are checking cars on the roads leading to the town and patrolling outside the local railway station. Some 30 minutes before the beginning of the rally, the police detained 14 men with suspicious tattooing, Hrubesova said. "We arrested nine of them at the railway station and the rest throughout the town over the suspicion of various delicts. Some of them did not have identity cards and we found knives by some of them," Hrubesova said, adding that the police did not find any weapons during the car checks. The demonstration was preceded by a public meeting called by the town hall. The local cinema building was filled by hundreds of dissatisfied and angry local people. They criticised the town hall over a lukewarm approach to the problem as well as the police. Here, too, the mayor and the whole town hall were asked to step down. The protesters demanded more rigorous payment of welfare benefits, a reduction of the places in hostels and more support to public works.
Prague Monitor
"The other march was not announced and since it is illegal, we will ask its participants to go away. Those who will disobey will be taken to the police station," Hrubesova said. The rally started with the Czech national anthem, followed by other songs. Some protesters demanded that the mayor of Varnsdorf resign. By staging the demonstrations, the locals want to attract attention to their plight. They seek changes in the legislation and criticise the government for being indifferent to the problems in north Bohemia. They unfolded a big banner saying "Necas has no time for us." Prime Minister Petr Necas has not been to north Bohemia since the situation came to a head in the area, but unofficial sources say he will go there next week. Tension between the majority society and Romanies has been escalating for some time in a northern Bohemian border area, including the towns of Novy Bor, Rumburk, Sluknov and Varnsdorf. Locals say the crime rate is rising because of Romanies who have recently been moving to the area.
In August, two violent incidents occurred and the police are prosecuting several Romanies. Locals protested against the violence but the situation is being used by extremist groups that started organising protests in the area. The police are checking cars on the roads leading to the town and patrolling outside the local railway station. Some 30 minutes before the beginning of the rally, the police detained 14 men with suspicious tattooing, Hrubesova said. "We arrested nine of them at the railway station and the rest throughout the town over the suspicion of various delicts. Some of them did not have identity cards and we found knives by some of them," Hrubesova said, adding that the police did not find any weapons during the car checks. The demonstration was preceded by a public meeting called by the town hall. The local cinema building was filled by hundreds of dissatisfied and angry local people. They criticised the town hall over a lukewarm approach to the problem as well as the police. Here, too, the mayor and the whole town hall were asked to step down. The protesters demanded more rigorous payment of welfare benefits, a reduction of the places in hostels and more support to public works.
Prague Monitor
SP: Geert Wilders breaks promises (Netherlands)
Geert Wilders’ PVV has broken over 200 promises in the first year after the elections, says the SP in a report out today.
‘We noticed that the PVV never engages in public debate. Wilders and other PVV MPs refuse to take responsibility for their opinions and so we decided to have a closer look at the way they vote.’, says Arjan Vliegenthart, director of the SP’s research bureau.
According to the report, the PVV has consistently refused to oppose the so-called ‘grab what you can’ remuneration culture in Dutch public service and supported free market forces in healthcare. It also came back on its promise not to change the system of student grants.
PVV promises on immigration – ‘the party’s litmus test’- have largely floundered because they contravene European guidelines, the SP concludes.
Dutch News
‘We noticed that the PVV never engages in public debate. Wilders and other PVV MPs refuse to take responsibility for their opinions and so we decided to have a closer look at the way they vote.’, says Arjan Vliegenthart, director of the SP’s research bureau.
According to the report, the PVV has consistently refused to oppose the so-called ‘grab what you can’ remuneration culture in Dutch public service and supported free market forces in healthcare. It also came back on its promise not to change the system of student grants.
PVV promises on immigration – ‘the party’s litmus test’- have largely floundered because they contravene European guidelines, the SP concludes.
Dutch News
IKEA founder pledges £1bn to charity following Nazi past revelations
The 85-year-old businessman has instructed the IKEA foundation, which has owned the company since 1982, to more than double its charitable spending to close to £100m a year.
Around £40m will go to the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, split over three years, with the rest shared between UN agencies such as UNICEF, UNHCR and UNDP, and Save the Children, to which the foundation is already the largest corporate donor.
“We will donate 1bn Kr per year (£95.7m),” Per Heggenes, Mr Kamprad’s press spokesman, told Sweden’s Expressen newspaper. “There’s been a strong will from Ingvar to do more things for more people by setting a more ambitious goal for the foundation.”
The move follows last month’s revelations that Mr Kamprad at the age of 17 had been an active recruiter and a registered member of the Svensk Socialistisk Samling (SSS), the successor to the Swedish Nazi party.
Mr Kamprad’s youthful Far Right sympathies first came to light in 1994, with the posthumous publication of the letters of Per Engdhal, the leader of the Far Right New Swedish movement of the 1950s, which detailed the friendship and financial support he had enjoyed from Mr Kamprad.
But they were revived last month by Swedish journalist Elisabeth Åsbrink, who unearthed a 1944 file opened by the Swedish Secret Police.
The increase in the IKEA Foundation’s spending will also help counter accusations that foundation is designed more for efficient tax management than international aid.
The Economist concluded its 2006 investigation into IKEA’s finances, by stating: “The overall set-up of IKEA minimises tax and disclosure, handsomely rewards the founding Kamprad family and makes IKEA immune to a takeover.”
The foundation, it said, was,“not only the world’s richest foundation, but is at the moment also one of its least generous.”
It estimated that the Stichting Ingka Foundation which owns IKEA was in 2006 worth about $36bn, making it the richest charitable foundation in the world, far ahead of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was worth $26.9bn in that year.
But at the time, its outgoing grants were both tiny and dedicated to the underwhelming goal, of “innovation in the field of architectural and interior design”.
Mr Kamprad has already reacted to the bad publicity. After the Economist article, he fought a court battle in The Netherlands to change the goal of the Foundation, allowing it to spend money on poor children in the developing world.
The Telegraph
Netherlands to Ban Islamic face covering veil
Prime Minister Mark Rutte also announced tougher rules for immigrants and asylum-seekers wanting Dutch nationality who, in future, must show they have earned income and have not received financial assistance or benefits for at least three years. The country's reputation as relatively easy on immigration has changed over the past decade, reflecting voter concerns over the large number of Muslim immigrants. "The government believes the wearing of clothing that completely or almost entirely covers the face is fundamentally at odds with public life, where people are recognised by their faces," the government said in a statement yesterday.
"Face-covering clothing prevents this and goes against the principles of equality between men and women, especially women." The new measures reflect the influence wielded by populist politician Geert Wilders, whose anti-Islam, anti-immigration Freedom Party is the third-largest in parliament.
Wilders has a pact with the minority coalition government to provide crucial support in parliament in exchange for tougher policies on Islam and immigration from non-Western countries. The Liberal-Christian Democrat coalition government has already faced tough opposition from Wilders' Freedom Party over its support for euro zone bailouts, and needs to keep it on side in order to push ahead with crucial budget cuts. The government said it did not consider the ban on face-covering veils a restriction of religious freedom, but that even if it was, it was "necessary and justified in the interest of protecting the character and way of life in the Netherlands". The proposals will first be presented to the council of state, the administrative court, and then to parliament. No time frame was given, but Wilders has said he hopes to introduce the ban on face-covering veils this year or next.
Arabic-style niqabs which leave the eyes uncovered and Afghan-style burqas that cover the face with a cloth grid are far less commonly seen on the streets of the Netherlands than Muslim headscarves which leave the face exposed. France imposed a ban on burqas last year and on Friday banned street prayers.
"Face-covering clothing prevents this and goes against the principles of equality between men and women, especially women." The new measures reflect the influence wielded by populist politician Geert Wilders, whose anti-Islam, anti-immigration Freedom Party is the third-largest in parliament.
Wilders has a pact with the minority coalition government to provide crucial support in parliament in exchange for tougher policies on Islam and immigration from non-Western countries. The Liberal-Christian Democrat coalition government has already faced tough opposition from Wilders' Freedom Party over its support for euro zone bailouts, and needs to keep it on side in order to push ahead with crucial budget cuts. The government said it did not consider the ban on face-covering veils a restriction of religious freedom, but that even if it was, it was "necessary and justified in the interest of protecting the character and way of life in the Netherlands". The proposals will first be presented to the council of state, the administrative court, and then to parliament. No time frame was given, but Wilders has said he hopes to introduce the ban on face-covering veils this year or next.
Arabic-style niqabs which leave the eyes uncovered and Afghan-style burqas that cover the face with a cloth grid are far less commonly seen on the streets of the Netherlands than Muslim headscarves which leave the face exposed. France imposed a ban on burqas last year and on Friday banned street prayers.
Debate invite to BNP chief prompts major row at TCD society
A planned debate at Trinity College’s Philosophical Society has divided its committee and been thrown into disarray following a decision to invite British National Party MEP Nick Griffin to take part.
The debate, on the motion that This House Believes Immigration Has Gone Too Far , is scheduled for October 20th next.
Mr Griffin has agreed to speak in favour of the motion. Another speaker who had agreed to oppose the motion withdrew at the weekend on discovering that Nick Griffin was to take part.
John Palmer, who is on the governing board of the European Policy Centre and deputy chairman of its Political Europe programme, told The Irish Times last night he found it “totally unacceptable” that Mr Griffin should take part in such a debate, and had told the organisers he would not take part if Mr Griffin’s invitation was not withdrawn.
Former European correspondent at the Guardian , Mr Palmer said: “The BNP’s roots are in Nazism, and it is very clear those roots remain strongly Nazi.” He had “no problem taking part in debates with people who had racist or reactionary views on immigration”, but he would not do so “with a party rooted in support for the Holocaust and all that represents”. The BNP also had “extreme anti-Muslim policies”, he said.
TCD’s Socialist Party Society has also opposed the invitation to Mr Griffin, as has the Union of Jewish Students in Britain. They called on the Philosophical Society to withdraw its invitation to Mr Griffin, pointing out that “as was witnessed at Durham and Oxford universities, publicity stunts such as these tear apart student communities and contribute to a hostile environment for Jewish students on campus”.
In a brief statement last night, the Philosophical Society said: “The Phil is a neutral forum for discussion. We do not endorse the views of any of our speakers. Nick Griffin has been invited to speak solely on immigration. He is a prominent speaker on this issue. The debate will be balanced, with two guest speakers on each side of the motion.”
When asked who those guest speakers would be, society president Eoin Ó Liatháin said he did not wish to comment further.
According to Trinity News, the story about Nick Griffin’s participation in the debate first leaked on the blog of the BNP’s press officer, Simon Darby.
Mr Palmer said last night he had been first contacted by the Trinity society about taking part in a debate “some months ago, and had agreed in principle”. He was presented with the motion “a couple of weeks ago, but no further information”.
He believes he was sent another message in the middle of last week indicating Mr Griffin would be taking part, but as he was abroad at the time he did not receive it until Saturday evening last. He then contacted the society to say that “unless the invitation to Nick Griffin was withdrawn I would not participate”.
He also believed the debate had divided the Phil committee, some of whom had told him they “strongly opposed” the Griffin invitation.
Irish Times
The debate, on the motion that This House Believes Immigration Has Gone Too Far , is scheduled for October 20th next.
Mr Griffin has agreed to speak in favour of the motion. Another speaker who had agreed to oppose the motion withdrew at the weekend on discovering that Nick Griffin was to take part.
John Palmer, who is on the governing board of the European Policy Centre and deputy chairman of its Political Europe programme, told The Irish Times last night he found it “totally unacceptable” that Mr Griffin should take part in such a debate, and had told the organisers he would not take part if Mr Griffin’s invitation was not withdrawn.
Former European correspondent at the Guardian , Mr Palmer said: “The BNP’s roots are in Nazism, and it is very clear those roots remain strongly Nazi.” He had “no problem taking part in debates with people who had racist or reactionary views on immigration”, but he would not do so “with a party rooted in support for the Holocaust and all that represents”. The BNP also had “extreme anti-Muslim policies”, he said.
TCD’s Socialist Party Society has also opposed the invitation to Mr Griffin, as has the Union of Jewish Students in Britain. They called on the Philosophical Society to withdraw its invitation to Mr Griffin, pointing out that “as was witnessed at Durham and Oxford universities, publicity stunts such as these tear apart student communities and contribute to a hostile environment for Jewish students on campus”.
In a brief statement last night, the Philosophical Society said: “The Phil is a neutral forum for discussion. We do not endorse the views of any of our speakers. Nick Griffin has been invited to speak solely on immigration. He is a prominent speaker on this issue. The debate will be balanced, with two guest speakers on each side of the motion.”
When asked who those guest speakers would be, society president Eoin Ó Liatháin said he did not wish to comment further.
According to Trinity News, the story about Nick Griffin’s participation in the debate first leaked on the blog of the BNP’s press officer, Simon Darby.
Mr Palmer said last night he had been first contacted by the Trinity society about taking part in a debate “some months ago, and had agreed in principle”. He was presented with the motion “a couple of weeks ago, but no further information”.
He believes he was sent another message in the middle of last week indicating Mr Griffin would be taking part, but as he was abroad at the time he did not receive it until Saturday evening last. He then contacted the society to say that “unless the invitation to Nick Griffin was withdrawn I would not participate”.
He also believed the debate had divided the Phil committee, some of whom had told him they “strongly opposed” the Griffin invitation.
Irish Times
Essex: Reaction to English Defence League group in the town (UK)
A group that aims to challenge the “spread and threat” of Islamic extremism in the UK has set up a Colchester Garrison branch.
The English Defence League section says it supports serving soldiers in the town.
However, there is no suggestion the group is in any way linked to the garrison.
Its group on social networking site Facebook has 65 members and men have been seen in the town wearing T-shirts with the group’s logo.
Terry Sutton, president of the Royal British Legion in Colchester, said the group represented a minority of radicals.
He added: “With only 65 members online, they are not representing the views of the majority of people in Colchester.
“People are allowed to demonstrate their feelings however they wish. Whatever you may think about that, we live in a free country.
“Some people will be offended by it while others will just brush it aside and think it is just a radical few letting off some steam.”
Administrators of the Facebook group say it represents “the county of Essex and the people of Essex” and aims to challenge “the spread and threat of sharia law, sharia law courts and radical Islam, primarily at a local level within Essex”.
The new group is affiliated to the East Anglian division of the national league, which is the biggest in the country.
Most of the members from the newly-formed Colchester Garrison branch are believed to be from the Colchester and Clacton areas.
A Colchester shopkeeper who saw a man wearing the group’s T-shirt in the town recently said he was disgusted.
The man, who asked not to be named, said: “It is pretty unpleasant and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
“I don’t think people should be allowed to advertise their prejudiced views in that way and, considering this is a garrison town with lots of soldiers, I think it looks bad on them.
“I would hate to think there were soldiers in this town who agreed with their extremist views.
The Ministry of Defence said: “Soldiers are not precluded from joining the English Defence League, as long as they do not wear uniform, take part in demonstrations or do anything that would bring the Army into disrepute.”
Braintree and with Witham times
The English Defence League section says it supports serving soldiers in the town.
However, there is no suggestion the group is in any way linked to the garrison.
Its group on social networking site Facebook has 65 members and men have been seen in the town wearing T-shirts with the group’s logo.
Terry Sutton, president of the Royal British Legion in Colchester, said the group represented a minority of radicals.
He added: “With only 65 members online, they are not representing the views of the majority of people in Colchester.
“People are allowed to demonstrate their feelings however they wish. Whatever you may think about that, we live in a free country.
“Some people will be offended by it while others will just brush it aside and think it is just a radical few letting off some steam.”
Administrators of the Facebook group say it represents “the county of Essex and the people of Essex” and aims to challenge “the spread and threat of sharia law, sharia law courts and radical Islam, primarily at a local level within Essex”.
The new group is affiliated to the East Anglian division of the national league, which is the biggest in the country.
Most of the members from the newly-formed Colchester Garrison branch are believed to be from the Colchester and Clacton areas.
A Colchester shopkeeper who saw a man wearing the group’s T-shirt in the town recently said he was disgusted.
The man, who asked not to be named, said: “It is pretty unpleasant and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
“I don’t think people should be allowed to advertise their prejudiced views in that way and, considering this is a garrison town with lots of soldiers, I think it looks bad on them.
“I would hate to think there were soldiers in this town who agreed with their extremist views.
The Ministry of Defence said: “Soldiers are not precluded from joining the English Defence League, as long as they do not wear uniform, take part in demonstrations or do anything that would bring the Army into disrepute.”
Braintree and with Witham times
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Jewish rabbis take part in U.S. anti-Islamophobia event
Jewish rabbis took part in an anti-Islamaphobia in Washington on Thursday, days before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 Twin Towers attack in New York, JTA reported.
“Ten years after 9/11, it has somehow become respectable to verbally attack Muslims and Islam in America,” Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the president of the Union of Reform Judaism, reportedly said at an event organized by Shoulder to Shoulder, a group founded a year ago to combat anti-Muslim rhetoric.
“There are very real consequences when entire populations are represented in the public imagination by their worst elements, when the sins of the few are applied to the group as a whole. I have watched in astonishment as prominent politicians, including candidates for president of the United States, have found it politically opportune to peddle divisive anti-Muslim bigotry,” Yoffie added.
Rabbi Burton Visotzky from the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary said Muslims “have always been part of the fabric of America,” the JTA report said.
Steve Gutow, a Reconstructionist rabbi and the president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the public policy umbrella group reportedly spoke at the event as well, saying “a great people and a great nation do not let their brothers and sisters suffer from bigotry and persecution.”
He condemned those who discriminate against Muslims throughout the United States, saying “our Muslim brothers and sisters suffer exactly that in all corners of this great country of ours. Today is a day to stand up and say we have had enough,” the report said.
Rabbi Marc Schneier, co-founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Rabbi Jack Moline, representing the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, representing the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and the Faith and the Common Good project, and Rabbi Dr. Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, representing the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, were also in attendance, the JTA report said.
Haaretz
“Ten years after 9/11, it has somehow become respectable to verbally attack Muslims and Islam in America,” Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the president of the Union of Reform Judaism, reportedly said at an event organized by Shoulder to Shoulder, a group founded a year ago to combat anti-Muslim rhetoric.
“There are very real consequences when entire populations are represented in the public imagination by their worst elements, when the sins of the few are applied to the group as a whole. I have watched in astonishment as prominent politicians, including candidates for president of the United States, have found it politically opportune to peddle divisive anti-Muslim bigotry,” Yoffie added.
Rabbi Burton Visotzky from the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary said Muslims “have always been part of the fabric of America,” the JTA report said.
Steve Gutow, a Reconstructionist rabbi and the president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the public policy umbrella group reportedly spoke at the event as well, saying “a great people and a great nation do not let their brothers and sisters suffer from bigotry and persecution.”
He condemned those who discriminate against Muslims throughout the United States, saying “our Muslim brothers and sisters suffer exactly that in all corners of this great country of ours. Today is a day to stand up and say we have had enough,” the report said.
Rabbi Marc Schneier, co-founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Rabbi Jack Moline, representing the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, representing the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and the Faith and the Common Good project, and Rabbi Dr. Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, representing the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, were also in attendance, the JTA report said.
Haaretz
SDL and Unite Against Fascism stage Edinburgh rallies (UK)
Hundreds of police have staged a show of force in central Edinburgh at a rally by the Scottish Defence League.
Almost 200 supporters of the far right group were heavily outnumbered by officers drawn from forces across the central belt.
They were penned in after the city council refused them permission to march.
A counter demonstration of about 400 Unite Against Fascism protesters was allowed to hold a procession.
They marched along Princes Street before attending a rally.
A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police confirmed there was a "substantial police presence" and said both demonstrations passed off without incident and without any arrests.
'Minimum disruption'
The Lothian and Borders force was supported by officers from Strathclyde, Tayside, Fife, Central, and British Transport Police.
Assistant Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We are satisfied with the conduct of the vast majority of those who visited Edinburgh for their respective demonstrations.
"The day passed without significant incident and allowed local residents and businesses to go about their day with minimum disruption."
He added: "I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the public in Edinburgh for their patience and support throughout the policing of this event.
"Edinburgh remains a hub for various demonstrations to take place and Lothian and Borders Police have a wealth of experience in facilitating both planned and spontaneous gatherings."
Disorder fears
The Scottish Defence League is an offshoot of the English Defence League, which has been associated with trouble at gatherings south of the border.
Last year there were minor skirmishes when about 50 SDL supporters staged a rally in the capital.
They were outnumbered by 2,000 counter-protesters marching under the banner of Scotland United.
This year the SDL had originally wanted to march from near the US Consulate to the east end of Princes Street.
This proposal was turned down by members of the council's licensing committee over fears of public disorder.
Speakers at a UAF rally were due to include Malcolm Chisholm MSP, Colin Keir MSP and union representatives.
BBC News
Almost 200 supporters of the far right group were heavily outnumbered by officers drawn from forces across the central belt.
They were penned in after the city council refused them permission to march.
A counter demonstration of about 400 Unite Against Fascism protesters was allowed to hold a procession.
They marched along Princes Street before attending a rally.
A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police confirmed there was a "substantial police presence" and said both demonstrations passed off without incident and without any arrests.
'Minimum disruption'
The Lothian and Borders force was supported by officers from Strathclyde, Tayside, Fife, Central, and British Transport Police.
Assistant Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We are satisfied with the conduct of the vast majority of those who visited Edinburgh for their respective demonstrations.
"The day passed without significant incident and allowed local residents and businesses to go about their day with minimum disruption."
He added: "I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the public in Edinburgh for their patience and support throughout the policing of this event.
"Edinburgh remains a hub for various demonstrations to take place and Lothian and Borders Police have a wealth of experience in facilitating both planned and spontaneous gatherings."
Disorder fears
The Scottish Defence League is an offshoot of the English Defence League, which has been associated with trouble at gatherings south of the border.
Last year there were minor skirmishes when about 50 SDL supporters staged a rally in the capital.
They were outnumbered by 2,000 counter-protesters marching under the banner of Scotland United.
This year the SDL had originally wanted to march from near the US Consulate to the east end of Princes Street.
This proposal was turned down by members of the council's licensing committee over fears of public disorder.
Speakers at a UAF rally were due to include Malcolm Chisholm MSP, Colin Keir MSP and union representatives.
BBC News
Neo-Nazi Authour released for being old. (Austria)
A fascist writer who has denied the Holocaust has been released from jail early for being advanced in years. Viennese newspapers reported yesterday (Thurs) that Gerd Honsik was allowed to travel to Spain where he has lived with his family for years. The High Court of Vienna (OGH) argued the 69-year-old integrated well into society there. It cited his age as another reason for the early release on probation. The Austrian was sentenced to five years behind bars in 2009 for extreme-right statements he had made in articles in a magazine he published. His prison term was reduced by one year in an appeal hearing a few months later before he was ordered to spend an extra two years in jail in another trial last September.
Honsik was convicted of breaking Austria’s law against spreading Nazi propaganda and ideology in his book "Freispruch für Hitler?" (Acquittal for Hitler?) and sentenced to one and a half years in prison in 1992. He fled to Spain, a country criticised as a safe haven for neo-Nazis and alleged World War Two (WWII) criminals by many anti-fascism groups. Honsik was arrested in Malaga and eventually extradited to his homeland in 2007. Honsik has been in court over various disputed statements many times over the years. He doubted the existence of gas chambers at Nazi death camps in WWII in his books "Der Juden Drittes Reich" (The Jews’s Third Reich) and "Schelm und Scheusal" (Prankster and Monster). The infamous fascist claimed the Nazis’ mass murder could be doubted and called for a "forensic examination" of the "alleged Holocaust."
Austrian Times
Honsik was convicted of breaking Austria’s law against spreading Nazi propaganda and ideology in his book "Freispruch für Hitler?" (Acquittal for Hitler?) and sentenced to one and a half years in prison in 1992. He fled to Spain, a country criticised as a safe haven for neo-Nazis and alleged World War Two (WWII) criminals by many anti-fascism groups. Honsik was arrested in Malaga and eventually extradited to his homeland in 2007. Honsik has been in court over various disputed statements many times over the years. He doubted the existence of gas chambers at Nazi death camps in WWII in his books "Der Juden Drittes Reich" (The Jews’s Third Reich) and "Schelm und Scheusal" (Prankster and Monster). The infamous fascist claimed the Nazis’ mass murder could be doubted and called for a "forensic examination" of the "alleged Holocaust."
Austrian Times
Thursday, 8 September 2011
John Galliano found guilty of racist and antisemitic abuse
Fashion designer given suspended fine of €6,000 by Paris court
The British designer John Galliano has been given a suspended fine of €6,000 (£5,200) by a Paris court for racist and antisemitic rants at people in a Paris bar.
The former couturier was found guilty of "public insults" based on origin, religion, race or ethnicity after two incidents in February 2011 and last year.
In the February incident, a French couple having a beer outside La Perle bar in Paris's Marais district said he repeatedly insulted them with lines including "fucking ugly Jewish bitch" and "fucking Asian bastard". Geraldine Bloch, 35, said he first asked her to shut up, then criticised her clothes, hair, thighs, eyebrows and makeup. He made 30 anti-Jewish insults in the space of 45 minutes, she said. Another woman said he made similar insults to her in the same bar in October.
At Galliano's trial in June, the state prosecutor had requested judges fine Galliano saying that although he was not a "theoretician" of race hatred or antisemitism, this was "everyday antisemitism and racism" which she said was "pitiful and dreadful".
It is doubtful whether Galliano – who told his trial he couldn't remember the incident because of a "triple addiction" to alcohol, sleeping tablets and Valium – will ever be able to redeem himself at the top of the fashion world.
He has undergone treatment for his addiction. He appeared frail and weak at his trial in June but was not present on Thursday for the verdict.
Read more at The Guardian
The British designer John Galliano has been given a suspended fine of €6,000 (£5,200) by a Paris court for racist and antisemitic rants at people in a Paris bar.
The former couturier was found guilty of "public insults" based on origin, religion, race or ethnicity after two incidents in February 2011 and last year.
In the February incident, a French couple having a beer outside La Perle bar in Paris's Marais district said he repeatedly insulted them with lines including "fucking ugly Jewish bitch" and "fucking Asian bastard". Geraldine Bloch, 35, said he first asked her to shut up, then criticised her clothes, hair, thighs, eyebrows and makeup. He made 30 anti-Jewish insults in the space of 45 minutes, she said. Another woman said he made similar insults to her in the same bar in October.
At Galliano's trial in June, the state prosecutor had requested judges fine Galliano saying that although he was not a "theoretician" of race hatred or antisemitism, this was "everyday antisemitism and racism" which she said was "pitiful and dreadful".
It is doubtful whether Galliano – who told his trial he couldn't remember the incident because of a "triple addiction" to alcohol, sleeping tablets and Valium – will ever be able to redeem himself at the top of the fashion world.
He has undergone treatment for his addiction. He appeared frail and weak at his trial in June but was not present on Thursday for the verdict.
Read more at The Guardian
SOLDIER FINED £350 AFTER HE ADMITS FIRST TRANSGENDER HATE CRIME (uk)
A soldier who attacked a woman awaiting a sex change operation became the first person in Scotland to be convicted of transgender prejudice yesterday. Perth Sheriff Court heard that Terry Porter burst into the house where Chloe, formerly Calum, Dow was sleeping and hurled abuse at her. Porter, who pled guilty to breaching the peace by behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, admitted that his offence was aggravated by prejudice relating to Miss Dow's transgender identity. The 19-year-old will be disciplined by chiefs in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Sheriff Michael Fletcher described the incident as "a nasty offence" and fined Porter £350 - £150 more than a breach of the peace fine, to mark the transgender prejudice. The court heard that Porter targeted Miss Dow - who is awaiting gender reassignment surgery - during a drunken night out to celebrate joining the army. After rushing into the home where she was sleeping, Porter - who was unknown to the transexual - elbowed her and subjected her to a tirade of foul-mouthed abuse. Fiscal depute Rebecca Kynaston told the court: "The complainer is transgender. She lives as a female, but was born a male. She goes by the name Chloe, having previously been Calum. She is awaiting gender reassignment surgery."
Miss Dow and a third party were staying at her friend Oliver Bond's home in Milnathort, Kinross, when Porter arrived in the early hours and began knocking loudly on the door. "Miss Dow was sleeping in the bedroom. The others were sleeping on the sofas in the living room. At 3:50am all were woken by loud banging at the back door." Mrs Kynaston said that Porter was asking if Miss Dow was a boy or a girl. He threatened to drag Miss Dow out of bed and punch her while shouting abusive comments. Mrs Kynaston said that the police were called and when they arrived at the house they found Miss Dow in an "extremely distressed" state. Porter was arrested at home a few hours later and when he was questioned by the police. When he was asked about his view of transgender people, Porter replied: "It's their choice." Solicitor Peter O'Neill, defending, said that his client was "immature" and wanted to apologise to everyone involved in the case for the way he had behaved. "I am sure it comes as no surprise that he had had a lot to drink," Mr O'Neill said. "He had been training with the military and is now a serving soldier. He was with friends and was joining the regiment on the Monday following this incident. This was a bit of a send-off that evening and he had been drinking heavily. "He did not know Chloe Dow. She came out and a conversation was had. He has never met anyone who is transgender before. The conversation got to territory he was uncomfortable with and he behaved in a manner he describes as completely out of order.
Pink News
Miss Dow and a third party were staying at her friend Oliver Bond's home in Milnathort, Kinross, when Porter arrived in the early hours and began knocking loudly on the door. "Miss Dow was sleeping in the bedroom. The others were sleeping on the sofas in the living room. At 3:50am all were woken by loud banging at the back door." Mrs Kynaston said that Porter was asking if Miss Dow was a boy or a girl. He threatened to drag Miss Dow out of bed and punch her while shouting abusive comments. Mrs Kynaston said that the police were called and when they arrived at the house they found Miss Dow in an "extremely distressed" state. Porter was arrested at home a few hours later and when he was questioned by the police. When he was asked about his view of transgender people, Porter replied: "It's their choice." Solicitor Peter O'Neill, defending, said that his client was "immature" and wanted to apologise to everyone involved in the case for the way he had behaved. "I am sure it comes as no surprise that he had had a lot to drink," Mr O'Neill said. "He had been training with the military and is now a serving soldier. He was with friends and was joining the regiment on the Monday following this incident. This was a bit of a send-off that evening and he had been drinking heavily. "He did not know Chloe Dow. She came out and a conversation was had. He has never met anyone who is transgender before. The conversation got to territory he was uncomfortable with and he behaved in a manner he describes as completely out of order.
Pink News
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Berlin court rules far-right posters can remain (Germany)
A Berlin court has ruled state election campaign posters for the far-right National Democratic Party may remain on display.
One shows caricatures of Muslim immigrants on a flying carpet with the slogan "have a nice flight home." Another with the slogan "step on the gas" pictures the party's leader on a motorcycle apparently revving the engine.
Berlin's Kreuzberg neighborhood had ordered the posters taken down, saying they violated German incitement laws.
But the Berlin state court ruled Wednesday that the posters were protected under freedom of speech laws. It noted that even though the "step on the gas" poster "could well be intended to arouse associations with Nazi atrocities" it could also have other meanings.
The party isn't expect to win any seats in the Sept. 18 vote.
Taiwan News
One shows caricatures of Muslim immigrants on a flying carpet with the slogan "have a nice flight home." Another with the slogan "step on the gas" pictures the party's leader on a motorcycle apparently revving the engine.
Berlin's Kreuzberg neighborhood had ordered the posters taken down, saying they violated German incitement laws.
But the Berlin state court ruled Wednesday that the posters were protected under freedom of speech laws. It noted that even though the "step on the gas" poster "could well be intended to arouse associations with Nazi atrocities" it could also have other meanings.
The party isn't expect to win any seats in the Sept. 18 vote.
Taiwan News
EDL to hold prison protest (UK)
English Defence League supporters say they are going to hold a protest this afternoon (Wednesday August 7) outside Bedford Prison, where the organisation’s leader Stephen Lennon is being held.
He was arrested on Sunday for breaking bail conditions by attending a demo in London.
The EDL yesterday released a statement calling Mr Lennon, who also calls himself Tommy Robinson, ‘a patriot and a martyr’.
A message posted on their Facebook page today encourages members to demonstrate outside the prison to show their “disgust as what could be the final nail in the coffin for free speech”.
The protest is due to start at 4pm.
The Facebook message continues: “If you cant make it to the prison then flash demo your nearest town halls, police stations or wherever you see fit.
“We will not be stopping prisoners getting their visits. All non EDL welcome to attend as well as this affects us all.”
Bedford Today
He was arrested on Sunday for breaking bail conditions by attending a demo in London.
The EDL yesterday released a statement calling Mr Lennon, who also calls himself Tommy Robinson, ‘a patriot and a martyr’.
A message posted on their Facebook page today encourages members to demonstrate outside the prison to show their “disgust as what could be the final nail in the coffin for free speech”.
The protest is due to start at 4pm.
The Facebook message continues: “If you cant make it to the prison then flash demo your nearest town halls, police stations or wherever you see fit.
“We will not be stopping prisoners getting their visits. All non EDL welcome to attend as well as this affects us all.”
Bedford Today
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Two Mexicans face up to 30 years in prison for 'terrorist' tweets
Two Mexicans face up to 30 years in prison for what are being called some "terrorist" tweets in one of the most serious incidents to face the micro-blogging network Twitter since its launch.
Gilberto Martinez Vera, a maths tutor, and Maria de Jesus Bravo Pagola, a former teacher turned radio commentator, tweeted that armed men were attacking schools, causing widespread panic amongst parents in the violence stricken Mexican city of Veracruz.
Martinez Vera tweeted, "My sister-in-law just called me all upset, they just kidnapped five children from the school." This was untrue, and yet he subsequently tweeted, "I don't know what time it happened, but it's true."
In addition, he reported that a few days earlier, "They mowed down six kids between 13 and 15 in the Hidalgo neighborhood." An incident did occur in Hidalgo, but did not involve children.
The tweets caused such panic as parents rushed to save their children, who were in no danger, that there were 26 car accidents, cars were left abandoned in the middle of streets, and the emergency numbers collapsed due to the panic about the false warnings, which put genuine emergencies in danger.
According to the Associated Press, the interior secretary for Veracruz state, Gerardo Buganza said the incident was worse than the panic cause by Orson Welle's radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" in 1938, when many listeners believed that there really was an alien invasion.
It's understandable why the people of Veracruz believed the Twitter reports, however, as the city has already been the victim of extensive violence at the hands of drug traffickers.
Both defendants claim that they were only relaying what others had told them. Martinez Vera expressed incredulity at being branded a 'terrorist' over a 140 character message.
This is the biggest issue to face Twitter since the "bomb joke" incident, where Paul Chambers tweeted that he would blow a UK airport sky high if it was not reopened soon after extensive snowfall. Chambers did not intend to act on his threat, but it was immediately picked up by anti-terrorism forces scouring the internet. He was fined £2,000, but gained the support of many celebrities, who subsequently retweeted his comments in defiance of the ruling.
A relatively small fine is nothing compared to 30 years in prison, however, and there are already calls for the charges against these two people to be dropped. Amnesty International said the real problem is the atmosphere of fear and mistrust in the region, where people are likely to believe any reports on Twitter without validating them with genuine news outlets.
The Inquirer
Gilberto Martinez Vera, a maths tutor, and Maria de Jesus Bravo Pagola, a former teacher turned radio commentator, tweeted that armed men were attacking schools, causing widespread panic amongst parents in the violence stricken Mexican city of Veracruz.
Martinez Vera tweeted, "My sister-in-law just called me all upset, they just kidnapped five children from the school." This was untrue, and yet he subsequently tweeted, "I don't know what time it happened, but it's true."
In addition, he reported that a few days earlier, "They mowed down six kids between 13 and 15 in the Hidalgo neighborhood." An incident did occur in Hidalgo, but did not involve children.
The tweets caused such panic as parents rushed to save their children, who were in no danger, that there were 26 car accidents, cars were left abandoned in the middle of streets, and the emergency numbers collapsed due to the panic about the false warnings, which put genuine emergencies in danger.
According to the Associated Press, the interior secretary for Veracruz state, Gerardo Buganza said the incident was worse than the panic cause by Orson Welle's radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" in 1938, when many listeners believed that there really was an alien invasion.
It's understandable why the people of Veracruz believed the Twitter reports, however, as the city has already been the victim of extensive violence at the hands of drug traffickers.
Both defendants claim that they were only relaying what others had told them. Martinez Vera expressed incredulity at being branded a 'terrorist' over a 140 character message.
This is the biggest issue to face Twitter since the "bomb joke" incident, where Paul Chambers tweeted that he would blow a UK airport sky high if it was not reopened soon after extensive snowfall. Chambers did not intend to act on his threat, but it was immediately picked up by anti-terrorism forces scouring the internet. He was fined £2,000, but gained the support of many celebrities, who subsequently retweeted his comments in defiance of the ruling.
A relatively small fine is nothing compared to 30 years in prison, however, and there are already calls for the charges against these two people to be dropped. Amnesty International said the real problem is the atmosphere of fear and mistrust in the region, where people are likely to believe any reports on Twitter without validating them with genuine news outlets.
The Inquirer
Neo-Nazi Village Features 'Happy Holocaust' BBQ (Germany)
Much has been written about the village of Jamel near Wismar in the far northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Hitler salutes in the streets, firing practice in local forests and outsiders chased away. The small run-down settlement has become a dark symbol of the growing reach of neo-Nazi ideology.
In the run-up to Sunday's local ballot in the state, a journalist from the website VBS TV arrived in Jamel. Although she was familiar with the village's larger-than-life reputation, she was shocked to see a large rusty barbeque inscribed with the phrase "happy holocaust."
The grill was in the barbed-wire encircled garden of the office of the far-right extremist National Democratic Party (NPD). The backyard was overlooked by a watchtower and a red, black and white old German Reich flag of the type used by the far-right scene.
'Stupid or Provocative?'
"I was shocked and I just couldn't believe what I saw. It felt really surreal," VBS TV journalist Barbara Dabrowska told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "It was like in a bad American movie that tries to come up with the most ridiculous idea for how to make Nazis look really terrible. ... They probably meant it as a joke, but I was annoyed by their either stupid or incredibly provocative approach."
In her news report, Dabrowska interviewed Stefan Köster a politician for the NPD, a party dubbed "racist, anti-Semitic, revisionist" by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Köster stressed his party's social outreach, explaining how his party distributes CDs in school yards and promotes German folk dancing. Asked about the happy holocaust barbeque in the garden behind his office, he said he hadn't noticed it before.
"Maybe someone is making fun of the political class because of how they repress open discussion," he said. "After all, if someone has an opinion about the holocaust, they should be able to express it," he stated, adding that he didn't find it to be funny.
"It must belong to someone in the building, but to me that matter is unimportant," he said.
The NPD party won seats in the state parliament for the second time in Sunday's state election.
Spiegel
Silent march in Poland protests anti-Semitic incidents
A silent "March of Unity" was held in the Polish city of Bialystok to protest recent anti-Semitic and racist incidents in eastern Poland.
Bialystok's mayor and several members of parliament were among the participants in Sunday's march, which was organized by officials of the governing Civic Platform party.
The Polish news agency PAP said that about 130 people took part in the march, which was staged to protest recent incidents that included the defacement last week of the monument in nearby Jedwabne to the hundreds of Jews killed there in 1941 when their Polish neighbors herded them into a barn and set it alight.
Carrying orange roses and ribbons, the marchers walked in silence to the downtown monument to Ludwig Zamenhof, a Jew from Bialystok who invented the Esperanto language, and gathered signatures for a "manifesto of unity and tolerance" against a wave of "mindless hatred."
PAP reported that about 30 far-right protesters shouted racist and nationalistic slogans in an attempt to disrupt the march.
Also Sunday, several dozen people gathered at the monument in Jedwabne for a ceremony organized by the Polish Jewish community. Polish media said no local officials took part in the ceremony.
JTA
Bialystok's mayor and several members of parliament were among the participants in Sunday's march, which was organized by officials of the governing Civic Platform party.
The Polish news agency PAP said that about 130 people took part in the march, which was staged to protest recent incidents that included the defacement last week of the monument in nearby Jedwabne to the hundreds of Jews killed there in 1941 when their Polish neighbors herded them into a barn and set it alight.
Carrying orange roses and ribbons, the marchers walked in silence to the downtown monument to Ludwig Zamenhof, a Jew from Bialystok who invented the Esperanto language, and gathered signatures for a "manifesto of unity and tolerance" against a wave of "mindless hatred."
PAP reported that about 30 far-right protesters shouted racist and nationalistic slogans in an attempt to disrupt the march.
Also Sunday, several dozen people gathered at the monument in Jedwabne for a ceremony organized by the Polish Jewish community. Polish media said no local officials took part in the ceremony.
JTA
Forced repatriation staff 'racist and unprofessional' (UK)
Private security guards removing detainees from UK used force and restraint unnecessarily, says prisons chief
Private security officers employed to remove detainees from the UK showed "a shamefully unprofessional and derogatory attitude", using unnecessary force and racist language, according to the chief inspector of prisons.
In two reports Nick Hardwick said most guards worked sensitively but added that some had an "unacceptably unprofessional attitude", raising concerns about how they would react if a more serious incident occurred.
The reports are based on the findings of inspectors who accompanied 104 staff escorting 35 detainees to Jamaica, and 131 escorts who were removing 53 detainees to Lagos, Nigeria, in March and April this year. The flights were chartered by the UK Border Agency and private security firm G4S provided the guards.
Hardwick said some security guards on the flights raised tensions by using force and restraint unnecessarily, while others used "highly offensive and sometime racist language" when talking to each other.
"Inspectors were very concerned at the highly offensive and sometimes racist language they heard staff use between themselves," said Hardwick.
"Quite apart from the offence this language may have caused to those who overheard it, it suggested a shamefully unprofessional and derogatory attitude that did not give confidence that had a more serious incident occurred, it would always have been effectively dealt with."
The flights took place six months after Jimmy Mubenga, an Angolan deportee, died on a British Airways plane preparing to depart from Heathrow for Angola. Passengers on BA flight 77 in October later said guards forcibly restrained Mubenga, who had been complaining that he could not breathe. Three guards employed by G4S, which was contracted to escort deportees until May, were arrested over the case, and have been bailed to appear later this month.
Hardwick said some detainees were spoken to in patronising terms while in other cases guards used "extremely offensive racist language". One senior officer used "wholly unacceptable terms", including "gyppos", "pikeys" and "typical Asians", to describe minority groups, while others used crude national stereotypes.
Hardwick said: "This was not in the hearing of detainees, but it could be heard by other officers and communicated a disrespectful and racist attitude."
Handcuffs were used on detainees who appeared upset, or who were moving too slowly, despite there being no signs of any violent behaviour which might have justified the use of such restraints, the report found. The reports also questioned the decision to screen a violent film during one of the coach transfers.
The reports criticised the security team's uniform of "quasi combat-style clothing" and said not letting detainees close the door when using the toilet "was undignified and embarrassing".
Hardwick said: "Escorted removals are a difficult and distressing process. On these inspections, most escorts, most of the time, performed their duties well and dealt sensitively with the needs of individual detainees. However, tensions were sometimes raised when force or restraint was used unnecessarily and some staff demonstrated an unacceptably unprofessional attitude."
David Wood, the border agency's head of criminality and detention, said: "Those with no right to remain in the UK are expected to return home voluntarily. Where they do not we will seek to enforce their removal. Removals contractors operate within a clear legal framework and to exacting standards set by the UK Border Agency. We expect the highest levels of integrity from our staff and contractors and racist and unprofessional behaviour will not be tolerated."
The Guardian
Private security officers employed to remove detainees from the UK showed "a shamefully unprofessional and derogatory attitude", using unnecessary force and racist language, according to the chief inspector of prisons.
In two reports Nick Hardwick said most guards worked sensitively but added that some had an "unacceptably unprofessional attitude", raising concerns about how they would react if a more serious incident occurred.
The reports are based on the findings of inspectors who accompanied 104 staff escorting 35 detainees to Jamaica, and 131 escorts who were removing 53 detainees to Lagos, Nigeria, in March and April this year. The flights were chartered by the UK Border Agency and private security firm G4S provided the guards.
Hardwick said some security guards on the flights raised tensions by using force and restraint unnecessarily, while others used "highly offensive and sometime racist language" when talking to each other.
"Inspectors were very concerned at the highly offensive and sometimes racist language they heard staff use between themselves," said Hardwick.
"Quite apart from the offence this language may have caused to those who overheard it, it suggested a shamefully unprofessional and derogatory attitude that did not give confidence that had a more serious incident occurred, it would always have been effectively dealt with."
The flights took place six months after Jimmy Mubenga, an Angolan deportee, died on a British Airways plane preparing to depart from Heathrow for Angola. Passengers on BA flight 77 in October later said guards forcibly restrained Mubenga, who had been complaining that he could not breathe. Three guards employed by G4S, which was contracted to escort deportees until May, were arrested over the case, and have been bailed to appear later this month.
Hardwick said some detainees were spoken to in patronising terms while in other cases guards used "extremely offensive racist language". One senior officer used "wholly unacceptable terms", including "gyppos", "pikeys" and "typical Asians", to describe minority groups, while others used crude national stereotypes.
Hardwick said: "This was not in the hearing of detainees, but it could be heard by other officers and communicated a disrespectful and racist attitude."
Handcuffs were used on detainees who appeared upset, or who were moving too slowly, despite there being no signs of any violent behaviour which might have justified the use of such restraints, the report found. The reports also questioned the decision to screen a violent film during one of the coach transfers.
The reports criticised the security team's uniform of "quasi combat-style clothing" and said not letting detainees close the door when using the toilet "was undignified and embarrassing".
Hardwick said: "Escorted removals are a difficult and distressing process. On these inspections, most escorts, most of the time, performed their duties well and dealt sensitively with the needs of individual detainees. However, tensions were sometimes raised when force or restraint was used unnecessarily and some staff demonstrated an unacceptably unprofessional attitude."
David Wood, the border agency's head of criminality and detention, said: "Those with no right to remain in the UK are expected to return home voluntarily. Where they do not we will seek to enforce their removal. Removals contractors operate within a clear legal framework and to exacting standards set by the UK Border Agency. We expect the highest levels of integrity from our staff and contractors and racist and unprofessional behaviour will not be tolerated."
The Guardian
EDL leader ‘on hunger strike’ in custody (UK)
The leader of the English Defence League, Stephen Lennon, is on hunger strike and is claiming to be a “political prisoner of the state”, following his arrest after a protest in London on Saturday.
Mr Lennon, who also calls himself Tommy Robinson, was remanded in custody at Luton Magistrates Court this morning (Monday, September 5) after appearing charged with breaching bail conditions imposed on him by Blackburn Magistrates Court, where he is due to go on trial on September 29.
The trial relates to an EDL protest in the Lancashire town on April 2, during which it is alleged he assaulted a man, a charge he denies.
In response to an enquiry from Luton Today, EDL spokesperson Helen Gower said: “Tommy is on a hunger strike and will only be accepting water.”
She added: “He is now a ‘political prisoner’ of the state and isn’t prison food halal, something which Tommy feels very strongly about and campaigns against.”
Mr Lennon addressed EDL members in London on Saturday after travelling to the event disguised in a beard and hat, which the Jewish Chronicle website said was intended to make him look like a rabbi.
A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said he was arrested yesterday afternoon after going to Luton police station by appointment.
The EDL had been banned from marching through Tower Hamlets by Home Secretary Theresa May, and instead held a protest near Aldgate Tube station.
A counter-protest took place in Whitechapel Road, and the Metropolitan Police said a total of 60 people were arrested during the day. There were 16 people initially arrested for a variety of offences including affray, drunk and disorderly and assault on a police officer, and 44 people on a coach were later arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. The vehicle first stopped in Whitechapel Road and it is alleged passengers were involved in an altercation with local youths. Shortly after, the coach broke down outside Stepney Green Underground Station, and a further disturbance took place, a Met Police spokesman said.
Luton Today
Mr Lennon, who also calls himself Tommy Robinson, was remanded in custody at Luton Magistrates Court this morning (Monday, September 5) after appearing charged with breaching bail conditions imposed on him by Blackburn Magistrates Court, where he is due to go on trial on September 29.
The trial relates to an EDL protest in the Lancashire town on April 2, during which it is alleged he assaulted a man, a charge he denies.
In response to an enquiry from Luton Today, EDL spokesperson Helen Gower said: “Tommy is on a hunger strike and will only be accepting water.”
She added: “He is now a ‘political prisoner’ of the state and isn’t prison food halal, something which Tommy feels very strongly about and campaigns against.”
Mr Lennon addressed EDL members in London on Saturday after travelling to the event disguised in a beard and hat, which the Jewish Chronicle website said was intended to make him look like a rabbi.
A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said he was arrested yesterday afternoon after going to Luton police station by appointment.
The EDL had been banned from marching through Tower Hamlets by Home Secretary Theresa May, and instead held a protest near Aldgate Tube station.
A counter-protest took place in Whitechapel Road, and the Metropolitan Police said a total of 60 people were arrested during the day. There were 16 people initially arrested for a variety of offences including affray, drunk and disorderly and assault on a police officer, and 44 people on a coach were later arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. The vehicle first stopped in Whitechapel Road and it is alleged passengers were involved in an altercation with local youths. Shortly after, the coach broke down outside Stepney Green Underground Station, and a further disturbance took place, a Met Police spokesman said.
Luton Today
Monday, 5 September 2011
England players endorse anti-racism campaign after Bulgaria abuse
Three Lions squad wear sweatbands bearing the message ‘Kick Racism Out of Football’ after black players were targeted by some home fans in Friday’s 3-0 win in Sofia
The England players wore sweatbands bearing the message 'Kick Racism Out of Football', the slogan of English football’s own anti-racism campaign, on Monday as they participated in a training session in preparation for Tuesday evening’s clash with Wales at Wembley.
Chair of Kick it Out, Lord Herman Ouseley, said: "This sends out a positive and powerful message that we need to remind ourselves that the game is open to all people from all backgrounds and nationalities, and to keep our behaviour in check even in the white heat international football can generate."
Racist chants were directed at the Three Lions’ black players in Sofia on Friday evening, with Manchester United winger Ashley Young and Arsenal winger Theo Walcott the targets of monkey noises. Several Bulgarian fans also made Nazi salutes.
After the match, the English FA immediately announced their intention to report the incident to Uefa, and European football’s governing body is believed to be waiting to study the report from the match delegate on Monday before deciding whether to take action.
Wayne Rooney said after the game: "As players we can hear it on the pitch. It has been going on for years and it is not right. It needs to stop and hopefully something will be done about it."
There is, however, also the possibility that the English FA could face action after Three Lions fans reportedly responded to the Bulgarians’ racist abuse with anti-Romany chants.
Goal
The England players wore sweatbands bearing the message 'Kick Racism Out of Football', the slogan of English football’s own anti-racism campaign, on Monday as they participated in a training session in preparation for Tuesday evening’s clash with Wales at Wembley.
Chair of Kick it Out, Lord Herman Ouseley, said: "This sends out a positive and powerful message that we need to remind ourselves that the game is open to all people from all backgrounds and nationalities, and to keep our behaviour in check even in the white heat international football can generate."
Racist chants were directed at the Three Lions’ black players in Sofia on Friday evening, with Manchester United winger Ashley Young and Arsenal winger Theo Walcott the targets of monkey noises. Several Bulgarian fans also made Nazi salutes.
After the match, the English FA immediately announced their intention to report the incident to Uefa, and European football’s governing body is believed to be waiting to study the report from the match delegate on Monday before deciding whether to take action.
Wayne Rooney said after the game: "As players we can hear it on the pitch. It has been going on for years and it is not right. It needs to stop and hopefully something will be done about it."
There is, however, also the possibility that the English FA could face action after Three Lions fans reportedly responded to the Bulgarians’ racist abuse with anti-Romany chants.
Goal
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