Raids across London have been carried out by the Metropolitan Police as part of an operation to crackdown on hate crime. A number of officers simultaneously raided properties across the city at about 0000 BST on Tuesday. Seventy-seven people have been arrested for a range of offences including serious assault and harassment. More arrests are expected to be made later. The action comes a day after the International Day Against Homophobia. The raids are aimed at bringing hate crime offenders to justice. Police are particularly focusing their attentions on homophobic and domestic violence within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.
'Gain trust'
Between March 2009 and April 2010 there were 51,839 domestic violence offences, 9,914 racial offences and 1,336 homophobic offences committed in London. To crack down on such offences the Met has about 230 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Liaison officers supporting police work. Det Supt Darren Williams said: "Today's operations represent part of the proactive approach the MPS take to bring those responsible to justice. "We know that all hate crime is under reported and this remains a challenge for us. We will continue to work hard to gain the trust and confidence of all communities so that victims feel that they can come forward and tell police. "My message to all victims is that if you feel you can't tell the police - tell someone."
BBC News
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
GERMAN SYNAGOGUE ATTACKED BY ARSONISTS
Levi Salomon, who heads a task force combating anti-Semitism for the 12,000-member Berlin Jewish community, told The Jerusalem Post it could not be ruled out that German-Palestinians set the synagogue afire. While there are no current statistics on the rise of Islamic anti-Semitism in Germany, Salomon said he had observed an increase in expressions of Muslim-based anti-Semitism. Observers said the attackers could be from the extreme Left, neo-Nazis or radical Islamists, because what unites these groups is their hatred of Israel. Stella Schindler-Siegreich, the head of the Jewish community in Mainz, traveled to Worms and told the *Kurier, “We are a small minority in Germany and we have a such a history.”
Germans destroyed the synagogue in Worms in 1938 and it was rebuilt in 1961. In contrast to many Jewish institutions in Germany, the Worms synagogue does not have a police presence or barricades, according to Schindler-Siegreich. The synagogue was built in 1034. The Jewish Cemetery in Worms, dating from the 11th century, is believed to be the oldest in Europe. The Rashi Shul, a synagogue dating from 1175 and carefully reconstructed after its desecration on Kristallnacht, is the oldest in Germany. Prominent rabbis from Worms include Shlomo Yitzhaki (Rashi), Elazar Rokeach and Yair Bacharach. At the Rabbinical Synod held at Worms in the 11th century, rabbis for the first time explicitly prohibited polygamy.
J Post
Neo-Nazi's attempted murder charge dropped (Canada)
Prosecutor Rajbir Dhillon said alibi evidence provided by the suspect’s co-accused cast doubt on the eye witness statement of the woman.
“Police investigated that alibi and determined it was a valid alibi ... (the other suspect) likely was not present,” Dhillon told Calgary provincial court Judge Peter Barley.
“The Crown determined that there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction on either accused,” he said, in withdrawing attempted murder and other charges against Kyle Robert McKee.
“In the end the Crown is not alleging that Mr. McKee was involved in that there is insufficient evidence tying him to that.”
McKee, through defence lawyer Adriano Iovinelli, did admit a single charge of making explosives after a police search of his northeast home following the attempted firebombing found a Molotov cocktail.
Barley accepted a joint submission for a one-day sentence followed by 12 months’ probation, since McKee has already served the equivalent of a 10-month jail term.
He was arrested Dec. 16, in Winnipeg, nearly a month after two explosive devices were left outside a Rundlehorn Dr. N.E. apartment on Nov. 21, occupied by Carolyne Kwiatek and her boyfriend, Tyler Sturrup.
Kwiatek said she looked out to see McKee and a youth on the balcony of her ground floor suite, Dhillon said.
“She saw two males, one of whom she identified as this offender, and a youth,” Dhillon told court.
He said Kwiatek believes the devices were placed there as a result of her relationship with McKee, “which had gone sour.”
Kwiatek woke up Sturrup, who went out on the balcony and tossed the two items into the parking lot, where one exploded.
When police arrived, they found the remnants of the detonated bomb and a second device consisting of a glass jar with coins, screws, nails and ratchet bits inside, Dhillon said.
He said both Kwiatek and Sturrup were reluctant to talk to police.
He earlier withdrew charges against the youth.
Iovinelli told Barley his client maintains his innocence on the bombing-related charges and was prepared to go to trial.
Calgary Sun
Neo-Nazi permit approved (USA)
A permit was granted late Monday afternoon for the neo-Nazi group Aryan Nations to hold a rally at the Gettysburg National Military Park, according to park spokeswoman Katie Lawhon.
Aryan Nations - which identifies itself as a white-supremacist organization and has been called a "continuing terrorist threat" by the FBI - will hold the rally on June 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. on the park's lawn west of the Cyclorama Center, according to the group's website.
"Because the land is publicly owned, we're obligated to make it publicly available for exercising First Amendment rights," Lawhon said last week when the permit request was received.
And Col. Gordon Young, who heads the Maryland chapter of Aryan Nations, said he never doubted the permit would be granted.
"I told them if you don't approve me then we'll be in court and that's a fight they don't want to have," he said.
The rally will include speeches from Aryan Nations members and discussions on current events and political issues, according to Young.
"We're going to talk about immigration and how these Mexicans are pouring over our borders and taking our jobs and putting white Americans out of work. We blame them for our downfall of the economy," he said. "And we'll talk about how homosexuality is wrong and 9/11 was an insiders deal. Today's world is so screwed up and we're just trying to teach our children the right ways of life."
In 2006, the World Knights of the Ku Klux Klan had a similar rally, and park officials have said the event proceeded without complications.
"In general, the event went smoothly in 2006 and there was a lot of coordination and we had a lot of excellent assistance from other law enforcement agencies," Lawhon said.
Young, who attended the 2006 rally, agreed and cited only minimal disturbances.
"It went great and the law enforcement did a really good job. One guy ran towards us with a rainbow flag, which stands for homosexuals, but the cops grabbed him," he said. "Some of the black and Hispanic officers tried to entice our guys to say things but I told them to shut up and we're not going to stoop that low."
In response, the YWCA plans to hold a "celebration of diversity" event to draw visitors away the rally.
"There are some people who feel it's better to ignore (Aryan Nations), but people around here aren't going to tolerate this," YWCA Missions Director Ashley Andyshak Hayes said last week. "It's important for us to speak out and send a positive."
Evening Sun
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