French Jewish leaders condemned the far right leader Marine Le Pen at a rally in Paris.
Monday's rally was presaged by a French-Jewish radio station's plans to interview Le Pen, the daughter of notorious French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen and president of the National Front Party, which many French Jews consider anti-Semitiic. The interview was canceled amid broad community outrage.
"It's sad to come to such an event to warn Jewish people against the National Front," said Pierre Besnainou, president of the Unified Jewish Social Fund, a Jewish welfare agency.
Many French Jews see Le Pen as a somewhat more palatable but fundamentally unchanged politician from her father. In January, she gave an interview to the Israeli daily Haaretz and is believed to be trying to sanitize her party's image in an effort to make inroads with the Jewish community.
At the rally, organized by the French Union of Jewish Students, several speakers emphasized that the National Front Party is structurally anti-Semitic and that Le Pen's efforts notwithstanding, French Jews should be careful not to give her their seal of approval.
"I don't want to exclude the National Front from the republican debate, but to speak on community Jewish radio, there is a margin," said Richard Prasquier, president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions known as the CRIF. "If the Jews host her, she is respectable."
In 2002, Le Pen's father shocked the country by finishing second in the presidential election, defeating the Socialist candidate before being trounced by Jacques Chirac in the second round.
Several polls over the past few weeks have indicated that Le Pen might be able to repeat her father's success in next year's elections. A poll published in Le Parisien earlier this month reported that 23 percent of respondents would vote for Le Pen in 2012, ahead of both French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Socialist Party candidate, Martine Aubry.
JTA
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Supremacist rally planned for Saturday (Canada)
City police say they are prepared and have a security plan in place to handle whatever this weekend's white pride rally brings.
Members of the group Blood and Honour handed out pamphlets in Edmonton a few weeks ago to promote the rally in Calgary. They have also invited members from across North America to take part.
Members of the city's Anti-Racist Action group also plan to attend the rally and counter demonstrate.
Police have seen clashes between the two groups in the past and are ready to intervene if required.
"We have a number of officers who have changed their shifts so they are working a regular day on a regular shift this Saturday. We have resources in place so if we need to call them we will," said Inspector Keith Cain from the Calgary Police Service.
Two years ago both groups clashed during a march through the downtown core and police had to step in and restore order.
This year police say they have plans in place to ensure there is not a repeat of that incident.
Police say they don't know how many protestors are expected this Saturday.
Calgary CTV
Members of the group Blood and Honour handed out pamphlets in Edmonton a few weeks ago to promote the rally in Calgary. They have also invited members from across North America to take part.
Members of the city's Anti-Racist Action group also plan to attend the rally and counter demonstrate.
Police have seen clashes between the two groups in the past and are ready to intervene if required.
"We have a number of officers who have changed their shifts so they are working a regular day on a regular shift this Saturday. We have resources in place so if we need to call them we will," said Inspector Keith Cain from the Calgary Police Service.
Two years ago both groups clashed during a march through the downtown core and police had to step in and restore order.
This year police say they have plans in place to ensure there is not a repeat of that incident.
Police say they don't know how many protestors are expected this Saturday.
Calgary CTV
ROMA NEIGHBORHOOD UNDER CONTROL OF UNIFORMED VIGILANTES IN HUNGARY
By Orsolya Fehé, political analyst of the R. I. S. Network
According to the local representative of the Jobbik party in the Heves County village, crimes against property have become unbearable to the locals, who have therefore called the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future to protect them. Gábor Vona, the president of Jobbik said in Gyöngyöspata[1] that „those are not willing to integrate should leave the country.” More than 2,000 members and sympathizers of Jobbik and the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future held a protest in the village, which counts 2,500 citizens, against „Gypsy terror”, fearing that „crimes committed by the minorities could create a civil war situation.” The Roma were astonished. According to them, generalizing and exercising arbitrary control over the whole village because of a few trouble makers is not a solution. Nearly 2,500 persons marched in black military-like clothing on 6th March 2011 in Gyöngyöspata, after the rally supported by the Jobbik party, through the village’s Roma neighborhood, chanting slogans about the restoration of public safety. The police arrived on the scene on the day of the demonstration but did not interfere in any way, regardless of the “abuse caused to the rights of the local Roma residents, which could have been a ground for the authorities to break up the protest”, as mentioned in the letter written by the members of Gyöngyöspata’s Roma community to the Hungarian Minister of Home Affairs.
After the end of the protest the activists wearing the black uniforms of the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future, the “Defense Guard” or the “gendarmerie” did not leave Gyöngyöspata. They are there to this day and still terrorize the local Roma population. They stand in lines and surround the neighborhood. Because of their threatening appearance, the Roma do not dare leave their houses or send their children to school. Their stated goals and behavior clearly questions the state monopoly on the legitimate use of force. The village has a local police chief who had earlier initiated investigations into some thefts and closed some cases. However, many local residents considered it necessary to strengthen public safety by calling on the civil guards to protect their village. While the police doubled their presence on the scene two days after the protest, the members of the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future and its sympathizers are still forming a human chain around the houses of Roma residents and say they are there to stay. The police, while present in large numbers, still do not interfere in any way, regardless of the fact that there is reasonable suspicion that offenses such as harassment and bodily injury are occurring on a day to day basis against many of the village’s Roma residents. Some of the protesters have vowed to stay on and guard the village until the local Roma self-government does not sign a declaration stating that the Roma will stop committing crimes. Attila Laszlo, the leader of the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future said that he had heard about the municipality requesting that the Civil Guard should leave but that this was later retracted by the mayor. The mayor’s office confirmed his statement. According to their initial plans, they intend to stay until they train and organize a local branch of the organization made up of local residents.
Attila Laszlo added that during the night, his guards had once again helped capture two wood thieves in the surroundings of the village. As they caught the thief red-handed, they called the local police, who initiated proceedings. Food is regularly being collected and accommodation offered to the civil guards by local residents. László Tabi, the independent mayor of Gyöngyöspata told the press on 9th March that the civil guards had since been actively involved in capturing wood thieves. Simultaneously, local residents continued to offer accommodation and food to their “guests” and initiated a petition to demand that the Civil Guard stay on. Jobbik representative András Kisgergely reminded his followers that “Gypsies attack Hungarians each and every day. Typically, the gypsy carries a knife, and after having committed a theft and met with resistance, he starts his killing spree. It is not enough for him to hurt the one who resists, it is his life he wants to take!” According to the politican, “gypsy criminals are left free to maraud in villages, terrorize and murder the Hungarians while they are protected through every means possible and their acts are left out of the public eye.” One article in major ultra-nationalist website begins with the statement that in Gyöngyöspata, on the day of the protest, the population had once again approached the ideal Hungarian “ethnic ratio”, a concept which, with demographic decline among non-Roma and high birth rates among Roma in Hungary, is gaining in importance in the ultra-nationalist narrative in Hungary. Gábor Vona, president of the Jobbik party, said that he had received information from different sources that the local Roma had been threatening the “Hungarian” residents in Gyöngyöspata, promising that revenge would be taken after the civil guards left the village. The politician promised that: “if need be, twice, three times as many civil guards will come back.” Mr. Vona added that they would organize the civil guard movement across the country’s cities and villages.
“We went to Gyöngyöspata on Thursday, 10th March, and found we had to cross two checkpoints reminiscent of war movies to enter the Roma neighborhood.” wrote the www.sosinet.hu website. At that point tension was intense between the Roma and the people clad in black uniforms surrounding them. “During our interviews, local Roma inhabitants told us about the psychological terror and humiliation they are suffering, the constant fear they are feeling. It is not safe for them to leave their homes, even to go to work.” In their declaration, the local Rona draw attention to the fact that the members of the Hungarian Guard hidden behind “Civil Guard Association for a Better Future” and “gendarme” uniforms and openly supported by the Jobbik party have kept the Roma residents of the village in a state of constant fear for the past two weeks. The situation has come to a point where the Roma are terrified to leave their houses, stopped sending their children to school and do not even feel secure inside their own homes. Activists began organizing a crowd to “celebrate” the 15 March National Holiday in Gyöngyöspata. Between 230-250 people arrived to the village in the morning and spent the day in the Roma neighborhood to celebrate Hungary’s commemoration of its revolution against Austrian rule in 1848. They walked together to the Kossuth (a hero of the revolution) statue, claiming in statement signed by spokespersons Tamás Bauer, László Márton and Iván Vitányi that “laws apply to all, not only to those who commit crimes against other persons’ property. They also apply to those self-appointed militia members who keep others in a state of terror.” Today is 16 March, a day after the National Holiday. A few people were taken to the police station yesterday in Gyöngyöspata because they could not show their ID’s.
“The police, the legitimate guardians of public safety, have been watching on silently as an aggressive organization bulldozes through the basic norms of any democratic state based on the rule of law and attacks members of the Roma minority arbitrarily instead of preventing this state of affairs from developing from the day it started.” – says the Hungarian Democratic Charta in their statement. The Hungarian Democratic Charta and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ), two NGOs, have expressed their shock at the lack of response of the Hungarian authorities: “We are shocked by the inaction of the police, which could encourage others to take similar actions and could deepen the loss of trust of the Roma minority in the authorities and the administration.” While many representatives of European governments and journalists from all over the world are currently in Hungary for the EU Presidency summits, neither the events, nor their statement have made it into the international press. The question is whether Hungary, which is currently holding the European Union Presidency, will acknowledge that vigilantism, the concept of demographic “ ethnic ratio” and the meaning given to Hungarian national values by those who claim to protect this country and their sympathizers is a direct path back to where Hungary stood in the 1930s, and whether this government will finally take real steps to stand by its stated principles and stop militias advocating crimes against humanity from taking our country over once again. “After Gyöngyöspata”, the Jobbik party has asked the members of the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future “to take the restoration of public safety into their own hands in Borsodnánasd also.” We urge all to unite against the recent racist trend!
The Hungarian Guard is a Hungarian ultra-nationalist movement supported by the ultra-nationalist Jobbik party, which won 16 % of the national vote in the 2010 general elections. The Guard was banned in July 2009 by a Budapest court. Judge Pataki, in charge of the case, decided that the Hungarian Guard’s main aim is to spread fear among Roma and noted that the Guard is also anti-Semitic because in a speech a spokesman of the Guard talked about “Zionist rats, locusts, and grave diggers of the nation.” The judge pointed out that all these activities are unconstitutional and not in conformity with Hungary’s international obligations. The Civil Guard Association for a Better Future was founded in 2010 and has been trying ever since to join the National Federation of Civil Guards to legitimize its activities. These attempts have been met with the Federation’s refusal to cooperate. Most Hungarians acknowledge that due to the support of Jobbik and to the similarity of the organization’s stated objectives and the methods used and black uniforms of its members, the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future is the successor of the banned Hungarian Guard.
Roma Buzz Aggregator
According to the local representative of the Jobbik party in the Heves County village, crimes against property have become unbearable to the locals, who have therefore called the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future to protect them. Gábor Vona, the president of Jobbik said in Gyöngyöspata[1] that „those are not willing to integrate should leave the country.” More than 2,000 members and sympathizers of Jobbik and the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future held a protest in the village, which counts 2,500 citizens, against „Gypsy terror”, fearing that „crimes committed by the minorities could create a civil war situation.” The Roma were astonished. According to them, generalizing and exercising arbitrary control over the whole village because of a few trouble makers is not a solution. Nearly 2,500 persons marched in black military-like clothing on 6th March 2011 in Gyöngyöspata, after the rally supported by the Jobbik party, through the village’s Roma neighborhood, chanting slogans about the restoration of public safety. The police arrived on the scene on the day of the demonstration but did not interfere in any way, regardless of the “abuse caused to the rights of the local Roma residents, which could have been a ground for the authorities to break up the protest”, as mentioned in the letter written by the members of Gyöngyöspata’s Roma community to the Hungarian Minister of Home Affairs.
After the end of the protest the activists wearing the black uniforms of the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future, the “Defense Guard” or the “gendarmerie” did not leave Gyöngyöspata. They are there to this day and still terrorize the local Roma population. They stand in lines and surround the neighborhood. Because of their threatening appearance, the Roma do not dare leave their houses or send their children to school. Their stated goals and behavior clearly questions the state monopoly on the legitimate use of force. The village has a local police chief who had earlier initiated investigations into some thefts and closed some cases. However, many local residents considered it necessary to strengthen public safety by calling on the civil guards to protect their village. While the police doubled their presence on the scene two days after the protest, the members of the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future and its sympathizers are still forming a human chain around the houses of Roma residents and say they are there to stay. The police, while present in large numbers, still do not interfere in any way, regardless of the fact that there is reasonable suspicion that offenses such as harassment and bodily injury are occurring on a day to day basis against many of the village’s Roma residents. Some of the protesters have vowed to stay on and guard the village until the local Roma self-government does not sign a declaration stating that the Roma will stop committing crimes. Attila Laszlo, the leader of the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future said that he had heard about the municipality requesting that the Civil Guard should leave but that this was later retracted by the mayor. The mayor’s office confirmed his statement. According to their initial plans, they intend to stay until they train and organize a local branch of the organization made up of local residents.
Attila Laszlo added that during the night, his guards had once again helped capture two wood thieves in the surroundings of the village. As they caught the thief red-handed, they called the local police, who initiated proceedings. Food is regularly being collected and accommodation offered to the civil guards by local residents. László Tabi, the independent mayor of Gyöngyöspata told the press on 9th March that the civil guards had since been actively involved in capturing wood thieves. Simultaneously, local residents continued to offer accommodation and food to their “guests” and initiated a petition to demand that the Civil Guard stay on. Jobbik representative András Kisgergely reminded his followers that “Gypsies attack Hungarians each and every day. Typically, the gypsy carries a knife, and after having committed a theft and met with resistance, he starts his killing spree. It is not enough for him to hurt the one who resists, it is his life he wants to take!” According to the politican, “gypsy criminals are left free to maraud in villages, terrorize and murder the Hungarians while they are protected through every means possible and their acts are left out of the public eye.” One article in major ultra-nationalist website begins with the statement that in Gyöngyöspata, on the day of the protest, the population had once again approached the ideal Hungarian “ethnic ratio”, a concept which, with demographic decline among non-Roma and high birth rates among Roma in Hungary, is gaining in importance in the ultra-nationalist narrative in Hungary. Gábor Vona, president of the Jobbik party, said that he had received information from different sources that the local Roma had been threatening the “Hungarian” residents in Gyöngyöspata, promising that revenge would be taken after the civil guards left the village. The politician promised that: “if need be, twice, three times as many civil guards will come back.” Mr. Vona added that they would organize the civil guard movement across the country’s cities and villages.
“We went to Gyöngyöspata on Thursday, 10th March, and found we had to cross two checkpoints reminiscent of war movies to enter the Roma neighborhood.” wrote the www.sosinet.hu website. At that point tension was intense between the Roma and the people clad in black uniforms surrounding them. “During our interviews, local Roma inhabitants told us about the psychological terror and humiliation they are suffering, the constant fear they are feeling. It is not safe for them to leave their homes, even to go to work.” In their declaration, the local Rona draw attention to the fact that the members of the Hungarian Guard hidden behind “Civil Guard Association for a Better Future” and “gendarme” uniforms and openly supported by the Jobbik party have kept the Roma residents of the village in a state of constant fear for the past two weeks. The situation has come to a point where the Roma are terrified to leave their houses, stopped sending their children to school and do not even feel secure inside their own homes. Activists began organizing a crowd to “celebrate” the 15 March National Holiday in Gyöngyöspata. Between 230-250 people arrived to the village in the morning and spent the day in the Roma neighborhood to celebrate Hungary’s commemoration of its revolution against Austrian rule in 1848. They walked together to the Kossuth (a hero of the revolution) statue, claiming in statement signed by spokespersons Tamás Bauer, László Márton and Iván Vitányi that “laws apply to all, not only to those who commit crimes against other persons’ property. They also apply to those self-appointed militia members who keep others in a state of terror.” Today is 16 March, a day after the National Holiday. A few people were taken to the police station yesterday in Gyöngyöspata because they could not show their ID’s.
“The police, the legitimate guardians of public safety, have been watching on silently as an aggressive organization bulldozes through the basic norms of any democratic state based on the rule of law and attacks members of the Roma minority arbitrarily instead of preventing this state of affairs from developing from the day it started.” – says the Hungarian Democratic Charta in their statement. The Hungarian Democratic Charta and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ), two NGOs, have expressed their shock at the lack of response of the Hungarian authorities: “We are shocked by the inaction of the police, which could encourage others to take similar actions and could deepen the loss of trust of the Roma minority in the authorities and the administration.” While many representatives of European governments and journalists from all over the world are currently in Hungary for the EU Presidency summits, neither the events, nor their statement have made it into the international press. The question is whether Hungary, which is currently holding the European Union Presidency, will acknowledge that vigilantism, the concept of demographic “ ethnic ratio” and the meaning given to Hungarian national values by those who claim to protect this country and their sympathizers is a direct path back to where Hungary stood in the 1930s, and whether this government will finally take real steps to stand by its stated principles and stop militias advocating crimes against humanity from taking our country over once again. “After Gyöngyöspata”, the Jobbik party has asked the members of the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future “to take the restoration of public safety into their own hands in Borsodnánasd also.” We urge all to unite against the recent racist trend!
The Hungarian Guard is a Hungarian ultra-nationalist movement supported by the ultra-nationalist Jobbik party, which won 16 % of the national vote in the 2010 general elections. The Guard was banned in July 2009 by a Budapest court. Judge Pataki, in charge of the case, decided that the Hungarian Guard’s main aim is to spread fear among Roma and noted that the Guard is also anti-Semitic because in a speech a spokesman of the Guard talked about “Zionist rats, locusts, and grave diggers of the nation.” The judge pointed out that all these activities are unconstitutional and not in conformity with Hungary’s international obligations. The Civil Guard Association for a Better Future was founded in 2010 and has been trying ever since to join the National Federation of Civil Guards to legitimize its activities. These attempts have been met with the Federation’s refusal to cooperate. Most Hungarians acknowledge that due to the support of Jobbik and to the similarity of the organization’s stated objectives and the methods used and black uniforms of its members, the Civil Guard Association for a Better Future is the successor of the banned Hungarian Guard.
Roma Buzz Aggregator
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Latvians honour those who fought for Nazi Germany in Waffen SS units amid angry counterprotests
Hundreds of Latvians have gathered in downtown Riga to commemorate World War II veterans who fought on the side of Nazi Germany in Waffen SS detachments.
A small group of mainly ethnic Russians also have assembled nearby to protest the ceremony, which they claim glorifies fascism and discredits the Soviet Union's enormous sacrifice in defeating Nazi Germany.
A large police contingent is on hand to keep the two sides apart.
Participants in Wednesday's ceremony, including a small number of veterans, will attend a church service and then proceed to the Freedom Monument, where they will lay flowers and sing patriotic songs.
The annual event evokes strong feelings in ethnically divided Latvia.
CJBK
A small group of mainly ethnic Russians also have assembled nearby to protest the ceremony, which they claim glorifies fascism and discredits the Soviet Union's enormous sacrifice in defeating Nazi Germany.
A large police contingent is on hand to keep the two sides apart.
Participants in Wednesday's ceremony, including a small number of veterans, will attend a church service and then proceed to the Freedom Monument, where they will lay flowers and sing patriotic songs.
The annual event evokes strong feelings in ethnically divided Latvia.
CJBK
Prosecution takes stand at Wilders' inciting hatred trial (Netherlands)
The trial of MP Geert Wilders on inciting hatred and discrimination charges continues on Wednesday with the public prosecution department’s reaction to the defence opening statement.
On Monday, Wilders’ lawyer Bram Moszkowicz called for the trial to be scrapped.
The public prosecution department did not originally want to take the case, but it was forced to do so by the appeal court in Amsterdam following protests from a variety of groups and individuals.
At last year’s trial, abandoned following claims of prejudice, the department called for Wilders to be found not guilty on all charges.
Dutch News
On Monday, Wilders’ lawyer Bram Moszkowicz called for the trial to be scrapped.
The public prosecution department did not originally want to take the case, but it was forced to do so by the appeal court in Amsterdam following protests from a variety of groups and individuals.
At last year’s trial, abandoned following claims of prejudice, the department called for Wilders to be found not guilty on all charges.
Dutch News
WIESENTHAL CENTER SLAMS SWEDEN FOR 'JEWISH TAX'
US-based Jewish rights group the Simon Wiesenthal Center on Tuesday criticised Sweden for not doing enough to protect the Jewish community in Malmö following a string of crimes against Jews in the southern Swedish town.
The group among other things blasted Swedish authorities for making the community pay the equivalent of a "Jewish tax," since they themselves had to foot the bill for most security measures, including setting up anti-attack barriers in front of the synagogue during religious celebrations. "It is long overdue that the Swedish authorities assume the costs of the security of the Jewish institutions, especially in a community of 800 people that's been suffering from incidents," Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the centre's associate dean, told AFP. "That's a disaster waiting to happen," he cautioned, also lamenting numerous attacks on Malmö's Muslim and Roma communities. A spokesman for Democracy Minister Birgitta Ohlsson, who met with Cooper in Stockholm Tuesday, told AFP that "discussions" were going on within the government about the issue, but would not provide further details. Representatives from the organisation are currently visiting the southern Swedish city of Malmö for meetings with a number of Swedish officials, including Mayor Ilmar Reepalu, who has previously been criticised for remarks about the city's Jewish community.
The Wiesenthal Center still feels the situation for Jews in Malmö is serious and has proposed a number of measures to improve the situation. However, a travel advisory issued in December will likely remain in place for the time being. "If the status quo is maintained, the Wiesenthal Center's travel warning will remain," the group said in an email sent to the TT news agency. Following a meeting on hate crimes between Reepalu and Cooper, it appeared that differences remain in how both of them view the situation in Malmö. While Reepalu told reporters the meeting was "very good, direct, and open", Cooper was more sober, explain that "we have a lot of work ahead of us", according to the Sydsvenskan newspaper.
Malmö, which is Sweden's third largest city with a population of around 300,000, is home to some 800 Jews, alongside a large, mainly Muslim, immigrant community. Some 400 anti-Semitic acts were registered in Malmö in 2009 alone, accounting for more than half of the total number of hate crimes in that city, and several Jewish families have left in recent years due to the threatening atmosphere, according to local Jewish representatives. In December, shortly after Stockholm suffered its first-ever suicide bombing, the Wiesenthal Centre issued a rare warning, cautioning Jews to avoid traveling to Malmö and telling the ones already there to be very careful. Referring to numerous instances of harassment against people who are visibly Jewish, Cooper asked "How could that happen?" "In a country that rescued the Jews coming from Denmark during World War II, how come a rabbi can (no longer) go to the synagogue with his two children?"
In early 2009, a Davis Cup tennis match in Malmö between Sweden and Israel was forced to play behind closed doors due to security concerns amid massive ant-Israeli protests over the Gaza war. Malmö mayor Ilmar Reepalu has also faced harsh criticism for not taking the threat against the city's Jewish community seriously enough and for comparing Zionism to anti-Semitism. After meeting with Cooper Monday, he stressed to the TT news agency that he in no way was making light of the situation. "Every single Jew who feels fearful and afraid is one too many. This is completely unacceptable," he said, adding that it was up to the national government to provide more funds for addressing the problem. "I really hope that the state will prioritise Malmö in this matter," he said.
The Local Sweden
The group among other things blasted Swedish authorities for making the community pay the equivalent of a "Jewish tax," since they themselves had to foot the bill for most security measures, including setting up anti-attack barriers in front of the synagogue during religious celebrations. "It is long overdue that the Swedish authorities assume the costs of the security of the Jewish institutions, especially in a community of 800 people that's been suffering from incidents," Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the centre's associate dean, told AFP. "That's a disaster waiting to happen," he cautioned, also lamenting numerous attacks on Malmö's Muslim and Roma communities. A spokesman for Democracy Minister Birgitta Ohlsson, who met with Cooper in Stockholm Tuesday, told AFP that "discussions" were going on within the government about the issue, but would not provide further details. Representatives from the organisation are currently visiting the southern Swedish city of Malmö for meetings with a number of Swedish officials, including Mayor Ilmar Reepalu, who has previously been criticised for remarks about the city's Jewish community.
The Wiesenthal Center still feels the situation for Jews in Malmö is serious and has proposed a number of measures to improve the situation. However, a travel advisory issued in December will likely remain in place for the time being. "If the status quo is maintained, the Wiesenthal Center's travel warning will remain," the group said in an email sent to the TT news agency. Following a meeting on hate crimes between Reepalu and Cooper, it appeared that differences remain in how both of them view the situation in Malmö. While Reepalu told reporters the meeting was "very good, direct, and open", Cooper was more sober, explain that "we have a lot of work ahead of us", according to the Sydsvenskan newspaper.
Malmö, which is Sweden's third largest city with a population of around 300,000, is home to some 800 Jews, alongside a large, mainly Muslim, immigrant community. Some 400 anti-Semitic acts were registered in Malmö in 2009 alone, accounting for more than half of the total number of hate crimes in that city, and several Jewish families have left in recent years due to the threatening atmosphere, according to local Jewish representatives. In December, shortly after Stockholm suffered its first-ever suicide bombing, the Wiesenthal Centre issued a rare warning, cautioning Jews to avoid traveling to Malmö and telling the ones already there to be very careful. Referring to numerous instances of harassment against people who are visibly Jewish, Cooper asked "How could that happen?" "In a country that rescued the Jews coming from Denmark during World War II, how come a rabbi can (no longer) go to the synagogue with his two children?"
In early 2009, a Davis Cup tennis match in Malmö between Sweden and Israel was forced to play behind closed doors due to security concerns amid massive ant-Israeli protests over the Gaza war. Malmö mayor Ilmar Reepalu has also faced harsh criticism for not taking the threat against the city's Jewish community seriously enough and for comparing Zionism to anti-Semitism. After meeting with Cooper Monday, he stressed to the TT news agency that he in no way was making light of the situation. "Every single Jew who feels fearful and afraid is one too many. This is completely unacceptable," he said, adding that it was up to the national government to provide more funds for addressing the problem. "I really hope that the state will prioritise Malmö in this matter," he said.
The Local Sweden
'No attention' paid to hate crime (UK)
"Virtually no attention" has been paid to why people carry out hate crimes in Scotland, the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland (EHRCS) has said.
The commission said the number of hate crimes in the country was rising, but there was still a "critical need" for programmes to prevent reoffending.
The body has launched the UK's first international study into how hate crime offenders could be rehabilitated.
As it launched the Rehabilitation of Hate Crime Offenders report, the EHRCS said there were "record levels" of racially motivated crime recorded in Scotland, with more than 6,200 incidents recorded between 2009 and 2010.
It also found two-thirds of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Scotland had reported being verbally abused or threatened, with more than a third reporting being physically attacked, and disabled people were four times more likely to be the victim of a crime than other people and twice as likely to be the victim of a violent attack.
Kaliani Lyle of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: "This report highlights the critical need for rehabilitation programmes for hate crime offenders.
"Given the serious nature of this type of crime, and the detrimental and sustained impact that it has on victims, we need to improve our knowledge base about hate crime offenders and what motivates them, and develop strategies to tackle and reduce the problem and reoffending rates.
"Legislation on its own is not the magic solution. We need to plug the knowledge gap that currently exists when it comes to changing behaviours and attitudes, and draw on existing expertise to develop a nationwide approach."
The report puts forward recommendations for designing and delivering programmes that challenge offenders' motivations and help rehabilitate them.
The recommendations are aimed at community justice authorities and prison service managers in Scotland, and at third sector organisations working in partnership with statutory agencies to provide programmes for offenders.
Google Hosted News
The commission said the number of hate crimes in the country was rising, but there was still a "critical need" for programmes to prevent reoffending.
The body has launched the UK's first international study into how hate crime offenders could be rehabilitated.
As it launched the Rehabilitation of Hate Crime Offenders report, the EHRCS said there were "record levels" of racially motivated crime recorded in Scotland, with more than 6,200 incidents recorded between 2009 and 2010.
It also found two-thirds of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Scotland had reported being verbally abused or threatened, with more than a third reporting being physically attacked, and disabled people were four times more likely to be the victim of a crime than other people and twice as likely to be the victim of a violent attack.
Kaliani Lyle of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: "This report highlights the critical need for rehabilitation programmes for hate crime offenders.
"Given the serious nature of this type of crime, and the detrimental and sustained impact that it has on victims, we need to improve our knowledge base about hate crime offenders and what motivates them, and develop strategies to tackle and reduce the problem and reoffending rates.
"Legislation on its own is not the magic solution. We need to plug the knowledge gap that currently exists when it comes to changing behaviours and attitudes, and draw on existing expertise to develop a nationwide approach."
The report puts forward recommendations for designing and delivering programmes that challenge offenders' motivations and help rehabilitate them.
The recommendations are aimed at community justice authorities and prison service managers in Scotland, and at third sector organisations working in partnership with statutory agencies to provide programmes for offenders.
Google Hosted News
NEO-NAZI CANDIDATE PROBED FOR WEB BOMB TIPS (Germany)
Matthias Heyder, who hopes to lead the far-right party into the state legislature on March 20, is under suspicion of using an online forum to discuss possible terrorist attacks, bomb-making methods and the "defiling" of left-leaning women under the pseudonym "Junker Jörg."
The story, first broken by public broadcaster ARD, was confirmed by the Saxony-Anhalt Interior Ministry on Tuesday.
"According to the excerpts of this internet forum made available to us, it's very plausible that no one other than Mr. Heyder is behind these entries," said Martin Krems, a spokesman for the ministry.
The state police have now been asked to secure computer data and other information.
The forum itself is registered to Holger Apfel, the NPD parliamentary group leader in Saxony. Apfel, who is also heading the party's election campaign in Saxony-Anhalt, is a close confidante of Heyder.
Investigators have found hundreds of entries made by "Junker Jörg" since 2004 on the forum, including a good deal of insider information about the NPD such as detailed postings on campaign strategy, photographs to be used in campaign material and drafts of party brochures.
Entries which concern investigators were found under the subcategory "weapons" and explain in seven steps how an explosive device could be assembled. Experts believe the detailed description, which includes exactly how much of various substances should be used, is punishable by law.
In one entry, Junker Jörg wrote: "20 suitcases, 20 men, 20 train stations. The Federal Republic paralysed. Everything legal. Cost under €1,000. What's the problem?"
Heyder, when contacted by ARD, said he doubted he had ever written anything in the forum in question. He did tell reporters, however, that the forum was private and threatened to press charges for "data theft" if postings were made public.
According to recent polls, the NPD could get enough votes in Sunday's election to gain seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. It would be the third eastern German state to have members of the neo-Nazi party represented after Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Heyder and the party have been careful to cultivate a moderate image in the election campaign, however, discussions in the internet forum where Junker Jörg often posted smirked at the efforts while concluding that they were necessary politically.
The Local Germany
CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS CRITICISE CALL FOR RELIGIOUS SYMBOL BAN (Netherlands)
MPs on Tuesday criticised calls from VVD MP Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert for a debate on the separation of church and state. The MP made the comments in an interview in the Pers newspaper, during which she called for a ban on Islamic headscarves and other religious symbols in public buildings. CDA MP Mirjam Sterk said a ban would conflict with the fundamental right to freedom of religion. 'What problem does the VVD want to solve with this?,' she said. 'This plan will work against the emancipation of women.' The CDA and VVD form the current minority coalition government.
Freedom of religion
André Rouvoet, leader of the orthodox Christian ChristenUnie also criticised Hennis. 'Yet another Liberal who considers freedom of religion to be unnecessary,' he said, using the microblogging service Twitter. D66 MP Gerard Schouw accused the MP of 'headscarf hobbyism' and said the VVD might as well merge with the anti-Islam PVV. The PVV wants a ban on Islamic headscarves in all public buildings. In the interview, Hennis-Plasschaert called for a thoughtful debate. ‘We talk a lot about the separation of church and state, but the church has become involved in the state in a lot of ways,' she said. 'Look at religious schools and the way public broadcasting is organised. That goes for ritual slaughter as well.’ The coalition government has already made concessions on Sunday trading with the fundamentalist SGP. The coalition may also rely on the SGP for majority support in the upper house of parliament.
VVD MP calls for debate on separation of church and state
15/3/2011- There should be a ‘more reflective debate about the separation of church and state’, VVD MP Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert says in an interview with the Pers newspaper. The current debate is ‘too confined’ because ‘Christian parties are exerting pressure as well,’ the MP said. Hennis-Plasschaert pointed out that Islamic headscarves are banned in Turkish public institutions and universities, and that France has brought in a ban on headscarves in schools. ‘I would very much like to have that debate about when you can wear a headscarf,’ she said. The MP said a ban on religious symbols would cover all religions.
Schools
‘We talk a lot about the separation of church and state, but the church has become involved in the state in a lot of ways,' she said. 'Look at religious schools and the way public broadcasting is organised. That goes for ritual slaughter as well.’ The VVD is in a coalition government with the Christian Democrats and has made concessions on Sunday trading with the fundamentalist SGP. The coalition may also rely on the SGP for majority support in the upper house of parliament.
Dutch News
Freedom of religion
André Rouvoet, leader of the orthodox Christian ChristenUnie also criticised Hennis. 'Yet another Liberal who considers freedom of religion to be unnecessary,' he said, using the microblogging service Twitter. D66 MP Gerard Schouw accused the MP of 'headscarf hobbyism' and said the VVD might as well merge with the anti-Islam PVV. The PVV wants a ban on Islamic headscarves in all public buildings. In the interview, Hennis-Plasschaert called for a thoughtful debate. ‘We talk a lot about the separation of church and state, but the church has become involved in the state in a lot of ways,' she said. 'Look at religious schools and the way public broadcasting is organised. That goes for ritual slaughter as well.’ The coalition government has already made concessions on Sunday trading with the fundamentalist SGP. The coalition may also rely on the SGP for majority support in the upper house of parliament.
VVD MP calls for debate on separation of church and state
15/3/2011- There should be a ‘more reflective debate about the separation of church and state’, VVD MP Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert says in an interview with the Pers newspaper. The current debate is ‘too confined’ because ‘Christian parties are exerting pressure as well,’ the MP said. Hennis-Plasschaert pointed out that Islamic headscarves are banned in Turkish public institutions and universities, and that France has brought in a ban on headscarves in schools. ‘I would very much like to have that debate about when you can wear a headscarf,’ she said. The MP said a ban on religious symbols would cover all religions.
Schools
‘We talk a lot about the separation of church and state, but the church has become involved in the state in a lot of ways,' she said. 'Look at religious schools and the way public broadcasting is organised. That goes for ritual slaughter as well.’ The VVD is in a coalition government with the Christian Democrats and has made concessions on Sunday trading with the fundamentalist SGP. The coalition may also rely on the SGP for majority support in the upper house of parliament.
Dutch News
BNP’S secret union (UK)
A SHADOWY trade union run by a former National Front leader is causing strife at Shorts, it has been claimed.
But new members don’t realise they are getting into bed with the BNP.
Solidarity – a right wing union run by Edinburgh based activist Patrick Harrington – is targeting members of other trade unions to get them to jump ship.
Shorts Bombardier is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest employers with over 6,500 workers and the main union which supports workers there is Unite.
But traditional trade unionists at the aircraft components factory in east Belfast have described the Solidarity supporters as a “BNP cabal”.
Solidarity is the union wing of the British National Party and operates to drum up support for the right wing party although it’s believed they have less than 500 members across the UK.
The Ulster wing of the BNP is currently being run by nasty fascist Stephen Moore, who we revealed last year refers to Muslims as ‘Ragheads’ and Catholics as ‘Taigs’.
Force
Harrington and Moore are busy recruiting in Northern Ireland in the run-up to the Assembly and council elections in May.
And on Friday BNP leader Nick Griffin sent an open letter to thousands of targets asking them to join Solidarity.
However despite their name, Solidarity almost always takes the side of the bosses during any dispute, it has been claimed.
“There is a secret cabal of right-wing nutters working within Shorts,” said a source from inside the aerospace company.
“They are trying to force staff into breaking away from Unite to join Solidarity.
“They want people to join Solidarity and are digging up old sectarian fears.
“But what these people aren’t telling the workers is they would be marching into the arms of the BNP if they join them.”
Shorts has a history of sectarian tensions and the Sunday World understands that there has been a concerted rise in complaints made against Catholics employed by Unite as full-time or lay officials.
“The cabal are annoyed with Unite’s stance on a number of key issues and are secretly trying to stir up strife by writing anonymous letters to the press claiming hundreds of Unite members are planning to join Solidarity,’’ said our source.
“This group have been against Unite’s support for humanitarian aid for Palestine as well as opposing the union’s campaign for Lesbian and Gay rights.
“They have constantly carped that members would split away from the Union if these kind of policies persisted.
“We know the elements that make up ‘Bombardier’s Nazi Party.’ They are just a bunch of obstructionist drunks who drape themselves in the union flag when it suits them especially at voting time.
“Their links to the BNP and even the UDA are well known. Basically they are just a bunch of foul-mouthed bigots who do nothing for the membership.
“It’s a drinking club for idiots and slabbers who are in bed with the bosses anyway.
“The fact they have been writing to the press talking about a ‘Protestant backlash’ shows their true colours.
“A few gullible members may believe their tripe and follow them but they haven’t been told it will be the BNP they are marching into.
Joining
“Unite should call their bluff – if they want to go let them go!”
Patrick Harrington – who is himself on the BNP payroll – is a long term friend of BNP leader Nick Griffin.
The pair were senior figures in the anti-black group the National Front back in the 1980s.
Harrington split from the NF years ago and is now General Secretary of Solidarity as well as being a member of the National Liberal Party.
Anti-fascist magazine reporter Matthew Collins has warned anyone thinking of joining Harrington’s union.
“They should think about joining Harrington very carefully,” says Collins.
“Solidarity is a scab trade union that didn’t even defend the rights of the BNP office staff when they were made redundant.
“They are always on the side of the bosses and like all bosses they want to divide the workforce along ethnicity.
“During every major industrial dispute the BNP have supported the bosses like the miner’s strike and the print dispute.”
Hope not Hate/Searchlight
But new members don’t realise they are getting into bed with the BNP.
Solidarity – a right wing union run by Edinburgh based activist Patrick Harrington – is targeting members of other trade unions to get them to jump ship.
Shorts Bombardier is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest employers with over 6,500 workers and the main union which supports workers there is Unite.
But traditional trade unionists at the aircraft components factory in east Belfast have described the Solidarity supporters as a “BNP cabal”.
Solidarity is the union wing of the British National Party and operates to drum up support for the right wing party although it’s believed they have less than 500 members across the UK.
The Ulster wing of the BNP is currently being run by nasty fascist Stephen Moore, who we revealed last year refers to Muslims as ‘Ragheads’ and Catholics as ‘Taigs’.
Force
Harrington and Moore are busy recruiting in Northern Ireland in the run-up to the Assembly and council elections in May.
And on Friday BNP leader Nick Griffin sent an open letter to thousands of targets asking them to join Solidarity.
However despite their name, Solidarity almost always takes the side of the bosses during any dispute, it has been claimed.
“There is a secret cabal of right-wing nutters working within Shorts,” said a source from inside the aerospace company.
“They are trying to force staff into breaking away from Unite to join Solidarity.
“They want people to join Solidarity and are digging up old sectarian fears.
“But what these people aren’t telling the workers is they would be marching into the arms of the BNP if they join them.”
Shorts has a history of sectarian tensions and the Sunday World understands that there has been a concerted rise in complaints made against Catholics employed by Unite as full-time or lay officials.
“The cabal are annoyed with Unite’s stance on a number of key issues and are secretly trying to stir up strife by writing anonymous letters to the press claiming hundreds of Unite members are planning to join Solidarity,’’ said our source.
“This group have been against Unite’s support for humanitarian aid for Palestine as well as opposing the union’s campaign for Lesbian and Gay rights.
“They have constantly carped that members would split away from the Union if these kind of policies persisted.
“We know the elements that make up ‘Bombardier’s Nazi Party.’ They are just a bunch of obstructionist drunks who drape themselves in the union flag when it suits them especially at voting time.
“Their links to the BNP and even the UDA are well known. Basically they are just a bunch of foul-mouthed bigots who do nothing for the membership.
“It’s a drinking club for idiots and slabbers who are in bed with the bosses anyway.
“The fact they have been writing to the press talking about a ‘Protestant backlash’ shows their true colours.
“A few gullible members may believe their tripe and follow them but they haven’t been told it will be the BNP they are marching into.
Joining
“Unite should call their bluff – if they want to go let them go!”
Patrick Harrington – who is himself on the BNP payroll – is a long term friend of BNP leader Nick Griffin.
The pair were senior figures in the anti-black group the National Front back in the 1980s.
Harrington split from the NF years ago and is now General Secretary of Solidarity as well as being a member of the National Liberal Party.
Anti-fascist magazine reporter Matthew Collins has warned anyone thinking of joining Harrington’s union.
“They should think about joining Harrington very carefully,” says Collins.
“Solidarity is a scab trade union that didn’t even defend the rights of the BNP office staff when they were made redundant.
“They are always on the side of the bosses and like all bosses they want to divide the workforce along ethnicity.
“During every major industrial dispute the BNP have supported the bosses like the miner’s strike and the print dispute.”
Hope not Hate/Searchlight
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Greek police detain 7 suspects linked to domestic terrorism group
Greek counter-terrorism police Monday detained seven suspects with links to a domestic terrorism group in Athens and the central city of Volos, local media reported.
During raids on at least two hideouts, police arrested five men and two women and seized a number of arms. More raids were under way in Athens.
Police confiscated two AK-47 rifles, six pistols, ammunition, wigs, police uniforms, bullet-proof vests, police wireless radios and other objects, which were being examined at a police crime lab.
Three of the detainees were wanted for participation in the "Conspiracy of Nuclei Cells of Fire" guerrilla group, which has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks against political, police and financial targets in the country over the past few years.
The latest attacks were a strong bomb explosion at a courthouse in Athens last December, several parcel bombs against European leaders and foreign embassies in Athens in November, and a similar one against the Greek Justice Ministry in January.
Greece has suffered heavily from attacks of local guerrilla groups for decades. Domestic terrorists have stepped up attacks since December 2008, when a teenager was fatally injured by police fire in Athens and unprecedented riots were triggered.
People Daily
During raids on at least two hideouts, police arrested five men and two women and seized a number of arms. More raids were under way in Athens.
Police confiscated two AK-47 rifles, six pistols, ammunition, wigs, police uniforms, bullet-proof vests, police wireless radios and other objects, which were being examined at a police crime lab.
Three of the detainees were wanted for participation in the "Conspiracy of Nuclei Cells of Fire" guerrilla group, which has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks against political, police and financial targets in the country over the past few years.
The latest attacks were a strong bomb explosion at a courthouse in Athens last December, several parcel bombs against European leaders and foreign embassies in Athens in November, and a similar one against the Greek Justice Ministry in January.
Greece has suffered heavily from attacks of local guerrilla groups for decades. Domestic terrorists have stepped up attacks since December 2008, when a teenager was fatally injured by police fire in Athens and unprecedented riots were triggered.
People Daily
Germans still struggling to resolve issues of race
The country has no xenophobic far-right party, yet a book arguing that Turks have inferior genes is a runaway bestseller.
On 18 February 1943, Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's minister of propaganda, took to the stage at Berlin's sports palace calling for "total war". "Two thousand years of western civilisation are in danger," he said, before going on to blame his favourite scapegoat. "Things have gone so far in Europe that one cannot call a danger a danger when it is caused by the Jews."
Seventy years later, on the same spot, stands a housing estate called the Pallasseum, whose facade of vividly coloured satellite dishes and various flags hanging from balconies reveals how far Europe has come from Goebbels's moribund concept of "western civilisation".
Around 40% of the inhabitants are German, 40% of Turkish extraction and 20% hail from elsewhere, ranging from Bangladesh and Somalia to Australia and France. The different communities don't always mix, but neither do they clash.
Read the rest of this item at The Guardian
On 18 February 1943, Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's minister of propaganda, took to the stage at Berlin's sports palace calling for "total war". "Two thousand years of western civilisation are in danger," he said, before going on to blame his favourite scapegoat. "Things have gone so far in Europe that one cannot call a danger a danger when it is caused by the Jews."
Seventy years later, on the same spot, stands a housing estate called the Pallasseum, whose facade of vividly coloured satellite dishes and various flags hanging from balconies reveals how far Europe has come from Goebbels's moribund concept of "western civilisation".
Around 40% of the inhabitants are German, 40% of Turkish extraction and 20% hail from elsewhere, ranging from Bangladesh and Somalia to Australia and France. The different communities don't always mix, but neither do they clash.
Read the rest of this item at The Guardian
UCLA Student's racist rant goes viral.
Sometimes, just sometimes there is a need not only to expose and challenge racism and ignorance but to also ridicule the people who show it.
And there is a real need to ridicule American college student Alexandra Wallace.
On the day that Japan was hit by an earthquake and tsunami, Alexandra decides to post a racist rant about Asian's on the You Tube website.
A spokesperson for UCLA has stated that her views are "repugnant and contrary to the values the university believes in".
Here's her video so you can see this glorious ignorance in action.
And here is really great video response.
Please support the video up-loader Xuyah by subscribing to his channel.
And there is a real need to ridicule American college student Alexandra Wallace.
On the day that Japan was hit by an earthquake and tsunami, Alexandra decides to post a racist rant about Asian's on the You Tube website.
A spokesperson for UCLA has stated that her views are "repugnant and contrary to the values the university believes in".
Here's her video so you can see this glorious ignorance in action.
And here is really great video response.
Please support the video up-loader Xuyah by subscribing to his channel.
'Nazi' knife thug facing jail over racist attack (UK)
A Hitler impersonating knife thug was yesterday facing jail over a racist attack.
Gary Oswald - who is pictured on a social networking site giving a Nazi salute pretending to be Hitler - launched a tirade of racist abuse at an Asian woman.
When her partner leapt to her defence, Oswald pulled out a knife and slashed his victim's arm.
Oswald, whose Bebo page also states he is "scared of black people" then bit David Dandie's ear before fleeing the flat in Dundee.
Oswald and his two victims had been guests at a New Year party at the flat before the attack, which took place at around 4am on New Year's Day.
When charged by police with racially abusing Amelita Benn, he told cops: "I'm not bothered".
Nicola Gillespie, prosecuting, told Dundee Sheriff Court: "Oswald began making racist comments like 'P***' and 'Get back to your corner shop'.
"He was confronted about his behaviour by Mr Dandie. Oswald then came towards him and swung a knife."
In the struggle that followed, Oswald bit Mr Dandie's ear and wouldn't stop.
Oswald, 22, of Beauly Avenue, Dundee, admitted assaulting Mr Dandie to his severe injury and disfigurement.
Sheriff Tom Hughes deferred sentence until next month and remanded Oswald in custody.
Daily Record
Gary Oswald - who is pictured on a social networking site giving a Nazi salute pretending to be Hitler - launched a tirade of racist abuse at an Asian woman.
When her partner leapt to her defence, Oswald pulled out a knife and slashed his victim's arm.
Oswald, whose Bebo page also states he is "scared of black people" then bit David Dandie's ear before fleeing the flat in Dundee.
Oswald and his two victims had been guests at a New Year party at the flat before the attack, which took place at around 4am on New Year's Day.
When charged by police with racially abusing Amelita Benn, he told cops: "I'm not bothered".
Nicola Gillespie, prosecuting, told Dundee Sheriff Court: "Oswald began making racist comments like 'P***' and 'Get back to your corner shop'.
"He was confronted about his behaviour by Mr Dandie. Oswald then came towards him and swung a knife."
In the struggle that followed, Oswald bit Mr Dandie's ear and wouldn't stop.
Oswald, 22, of Beauly Avenue, Dundee, admitted assaulting Mr Dandie to his severe injury and disfigurement.
Sheriff Tom Hughes deferred sentence until next month and remanded Oswald in custody.
Daily Record
EDL set to demonstrate in Blackburn (UK)
An English Defence League protest will take place in Blackburn next month.
The right-wing group said it planned to hold a three-and-a-half hour ‘peaceful’ demonstration on Saturday, April 2.
Lancashire Police is preparing for more than 1,000 supporters in the town centre.
At the same time, Blackburn & Darwen United Against Racism has called a counter-protest.
It is supported by Blackburn Trades Council, Blackburn College Student Union, Unite Against Fascism and Youth On A Mission.
Final negotiations were taking place yesterday between police and council chiefs over a suitable location.
The key issue is finding somewhere for a large-scale demonstration to take place safely.
Similar events in Bolton, Preston and Rochdale have taken place in the past.
The Preston demo in November led to 14 arrests but there was no major disorder.
A police spokesman said: “We are aware that the English Defence League may wish to hold an event in Blackburn on Saturday, April 2.
“The right to peacefully protest is a fundamental democratic right and we have a duty to facilitate that.
“At present nothing has been formally agreed or approved and we will work to ensure that these events pass off peacefully and with as little disruption as possible, if they go ahead.
“We will, of course, be working very closely with Blackburn with Darwen Council and other partner agencies throughout.”
According to the main EDL website and its Facebook page, which has 81,000 members, the Blackburn protest will run from 1pm until 4.30pm on Saturday, April 2.
Some promotional material on the internet has mentioned the case of Amy Houston, who died after being knocked down by a failed asylum seeker.
Former Darwen councillor Michael Johnson, 48, who has spoken at previous EDL demos, said: “I’ve spoken to Paul (Amy’s dad) and he doesn’t want people using his situation for political gain.”
In recent months, the EDL has held several protests outside the KFC in Blackburn, which has been trialling a halal menu.
Lancashire Telegraph
The right-wing group said it planned to hold a three-and-a-half hour ‘peaceful’ demonstration on Saturday, April 2.
Lancashire Police is preparing for more than 1,000 supporters in the town centre.
At the same time, Blackburn & Darwen United Against Racism has called a counter-protest.
It is supported by Blackburn Trades Council, Blackburn College Student Union, Unite Against Fascism and Youth On A Mission.
Final negotiations were taking place yesterday between police and council chiefs over a suitable location.
The key issue is finding somewhere for a large-scale demonstration to take place safely.
Similar events in Bolton, Preston and Rochdale have taken place in the past.
The Preston demo in November led to 14 arrests but there was no major disorder.
A police spokesman said: “We are aware that the English Defence League may wish to hold an event in Blackburn on Saturday, April 2.
“The right to peacefully protest is a fundamental democratic right and we have a duty to facilitate that.
“At present nothing has been formally agreed or approved and we will work to ensure that these events pass off peacefully and with as little disruption as possible, if they go ahead.
“We will, of course, be working very closely with Blackburn with Darwen Council and other partner agencies throughout.”
According to the main EDL website and its Facebook page, which has 81,000 members, the Blackburn protest will run from 1pm until 4.30pm on Saturday, April 2.
Some promotional material on the internet has mentioned the case of Amy Houston, who died after being knocked down by a failed asylum seeker.
Former Darwen councillor Michael Johnson, 48, who has spoken at previous EDL demos, said: “I’ve spoken to Paul (Amy’s dad) and he doesn’t want people using his situation for political gain.”
In recent months, the EDL has held several protests outside the KFC in Blackburn, which has been trialling a halal menu.
Lancashire Telegraph
Three sentenced for their parts in EDL protest disorder in Leicester (UK)
Three men were sentenced yesterday for their part in the public disorder which accompanied the English Defence League protest in Leicester.
Two of the men, who denied having any official political affiliation with the EDL, were among a group hurling missiles at the international arts centre Fabrika, in Humberstone Gate.
Christopher Chapman (22), of Armdale Drive, Netherhall, Leicester, was handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence, by city magistrates.
Unemployed Chapman pleaded guilty to causing £1,000 worth of damage to doors and windows at the venue and using threatening words and behaviour which caused people to fear for their safety.
At a previous hearing, Chapman's solicitor said he was "politically naive" and was still "suffering the effects" of the previous night's drinking.
Andrew Millard (27), of Bradmore Grove, Birmingham, was ordered to do 100 hours unpaid community work.
Millard, who has a five-year banning order from football grounds for hooliganism, admitted a charge of attempting to damage the arts centre with a large wooden pole.
Ian Johnson, prosecuting Millard, said the group attacked the building after spotting members of the media covering last October's protest from first floor windows. CCTV cameras filmed Millard picking up a large wooden pole, throwing it at the building but missing.
Chris Stewart, in mitigation, said: "It was a pathetic and half-hearted attempt."
Ryan Stapleford, of Ashby Road, Ibstock, was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work in the community after admitting to launching a "flying kick" on a Muslim man on the afternoon of the EDL demonstration.
The 18-year-old, who was filmed on CCTV attacking the man outside Benny's Chicken, in Granby Street, claimed he had been defending a friend who had persuaded him to accompany him to the protest.
This is Leicestershire
Two of the men, who denied having any official political affiliation with the EDL, were among a group hurling missiles at the international arts centre Fabrika, in Humberstone Gate.
Christopher Chapman (22), of Armdale Drive, Netherhall, Leicester, was handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence, by city magistrates.
Unemployed Chapman pleaded guilty to causing £1,000 worth of damage to doors and windows at the venue and using threatening words and behaviour which caused people to fear for their safety.
At a previous hearing, Chapman's solicitor said he was "politically naive" and was still "suffering the effects" of the previous night's drinking.
Andrew Millard (27), of Bradmore Grove, Birmingham, was ordered to do 100 hours unpaid community work.
Millard, who has a five-year banning order from football grounds for hooliganism, admitted a charge of attempting to damage the arts centre with a large wooden pole.
Ian Johnson, prosecuting Millard, said the group attacked the building after spotting members of the media covering last October's protest from first floor windows. CCTV cameras filmed Millard picking up a large wooden pole, throwing it at the building but missing.
Chris Stewart, in mitigation, said: "It was a pathetic and half-hearted attempt."
Ryan Stapleford, of Ashby Road, Ibstock, was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work in the community after admitting to launching a "flying kick" on a Muslim man on the afternoon of the EDL demonstration.
The 18-year-old, who was filmed on CCTV attacking the man outside Benny's Chicken, in Granby Street, claimed he had been defending a friend who had persuaded him to accompany him to the protest.
This is Leicestershire
Monday, 14 March 2011
Introducing Tyson. The EDL's new Dog Defence League's Leader.
Earlier on today whilst surfing the video sharing site You Tube, we came across a video uploaded by an EDL suppoter that reveals a new and interesting development in the EDL's campaign.
Apparently there is now a Doggy division of the protest movement.
This DDL(Dod Defence League) (sic) led by the Large Spiked Collared Muzzled Rottweiler Tyson, actively campaign against Muslim taxi drivers who refuse to allow guide dogs into their cabs.
As to why Tyson only feels its necessary to target Muslims taxi driver's who don't allow guide dogs into taxi's rather than any taxi driver that does not allow guide dogs is anybody's ruff guess.
I would ask readers to make up their own my mind as to why an EDL member would take such an "ard" dog to such an event with such a ferocious looking collar.
Here's the video description as it's posted on You Tube, it even has made up words.
And here's Tyson
Apparently there is now a Doggy division of the protest movement.
This DDL(Dod Defence League) (sic) led by the Large Spiked Collared Muzzled Rottweiler Tyson, actively campaign against Muslim taxi drivers who refuse to allow guide dogs into their cabs.
As to why Tyson only feels its necessary to target Muslims taxi driver's who don't allow guide dogs into taxi's rather than any taxi driver that does not allow guide dogs is anybody's ruff guess.
I would ask readers to make up their own my mind as to why an EDL member would take such an "ard" dog to such an event with such a ferocious looking collar.
Here's the video description as it's posted on You Tube, it even has made up words.
And here's Tyson
Hindu terrorism charges force India to reflect on prejudices against Muslims
When a series of bomb attacks ripped through Muslim neighborhoods, mosques and shrines in India in recent years, suspicion fell firmly on a familiar culprit: Islamist terror. After each incident, scores of Indian Muslims were rounded up, and many were tortured. Confessions were extracted, the names of various militant “masterminds” leaked to the media and links with Pakistan widely alleged.
Never mind that most of the victims were Muslims; it seemed natural to many people, from New Delhi to Washington, to assume the attacks were the work of extremist Pakistani militants and their Indian Muslim sympathizers, intent on fanning religious tensions in India and disrupting the peace process between the nuclear-armed rivals.
Read the full item at the Washington Post
Never mind that most of the victims were Muslims; it seemed natural to many people, from New Delhi to Washington, to assume the attacks were the work of extremist Pakistani militants and their Indian Muslim sympathizers, intent on fanning religious tensions in India and disrupting the peace process between the nuclear-armed rivals.
Read the full item at the Washington Post
Nationalist link suspected in FSB bombing (Russia)
Wednesday’s bomb outside the FSB Academy in Moscow may have been the work of a nationalist group, investigators believe.
However, there is no clear link between extremist groups and the attack, police sources admitted to gzt.ru, although yesterday saw the start of legal proceedings to outlaw far right movement DPNI.
And officers admit that the explosive device was more sophisticated than those usually planted by nationalist gangs.
The Moscow News
However, there is no clear link between extremist groups and the attack, police sources admitted to gzt.ru, although yesterday saw the start of legal proceedings to outlaw far right movement DPNI.
And officers admit that the explosive device was more sophisticated than those usually planted by nationalist gangs.
The Moscow News
Jewish Council 'alarmed' by anti-Muslim hearings (USA)
The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) has expressed concern over the hearings on so-called radicalization of Muslims in the United States spearheaded by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
JCUA says the anti-Muslim hearings “go against American values of religious freedom, diversity and equality”.
“We are disturbed by the narrow scope of the hearings, which are singling out and stereotyping an entire community. We oppose using a discriminatory lens of religion and race to investigate threats to national security,” JCUA said in a statement posted on its website.
The group said that the Muslim community in the United States is the victim of "injustices being perpetrated on a daily basis which is not just a threat to that community, but a threat to all people striving for equality in our diverse society." JCUA described the hearings as "troubling" adding that they could further fan the flame of anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States.
FACTS & FIGURES
Congressman Peter King, who has rationalized his past defense of IRA terrorism without a hint of self-awareness or irony, is now the self-appointed protector of America from future terrorist attacks by holding a congressional hearing on the "Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response." Guardian
King has in the past claimed there are "too many mosques" in America and that 85% of American mosques and its religious leaders are radicalized, a statement that has been thoroughly discredited. Guardian
Despite a recent study showing that 40% of all extremist plots in America were thwarted as a result of Muslim American help, King ignores this evidence and stubbornly asserts that there is a "lack of cooperation" by Muslims with law enforcement. The intent, scope and framing of King's hearing have been criticized by law enforcement officials, counter-terrorism professionals, civil rights organizations, interfaith leaders and political commentators as being misguided, ineffective and potentially dangerous. Guardian
The majority of terror plots in America since 9/11 have been committed by non-Muslims, especially rightwing extremists and white supremacists. Examples include the failed Martin Luther King parade bomber in Washington State; Jared Lee Loughner, the Arizona shooter who killed six people, including a judge, and Joseph Stack who flew his plane into an IRS building last year. Guardian
In the first-ever, nationwide survey of Muslim Americans, the Pew research center found some rather interesting facts:
Roughly two-thirds (65%) of adult Muslims in the U.S. were born elsewhere. Among native-born Muslims, roughly half are African American (20% of U.S. Muslims overall), many of whom are converts to Islam. pewresearch.org
A majority of Muslim Americans (53%) say it has become more difficult to be a Muslim in the United States since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Most also believe that the government "singles out" Muslims for increased surveillance and monitoring. pewresearch.org
Muslim Americans express broad dissatisfaction with the direction of U.S. foreign policy. Most say that the U.S. made the wrong decision in using force against Iraq. pewresearch.org
More than one-fifth of U.S. Muslims (22%) currently are enrolled in college classes, with similar rates of college enrollment among foreign-born (22%) and native-born (20%) Muslims. pewresearch.org
About a quarter (24%) of Muslim Americans have a college degree, including 10% who have gone on to graduate study. These numbers are similar to the U.S. general public. pewresearch.org
Economically, family income among Muslim Americans is roughly comparable with that of the population as a whole. Among adults nationwide, 44% report household incomes of $50,000 or more annually, as do 41% of Muslim American adults. pewresearch.org
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JCUA says the anti-Muslim hearings “go against American values of religious freedom, diversity and equality”.
“We are disturbed by the narrow scope of the hearings, which are singling out and stereotyping an entire community. We oppose using a discriminatory lens of religion and race to investigate threats to national security,” JCUA said in a statement posted on its website.
The group said that the Muslim community in the United States is the victim of "injustices being perpetrated on a daily basis which is not just a threat to that community, but a threat to all people striving for equality in our diverse society." JCUA described the hearings as "troubling" adding that they could further fan the flame of anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States.
FACTS & FIGURES
Congressman Peter King, who has rationalized his past defense of IRA terrorism without a hint of self-awareness or irony, is now the self-appointed protector of America from future terrorist attacks by holding a congressional hearing on the "Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response." Guardian
King has in the past claimed there are "too many mosques" in America and that 85% of American mosques and its religious leaders are radicalized, a statement that has been thoroughly discredited. Guardian
Despite a recent study showing that 40% of all extremist plots in America were thwarted as a result of Muslim American help, King ignores this evidence and stubbornly asserts that there is a "lack of cooperation" by Muslims with law enforcement. The intent, scope and framing of King's hearing have been criticized by law enforcement officials, counter-terrorism professionals, civil rights organizations, interfaith leaders and political commentators as being misguided, ineffective and potentially dangerous. Guardian
The majority of terror plots in America since 9/11 have been committed by non-Muslims, especially rightwing extremists and white supremacists. Examples include the failed Martin Luther King parade bomber in Washington State; Jared Lee Loughner, the Arizona shooter who killed six people, including a judge, and Joseph Stack who flew his plane into an IRS building last year. Guardian
In the first-ever, nationwide survey of Muslim Americans, the Pew research center found some rather interesting facts:
Roughly two-thirds (65%) of adult Muslims in the U.S. were born elsewhere. Among native-born Muslims, roughly half are African American (20% of U.S. Muslims overall), many of whom are converts to Islam. pewresearch.org
A majority of Muslim Americans (53%) say it has become more difficult to be a Muslim in the United States since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Most also believe that the government "singles out" Muslims for increased surveillance and monitoring. pewresearch.org
Muslim Americans express broad dissatisfaction with the direction of U.S. foreign policy. Most say that the U.S. made the wrong decision in using force against Iraq. pewresearch.org
More than one-fifth of U.S. Muslims (22%) currently are enrolled in college classes, with similar rates of college enrollment among foreign-born (22%) and native-born (20%) Muslims. pewresearch.org
About a quarter (24%) of Muslim Americans have a college degree, including 10% who have gone on to graduate study. These numbers are similar to the U.S. general public. pewresearch.org
Economically, family income among Muslim Americans is roughly comparable with that of the population as a whole. Among adults nationwide, 44% report household incomes of $50,000 or more annually, as do 41% of Muslim American adults. pewresearch.org
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