The Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS) has convened a march for 10 September in Nový Bor. The party will do its best to gain publicity for its extremist opinions on the basis of recent events, including a machete attack committed by five Romani people against three customers at a local bar there.
The town hall says it wanted to somehow thwart the march, which will start at the train station and end on the square, but has not succeeded. "Unfortunately we don't have any legal options for preventing this demonstration. We had three days to determine the facts and we thoroughly researched the event, but everything is procedurally in order, and the announcement of the event was filed by an individual, not by the party," Mayor of Nový Bor Jaromír Dvořák (TOP 09) told news server iDNES.cz.
The town hall is nevertheless prepared to ban the assembly the minute the law is broken. "The majority of inhabitants of this town are against radicals and want to make their disagreement known," Dvořák told news server iDNES.cz.
Even though local Romani people are anticipating the day with tension, they do not intend to hide indoors. Miroslav Táncoš, chair of the Romani Economic Council of the Czech Republic (Romská hospodářská rada ČR) told news server iDNES.cz: "We won't get in the way, though, we don't want it to end up like Litvínov here."
In October 2008, clashes and conflicts with police were provoked by the so-called Workers' Party "Protection Corps" (Ochranné sbory DS) in Litvínov. Members of the corps at the time included the current Vice-Chair of the Workers' Youth (Dělnická mládež) Lucie Šlégrová, who is reportedly planning to attend the demonstration in Nový Bor.
Romea
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Police Neo-Nazi Raid Uncovers Explosives (Norway)
Oslo Police have arrested a former neo-Nazi for possession of illegal weapons following a threat notification.
SWAT teams from Nordre Buskerud Police District found the explosives, a police uniform, and illegal weapons during yesterday’s raid on a property where the ex neo-Nazi was residing. Officers had been looking for the unnamed man since Tuesday, who was not at home when they struck. “This person is known to police. He is charged with having weapons without a permit, storage of explosives, and threats,” Police Inspector Petter Solberg told VG Nett. In 2001, officers seized a kilo of explosives, two police uniforms and two pistols at his home. The man also has a conviction from the end of the ‘90s after selling automatic weapons on to Right-Extremists.
Vidar Lind Iversen, lawyer for the accused, said, “My client acknowledges possession of two shotguns. Although he had contacts within the Extreme Right environment in the ‘90s, he has no affiliation with the movement today. “He had agreed to meet police at 12.00 today. The police chose to arrest him instead.” The timing of the man’s arrest is not thought to be linked to Anders Behring Breivik’s attacks in any way. “What I did back then is history. I’ve put it behind me. I am currently an ordinary law-abiding man, and have had no dealings with Breivik,” he told the paper when contacted the day after the Utøya shootings.
The Foreigner
SWAT teams from Nordre Buskerud Police District found the explosives, a police uniform, and illegal weapons during yesterday’s raid on a property where the ex neo-Nazi was residing. Officers had been looking for the unnamed man since Tuesday, who was not at home when they struck. “This person is known to police. He is charged with having weapons without a permit, storage of explosives, and threats,” Police Inspector Petter Solberg told VG Nett. In 2001, officers seized a kilo of explosives, two police uniforms and two pistols at his home. The man also has a conviction from the end of the ‘90s after selling automatic weapons on to Right-Extremists.
Vidar Lind Iversen, lawyer for the accused, said, “My client acknowledges possession of two shotguns. Although he had contacts within the Extreme Right environment in the ‘90s, he has no affiliation with the movement today. “He had agreed to meet police at 12.00 today. The police chose to arrest him instead.” The timing of the man’s arrest is not thought to be linked to Anders Behring Breivik’s attacks in any way. “What I did back then is history. I’ve put it behind me. I am currently an ordinary law-abiding man, and have had no dealings with Breivik,” he told the paper when contacted the day after the Utøya shootings.
The Foreigner
Sunday, 28 August 2011
South African police probe racist Facebook image
South African police are probing an image on Facebook of a white man posing with a gun and the seemingly lifeless body of a black child like a hunter with his kill, a newspaper reported.
The picture was posted on the Facebook page of one "Eugene Terrorblanche", a play on the name of white supremacist leader Eugene Terre'Blanche, who was murdered in April last year, according to the Sunday Times.
Police spokesman Zweli Mnisi said an investigation had been opened and called on the rifle-bearing man in the photograph, or anyone who recognizes him, to come forward, regardless of whether the picture is fake or not.
"If, indeed, it reflects a real incident, those responsible must be severely punished," said Mnisi.
The newspaper said the photograph was uploaded on June 24 last year.
By Sunday, the picture had been removed from the page, which boasts a photograph of Terre'Blanche on horseback, waving the swastika-like flag of his Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB --Afrikaner Resistance Movement).
The AWB's khaki-wearing supporters violently opposed South Africa's transition to democracy and campaigned for a self-governing white state.
Their campaign included bomb attacks ahead of the country's first all-race polls in 1994 which ended the white minority apartheid state.
Terre'Blanche was hacked to death at his farm house outside the northwest town of Ventersdorp on April 3 last year in a murder that revived lingering racial tensions.
Two black farm workers were charged with the murder after handing themselves over to police, allegedly saying they had fought with their employer over pay.
"Eugene Terrorblanche" lists firearms and close-combat fighting as interests on his Facebook page, says he is self-employed, and has 589 registered "friends".
ABS CBN News
The picture was posted on the Facebook page of one "Eugene Terrorblanche", a play on the name of white supremacist leader Eugene Terre'Blanche, who was murdered in April last year, according to the Sunday Times.
Police spokesman Zweli Mnisi said an investigation had been opened and called on the rifle-bearing man in the photograph, or anyone who recognizes him, to come forward, regardless of whether the picture is fake or not.
"If, indeed, it reflects a real incident, those responsible must be severely punished," said Mnisi.
The newspaper said the photograph was uploaded on June 24 last year.
By Sunday, the picture had been removed from the page, which boasts a photograph of Terre'Blanche on horseback, waving the swastika-like flag of his Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB --Afrikaner Resistance Movement).
The AWB's khaki-wearing supporters violently opposed South Africa's transition to democracy and campaigned for a self-governing white state.
Their campaign included bomb attacks ahead of the country's first all-race polls in 1994 which ended the white minority apartheid state.
Terre'Blanche was hacked to death at his farm house outside the northwest town of Ventersdorp on April 3 last year in a murder that revived lingering racial tensions.
Two black farm workers were charged with the murder after handing themselves over to police, allegedly saying they had fought with their employer over pay.
"Eugene Terrorblanche" lists firearms and close-combat fighting as interests on his Facebook page, says he is self-employed, and has 589 registered "friends".
ABS CBN News
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Lynch mob besets Romani neighborhood, Czech Police let them (Czech Rep)
Rumburk has been the scene of unrest today despite the supposed efforts of authorities to keep the peace. The "Civic Resistance" (Občanský odpor) association, which is linked to someone who has previously organized neo-Nazi events in the town, convened a demonstration for today which the town hall banned. However, the Czech Social Democratic party has held its own public meeting at the same time and same place (17:00 CET) on the topic of security in the Šluknov foothills.
Approximately 800 people attended the officially permitted gathering. The crowd was cool toward Czech MP Foldyna (ČSSD), with some even whistling their disapproval of him. Czech Senator Sykáček (ČSSD), who is also mayor, was whistled away from the podium almost immediately. Josef Mašín, a representative of "Civic Resistance", then took the microphone. The crowd responded to him enthusiastically, with thunderous applause at moments. His speech was a copy of the speeches previously given by members of the Workers' Social Justice Party (Demokratická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS) in the towns of Krupka and Nový Bydžov earlier this year. He repeated the ubiquitous lie that the law is not being applied to everyone equally and that police are "minimizing the criminal activity of minorities". He also said local police do not investigate crime because they fear Romani people. His speech lasted eight minutes.
An unidentified demonstrator then plowed through the crowd, reached the microphone, and called for the lynching of the Roma. People set out into the streets as police stood by. When the demonstration was officially over, part of the crowd started marching to the locality where local Romani people live. This provocative march had not been announced to authorities in advance and had not been permitted as part of the demonstration, but that evidently did not bother the police, who did not even bother to accompany the crowd as it proceeded.
This item continues at Romea
Approximately 800 people attended the officially permitted gathering. The crowd was cool toward Czech MP Foldyna (ČSSD), with some even whistling their disapproval of him. Czech Senator Sykáček (ČSSD), who is also mayor, was whistled away from the podium almost immediately. Josef Mašín, a representative of "Civic Resistance", then took the microphone. The crowd responded to him enthusiastically, with thunderous applause at moments. His speech was a copy of the speeches previously given by members of the Workers' Social Justice Party (Demokratická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS) in the towns of Krupka and Nový Bydžov earlier this year. He repeated the ubiquitous lie that the law is not being applied to everyone equally and that police are "minimizing the criminal activity of minorities". He also said local police do not investigate crime because they fear Romani people. His speech lasted eight minutes.
An unidentified demonstrator then plowed through the crowd, reached the microphone, and called for the lynching of the Roma. People set out into the streets as police stood by. When the demonstration was officially over, part of the crowd started marching to the locality where local Romani people live. This provocative march had not been announced to authorities in advance and had not been permitted as part of the demonstration, but that evidently did not bother the police, who did not even bother to accompany the crowd as it proceeded.
This item continues at Romea
English Defence League march through Tower Hamlets banned by Theresa May (UK)
The home secretary has agreed to a police request to ban the far-right English Defence League from staging a march through one of the UK's biggest Muslim communities in east London.
Theresa May said she would outlaw any marches in Tower Hamlets and four neighbouring boroughs – whether by the EDL or any other groups – for the next 30 days, having "balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected".
She added: "I know that the Metropolitan police are committed to using their powers to ensure communities and properties are protected."
Police sought the ban after the EDL – which has seen widespread public disorder at earlier rallies – planned to march on 3 September through Tower Hamlets, which has a significant Muslim community, many of Bangladeshi origin.
In a statement the force said it made the request following information that prompted fears that the march could cause "serious public disorder, violence and damage". It added: "Tactically we believe this is the best option to prevent this."
Chief Superintendent Julia Pendry warned EDL supporters to stay away. "We have made this decision [to seek the ban] based on specific intelligence and information, and our message is clear: we do not want people coming into the areas to attend these events."
The march had been vehemently opposed by community leaders, among them the two local MPs and the borough's mayor, as well as a series of Muslim and Jewish groups. Fears that it could spark violence were exacerbated following this month's rioting in many parts of London.
The EDL emerged in Luton, another strongly Muslim area, in 2009. While it purports to oppose "Islamic extremism" the group insists it is not racist. However, its marches, aimed mainly at Muslim communities, have been seen as extremely provocative. A Guardian investigation into the EDL found repeated racism and threats of violence among supporters.
Nick Lowles, director of the anti-extremist campaign group Searchlight, called May's decision a victory for common sense. He said: "The EDL clearly intended to use the proposed march to bring violence and disorder to the streets of Tower Hamlets. Their plan has been foiled."
The veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell said that while he abhorred the EDL, he believed the blanket 30-day ban was a "complete overreaction" and would prove counter-productive. He said: "I'm not sure we can defeat anti-democratic groups like the EDL using anti-democratic methods like banning marches. A far better tactic would be mass counter protests and exposing the bigoted and violent views of the EDL."
Earlier this month May banned an EDL march through Telford, although the group was still able to congregate. Opponents urged the home secretary to follow suit in east London, particularly after links emerged between the EDL and the Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik.
The gunman repeatedly praised the group in his rambling manifesto and claimed he had hundreds of EDL supporters as Facebook friends.
The EDL insisted any admiration was one way and it did not condone his views.
The group has struggled for legitimacy, even amid evidence it has picked up supporters as the better established far-right British National Party has been beset by internal divisions. According to Searchlight, the EDL has active support from people involved in earlier far-right groups, including the even more extreme Combat 18 and National Front.
In February it attracted some unexpected support from the Daily Star, which tacitly endorsed its views and said 98% of its readers supported them. But this lasted less than a week, with the paper's owner, Richard Desmond, saying it had been done without his knowledge
The Guardian
.
SERB FAR-RIGHT GROUP PREPARES POLL DEBUT
One of Serbia's better known far-right organisations, Dveri, has announced it will compete in next spring's election on a pro-family values ticket.
"Finally there is someone I can vote for," is the slogan of the Serbian far-right organisation "Dveri", [Doors], which for the first time has decided to take part in a general election. Vladan Glisic, a leader of Dveri, says the decision to take part in the spring 2012 election reflects an urgent need to change the system and its values after 20 years of "wrong regimes". "We want to change the system and regime completely," he told Balkan Insight, starting with a renewed emphasis on "family values". The groups intents to put the family in first place and so create a more "pro-life" oriented society. "Our goal is to strengthen the state to become a home of the people, which will exist to protect people from beaurocratic arbitrariness and oligarchy," Glisic explained. Dveri is known for a lot more than family values and hostility to gay rights and abortion.
One of the plethora of far-right groups in Serbia, it has a pronounced nationalist ideology, and it firmly opposed government plans to ease tensions with neighbouring Bosnia by adopting a resolution condemning the massacre committed by the Bosnian Serb army in Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia, in 1995. Parliament passed the resolution in March 2010. It is equally trenchant on the subject of independence for mainly Albanian Kosovo. Meanwhile, true to its anti-gay agenda, Dveri has said it will organise a rival pro-family march if and when a Gay Pride parade takes place in Belgrade this autumn. Branimir Nesic, of Dveri, said the government will bear responsibility if there are anti-gay clashes on Belgrade's streets. Last October's parade, the first since 20001, ended in violent clashes between stone-throwing anti-gay youths and the police. Turning to the elections, Dveri says it has no links to any political parties.
"We are not only anti-regime but also an anti-system party and not a single opposition party has shown any interest in fighting against the [existing] system so far," Glisic claimed. Although Dveri's members are strong supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Dveri says it will not seek any official support from that quarter, either. "Our members' relationship with the Church is their private matter", Glisic said. Ordinary people are the only ones on whose support Dveri counts. Months ahead of the election, analysts are reluctant to estimate the potential impact of groups like Dveri. Political analyst Djordje Vukovic said he believed that Dveri might steal a number of votes from established right-wing parties, such as the Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS, and Serbian Radical Party, SRS. But he downplayed talk of a far-right breakthrough in the election. "I do not expect it to register a serious result [in the poll]," Vukovic said.
Balkans Insight
"Finally there is someone I can vote for," is the slogan of the Serbian far-right organisation "Dveri", [Doors], which for the first time has decided to take part in a general election. Vladan Glisic, a leader of Dveri, says the decision to take part in the spring 2012 election reflects an urgent need to change the system and its values after 20 years of "wrong regimes". "We want to change the system and regime completely," he told Balkan Insight, starting with a renewed emphasis on "family values". The groups intents to put the family in first place and so create a more "pro-life" oriented society. "Our goal is to strengthen the state to become a home of the people, which will exist to protect people from beaurocratic arbitrariness and oligarchy," Glisic explained. Dveri is known for a lot more than family values and hostility to gay rights and abortion.
One of the plethora of far-right groups in Serbia, it has a pronounced nationalist ideology, and it firmly opposed government plans to ease tensions with neighbouring Bosnia by adopting a resolution condemning the massacre committed by the Bosnian Serb army in Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia, in 1995. Parliament passed the resolution in March 2010. It is equally trenchant on the subject of independence for mainly Albanian Kosovo. Meanwhile, true to its anti-gay agenda, Dveri has said it will organise a rival pro-family march if and when a Gay Pride parade takes place in Belgrade this autumn. Branimir Nesic, of Dveri, said the government will bear responsibility if there are anti-gay clashes on Belgrade's streets. Last October's parade, the first since 20001, ended in violent clashes between stone-throwing anti-gay youths and the police. Turning to the elections, Dveri says it has no links to any political parties.
"We are not only anti-regime but also an anti-system party and not a single opposition party has shown any interest in fighting against the [existing] system so far," Glisic claimed. Although Dveri's members are strong supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Dveri says it will not seek any official support from that quarter, either. "Our members' relationship with the Church is their private matter", Glisic said. Ordinary people are the only ones on whose support Dveri counts. Months ahead of the election, analysts are reluctant to estimate the potential impact of groups like Dveri. Political analyst Djordje Vukovic said he believed that Dveri might steal a number of votes from established right-wing parties, such as the Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS, and Serbian Radical Party, SRS. But he downplayed talk of a far-right breakthrough in the election. "I do not expect it to register a serious result [in the poll]," Vukovic said.
Balkans Insight
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
White supremacist pleads guilty to Navy pension fraud (USA)
Self-proclaimed white supremacist August Kreis III, 56, pleaded guilty Tuesday to lying to Veterans Administration officials to get pension money he was not entitled to, prosecutors said.
He could face five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 the U.S. Attorney’s office in South Carolina said in a statement.
Kreis, a onetime resident of Lexington County, served for nine months in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Despite the short time of service and early discharge, Kreis was receiving what’s called an “improved pension” because of demonstrated need and because he served during wartime. A condition of the augmented pension program requires recipients to report all outside income.
Because of widely publicized comments made after the 9-11 attacks that he and his followers wished to join Al-Queda in its jihad against the U.S. government, he came under the scrutiny of federal law enforcement.
“Mr. Kreis has the first amendment right to make whatever statements he wants,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean Eilchelberger said. But it’s also fair to say that Kreis’ statements raised concerns about violations of federal law which resulted in increased scrutiny and a financial review, he added.
During an examination of his financial records to investigate whether he had given material support to al- Queda, officials discovered more than $33,000 in unreported income in 2005.
Kreis was arrested in Tennessee earlier this summer. He will be sentenced by U.S. District Joseph F. Anderson Jr. at a future date. Eichelberger said the U.S. Attorney’s office has agreed not to seek the maximum penalty because of Kreis’ health. Kreis is wheelchair bound and suffers from diabetes.
Kreis is well known to organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, which follows white supremacist groups in the United States. They describe Kreis as a “hot-tempered, longtime white supremacist and Christian Identity minister” who “heads one of a handful of competing splinter factions of the once-mighty Aryan Nations.”
The State
He could face five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 the U.S. Attorney’s office in South Carolina said in a statement.
Kreis, a onetime resident of Lexington County, served for nine months in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Despite the short time of service and early discharge, Kreis was receiving what’s called an “improved pension” because of demonstrated need and because he served during wartime. A condition of the augmented pension program requires recipients to report all outside income.
Because of widely publicized comments made after the 9-11 attacks that he and his followers wished to join Al-Queda in its jihad against the U.S. government, he came under the scrutiny of federal law enforcement.
“Mr. Kreis has the first amendment right to make whatever statements he wants,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean Eilchelberger said. But it’s also fair to say that Kreis’ statements raised concerns about violations of federal law which resulted in increased scrutiny and a financial review, he added.
During an examination of his financial records to investigate whether he had given material support to al- Queda, officials discovered more than $33,000 in unreported income in 2005.
Kreis was arrested in Tennessee earlier this summer. He will be sentenced by U.S. District Joseph F. Anderson Jr. at a future date. Eichelberger said the U.S. Attorney’s office has agreed not to seek the maximum penalty because of Kreis’ health. Kreis is wheelchair bound and suffers from diabetes.
Kreis is well known to organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, which follows white supremacist groups in the United States. They describe Kreis as a “hot-tempered, longtime white supremacist and Christian Identity minister” who “heads one of a handful of competing splinter factions of the once-mighty Aryan Nations.”
The State
Hate crimes ‘not reported to police’ (UK)
More than 9,000 hate crime incidents could be taking place in Wales every year – almost five times the number of cases reported to police, a charity has claimed.
According to latest figures, 1,900 cases of hate crime were logged by police in Wales between January and December 2009. Safer Wales said one-in-10 cases of disability related hate crime and 25% of homophobic and racist hate crime are reported.
The charity yesterday joined all four police forces in Wales and the Welsh arm of the British Transport Police to launch a poster and leaflet campaign raising awareness of ways in which hate crime can be reported.
Wales Online
According to latest figures, 1,900 cases of hate crime were logged by police in Wales between January and December 2009. Safer Wales said one-in-10 cases of disability related hate crime and 25% of homophobic and racist hate crime are reported.
The charity yesterday joined all four police forces in Wales and the Welsh arm of the British Transport Police to launch a poster and leaflet campaign raising awareness of ways in which hate crime can be reported.
Wales Online
BNP activist told he is liable for unpaid debt (UK)
 |
| Adam Walker |
District Judge David Robertson ruled that Adam Walker, of Spennymoor, County Durham, must pay £21,000 out of his own pocket to the party’s former graphic designer, Mark Adrian Collett.
A case brought by Mr Collett against the BNP itself, thought to be £700,000 in debt, was dismissed, but the judgement against Mr Walker could still spell disaster for the party.
It paves the way for other creditors to take action against activists, who could be declared bankrupt and therefore barred or even stopped from holding political office at any level.
Durham County Court heard on Monday that Mr Collett, 30, was employed as the extreme far right party’s principal graphic designer and Mr Walker was a senior officer and staff manager.
The BNP was described as an unincorporated association with no corporate identity which left senior officers responsible for contracts.
An agreement was made on September 9, last year, between Mr Collett and both Mr Walker and the BNP, which Mr Collett said had been breached.
Mr Collett said he only received £750 from the BNP, instead of the £7,500 he claimed was due at the time and, as a result, said the full amount of £15,750 was now liable.
District Judge Robertson awarded Mr Collett £14,250 plus £7,333.60 costs against Mr Walker, but dismissed Mr Collett’s claim against the party.
The BNP’s money woes were highlighted last year when former chief fundraiser James Downson wrote letters to creditors, seen by The Northern Echo, offering 20 per cent settlements.
Mr Dowson told Newton Press, a printing firm in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, which is owed £16,500 for printing its newsletters, that the finances were like a “shipwreck”.
Newton Press confirmed last night that the debt was still outstanding.
Mr Walker, 42, of Winchester Court, Spennymoor, said last night he respected the judge’s decision and would do his utmost to comply with the judgement.
He added: “The contract was signed in good faith as party manager and at that time that was my job. I’m not the treasurer and I don’t decide where the money goes.”
Mr Walker, who represented himself against a barrister and a senior solicitor, said he was grateful the judge dismissed an application for the senior solicitor’s fees.
The former teacher said: “To anybody else in a similar position, I would say they should be very cautious about legal fees.”
Northern Echo
We'll march against the far right, vow anti-racism campaigners (Scotland, UK)
Anti-racism groups are mobilising a major counter-protest after the right-wing Scottish Defence League vowed to go ahead with a demonstration in Scotland's capital despite it being banned by the city council.
Activists on the SDL's Facebook page have revealed the event will take place the day before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
Councillors threw out the group's application last week, claiming they were worried about risking disorder and violent confrontations, despite police saying they had "no objections" to the march.
The SDL, an off-shoot of the anti-Islam English Defence League, is already promoting the planned protest on 10 September. Details of the route and location of any rally are being kept under wraps, after an SDL meeting in a Royal Mile pub in February 2010 was ambushed by dozens of anti-racism protesters, leading to scuffles in the street.
But the SDL has received messages of support from across the UK after announcing some form of demonstration in Edinburgh would go ahead regardless.
One post stated: "The march is banned. We are having a static demonstration. And most likely the police will have to march us if they want rid of us."
The SDL spent weeks negotiating with police and council officials over its planned demo, which was due to leave from Regent Road, near the American consulate, and include a rally at the Wellington Statue at the east end of Princes Street.
Councillors said the threat of a "significant risk" of disorder outweighed concerns about flouting principles of freedom of speech by banning the march.
The protest had attracted more than 1,000 complaints from politicians, anti-racism groups, community organisations and trade union leaders, who were concerned the group would trigger racial unrest.
SDL representatives told the council the group had distanced itself from more hard-line members and the EDL, but left councillors unconvinced.
No-one from the SDL was available to comment yesterday.
Luke Wright is spokesman for the Unite Against Fascism group, which is organising a public meeting in the city tomorrow to rally support for a counter-demo.
He said: "We've applied to the council for a counter-demonstration on 10 September after we spotted quite a bit of online activity about the SDL going ahead with a demo despite the council's decision last week.
"Despite enormous public opposition including a wave of complaints to the council, and despite political opposition it seems that the SDL still do not understand Edinburgh does not want their violent racism."
The Scotsman
Activists on the SDL's Facebook page have revealed the event will take place the day before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
Councillors threw out the group's application last week, claiming they were worried about risking disorder and violent confrontations, despite police saying they had "no objections" to the march.
The SDL, an off-shoot of the anti-Islam English Defence League, is already promoting the planned protest on 10 September. Details of the route and location of any rally are being kept under wraps, after an SDL meeting in a Royal Mile pub in February 2010 was ambushed by dozens of anti-racism protesters, leading to scuffles in the street.
But the SDL has received messages of support from across the UK after announcing some form of demonstration in Edinburgh would go ahead regardless.
One post stated: "The march is banned. We are having a static demonstration. And most likely the police will have to march us if they want rid of us."
The SDL spent weeks negotiating with police and council officials over its planned demo, which was due to leave from Regent Road, near the American consulate, and include a rally at the Wellington Statue at the east end of Princes Street.
Councillors said the threat of a "significant risk" of disorder outweighed concerns about flouting principles of freedom of speech by banning the march.
The protest had attracted more than 1,000 complaints from politicians, anti-racism groups, community organisations and trade union leaders, who were concerned the group would trigger racial unrest.
SDL representatives told the council the group had distanced itself from more hard-line members and the EDL, but left councillors unconvinced.
No-one from the SDL was available to comment yesterday.
Luke Wright is spokesman for the Unite Against Fascism group, which is organising a public meeting in the city tomorrow to rally support for a counter-demo.
He said: "We've applied to the council for a counter-demonstration on 10 September after we spotted quite a bit of online activity about the SDL going ahead with a demo despite the council's decision last week.
"Despite enormous public opposition including a wave of complaints to the council, and despite political opposition it seems that the SDL still do not understand Edinburgh does not want their violent racism."
The Scotsman
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Sweden's Jews, Muslims face web hate rise: study
The number of xenophobic web sites have almost doubled since 2007 and Jews and Muslims wearing apparent religious symbols are subjected to significant discrimination in Sweden today, according to a new report from the Living History Forum (Forum för levande historia).
“Sweden as a whole is a tolerant country but this report shows that racism is growing and is being professionalized on the internet. There is today a small but growing minority that harbour hatred against Muslims and Jews,” minister for integration, Erik Ullenhag, wrote in a statement on Monday.
The report, which was requested by the government and carried out by the Forum, also shows that an increased number of racist web pages have been created in recent years and that prejudice is being spread through schoolbooks.
According to the report, the number of racist sites in Sweden has almost doubled in two years. In 2009 there were around 8,000 xenophobic Swedish sites whereas today the authors of the report estimate an increase to 15,000.
This follows a EU-wide trend where right wing extremist groups are using the internet to spread hate-propaganda.
According to the report, these are characterized by anti-Semitic and Islamophobic views, where conspiracy theories are the most recurring elements.
The Jewish group is often cast as world conspirators whereas the Muslim group is seen as physical occupiers, actively are on their way to taking over society through mass-immigration and rising nativity figures.
The Jewish community in Sweden consists of some 20,000 individuals and the Muslim community of 300,000. Fresh crime statistics show that there were 161 reports of crimes with anti-Semitic motives and 272 with Islamophobic motives last year.
But according to the Forum it is difficult to get a fair idea of the situation from these statistics as they are based on police reports and the authors believe there may be many more unrecorded cases.
“Above all this study shows that research and follow-ups into preventative actions regarding intolerance against Jews and Muslims is sorely needed,” said head of Forum for Living History, Eskil Franck, in a statement.
According to Ullenhag, Swedish authorities must further their knowledge about what causes the hate against these groups to grow in Sweden and how they should meet it. That, he said, is the aim behind the investigation regarding xenophobia that the government launched earlier this spring.
“We have learnt from experiences in other European countries that all the forces who want a tolerant society need to be active in the public debate. Prejudice against Jews and Muslims can never be normalized,” said Ullenhag.
When American research centre Pew recently investigated the development of religious conflicts and oppression worldwide between 2006 and 2009, Sweden distinguished itself as a country where hostilities related to religion are increasing the most.
The Local Sweden
“Sweden as a whole is a tolerant country but this report shows that racism is growing and is being professionalized on the internet. There is today a small but growing minority that harbour hatred against Muslims and Jews,” minister for integration, Erik Ullenhag, wrote in a statement on Monday.
The report, which was requested by the government and carried out by the Forum, also shows that an increased number of racist web pages have been created in recent years and that prejudice is being spread through schoolbooks.
According to the report, the number of racist sites in Sweden has almost doubled in two years. In 2009 there were around 8,000 xenophobic Swedish sites whereas today the authors of the report estimate an increase to 15,000.
This follows a EU-wide trend where right wing extremist groups are using the internet to spread hate-propaganda.
According to the report, these are characterized by anti-Semitic and Islamophobic views, where conspiracy theories are the most recurring elements.
The Jewish group is often cast as world conspirators whereas the Muslim group is seen as physical occupiers, actively are on their way to taking over society through mass-immigration and rising nativity figures.
The Jewish community in Sweden consists of some 20,000 individuals and the Muslim community of 300,000. Fresh crime statistics show that there were 161 reports of crimes with anti-Semitic motives and 272 with Islamophobic motives last year.
But according to the Forum it is difficult to get a fair idea of the situation from these statistics as they are based on police reports and the authors believe there may be many more unrecorded cases.
“Above all this study shows that research and follow-ups into preventative actions regarding intolerance against Jews and Muslims is sorely needed,” said head of Forum for Living History, Eskil Franck, in a statement.
According to Ullenhag, Swedish authorities must further their knowledge about what causes the hate against these groups to grow in Sweden and how they should meet it. That, he said, is the aim behind the investigation regarding xenophobia that the government launched earlier this spring.
“We have learnt from experiences in other European countries that all the forces who want a tolerant society need to be active in the public debate. Prejudice against Jews and Muslims can never be normalized,” said Ullenhag.
When American research centre Pew recently investigated the development of religious conflicts and oppression worldwide between 2006 and 2009, Sweden distinguished itself as a country where hostilities related to religion are increasing the most.
The Local Sweden
SLIGHT RISE IN ANTI-SEMITIC ACTS IN GERMANY AS VANDALS STRIKE AT BERLIN'S WEIßENSEE CEMETERY
In Germany, a slight rise in anti-Semitic crimes has been noted in the second quarter of 2011, according to the federal government. From April to June, 215 incidents were registered by police, including four acts of violence against Jews and 41 cases of anti-Semitic hate propaganda. Three victims were injured in attacks. Five people were temporarily arrested and criminal investigations opened against 106 persons. In the first quarter of 2011, a total of 211 anti-Semitic crimes were registered across Germany.
Meanwhile, vandals struck Europe's largest Jewish cemetery in Berlin, stealing metal objects from graves. Jewish leaders in the city are now asking metal dealers in the region to check for wrought-iron objects that might have been stolen from the Weißensee graveyard, where 115,000 Jews were laid to rest between 1880 and 1998. Vandals recently damaged 16 graves and stole 47 items from Weißensee , located in the former eastern part of the German capital. Renovations on some of the tombs had been completed as recently as last April. The stolen items are worth about US$ 16,000. "However, the immaterial damage is much greater," the Jewish Community said in a statement on Monday. "Theft in general is a serious offense," Grigory Kristal, head of cultural affairs for the community, was quoted by JTA as saying. "But to destroy graves at the Jewish cemetery demonstrates a lack of respect and lack of understanding of the past."
Observers suggested the motive was profit and not anti-Semitism since specifically metal objects were removed. Such thefts reportedly are on the rise at cemeteries all over Berlin, from all religious denominations. Police patrols and surveillance have been stepped up at Weißensee. The community plans to contact metal dealers to warn them to be vigilant regarding sellers of potentially stolen goods.
World Jewish Congress
Meanwhile, vandals struck Europe's largest Jewish cemetery in Berlin, stealing metal objects from graves. Jewish leaders in the city are now asking metal dealers in the region to check for wrought-iron objects that might have been stolen from the Weißensee graveyard, where 115,000 Jews were laid to rest between 1880 and 1998. Vandals recently damaged 16 graves and stole 47 items from Weißensee , located in the former eastern part of the German capital. Renovations on some of the tombs had been completed as recently as last April. The stolen items are worth about US$ 16,000. "However, the immaterial damage is much greater," the Jewish Community said in a statement on Monday. "Theft in general is a serious offense," Grigory Kristal, head of cultural affairs for the community, was quoted by JTA as saying. "But to destroy graves at the Jewish cemetery demonstrates a lack of respect and lack of understanding of the past."
Observers suggested the motive was profit and not anti-Semitism since specifically metal objects were removed. Such thefts reportedly are on the rise at cemeteries all over Berlin, from all religious denominations. Police patrols and surveillance have been stepped up at Weißensee. The community plans to contact metal dealers to warn them to be vigilant regarding sellers of potentially stolen goods.
World Jewish Congress
Monday, 22 August 2011
Americans Protest Wilders Anti-Islam Film
A local screening of an anti-Islam movie by far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders in Tennessee has sparked Americans protests, deploring the hatred message it conveys.
"We're here to voice another side," Pat Handlson, minister of Cookeville First Presbyterian Church and event organizer, told Herald-Citizen Newspapers on Saturday, August 20.
Wilders movie, A Warning to America, was broadcasted in Cookeville county commission chambers on Friday.
The Tennessee Freedom Coalition's event is organized by Rachel Welch, the vice-chair of the Putnam County Republican Party.
Rejecting the message of the movie, around 100 peaceful protestors gathered outside the courthouse last night with signs saying "We love Muslims" and "All religions believe in justice.”
The demonstration of Wilders hateful message in the movie is not the first in Tennessee.
Last May, he made a visit to Nashville in the course of an event to honor the anti-Islam speaker sponsored by the Tennessee Freedom Coalition.
Spreading his hateful message, Wilders, the leader of the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), called for closing Islamic schools and halting construction of mosques.
He also called for banning immigrants from “non-Western and especially Islamic countries,” and expelling any immigrants who do not “assimilate.”
Wilders is notorious for his rants against Islam and Muslims.
He has called for banning the Noble Qur’an, describing the Muslim holy book as “fascist”.
In 2008, the far-right politician released a 15-minute documentary accusing the Qur'an of inciting violence.
Ahead of last year’s general elections, Wilders’ anti-immigrant party campaigned to "stop the Islamization of the Netherlands", and the building of new mosques.
His party’s anti-Islam campaigns, however, have helped it make its biggest gains since Wilders has founded it in 2006.
Negative FeelingsProtesters decried the movie message, saying it fuels growing anti-Muslims rhetoric in the south-eastern US state of Tennessee, already intensified over calls to ban Shari`ah law in courts.
A heated debate also surrounded plans to construct new Muslim center in Murfreesboro when local residents waged a fierce campaign to hinder the project.
"I think it's sad there's been such negativity surrounding the Murfreesboro mosque," Handlson said.
Yet, he hoped their protests would reflect the true feelings of love shared for the Muslim community.
"I just wanted everyone here to be a witness to this event," Handlson continued.
"To be a witness to love your God and love your neighbor. We all can co-exist."
Though there are no official figures, America is believed to be home to nearly seven million Muslims.
US Muslims have been sensing a growing hostility following a hearing presented by representative Peter King on what he described as “radicalization” of US Muslims.
Recently, a Republican Missouri lawmaker described Islam as a disease like polio while another Alaska Rep. branded Muslims as ‘occupiers’ of American neighborhoods.
Condemning repeated attacks, CAIR called last March on the Republicans to end fear mongering campaigns targeting Islam, urging all moderate lawmakers to stand up to the US anti-discrimination principles.
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center has showed that the majority of Americans know very little about Islam.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll has also found that more than half Americans already hold negative views about the faith.
On Islam
"We're here to voice another side," Pat Handlson, minister of Cookeville First Presbyterian Church and event organizer, told Herald-Citizen Newspapers on Saturday, August 20.
Wilders movie, A Warning to America, was broadcasted in Cookeville county commission chambers on Friday.
The Tennessee Freedom Coalition's event is organized by Rachel Welch, the vice-chair of the Putnam County Republican Party.
Rejecting the message of the movie, around 100 peaceful protestors gathered outside the courthouse last night with signs saying "We love Muslims" and "All religions believe in justice.”
The demonstration of Wilders hateful message in the movie is not the first in Tennessee.
Last May, he made a visit to Nashville in the course of an event to honor the anti-Islam speaker sponsored by the Tennessee Freedom Coalition.
Spreading his hateful message, Wilders, the leader of the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), called for closing Islamic schools and halting construction of mosques.
He also called for banning immigrants from “non-Western and especially Islamic countries,” and expelling any immigrants who do not “assimilate.”
Wilders is notorious for his rants against Islam and Muslims.
He has called for banning the Noble Qur’an, describing the Muslim holy book as “fascist”.
In 2008, the far-right politician released a 15-minute documentary accusing the Qur'an of inciting violence.
Ahead of last year’s general elections, Wilders’ anti-immigrant party campaigned to "stop the Islamization of the Netherlands", and the building of new mosques.
His party’s anti-Islam campaigns, however, have helped it make its biggest gains since Wilders has founded it in 2006.
Negative FeelingsProtesters decried the movie message, saying it fuels growing anti-Muslims rhetoric in the south-eastern US state of Tennessee, already intensified over calls to ban Shari`ah law in courts.
A heated debate also surrounded plans to construct new Muslim center in Murfreesboro when local residents waged a fierce campaign to hinder the project.
"I think it's sad there's been such negativity surrounding the Murfreesboro mosque," Handlson said.
Yet, he hoped their protests would reflect the true feelings of love shared for the Muslim community.
"I just wanted everyone here to be a witness to this event," Handlson continued.
"To be a witness to love your God and love your neighbor. We all can co-exist."
Though there are no official figures, America is believed to be home to nearly seven million Muslims.
US Muslims have been sensing a growing hostility following a hearing presented by representative Peter King on what he described as “radicalization” of US Muslims.
Recently, a Republican Missouri lawmaker described Islam as a disease like polio while another Alaska Rep. branded Muslims as ‘occupiers’ of American neighborhoods.
Condemning repeated attacks, CAIR called last March on the Republicans to end fear mongering campaigns targeting Islam, urging all moderate lawmakers to stand up to the US anti-discrimination principles.
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center has showed that the majority of Americans know very little about Islam.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll has also found that more than half Americans already hold negative views about the faith.
On Islam
Czech PM: Today the threat of invasion is posed by extremism
Czech PM Petr Nečas (Civic Democrats - ODS) has issued a press release on the 43rd anniversary of the Warsaw Pact invasion, an event which deprived communist Czechoslovakia of the hope of transforming its totalitarian regime. The PM's statement claims that the country does not face the threat of invasion by a military "alliance" today, but of "invasion" by displays of extremism, intolerance and radicalism. The 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion put an end to the Prague Spring - the attempt by Czechoslovak communists to establish "socialism with a human face" - and began the lengthy "normalization" period which did not end until November 1989.
"Today the threat is not that of an invasion by a military 'alliance', but of invasion by displays of extremism, intolerance and radicalism, as we have witnessed in many countries. This extremism, of various flavors, can pose a threat to democracy and freedom at any time, whether today or in the near future," Nečas said.
The Nečas cabinet is grappling with the problem of political extremism itself these days. Ladislav Bátora, a controversial bureaucrat at the Czech Education Ministry, is guilty of extremist opinions and his work at the ministry has prompted the most recent rupture in the governing coalition. Right-wing extremism in particular, however, most recently shocked Europe in the context of the terrorist attack in Norway.
Czech Defense Minister Alexandr Vondra (ODS) issued a declaration commemorating the symbolic significance of the anniversary. "We should not view this anniversary with resignation, but learn a lesson from it. A state that gives up on defending itself cannot exist independently for long," Vondra wrote in a statement sent to the Czech Press Agency by the press department of the Czech Defense Ministry.
Other politicians commemorated the 43rd anniversary of the Warsaw Pact invasion of what was then Czechoslovakia together with citizens and survivors in front of the Czech Radio building on Vinohradská třída in Prague. Czech MP Miroslava Němcová (ODS), the speaker of the lower house, emphasized that Czechs have been freely commemorating today's anniversary for 20 years but were unable to do so during the era of communist dictatorship and Soviet occupation. "Since November 1989, a new generation has come into the world who knows of the occupation of 21 August 1968 only from the stories of others," Němcová said in her speech.
Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS) reminded those gathered that Praguers assembled in front of the radio building to defend it on the day the occupation began. They did so spontaneously, without previously arranging to do so through social networking sites, which did not exist in those days. "Today's younger generation, with its need to be constantly online, almost finds it impossible to imagine how big, not to say crucial, a medium radio was in those days," Svoboda said.
The armies of the five eastern bloc states crossed the Czechoslovak border 43 years ago just before midnight on 20 August 1968, invading the state's territory without the authorities' awareness. The first platoon to invade the territory of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was comprised of roughly 100 000 soldiers, 2 300 tanks and 700 aircraft. The occupying army gradually grew to 750 000 soldiers. People lost their lives during the tragic events that halted social reform in the country.
The press release of Czech PM Petr Nečas is printed in full below:
Today we are commemorating 43 years since the events that deprived people of the hope of changing what was a totalitarian regime. Those events proved that communism is irredeemable, that it is capable of exploiting an atmosphere of fear, of using tanks and weapons against defenseless people. People who were convinced of their truth soon recognized they had no possibility of fighting off this brute force, but they gave their lives for our country in the defense of freedom anyway.
Today we are living in democracy and in freedom. Like everywhere in the developed world, our system is imperfect - but we take it for granted. What was just a dream to people decades ago, that we would return to our rightful place among the traditional democratic states, is a reality today. However, the world is constantly changing and still faces many threats.
Today the threat is not that of an invasion by a military 'alliance', but of invasion by displays of extremism, intolerance and radicalism, as we have witnessed in many countries. This extremism, of various flavors, can pose a threat to democracy and freedom at any time, whether today or in the near future.
We must continue in the process of facing up to the totalitarian past, when August 1968 extended communist domination for another 21 years. However, we must also be capable of responding to current threats, which could endanger our freedom in a much more insidious way. Let us remember that, and not only today.
Romea.cz
"Today the threat is not that of an invasion by a military 'alliance', but of invasion by displays of extremism, intolerance and radicalism, as we have witnessed in many countries. This extremism, of various flavors, can pose a threat to democracy and freedom at any time, whether today or in the near future," Nečas said.
The Nečas cabinet is grappling with the problem of political extremism itself these days. Ladislav Bátora, a controversial bureaucrat at the Czech Education Ministry, is guilty of extremist opinions and his work at the ministry has prompted the most recent rupture in the governing coalition. Right-wing extremism in particular, however, most recently shocked Europe in the context of the terrorist attack in Norway.
Czech Defense Minister Alexandr Vondra (ODS) issued a declaration commemorating the symbolic significance of the anniversary. "We should not view this anniversary with resignation, but learn a lesson from it. A state that gives up on defending itself cannot exist independently for long," Vondra wrote in a statement sent to the Czech Press Agency by the press department of the Czech Defense Ministry.
Other politicians commemorated the 43rd anniversary of the Warsaw Pact invasion of what was then Czechoslovakia together with citizens and survivors in front of the Czech Radio building on Vinohradská třída in Prague. Czech MP Miroslava Němcová (ODS), the speaker of the lower house, emphasized that Czechs have been freely commemorating today's anniversary for 20 years but were unable to do so during the era of communist dictatorship and Soviet occupation. "Since November 1989, a new generation has come into the world who knows of the occupation of 21 August 1968 only from the stories of others," Němcová said in her speech.
Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS) reminded those gathered that Praguers assembled in front of the radio building to defend it on the day the occupation began. They did so spontaneously, without previously arranging to do so through social networking sites, which did not exist in those days. "Today's younger generation, with its need to be constantly online, almost finds it impossible to imagine how big, not to say crucial, a medium radio was in those days," Svoboda said.
The armies of the five eastern bloc states crossed the Czechoslovak border 43 years ago just before midnight on 20 August 1968, invading the state's territory without the authorities' awareness. The first platoon to invade the territory of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was comprised of roughly 100 000 soldiers, 2 300 tanks and 700 aircraft. The occupying army gradually grew to 750 000 soldiers. People lost their lives during the tragic events that halted social reform in the country.
The press release of Czech PM Petr Nečas is printed in full below:
Today we are commemorating 43 years since the events that deprived people of the hope of changing what was a totalitarian regime. Those events proved that communism is irredeemable, that it is capable of exploiting an atmosphere of fear, of using tanks and weapons against defenseless people. People who were convinced of their truth soon recognized they had no possibility of fighting off this brute force, but they gave their lives for our country in the defense of freedom anyway.
Today we are living in democracy and in freedom. Like everywhere in the developed world, our system is imperfect - but we take it for granted. What was just a dream to people decades ago, that we would return to our rightful place among the traditional democratic states, is a reality today. However, the world is constantly changing and still faces many threats.
Today the threat is not that of an invasion by a military 'alliance', but of invasion by displays of extremism, intolerance and radicalism, as we have witnessed in many countries. This extremism, of various flavors, can pose a threat to democracy and freedom at any time, whether today or in the near future.
We must continue in the process of facing up to the totalitarian past, when August 1968 extended communist domination for another 21 years. However, we must also be capable of responding to current threats, which could endanger our freedom in a much more insidious way. Let us remember that, and not only today.
Romea.cz
Facebook tribute site for Ayen Chol ruined by racists (Australia)
The State Government and police will try to erase the posts.
The two pages have 35,000 followers, several of whom have contacted Crimestoppers.
Some vile comments and images already have been removed. But others remain on the sites dedicated to four-year-old Ayen Chol.
One post on a page described the pit bull-cross linked to the girl's death last Wednesday as a legend.
The Herald Sun has chosen not to detail the contents of other posts that have not been removed.
One racist comment triggered the responses: "I hope you get mauled by a dog, so you know what she had to go through!!!" and "Go die in a hole ... u heartless waste of space".
Relative Daniel Atem said the family was not aware of the shocking photos and posts until contacted by the Herald Sun.
"It's bad. It's not good," he said.
It is the latest incident of tribute pages of people who have died being vandalised. Minister for Crime Prevention Andrew McIntosh said he was outraged the girl's memory had been attacked by cyber ghouls.
"These comments are despicable and offensive," Mr McIntosh said.
"The Victorian Coalition Government will seek advice on any action that may be taken against the cowards who have sought to defile the memory of Ayen Chol using the supposed anonymity of the internet."
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police would work with Facebook to try to have any offensive content removed.
A Facebook spokeswoman said the site wanted to express its sympathies to Ayen's family and friends.
"We are also deeply saddened that a few individuals have shown a complete lack of respect for this tribute page," she said.
She encouraged page administrators to remove offensive content from the pages they have created and ban unwelcome visitors.
Herald Sun
FACEBOOK’S HOLOCAUST PROBLEM
Is Facebook in denial about Holocaust denial? For years, international organizations opposing anti-Semitism have been urging the planet’s preeminent social-networking platform to delete any content that asserts the Nazi-orchestrated extermination of 6 million Jews never took place. And for years, officials of Facebook, boasting more than 750 million active users, have refused, insisting that mere denial of the Holocaust, however “repugnant and ignorant,” doesn’t constitute “hate speech” as defined by Facebook’s Terms of Service policy prohibiting “content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.” (Which gave a huge opening to TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington, who noted that while Facebook was meticulously removing photos of breast-feeding women, it was allowing the proliferation of Holocaust-denial pages. His mordant headline: “Jew Haters Welcome At Facebook, As Long As They Aren’t Lactating.”)
Facebook’s critics—including such groups as the Anti-Defamation League and the Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism, which describes itself as an Israeli-led “alliance of statesmen, parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists, legal experts, NGOs and scholars”—argue that Holocaust denial is, by definition, an expression of hatred for the Jewish people. “Holocaust denial is basically a form of classic anti-Semitism,” said Deborah Lauter, ADL’s director of civil rights and its cyber-hate response team. “It’s anti-Semitism per se because it serves as a powerful conspiracy theory that basically says the Jews have manipulated history to advance their own worldview, whether to create sympathy or world domination. In other words, we have fabricated this monstrous event in history in order to further our own hidden agenda.”
Facebook spokesman Simon Axten doesn’t see it that way. “We find Holocaust denial to be repugnant and ignorant, just as we object to many of the other ideas expressed on Facebook,” Axten told me via email this week. “We’ve come to the conclusion that the mere statement of denying the Holocaust is not a violation of our policies. We recognize people’s right to be factually wrong about historical events.” The controversy surrounding Facebook’s free-speech position isn’t especially new. It has been a matter of anxiety among Jewish groups at least since November 2008, when blogger and attorney Brian Cuban—the less-famous brother of Dallas Mavericks owner and Dancing With the Stars contestant Mark Cuban—sounded the alarm and prompted a spate of media attention.
This item continues at the Daily Beast
.
Facebook’s critics—including such groups as the Anti-Defamation League and the Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism, which describes itself as an Israeli-led “alliance of statesmen, parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists, legal experts, NGOs and scholars”—argue that Holocaust denial is, by definition, an expression of hatred for the Jewish people. “Holocaust denial is basically a form of classic anti-Semitism,” said Deborah Lauter, ADL’s director of civil rights and its cyber-hate response team. “It’s anti-Semitism per se because it serves as a powerful conspiracy theory that basically says the Jews have manipulated history to advance their own worldview, whether to create sympathy or world domination. In other words, we have fabricated this monstrous event in history in order to further our own hidden agenda.”
Facebook spokesman Simon Axten doesn’t see it that way. “We find Holocaust denial to be repugnant and ignorant, just as we object to many of the other ideas expressed on Facebook,” Axten told me via email this week. “We’ve come to the conclusion that the mere statement of denying the Holocaust is not a violation of our policies. We recognize people’s right to be factually wrong about historical events.” The controversy surrounding Facebook’s free-speech position isn’t especially new. It has been a matter of anxiety among Jewish groups at least since November 2008, when blogger and attorney Brian Cuban—the less-famous brother of Dallas Mavericks owner and Dancing With the Stars contestant Mark Cuban—sounded the alarm and prompted a spate of media attention.
This item continues at the Daily Beast
.
Friday, 19 August 2011
Dutch Anti-Islam Politician Becomes Brand (Netherlands)
Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, notorious for his rants against Islam and Muslims, has become a ‘brand name’ in the Netherlands.
Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad said Wilders and his anti-immigrant Freedom Party (PVV) have been registered as trademarks to prevent misuse of their names, Reuters reported Wednesday, August 17.
Wilders' trademark application included a category for seeds, plants and flowers following the christening of a tulip in his name in February.
The far-right lawmaker has already been listed in the brand register for the Benelux for services such as lobbying.
When a name is registered, it can be marketed commercially.
“A politician should not be for sale,” Tobias Cohen Jehoram, professor of intellectual property, told the Financieele Dagblad.
Wilders is notorious for his rants against Islam and Muslims.
He has called for banning the Noble Qur’an, describing the Muslim holy book as “fascist”.
In 2008, the far-right politician released a 15-minute documentary accusing the Qur'an of inciting violence.
Ahead of last year’s general elections, Wilders’ anti-immigrant party campaigned to "stop the Islamization of the Netherlands", and the building of new mosques.
His party’s anti-Islam campaigns, however, have helped it make its biggest gains since Wilders has founded it in 2006.
Wilders’ party, the third-largest in parliament, is the minority coalition government's key ally, providing crucial support when the government needs a majority to pass legislation.
Wilders stands out among Dutch politicians because of his mane of bleached-blond hair and was nicknamed "the golden pompadour" in US diplomatic cables disclosed by WikiLeaks.
OnIslam
Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad said Wilders and his anti-immigrant Freedom Party (PVV) have been registered as trademarks to prevent misuse of their names, Reuters reported Wednesday, August 17.
Wilders' trademark application included a category for seeds, plants and flowers following the christening of a tulip in his name in February.
The far-right lawmaker has already been listed in the brand register for the Benelux for services such as lobbying.
When a name is registered, it can be marketed commercially.
“A politician should not be for sale,” Tobias Cohen Jehoram, professor of intellectual property, told the Financieele Dagblad.
Wilders is notorious for his rants against Islam and Muslims.
He has called for banning the Noble Qur’an, describing the Muslim holy book as “fascist”.
In 2008, the far-right politician released a 15-minute documentary accusing the Qur'an of inciting violence.
Ahead of last year’s general elections, Wilders’ anti-immigrant party campaigned to "stop the Islamization of the Netherlands", and the building of new mosques.
His party’s anti-Islam campaigns, however, have helped it make its biggest gains since Wilders has founded it in 2006.
Wilders’ party, the third-largest in parliament, is the minority coalition government's key ally, providing crucial support when the government needs a majority to pass legislation.
Wilders stands out among Dutch politicians because of his mane of bleached-blond hair and was nicknamed "the golden pompadour" in US diplomatic cables disclosed by WikiLeaks.
OnIslam
Two plead guilty to hate-crime charges in swastika branding (USA)
Two men have pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes for a racially motivated assault in New Mexico that included branding a developmentally disabled man of Navajo descent with a swastika, the Justice Department has announced.
Paul Beebe and Jesse Sanford of Farmington, N.M., entered their guilty pleas Thursday. A third defendant, William Hatch of Fruitland, N.M., pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit a federal hate crime stemming from the same incident.
The three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2010 on one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. They were the first to be charged under the October 2009 law that expanded the reach of federal anti-hate measures.
Read more at L.A. Times
.
Paul Beebe and Jesse Sanford of Farmington, N.M., entered their guilty pleas Thursday. A third defendant, William Hatch of Fruitland, N.M., pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit a federal hate crime stemming from the same incident.
The three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2010 on one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. They were the first to be charged under the October 2009 law that expanded the reach of federal anti-hate measures.
Read more at L.A. Times
.
Tory councillor apologises over racist remarks (UK)
A Dover district councillor suspended from the Conservative Party after posting a racist remark on Facebook has apologised.
Maths teacher Bob Frost used the derogatory term for ethnic minorities “jungle bunnies” during an online conversation about the recent riots.
He has apologised “unreservedly” and deleted the posts.
“What I said was wrong and I apologise unreservedly. I am mortified by the offence that I have caused and have deleted these comments. I am very sorry.”
Deputy council leader Sue Chandler said: “There is no place in our society for this kind of language.
“We have therefore suspended Cllr Frost from the Conservative group pending investigation.”
Kent News
Maths teacher Bob Frost used the derogatory term for ethnic minorities “jungle bunnies” during an online conversation about the recent riots.
He has apologised “unreservedly” and deleted the posts.
“What I said was wrong and I apologise unreservedly. I am mortified by the offence that I have caused and have deleted these comments. I am very sorry.”
Deputy council leader Sue Chandler said: “There is no place in our society for this kind of language.
“We have therefore suspended Cllr Frost from the Conservative group pending investigation.”
Kent News
Council tells May: Ban EDL march or face judicial review (UK)
Tower Hamlets council is threatening to take the Government to court if it refuses to ban a march by far-Right group the English Defence League.
Leaders are warning of violence if the event goes ahead on September 3 and will seek a judicial review if Home Secretary Theresa May does not ban it.
A council source said: "Something must be done to prevent this demonstration. If a judicial review is the only way then that is what we will do."
The EDL told members in an online message to take "our message into the heart of militant Islam within our own country". The message added: "We will go where we want, when we want."
Last week the Home Secretary banned an EDL march in Telford, Shropshire, saying she was acting to protect communities and property.
A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Secretary can only ban a march in London following a formal application from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. No such application has been received. The Home Secretary will carefully consider any formal application, subject to the relevant legal tests."
Tower Hamlets Labour group leader Josh Peck said: "The EDL march should be banned. The police are more than capable of keeping them under control, but that won't stop the tension and anger that could exist long after they have left."
London Evening Standard
Leaders are warning of violence if the event goes ahead on September 3 and will seek a judicial review if Home Secretary Theresa May does not ban it.
A council source said: "Something must be done to prevent this demonstration. If a judicial review is the only way then that is what we will do."
The EDL told members in an online message to take "our message into the heart of militant Islam within our own country". The message added: "We will go where we want, when we want."
Last week the Home Secretary banned an EDL march in Telford, Shropshire, saying she was acting to protect communities and property.
A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Secretary can only ban a march in London following a formal application from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. No such application has been received. The Home Secretary will carefully consider any formal application, subject to the relevant legal tests."
Tower Hamlets Labour group leader Josh Peck said: "The EDL march should be banned. The police are more than capable of keeping them under control, but that won't stop the tension and anger that could exist long after they have left."
London Evening Standard
MP’s call for police probe into far right (UK)
A South Yorkshire MP has written to Home Secretary Teresa May to call for police investigation into extreme right-wing incitements during the riots posted on social media like Twitter and Facebook.
Denis MacShane, who represents Rotherham, said BNP MEP Nick Griffin told his supporters the riots were a ‘black/Jewish affair’ and provided details of areas where riots were taking place.
A member of the English Defence League also used Facebook to say ‘these riots look brilliant’.
Mr MacShane added that another EDL supporter used Facebook to ask where he could obtain Semtex.
He said: “At a time when major prison sentences are being imposed on Facebook users who did not generate any response the police should also take action against the extreme right which used the riots to stoke up race hate and create an atmosphere of violence which contributed to the feeling that anything was permitted.
“Other elected people used their tweets to urge calm and restraint but Griffin tweeted with an orgasmic excitement as he watched the break-down in law and order.”
Mr MacShane added: “I do not think that social media should be used to encourage hate and incitement.”
The Star
Denis MacShane, who represents Rotherham, said BNP MEP Nick Griffin told his supporters the riots were a ‘black/Jewish affair’ and provided details of areas where riots were taking place.
A member of the English Defence League also used Facebook to say ‘these riots look brilliant’.
Mr MacShane added that another EDL supporter used Facebook to ask where he could obtain Semtex.
He said: “At a time when major prison sentences are being imposed on Facebook users who did not generate any response the police should also take action against the extreme right which used the riots to stoke up race hate and create an atmosphere of violence which contributed to the feeling that anything was permitted.
“Other elected people used their tweets to urge calm and restraint but Griffin tweeted with an orgasmic excitement as he watched the break-down in law and order.”
Mr MacShane added: “I do not think that social media should be used to encourage hate and incitement.”
The Star
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Neo-Nazi murder suspect convicted on firearms, methamphetamine charges (USA)
A federal jury here took about an hour Tuesday to convict a Neo-Nazi murder suspect of a host of firearms charges and a drug offence.
Daniel Dwight Brown, a self-avowed member of the Aryan Brotherhood, faces at least 15 years in prison on the federal charges. He also has a pending murder charge in Mobile County.
His attorney, Bill Scully, said his client will fight the federal conviction.
“I’m disappointed in the verdict,” he said. “My client steadfastly maintains his innocence, and he will do whatever he can to appeal the verdict.”
Mobile police officers investigating a shooting death in on March 11 found a pair of 9mm pistols in a Dumpster outside a bar on Swedetown Road in Theodore. Authorities contended that those guns potentially were used in the shooting of James Huddleston III, whose body was found on Rabbit Creek Road just north of Hamilton Boulevard.
An acquaintance of the defendant, Gary Paul Schreiner, testified that he knew the guns belonged to Brown.
Investigators also got a search warrant for Brown’s home and found a pair of active methamphetamine labs, a .22-caliber pistol and ammunition on March 18, according to testimony.
Brown, 40, was convicted in 2006 of third-degree escape, making it illegal for him to have firearms.
During his testimony, Schreiner told jurors and he, Brown and their girlfriends did drugs together. Schreiner also testified that he joined a white pride group in prison called Southern Brotherhood and bristled at suggestions by Scully that it was akin to the Aryan Brotherhood.
“We’re not racist,” Schreiner said. “They’re racist.”
Schreiner testified that members of the Southern Brotherhood merely are proud of their race. In a recorded interview with Mobile police homicide detective Mac R. “Rusty” Hardeman, Schreiner called the Aryan Brotherhood “ugly, hateful a-- people.”
The jury found Brown guilty of 3 counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon. The panel also convicted him of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, which carries a 10-year mandatory-minimum prison sentence. The 6th charge he was convicted of, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, carries a 5-year sentence that must be served consecutively.
Scully said he would try to persuade U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose to run the prison time from the other gun charges simultaneous to the other charges.
“There’s going to be an issue, probably, if they’re going to be stacked,” he said.
AL.com
Daniel Dwight Brown, a self-avowed member of the Aryan Brotherhood, faces at least 15 years in prison on the federal charges. He also has a pending murder charge in Mobile County.
His attorney, Bill Scully, said his client will fight the federal conviction.
“I’m disappointed in the verdict,” he said. “My client steadfastly maintains his innocence, and he will do whatever he can to appeal the verdict.”
Mobile police officers investigating a shooting death in on March 11 found a pair of 9mm pistols in a Dumpster outside a bar on Swedetown Road in Theodore. Authorities contended that those guns potentially were used in the shooting of James Huddleston III, whose body was found on Rabbit Creek Road just north of Hamilton Boulevard.
An acquaintance of the defendant, Gary Paul Schreiner, testified that he knew the guns belonged to Brown.
Investigators also got a search warrant for Brown’s home and found a pair of active methamphetamine labs, a .22-caliber pistol and ammunition on March 18, according to testimony.
Brown, 40, was convicted in 2006 of third-degree escape, making it illegal for him to have firearms.
During his testimony, Schreiner told jurors and he, Brown and their girlfriends did drugs together. Schreiner also testified that he joined a white pride group in prison called Southern Brotherhood and bristled at suggestions by Scully that it was akin to the Aryan Brotherhood.
“We’re not racist,” Schreiner said. “They’re racist.”
Schreiner testified that members of the Southern Brotherhood merely are proud of their race. In a recorded interview with Mobile police homicide detective Mac R. “Rusty” Hardeman, Schreiner called the Aryan Brotherhood “ugly, hateful a-- people.”
The jury found Brown guilty of 3 counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon. The panel also convicted him of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, which carries a 10-year mandatory-minimum prison sentence. The 6th charge he was convicted of, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, carries a 5-year sentence that must be served consecutively.
Scully said he would try to persuade U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose to run the prison time from the other gun charges simultaneous to the other charges.
“There’s going to be an issue, probably, if they’re going to be stacked,” he said.
AL.com
March by far-right set to go ahead in capital despite ban demands (UK)
A controversial far-right group is set to win permission to stage a demo in Edinburgh after police chiefs said they had no objections to the Scottish Defence League being allowed to stage a parade - despite protests from politicians, trade unions and anti-racism organisations.
The group wants to march from near the American Embassy to the east end of Princes Street the day before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
Critics believe the group has deliberately chosen the date to inflame racial hatred and capitalise on recent publicity linking its sister group, the English Defence League, with Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik.
The SDL has given Edinburgh City Council, which will rule on the application tomorrow, "freedom of speech" as the main reason for holding the event, which it expects to attract around 200 supporters.
Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill wants the protest banned, claiming the group is known to espouse "both racist and homophobic views" and expressing concern the march could pose a threat to public safety.
Local MSPS are also among those against the application.
Lothian and Borders Police has warned the local authority to consider the group's proposed demo "in the context" of the recent riots that flared across several English cities.
But it has effectively given the green light to the march, which will include a rally beside the statue of the Duke of Wellington, despite admitting the group's views are "controversial" and that a sizeable "opposition rally" is likely to be held.
Superintendent David Carradice has told the council he is confident the force can handle a demo by the SDL and any planned counter-demonstration, insisting it is used to catering for groups that want to "exercise their right to protest".
He said: "Whilst there can be no guarantees there will be no disruption to the daily business of the community, we are confident that, with the assistance of the council, an operation can be put into place to minimise such and thereby allow the SDL rally to go ahead and cater for an opposition rally too."
SNP councillor Rob Munn, chair of the regulatory committee, said it was not legally allowed to take into account criticism of the group's political stance, but could consider equalities and public safety issues.
read more at the Scotsman.com
.
The group wants to march from near the American Embassy to the east end of Princes Street the day before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
Critics believe the group has deliberately chosen the date to inflame racial hatred and capitalise on recent publicity linking its sister group, the English Defence League, with Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik.
The SDL has given Edinburgh City Council, which will rule on the application tomorrow, "freedom of speech" as the main reason for holding the event, which it expects to attract around 200 supporters.
Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill wants the protest banned, claiming the group is known to espouse "both racist and homophobic views" and expressing concern the march could pose a threat to public safety.
Local MSPS are also among those against the application.
Lothian and Borders Police has warned the local authority to consider the group's proposed demo "in the context" of the recent riots that flared across several English cities.
But it has effectively given the green light to the march, which will include a rally beside the statue of the Duke of Wellington, despite admitting the group's views are "controversial" and that a sizeable "opposition rally" is likely to be held.
Superintendent David Carradice has told the council he is confident the force can handle a demo by the SDL and any planned counter-demonstration, insisting it is used to catering for groups that want to "exercise their right to protest".
He said: "Whilst there can be no guarantees there will be no disruption to the daily business of the community, we are confident that, with the assistance of the council, an operation can be put into place to minimise such and thereby allow the SDL rally to go ahead and cater for an opposition rally too."
SNP councillor Rob Munn, chair of the regulatory committee, said it was not legally allowed to take into account criticism of the group's political stance, but could consider equalities and public safety issues.
read more at the Scotsman.com
.
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Jobbik MP arrested at Sziget Festival protest (Hungary)
Several members of the far right 64 Counties Youth Movement scuffled with security guards and later with police at the entrance to the Sziget festival Friday evening. About 70 members of the Movement attempted to enter the island festival without tickets but security guards stopped them.
Several demonstrators then blocked the way to festivalgoers. Police broke up the group and put several of them on a bus reserved for detainees. Those detained included Jobbik MP Gyula György Zagyva. Police said Zagyva and four others were detained for the misdemeanour of disturbance of order.
Zagyva asked on Sunday that his right to immunity from prosecution be lifted over the matter. He initially said in a written statement Friday night that he would not waive his right to immunity.
Politics.Hu
Several demonstrators then blocked the way to festivalgoers. Police broke up the group and put several of them on a bus reserved for detainees. Those detained included Jobbik MP Gyula György Zagyva. Police said Zagyva and four others were detained for the misdemeanour of disturbance of order.
Zagyva asked on Sunday that his right to immunity from prosecution be lifted over the matter. He initially said in a written statement Friday night that he would not waive his right to immunity.
Politics.Hu
Czech neo-Nazi on trial for fraud
The trial began in Ostrava today of David Dembinski, once a leading figure in the neo-Nazi movement in Karviná district and a well-known organizer and provocateur of anti-Roma marches. Dembinski is not being charged with a violent crime this time, as he was in the Stodolní street shooting case, but with committing fraud to the tune of CZK 6 million. The Czech daily Právo reports on the case at http://www.novinky.cz/krimi/241837-byvaly-vudce-neonacistu-na-karvinsku-pred-soudem-za-milionovy-podvod.html?ref=boxD .
David Dembinski is one of the main founders of the National Resistance (Národní odpor - NO) organization in Silesia, which organizes ultra-right demonstrations against the Roma in Karviná district in particular. For example, Dembinski organized a right-wing extremist march the town of Orlová that intentionally targeted a housing estate occupied by Romani people. He was also involved in Miroslav Sládek's Republican Party, even running for municipal elections on the party ticket. He later became an entrepreneur, but his business dealings were always on the edge of legality.
Dembinski is currently serving time for extensive credit fraud. An armed escort accompanied him from prison in Plzeň to the Regional Court in Ostrava today. The state prosecutor has charged Dembinski with defrauding a private firm of auto parts and fuel worth more than CZK 6 million in 2008.
"Between 15 February 2008 and 12 March 2009, the defendant received CZK 6 172 948 worth of auto parts and fuel from a vendor. It is unknown what he did with the goods he took, and he never paid the invoices for the items delivered even after multiple urgings," Lucie Böhmová, spokesperson for the court, said of the case.
In 2009, Dembinski faced trial in Ostrava District Court for an incident in Stodolní street where he shot a business owner in front of a bar with an illegally obtained weapon, supposedly as part of a settling of scores. The prosecution alleged Dembinski had also used violence to force a restaurant owner to sign his business over to him.
The prosecution charged that would-be "entrepreneur" Dembinski fired a single round at another business owner in front of the "Divoké kočky" bar, allegedly because the man owed him money. The shot clipped the 33-year-old man from Olomouc in the left shoulder. The injury was not serious and his medical treatment lasted two weeks.
Dembinski refused to testify during the trial but had previously denied firing the round in Stodolní street. He claims he was in Slovakia at the time, which he has been unable to prove. However, he explained that somehow it was his work vehicle that was at the scene of the crime. The shooter exited the vehicle to fire the round and then drove off. "I don't have anything to do with it. I have never had or owned a weapon," he said.
Prior to the start of the trial, the judge indicated she was concerned that the witnesses summoned might lack discipline. "Some of them never retrieved their writs of summons. Others are afraid to testify," she said. The fear Dembinski spread also complicated the investigation. "We determined that many of those in his circle live in fear of him," a police officer involved in the case said. Detectives used a riot police unit when arresting him.
Such concern about Dembinski may be based not only on his debt collection methods, but also on his more recent past. When detectives began unraveling the shooting case, they determined Dembinski was operating a restaurant in Ostrava. It then came to light that he had allegedly acquired it through violence, forcing the original owner at gunpoint to transfer the business to him, which he then began to run. The victimized restaurant owner was not in court today and the investigation of that case is not yet completed.
Romea
David Dembinski is one of the main founders of the National Resistance (Národní odpor - NO) organization in Silesia, which organizes ultra-right demonstrations against the Roma in Karviná district in particular. For example, Dembinski organized a right-wing extremist march the town of Orlová that intentionally targeted a housing estate occupied by Romani people. He was also involved in Miroslav Sládek's Republican Party, even running for municipal elections on the party ticket. He later became an entrepreneur, but his business dealings were always on the edge of legality.
Dembinski is currently serving time for extensive credit fraud. An armed escort accompanied him from prison in Plzeň to the Regional Court in Ostrava today. The state prosecutor has charged Dembinski with defrauding a private firm of auto parts and fuel worth more than CZK 6 million in 2008.
"Between 15 February 2008 and 12 March 2009, the defendant received CZK 6 172 948 worth of auto parts and fuel from a vendor. It is unknown what he did with the goods he took, and he never paid the invoices for the items delivered even after multiple urgings," Lucie Böhmová, spokesperson for the court, said of the case.
In 2009, Dembinski faced trial in Ostrava District Court for an incident in Stodolní street where he shot a business owner in front of a bar with an illegally obtained weapon, supposedly as part of a settling of scores. The prosecution alleged Dembinski had also used violence to force a restaurant owner to sign his business over to him.
The prosecution charged that would-be "entrepreneur" Dembinski fired a single round at another business owner in front of the "Divoké kočky" bar, allegedly because the man owed him money. The shot clipped the 33-year-old man from Olomouc in the left shoulder. The injury was not serious and his medical treatment lasted two weeks.
Dembinski refused to testify during the trial but had previously denied firing the round in Stodolní street. He claims he was in Slovakia at the time, which he has been unable to prove. However, he explained that somehow it was his work vehicle that was at the scene of the crime. The shooter exited the vehicle to fire the round and then drove off. "I don't have anything to do with it. I have never had or owned a weapon," he said.
Prior to the start of the trial, the judge indicated she was concerned that the witnesses summoned might lack discipline. "Some of them never retrieved their writs of summons. Others are afraid to testify," she said. The fear Dembinski spread also complicated the investigation. "We determined that many of those in his circle live in fear of him," a police officer involved in the case said. Detectives used a riot police unit when arresting him.
Such concern about Dembinski may be based not only on his debt collection methods, but also on his more recent past. When detectives began unraveling the shooting case, they determined Dembinski was operating a restaurant in Ostrava. It then came to light that he had allegedly acquired it through violence, forcing the original owner at gunpoint to transfer the business to him, which he then began to run. The victimized restaurant owner was not in court today and the investigation of that case is not yet completed.
Romea
Monday, 15 August 2011
Forty six arrests after EDL protest in Telford (UK)
Police arrested 46 people in the aftermath of a protest rally held by the English Defence League in Wellington.
Following a four-hour protest by the English Defence League in Wellington on Saturday, and a counter “unity” demonstration in the town, 10 people were charged with public order offences and three people were given cautions.
Other people arrested have been bailed pending further inquiries. Two people were due to appear at Telford Magistrates Court today.
Police confirmed there were “pockets of disorder” as up to 350 EDL members and 250 opposition protesters gathered in Wellington.
Shropshirestar.com
Following a four-hour protest by the English Defence League in Wellington on Saturday, and a counter “unity” demonstration in the town, 10 people were charged with public order offences and three people were given cautions.
Other people arrested have been bailed pending further inquiries. Two people were due to appear at Telford Magistrates Court today.
Police confirmed there were “pockets of disorder” as up to 350 EDL members and 250 opposition protesters gathered in Wellington.
Shropshirestar.com
City faces demands to block right-wing extremist march (UK)
The city council is facing demands to block a march in Edinburgh by right-wing extremists, following the riots in England.
The Scottish Defence League (SDL) has been in talks with police chiefs about making a return to the city, 18 months after a similar event down the Royal Mile saw five men arrested as tensions rose between opposition groups.
It has applied to the council to march on September 10 - the day before the tenth anniversary of the terror attack on New York's World Trade Centre.
The move has sparked anger among anti-fascist organisations, and following the recent trouble in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham it has been flagged up as a potential flashpoint for unrest.
Last week, the Government banned a march by the English Defence League in Telford.
This item continues at Edinburgh News
.
The Scottish Defence League (SDL) has been in talks with police chiefs about making a return to the city, 18 months after a similar event down the Royal Mile saw five men arrested as tensions rose between opposition groups.
It has applied to the council to march on September 10 - the day before the tenth anniversary of the terror attack on New York's World Trade Centre.
The move has sparked anger among anti-fascist organisations, and following the recent trouble in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham it has been flagged up as a potential flashpoint for unrest.
Last week, the Government banned a march by the English Defence League in Telford.
This item continues at Edinburgh News
.
Fascist fans fuel fears for Ukraine’s Euro 2012 hosting
Neo-Nazism, which is deeply-rooted in Ukrainian football fan culture thanks to high-level support from the Orange Revolution leaders from 2004, has become yet another real headache for the country’s current government ahead of Euro 2012.
The “beautiful game” turned ugly in the second half of Dynamo Kiev’s game against Karpaty Lvov in the Ukrainian Premier League, as several dozen fans brutally attacked a steward. He was trying to take down banners supporting WWII insurgent army leaders Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevich.
The victim of football fans’ attack, Andrey Solomatov, says he was simply trying to enforce the law.
“I saw the banners and asked the fans to remove them; this violated the law that no political agitation can be used at a football game. They refused and I tried to take them down myself. The next thing I remember is someone hitting me on the head and dozens of feet kicking me on the ground,” he said.
Bandera’s and Shukhevich’s status has been one of the main talking points in Ukraine over the past five years. Some in Ukraine see them as freedom-fighters and heroes, others – the majority of the population – call them Nazi collaborators.
In the 1940s, they fought alongside the German invaders, killing civilians – Russians, Poles and Jews – without mercy. More than 60 years later, Andrey the steward was nearly killed as well, but he is not sorry about his actions.
“Bandera and Shukhevich were murderers and criminals. A football match is no place for Nazism. These banners are being hung by the same people who attacked Red Army veterans in Lvov on May 9 this year,” Solomatov said.
Ukrainian football is no stranger to off-pitch violence and Nazi slogans. The same football fans that clash with the police are often seen in nationalist marches, at times carrying symbols forbidden by football organizations in Europe. Some experts blame the trend on the ideology of the previous administration.
”Ultra-nationalism has radicalized in Ukraine. That’s because for five years it had been strongly supported by the ruling elite. Now ultra-right and neo-Nazi movements are infiltrating football supporters. And nobody does anything about it – neither the authorities, nor the football clubs,” Vladimir Kornilov, political analyst for the CIS Countries Institute, said.
The Dynamo Kiev club says it carries no direct responsibility for the incident with Andrey Solomatov.
“It’s not forbidden by law to chant slogans like ‘Glory to Ukraine. Glory to heroes. Death to enemies.’ These slogans unite fans in Ukraine. But we will do everything to avoid incidents like this one. Those people are provocateurs and we will oust them from football grounds,” Nikolay Nesenyuk from Dynamo Kiev’s PR department, explained.
But such an excuse will not stand-up next year, when Ukraine and Poland co-host the European Football Championship. With the eyes of Europe focused on Kiev, banners commemorating the likes of Bandera and Shukhevich, if still a feature in 2012, could seriously harm the country’s reputation.
RT.Com
The “beautiful game” turned ugly in the second half of Dynamo Kiev’s game against Karpaty Lvov in the Ukrainian Premier League, as several dozen fans brutally attacked a steward. He was trying to take down banners supporting WWII insurgent army leaders Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevich.
The victim of football fans’ attack, Andrey Solomatov, says he was simply trying to enforce the law.
“I saw the banners and asked the fans to remove them; this violated the law that no political agitation can be used at a football game. They refused and I tried to take them down myself. The next thing I remember is someone hitting me on the head and dozens of feet kicking me on the ground,” he said.
Bandera’s and Shukhevich’s status has been one of the main talking points in Ukraine over the past five years. Some in Ukraine see them as freedom-fighters and heroes, others – the majority of the population – call them Nazi collaborators.
In the 1940s, they fought alongside the German invaders, killing civilians – Russians, Poles and Jews – without mercy. More than 60 years later, Andrey the steward was nearly killed as well, but he is not sorry about his actions.
“Bandera and Shukhevich were murderers and criminals. A football match is no place for Nazism. These banners are being hung by the same people who attacked Red Army veterans in Lvov on May 9 this year,” Solomatov said.
Ukrainian football is no stranger to off-pitch violence and Nazi slogans. The same football fans that clash with the police are often seen in nationalist marches, at times carrying symbols forbidden by football organizations in Europe. Some experts blame the trend on the ideology of the previous administration.
”Ultra-nationalism has radicalized in Ukraine. That’s because for five years it had been strongly supported by the ruling elite. Now ultra-right and neo-Nazi movements are infiltrating football supporters. And nobody does anything about it – neither the authorities, nor the football clubs,” Vladimir Kornilov, political analyst for the CIS Countries Institute, said.
The Dynamo Kiev club says it carries no direct responsibility for the incident with Andrey Solomatov.
“It’s not forbidden by law to chant slogans like ‘Glory to Ukraine. Glory to heroes. Death to enemies.’ These slogans unite fans in Ukraine. But we will do everything to avoid incidents like this one. Those people are provocateurs and we will oust them from football grounds,” Nikolay Nesenyuk from Dynamo Kiev’s PR department, explained.
But such an excuse will not stand-up next year, when Ukraine and Poland co-host the European Football Championship. With the eyes of Europe focused on Kiev, banners commemorating the likes of Bandera and Shukhevich, if still a feature in 2012, could seriously harm the country’s reputation.
RT.Com
Saturday, 13 August 2011
North East BNP chief accused of chasing children with knife (UK)
The 42-year-old allegedly chased the children, who were on BMX bikes, over a village green in Tudhoe, Spennymoor, County Durham, in his Land Rover car after asking them to leave a celebration of St George’s Day.
Now the BNP’s national organiser has appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court where he entered no plea to one charge of affray, one charge of driving a motor vehicle dangerously and three of criminal damage charges.
It is claimed the disorder occurred during the village celebrations on April 23 this year.
Alison Nunn, prosecuting, told the court that in police interview, the children, aged 11 and 12, described being “terrified” during the alleged incident.
She said: “These three children gave evidence that whilst they were at a fun day they were told to leave and to get off the bouncy castle. They say that Adam Walker chased them in his vehicle. He pursued them across the green in his Land Rover whilst they were on their bikes.”
She also described Walker doing a “handbrake turn” in the direction of the children. Ms Nunn added: “It is then said he had a knife with him and he has brandished the knife.
“One of the children is clear in his police interview that Adam Walker put that knife to his face and made a threat.”
It is just over a year since Walker was cleared of racial intolerance by a teaching watchdog after describing immigrants as “savage animals”.
Walker, who also claimed that Britain was becoming a “dumping ground for the filth of the Third World”, said after the General Teaching Council (GTC) hearing that prospective employers would “be knocking on my door to employ me”.
The former teacher at Houghton Kepier Sports College, in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, was brought before a GTC disciplinary panel after posting items on an internet discussion on the popularity of the BNP in February and March 2007.
The panel heard that Walker used a school laptop to make the postings and an inquiry launched at Houghton Kepier established that Mr Walker spent up to eight hours using the laptop for purposes not connected to his school duties.
He was cleared of racial intolerance but found guilty of using a school computer for personal use during lesson time.
The panel imposed a Conditional Registration Order which allows Walker to maintain his status as a registered teacher subject to him meeting certain conditions.
Walker, of Winchester Court, Spenny- moor, will appear back at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on October 7.
Journal Live
BNP man on suicide watch (UK)
A former British National Party organiser who once subjected a woman to a sickening racist attack is on suicide watch in jail.
Peter King appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court in custody after being brought from the hospital wing of Holme House Prison, where he is serving an 18-week prison sentence.
He was due to stand trial for punching a man on February 24, but pleaded guilty before the hearing started.
The 39-year-old was given a 22-month conditional discharge after the court heard he has lost four stone in weight in just two months behind bars and has become a “broken man”.
John Relton, mitigating, told magistrates: “The man you see before you today is very different to 12 months ago.
“He has spent the last couple of months on the hospital wing in prison as he has been unable to keep himself safe.
“There are issues with his state of mind and self-harm.”
He said that King, of Bluebell Way, Hartlepool, is worried about his family and losing his house as he needs to work to pay his mortgage.
Mr Relton added: “He is in many ways a broken man.
“He’s lost 4st in weight and is being watched all the time on the hospital wing because of the concerns people have for him.”
The Hartlepool Mail reported how King had originally narrowly escaped jail for saying to a stunned Sajida Islam “go back to your own country” when he saw her in the aisles of Hartlepool’s Tesco Extra store, in Burn Road.
“He then launched into a tirade of racist abuse on October 14 last year.
He then threatened his neighbour, 20-year-old student Nicholas Thompson, with an ornamental mace on Christmas Eve.
King admitted racially-aggravated harassment and possessing an offensive weapon at Teesside Crown Court and Judge Peter Bowers sentenced him to 10 months prison suspended for 18 months with supervision.
But despite being told to keep out of trouble, King breached the sentence when he was arrested in London on March 17 and was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was given 18 weeks in prison at Southwark Crown Court on June 15 for the offence.
Helen Kesterton, prosecuting at yesterday’s hearing, said: “At 5pm, the victim was walking alone along Oxford Road.
“He became aware of a man and a boy on pedal cycles.
“As he passed them he was punched in the mouth.
“He tasted blood and felt pain instantly and had a cut on the inside of his lip.
“The defendant went past him laughing loudly.”
Mr Relton said King and the man have a long-standing feud with one another, and the victim had been cautioned for an attack on King before the incident.
He added: “He has also threatened my client’s partner.
“What has happened here is that he has been with his son, and this gentleman is intimidating so he acted first.”
Peterlee Mail
Peter King appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court in custody after being brought from the hospital wing of Holme House Prison, where he is serving an 18-week prison sentence.
He was due to stand trial for punching a man on February 24, but pleaded guilty before the hearing started.
The 39-year-old was given a 22-month conditional discharge after the court heard he has lost four stone in weight in just two months behind bars and has become a “broken man”.
John Relton, mitigating, told magistrates: “The man you see before you today is very different to 12 months ago.
“He has spent the last couple of months on the hospital wing in prison as he has been unable to keep himself safe.
“There are issues with his state of mind and self-harm.”
He said that King, of Bluebell Way, Hartlepool, is worried about his family and losing his house as he needs to work to pay his mortgage.
Mr Relton added: “He is in many ways a broken man.
“He’s lost 4st in weight and is being watched all the time on the hospital wing because of the concerns people have for him.”
The Hartlepool Mail reported how King had originally narrowly escaped jail for saying to a stunned Sajida Islam “go back to your own country” when he saw her in the aisles of Hartlepool’s Tesco Extra store, in Burn Road.
“He then launched into a tirade of racist abuse on October 14 last year.
He then threatened his neighbour, 20-year-old student Nicholas Thompson, with an ornamental mace on Christmas Eve.
King admitted racially-aggravated harassment and possessing an offensive weapon at Teesside Crown Court and Judge Peter Bowers sentenced him to 10 months prison suspended for 18 months with supervision.
But despite being told to keep out of trouble, King breached the sentence when he was arrested in London on March 17 and was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was given 18 weeks in prison at Southwark Crown Court on June 15 for the offence.
Helen Kesterton, prosecuting at yesterday’s hearing, said: “At 5pm, the victim was walking alone along Oxford Road.
“He became aware of a man and a boy on pedal cycles.
“As he passed them he was punched in the mouth.
“He tasted blood and felt pain instantly and had a cut on the inside of his lip.
“The defendant went past him laughing loudly.”
Mr Relton said King and the man have a long-standing feud with one another, and the victim had been cautioned for an attack on King before the incident.
He added: “He has also threatened my client’s partner.
“What has happened here is that he has been with his son, and this gentleman is intimidating so he acted first.”
Peterlee Mail
EDL 'to gather' despite march ban (UK)
Members of the English Defence League (EDL) are expected to gather in a town, despite a planned march being banned amid fears of violence.
The march in Telford, Shropshire, was vetoed by Home Secretary Theresa May to protect "communities and property", but members of the group can still gather to protest.
Telford & Wrekin Council requested a ban under Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, but the local authority said it still expects the EDL to gather in Church Street, Wellington.
Mrs May said: "It is clear that a ban is needed to ensure communities and property are protected. What this ban does not do however is stop an EDL presence or a static demonstration in Telford this weekend.
"West Mercia Police have a significant number of officers being deployed to police any EDL presence. I encourage all local people to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined."
The council said there will still be a "significant multi-agency operation" in Wellington.
Councillor Shaun Davies said: "We welcome the fact that the Home Secretary has approved our request for the marches to be banned. However, there will still be a significant multi-agency operation in Wellington in anticipation of a static protest."
Chief Inspector Keith Gee, from West Mercia Police, said they would do everything possible to keep any assembly peaceful. He said: "We shall do everything possible to ensure that any assembly remains peaceful and poses the least amount of disruption possible for those not involved in the assembly.
"To that end, we are still planning for a major police operation, involving our multi-agency partners, and we will have significant numbers of police officers out on the streets to reassure our communities.
"I would like to reassure the communities in and around Wellington that we have the resources available and the experience to deal with any incidents on the day."
Belfast Telegraph
The march in Telford, Shropshire, was vetoed by Home Secretary Theresa May to protect "communities and property", but members of the group can still gather to protest.
Telford & Wrekin Council requested a ban under Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, but the local authority said it still expects the EDL to gather in Church Street, Wellington.
Mrs May said: "It is clear that a ban is needed to ensure communities and property are protected. What this ban does not do however is stop an EDL presence or a static demonstration in Telford this weekend.
"West Mercia Police have a significant number of officers being deployed to police any EDL presence. I encourage all local people to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined."
The council said there will still be a "significant multi-agency operation" in Wellington.
Councillor Shaun Davies said: "We welcome the fact that the Home Secretary has approved our request for the marches to be banned. However, there will still be a significant multi-agency operation in Wellington in anticipation of a static protest."
Chief Inspector Keith Gee, from West Mercia Police, said they would do everything possible to keep any assembly peaceful. He said: "We shall do everything possible to ensure that any assembly remains peaceful and poses the least amount of disruption possible for those not involved in the assembly.
"To that end, we are still planning for a major police operation, involving our multi-agency partners, and we will have significant numbers of police officers out on the streets to reassure our communities.
"I would like to reassure the communities in and around Wellington that we have the resources available and the experience to deal with any incidents on the day."
Belfast Telegraph
Friday, 12 August 2011
Home Secretary bans Telford EDL march (UK)
The home secretary has banned an English Defence League (EDL) march through a Shropshire town amid fears of disorder.
Theresa May she had stopped the march in Telford to protect "communities and properties".
She said the ban would not stop an EDL presence in Telford on Saturday.
Telford and Wrekin Council had made the request under the Public Order Act on the advice of West Mercia Police.
Mrs May said: "I have given my consent to a ban on marches in Telford this weekend. It is clear that a ban is needed to ensure communities and properties are protected."
'Remain peaceful'
However, she said there would be a "significant number" of police deployed on Saturday.
"I encourage all local people to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined," she said.
Church Street in Wellington is to be the location of any protest by the EDL.
The council welcomed the ban but said security measures would remain in place.
Councillor Shaun Davies said: "People can be reassured that both organisations (police and the council) have the resources available and the experience to deal with any incidents on the day."
Chief Inspector Keith Gee of West Mercia Police said the ban did "not prevent any static assemblies taking place, which are still lawful provided they remain peaceful and we have no legal powers to prevent them".
He added: "We shall do everything possible to ensure that any assembly on Saturday remains peaceful and poses the least amount of disruption possible for those not involved in the assembly."
The EDL said it was going to Telford because "local people's voices deserve to be heard".
"We are not coming to Telford to inconvenience anyone, and we certainly do not intend to cause any trouble," a spokesman said.
BBC News
Theresa May she had stopped the march in Telford to protect "communities and properties".
She said the ban would not stop an EDL presence in Telford on Saturday.
Telford and Wrekin Council had made the request under the Public Order Act on the advice of West Mercia Police.
Mrs May said: "I have given my consent to a ban on marches in Telford this weekend. It is clear that a ban is needed to ensure communities and properties are protected."
'Remain peaceful'
However, she said there would be a "significant number" of police deployed on Saturday.
"I encourage all local people to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined," she said.
Church Street in Wellington is to be the location of any protest by the EDL.
The council welcomed the ban but said security measures would remain in place.
Councillor Shaun Davies said: "People can be reassured that both organisations (police and the council) have the resources available and the experience to deal with any incidents on the day."
Chief Inspector Keith Gee of West Mercia Police said the ban did "not prevent any static assemblies taking place, which are still lawful provided they remain peaceful and we have no legal powers to prevent them".
He added: "We shall do everything possible to ensure that any assembly on Saturday remains peaceful and poses the least amount of disruption possible for those not involved in the assembly."
The EDL said it was going to Telford because "local people's voices deserve to be heard".
"We are not coming to Telford to inconvenience anyone, and we certainly do not intend to cause any trouble," a spokesman said.
BBC News
UK Muslims Use Prayer, Not Revenge in Response to Hate Crime
The three victims had been standing with other local residents in an effort to protect their property from looters when a car plowed through the line of defense.
An estimated 300 Muslim and Sikh men gathered near the site of the killings, according to Guardian News. Some of the men were seeking revenge. As the crowd considered their options, Tariq Jahan, whose son was among those dead, appealed to the crowd not to avenge the crime.
Mustafa Khalili, a Guardian editor, said the deaths had “heightened” tensions, and people began calling for revenge. The father appealed for calm several times since.
The crowd of Muslims and Sikhs decided not to hold a march, which could have led to further violence. Instead, the father and other members of the community led an ethnically-mixed candlelight vigil for the three young men killed. Khalili says the vigil was calm and that those who assembled reflected in their grief.
Basharat Nazir, a spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United Kingdom, said the father’s response was in “the true spirit of Islam.” He said the father’s calm demeanor let “common sense” prevail. He added Islam teaches in “the face of atrocity” and "excesses done against us, we should respond back in a thoughtful manner and should rely on the authorities to take the necessary measures.”
Police said they have a suspect in custody and have begun an investigation of possible murder charges.
Nasser Khan, vice president of the Ahmadiyya Association in the United Kingdom, stressed that the deaths were a tragic crime and that they should not be considered “sectarian or religious” incidents. “They were purely defending their communities and their country, which is what Islam teaches you.”
Khan said a handful of Muslim extremists might sometimes catch the media spotlight, but incidents like this prayer vigil should be publicly recognized.
Nazir said, “Responsible people within all the communities should stand up and hold hands and stand up against the extremists.” He said that those who bring violence to society should know that no community will tolerate people that create disorder in this world.
“It goes against all religious teachings. And the Muslim community should be no different to any other,” said Nazir.
Voice of America
'Drop racism from Swiss elections' demand
Swiss human rights groups have called on political parties to avoid racist campaigning during the upcoming October elections.
The head of the Independent Federal Commission Against Racism, Georg Kreis, told AFP that Swiss elections were usually periods of racist and xenophobic agitation.
"There is a certain seductiveness during elections in using xenophobia or defamation as a political tool", he said.
The commission is spearheading the 'Fairplay in Elections' campaign, which is backed by nearly 30 organizations, including human rights group Amnesty International.
During election campaigns, controversial themes should be brought to the table, he conceded, but debates should stick to the facts.
Kreis's call has received press backing: “Those Swiss who are against smear campaigns, exclusion and the ’concept of the enemy’, have gained a voice. With an online signature, they can speak out“, the NZZ newspaper writes.
Switzerland's biggest political party, the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP) has consistently sparked controversy with its campaigns.
The SVP, which already holds around a quarter of the seats in the federal assembly, is expected to make further gains during the October elections.
“Parties and politicians are not the focus of the campaign, rather the general public“, Kreis, explained to the media in Bern. “The iniative should show that in Switzerland there is a solid base of decent people. And there are more of them than one would assume from media reports.“
"The 'Fairplay in election campaigns' (Fairplay im Wahlkampf) project should alleviate their feeling of helplessness“, he said.
The campaign calls for parties to avoid racist and defamatory language against immigrants, asylum seekers, the socially disadvantaged and those who think differently.
“An open dialogue is a pre-condition for a democracy. That does not mean that everything should be allowed“, said Emine Sariaslan, president of the Forum for the Integration of Immigrants (FIMM), one of the organizations involved in the campaign. “People should not be made responsible for problems that have totally different cause because of their origin, religion or lifestyle.“
“The campaign is about the protection of different strands of society living alongside one another. Damage occurs when individual groups are shut out and defamed. “Those who really stand up for for Switzerland should sign the iniative,“ said Kreis.
The Local Switzerland
The head of the Independent Federal Commission Against Racism, Georg Kreis, told AFP that Swiss elections were usually periods of racist and xenophobic agitation.
"There is a certain seductiveness during elections in using xenophobia or defamation as a political tool", he said.
The commission is spearheading the 'Fairplay in Elections' campaign, which is backed by nearly 30 organizations, including human rights group Amnesty International.
During election campaigns, controversial themes should be brought to the table, he conceded, but debates should stick to the facts.
Kreis's call has received press backing: “Those Swiss who are against smear campaigns, exclusion and the ’concept of the enemy’, have gained a voice. With an online signature, they can speak out“, the NZZ newspaper writes.
Switzerland's biggest political party, the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP) has consistently sparked controversy with its campaigns.
The SVP, which already holds around a quarter of the seats in the federal assembly, is expected to make further gains during the October elections.
“Parties and politicians are not the focus of the campaign, rather the general public“, Kreis, explained to the media in Bern. “The iniative should show that in Switzerland there is a solid base of decent people. And there are more of them than one would assume from media reports.“
"The 'Fairplay in election campaigns' (Fairplay im Wahlkampf) project should alleviate their feeling of helplessness“, he said.
The campaign calls for parties to avoid racist and defamatory language against immigrants, asylum seekers, the socially disadvantaged and those who think differently.
“An open dialogue is a pre-condition for a democracy. That does not mean that everything should be allowed“, said Emine Sariaslan, president of the Forum for the Integration of Immigrants (FIMM), one of the organizations involved in the campaign. “People should not be made responsible for problems that have totally different cause because of their origin, religion or lifestyle.“
“The campaign is about the protection of different strands of society living alongside one another. Damage occurs when individual groups are shut out and defamed. “Those who really stand up for for Switzerland should sign the iniative,“ said Kreis.
The Local Switzerland
DANISH RIGHT-WING INFILTRATED
A secret network called ORG , which has sought to ‘clean’ Denmark of immigrants and have a showdown with ‘traitors’ who have made immigration possible, has been active in infiltrating political and right-wing organisations, according to documents Politiken has obtained. ORG, which has some 100 members, was started by a small group of men, several of whom have held leading positions in the Danish People’s Party, or been candidates for the party, while at the same time taking part in Ku Klux Klan-type events and exerting influence on extreme right-wing organisations. Several ORG members have said they are willing to use violence against immigrants, and have praised the Hells Angels support group AK81 for ‘beating provocative wogs’. Jesper Nielsen, who is the head of ORG, has refused to be interviewed about the organisation. “ORG has not wanted the publicity concerned as we assume that the non-public character of the association will be misconstrued and misused to ascribe surreptitious motives to its closed nature,” ORG’s Board says in a message.
Confronted with Politiken’s information, Danish People’s Party’s Party Secretary Poul Lindholm Jensen says that ORG’s Chairman Jesper Nielsen has been part of the party leadership in Aarhus and that another ORG member has been a parliamentary candidate for the Danish People’s Party. “I have not heard of ORG before. But I can see that neither of the two are with us anymore. They both solved the problem by withdrawing from the party,” Lindholm Jensen says. While ORG has managed to keep the organisation secret for more than 20 years, Politiken has obtained internal ORG documents. The documents include ORG’s organisational setup and tasks, several years of communication between the network’s leading members on a closed Internet forum as well as examples of the network’s extensive ‘traitor archive’, which is called ‘The Great Memory’. The documents show that ORG monitored political opponents, certainly until 2009, and was ready to share its information with the Den Danske Forening association, which is vehemently opposed to immigration.
The secret network’s Copenhagen leader, known as PUJ, received a suspended sentence in 2009 for having abused his position as a policeman to gather information on political adversaries. A search of his home turned up correspondence with ORG’s Leader Jesper Nielsen, but the lead was not developed during his court case. “Our view was that he had contacts with other people who shared his views,” says Copenhagen Public Prosecutor Liselotte Nilas. This particular aspect of the case was handed over to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service PET, whose chief Jakob Scharf says in a written response: “PET has been involved in investigating this case, which led to a police employee being sentenced for illegally collecting personal information from police registers. The fact that the information was seemingly collected for an extreme right network was, and remains, the object of PET’s attention,” Scharf says.
Politiken.dk
Confronted with Politiken’s information, Danish People’s Party’s Party Secretary Poul Lindholm Jensen says that ORG’s Chairman Jesper Nielsen has been part of the party leadership in Aarhus and that another ORG member has been a parliamentary candidate for the Danish People’s Party. “I have not heard of ORG before. But I can see that neither of the two are with us anymore. They both solved the problem by withdrawing from the party,” Lindholm Jensen says. While ORG has managed to keep the organisation secret for more than 20 years, Politiken has obtained internal ORG documents. The documents include ORG’s organisational setup and tasks, several years of communication between the network’s leading members on a closed Internet forum as well as examples of the network’s extensive ‘traitor archive’, which is called ‘The Great Memory’. The documents show that ORG monitored political opponents, certainly until 2009, and was ready to share its information with the Den Danske Forening association, which is vehemently opposed to immigration.
The secret network’s Copenhagen leader, known as PUJ, received a suspended sentence in 2009 for having abused his position as a policeman to gather information on political adversaries. A search of his home turned up correspondence with ORG’s Leader Jesper Nielsen, but the lead was not developed during his court case. “Our view was that he had contacts with other people who shared his views,” says Copenhagen Public Prosecutor Liselotte Nilas. This particular aspect of the case was handed over to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service PET, whose chief Jakob Scharf says in a written response: “PET has been involved in investigating this case, which led to a police employee being sentenced for illegally collecting personal information from police registers. The fact that the information was seemingly collected for an extreme right network was, and remains, the object of PET’s attention,” Scharf says.
Politiken.dk
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Right-wing yobs linked to night of violence (UK)
Far-right groups have been linked to the rioting in Manchester and Salford. Police say thugs connected to extreme political groups may have helped orchestrate serious disorder and looting in both cities.
Chief Constable Peter Fahy said he believed that organised crime groups were behind the most violent trouble in Manchester and around Salford Shopping City, in Pendleton.
But officers and community leaders also believe right-wing activists were involved.
One Salford councillor, who asked not to be named, said: "It is common knowledge that elements of these organisations were on the streets, in the thick of it, when it was happening."
In Manchester, the yobs’ main aim seemed to be wanton looting.
But in Salford, officers came under particularly ferocious attack.
Six officers were injured, including a superintendent, who was struck by a brick.
Around 200 youths chased officers, looted shops and torched cars a supermarket and a council office.
Mr Fahy claimed the attacks on officers in Salford could be a backlash against recent operations to disrupt ‘untouchable’ criminals in the city.
Mr Fahy said: "Salford seemed to have a lot more organisation around it.
"It was of a different tone. We have given a hard time to persistent criminals and organised crime outfits – no doubt some of those saw this as an opportunity to get back to us.
"If they see an opportunity to bait local police, they will take it."
He described how in both cities there was clear evidence of criminal planning
"You could see some people on mobile phones outside shops calling their mates saying ‘come to this one, we’ve managed to break in’."
It was the worst disorder in Salford has seen since the summer of 1992 when scores of cars, a carpet warehouse, and the unemployment office in Ordsall were set on fire. Firefighters and a police dog handler were shot at.
That was triggered by a police crack down on criminals and the seizure by officers of a Sierra Cosworth car belonging to one criminal.
Manchester Evening News
Chief Constable Peter Fahy said he believed that organised crime groups were behind the most violent trouble in Manchester and around Salford Shopping City, in Pendleton.
But officers and community leaders also believe right-wing activists were involved.
One Salford councillor, who asked not to be named, said: "It is common knowledge that elements of these organisations were on the streets, in the thick of it, when it was happening."
In Manchester, the yobs’ main aim seemed to be wanton looting.
But in Salford, officers came under particularly ferocious attack.
Six officers were injured, including a superintendent, who was struck by a brick.
Around 200 youths chased officers, looted shops and torched cars a supermarket and a council office.
Mr Fahy claimed the attacks on officers in Salford could be a backlash against recent operations to disrupt ‘untouchable’ criminals in the city.
Mr Fahy said: "Salford seemed to have a lot more organisation around it.
"It was of a different tone. We have given a hard time to persistent criminals and organised crime outfits – no doubt some of those saw this as an opportunity to get back to us.
"If they see an opportunity to bait local police, they will take it."
He described how in both cities there was clear evidence of criminal planning
"You could see some people on mobile phones outside shops calling their mates saying ‘come to this one, we’ve managed to break in’."
It was the worst disorder in Salford has seen since the summer of 1992 when scores of cars, a carpet warehouse, and the unemployment office in Ordsall were set on fire. Firefighters and a police dog handler were shot at.
That was triggered by a police crack down on criminals and the seizure by officers of a Sierra Cosworth car belonging to one criminal.
Manchester Evening News
More people driven out by racists (Northern Ireland)
The number of households intimidated from their homes by racists in Northern Ireland has doubled in four years, it has been revealed.
The mass flight of Roma families from south Belfast in 2009 contributed to the dramatic increase in the number left homeless, said the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).
A total of 100 Romanians fled their homes in the city following the spate of racist attacks.
The number of cases increased from 41 in 2006/7 to 96 in 2009/10.
The families who left in June 2009 were members of the Roma ethnic group. They said they felt frightened and vulnerable after their homes were targeted.
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive later paid for them to return to Romania using emergency funds. The group had been living in south Belfast - the part of Northern Ireland which had the highest number of reported racist incidents.
An OFMDFM statement published this week said there has been some increase in the number of households presenting as homeless both as a result of sectarian and racial intimidation, the increase being more dramatic for those attributing their homelessness status to racism and likely to be linked to the attacks on Roma families in June 2009.
It added: "Collectively, there has been an increase of 63 such cases since recording began. The 2009/10 figures of 96 for those citing racial intimidation as the reason for their state of homelessness represents a rise for two consecutive years."
According to OFMDFM, the number of racially motivated hate incidents is down by a fifth from 1,047 incidents in 2006/07 to 842 in 2010/11.
Crimes with a racist motivation fell by a quarter between 2009/10 and 2010/11 (712 versus 531). The past five years has recorded a downward trend in this crime type, the OFMDFM written answer to DUP MLA Jonathan Craig said. The 2010/11 figure is the lowest since 2004/05 when they were first presented.
Belfast Telegraph
The mass flight of Roma families from south Belfast in 2009 contributed to the dramatic increase in the number left homeless, said the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).
A total of 100 Romanians fled their homes in the city following the spate of racist attacks.
The number of cases increased from 41 in 2006/7 to 96 in 2009/10.
The families who left in June 2009 were members of the Roma ethnic group. They said they felt frightened and vulnerable after their homes were targeted.
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive later paid for them to return to Romania using emergency funds. The group had been living in south Belfast - the part of Northern Ireland which had the highest number of reported racist incidents.
An OFMDFM statement published this week said there has been some increase in the number of households presenting as homeless both as a result of sectarian and racial intimidation, the increase being more dramatic for those attributing their homelessness status to racism and likely to be linked to the attacks on Roma families in June 2009.
It added: "Collectively, there has been an increase of 63 such cases since recording began. The 2009/10 figures of 96 for those citing racial intimidation as the reason for their state of homelessness represents a rise for two consecutive years."
According to OFMDFM, the number of racially motivated hate incidents is down by a fifth from 1,047 incidents in 2006/07 to 842 in 2010/11.
Crimes with a racist motivation fell by a quarter between 2009/10 and 2010/11 (712 versus 531). The past five years has recorded a downward trend in this crime type, the OFMDFM written answer to DUP MLA Jonathan Craig said. The 2010/11 figure is the lowest since 2004/05 when they were first presented.
Belfast Telegraph
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
2 white supremacists accused of robbery, making terrorist threats (USA)
Two white supremacist gang members have been arrested on suspicion of stealing a woman’s makeup bag, some marijuana plants and a cellphone from a Hesperia home where one of the suspects once lived, authorities said Tuesday.
Joshua Anderson, 26, and Shawn Cavanaugh, 31, both of Hesperia, fled to a nearby home and were arrested by San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies late Monday on suspicion of residential robbery, making terrorist threats and participating in a gang.
The two suspects entered the home on Hemlock Avenue, confronting a man and his girlfriend inside, according to a statement released by the Sheriff’s Department. An altercation followed, and the man was able to call 911. The suspects then rummaged through the girlfriend’s car and also took a phone, her makeup bag and marijuana plants.
Deputies found Anderson and Cavanaugh hiding in a garage in the 1500 block of Aspen Street, along with “paraphernalia consistent with items belonging” to their white supremacist gang affiliation, the statement said.
LA Times
Joshua Anderson, 26, and Shawn Cavanaugh, 31, both of Hesperia, fled to a nearby home and were arrested by San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies late Monday on suspicion of residential robbery, making terrorist threats and participating in a gang.
The two suspects entered the home on Hemlock Avenue, confronting a man and his girlfriend inside, according to a statement released by the Sheriff’s Department. An altercation followed, and the man was able to call 911. The suspects then rummaged through the girlfriend’s car and also took a phone, her makeup bag and marijuana plants.
Deputies found Anderson and Cavanaugh hiding in a garage in the 1500 block of Aspen Street, along with “paraphernalia consistent with items belonging” to their white supremacist gang affiliation, the statement said.
LA Times
The wife of a neo-Nazi organizer pleads guilty to child abuse. (USA)
The wife of a neo-Nazi organizer allegedly shot and killed by his 10-year-old son pleaded guilty today to child abuse and was immediately sentenced to four months in jail and four years probation.
During a settlement hearing before Riverside County Superior Court Judge J. Thompson Hanks, Krista Faye McCary, 26, withdrew her previous plea of not guilty to the felony charge as well as another allegation of failing to secure a firearm in a household with children present. McCary's attorney, Leonard Valadez, negotiated a plea agreement with the District Attorney's Office just before the hearing that called for the dismissal of four charges of child endangerment and three charges of failure to store a firearm in exchange for McCary's guilty plea to the other two counts.
Hanks sentenced the Riverside woman to work release in lieu of jail time and ordered her to attend a 52-week child rearing program approved by the Department of Public Social Services.
Had McCary been convicted of all nine original felony charges, she could have faced around 30 years in prison.
Riverside police investigators allege McCary stood by and watched as her husband, 32-year-old Jeff Russell Hall, abused their five children, mainly the eldest boy, Joseph, who is McCary's stepson.
There were numerous guns, knives and swords in the house, easily accessible to any of the children, according to Riverside police Detective Greg Rowe.
Rowe wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit that McCary acknowledged seeing Hall beat and verbally abuse Joseph.
"Krista said that Jeffrey did these things to punish (him)," Rowe wrote. "Krista said that (the boy) would get punished for being too loud or getting in Jeffrey's way. Krista said Jeffrey would get out of control when he punished (his son), including punching and kicking him several times in the back."
Hall, a plumber, was the Southwest regional director of the Detroit- based National Socialist Movement, which advocates racial segregation. He was a visible presence at neo-Nazi rallies throughout the Inland Empire.
On May 1, Hall was sleeping on a front room sofa in his two-story Louder Court home when his son allegedly shot him in the head, using a Rossi .357 revolver that he'd pulled out of the master bedroom closet, according to investigators.
"The oldest child ... admitted during the interview that he was tired of his dad hitting him and his (step)mom," Rowe wrote. "(He) said he thought his dad was cheating on his (step)mom and thought he might have to choose which person he would live with."
Neither McCary or Joseph's siblings -- a 2-month-old, 3-year-old, 7-year- old and 9-year-old -- were injured.
Hall was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The detective described the house as "filthy," with dirty clothes scattered everywhere, urine-stained and soiled bed sheets and floors that "didn't appear to have been vacuumed in a long time."
All of the youngsters are now in the care of child welfare workers.
Joseph is being held at Riverside Juvenile Hall. He's undergoing psychiatric evaluations, and another hearing in the case is set for next month.
If convicted of murder and a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation, the 10-year-old could be imprisoned until he is 25.
My Valley News
During a settlement hearing before Riverside County Superior Court Judge J. Thompson Hanks, Krista Faye McCary, 26, withdrew her previous plea of not guilty to the felony charge as well as another allegation of failing to secure a firearm in a household with children present. McCary's attorney, Leonard Valadez, negotiated a plea agreement with the District Attorney's Office just before the hearing that called for the dismissal of four charges of child endangerment and three charges of failure to store a firearm in exchange for McCary's guilty plea to the other two counts.
Hanks sentenced the Riverside woman to work release in lieu of jail time and ordered her to attend a 52-week child rearing program approved by the Department of Public Social Services.
Had McCary been convicted of all nine original felony charges, she could have faced around 30 years in prison.
Riverside police investigators allege McCary stood by and watched as her husband, 32-year-old Jeff Russell Hall, abused their five children, mainly the eldest boy, Joseph, who is McCary's stepson.
There were numerous guns, knives and swords in the house, easily accessible to any of the children, according to Riverside police Detective Greg Rowe.
Rowe wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit that McCary acknowledged seeing Hall beat and verbally abuse Joseph.
"Krista said that Jeffrey did these things to punish (him)," Rowe wrote. "Krista said that (the boy) would get punished for being too loud or getting in Jeffrey's way. Krista said Jeffrey would get out of control when he punished (his son), including punching and kicking him several times in the back."
Hall, a plumber, was the Southwest regional director of the Detroit- based National Socialist Movement, which advocates racial segregation. He was a visible presence at neo-Nazi rallies throughout the Inland Empire.
On May 1, Hall was sleeping on a front room sofa in his two-story Louder Court home when his son allegedly shot him in the head, using a Rossi .357 revolver that he'd pulled out of the master bedroom closet, according to investigators.
"The oldest child ... admitted during the interview that he was tired of his dad hitting him and his (step)mom," Rowe wrote. "(He) said he thought his dad was cheating on his (step)mom and thought he might have to choose which person he would live with."
Neither McCary or Joseph's siblings -- a 2-month-old, 3-year-old, 7-year- old and 9-year-old -- were injured.
Hall was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The detective described the house as "filthy," with dirty clothes scattered everywhere, urine-stained and soiled bed sheets and floors that "didn't appear to have been vacuumed in a long time."
All of the youngsters are now in the care of child welfare workers.
Joseph is being held at Riverside Juvenile Hall. He's undergoing psychiatric evaluations, and another hearing in the case is set for next month.
If convicted of murder and a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation, the 10-year-old could be imprisoned until he is 25.
My Valley News
Trojan T-shirt targets German right-wing rock fans
Music fans who took souvenir T-shirts from a rock festival in Gera, eastern Germany, have discovered they hold a secret message.
The so-called Trojan T-shirts bore a design of a skull and right-wing flags and the words "hardcore rebels".
But, once washed, the design dissolves to reveal a message telling people to break with extremism.
Some 250 T-shirts were donated to organisers, who handed them out at the nationalist rock festival in Gera.
The stunt was organised by a left-wing group called Exit, which seeks to reduce the influence of the right-wing in Germany.
"What your T-shirt can do, so can you - we'll help you break with right-wing extremism," the message reads, and provides a contact number for the group.
On its website, Exit said it had made contact with the organisers of the Rock For Germany festival, in its ninth year, using a false name and had offered the T-shirts for free.
The group's founder, Bernd Wagner, said the group hoped its actions would raise awareness among young festival-goers.
"With these T-shirts, we aimed to make ourselves known among right-wingers, especially among young ones who are not yet fully committed to the extreme right," he said, according to the Agence France-Presse news agency.
The Rock For Germany festival had as its slogan "Never again communism - Freedom for Germany".
There was no official reaction from the festival's organisers but a text message was circulating among young people who attended warning them that the T-shirts were fake.
BBC News
The so-called Trojan T-shirts bore a design of a skull and right-wing flags and the words "hardcore rebels".
But, once washed, the design dissolves to reveal a message telling people to break with extremism.
Some 250 T-shirts were donated to organisers, who handed them out at the nationalist rock festival in Gera.
The stunt was organised by a left-wing group called Exit, which seeks to reduce the influence of the right-wing in Germany.
"What your T-shirt can do, so can you - we'll help you break with right-wing extremism," the message reads, and provides a contact number for the group.
On its website, Exit said it had made contact with the organisers of the Rock For Germany festival, in its ninth year, using a false name and had offered the T-shirts for free.
The group's founder, Bernd Wagner, said the group hoped its actions would raise awareness among young festival-goers.
"With these T-shirts, we aimed to make ourselves known among right-wingers, especially among young ones who are not yet fully committed to the extreme right," he said, according to the Agence France-Presse news agency.
The Rock For Germany festival had as its slogan "Never again communism - Freedom for Germany".
There was no official reaction from the festival's organisers but a text message was circulating among young people who attended warning them that the T-shirts were fake.
BBC News
Swedish queen's report denies father had Nazi links
Sweden's royal family has rejected allegations of links between the German-born queen's late father and the Nazi regime in Germany.
Queen Silvia has published a report she commissioned in response to claims her father took over a factory from a Jewish businessman.
The report concluded that Walter Sommerlath had in fact helped the Jewish man escape from Germany.
It found he had traded the factory for a coffee plantation in Brazil.
Last year, Swedish commercial broadcaster TV4 reported that Mr Sommerlath had taken advantage of the Nazi's "Aryanisation" programme to take over a factory belonging to Jewish businessman Efim Wechsler in 1939.
However, the new 34-page report, compiled by Swedish World War II expert Erik Norberg, indicated that Mr Sommerlath had allowed Mr Wechsler to escape from Germany by trading the plantation for the factory.
The report confirmed that Mr Sommerlath - who died in 1990 - went to Brazil in 1920, aged 20, where he met and married the queen's Brazilian mother Alice, whose family owned a large coffee plantation.
Queen Silvia has faced criticism in Swedish media for a number of years for not doing more to address the rumours of her father's role in Germany during World War II.
BBC News
Queen Silvia has published a report she commissioned in response to claims her father took over a factory from a Jewish businessman.
The report concluded that Walter Sommerlath had in fact helped the Jewish man escape from Germany.
It found he had traded the factory for a coffee plantation in Brazil.
Last year, Swedish commercial broadcaster TV4 reported that Mr Sommerlath had taken advantage of the Nazi's "Aryanisation" programme to take over a factory belonging to Jewish businessman Efim Wechsler in 1939.
However, the new 34-page report, compiled by Swedish World War II expert Erik Norberg, indicated that Mr Sommerlath had allowed Mr Wechsler to escape from Germany by trading the plantation for the factory.
The report confirmed that Mr Sommerlath - who died in 1990 - went to Brazil in 1920, aged 20, where he met and married the queen's Brazilian mother Alice, whose family owned a large coffee plantation.
Queen Silvia has faced criticism in Swedish media for a number of years for not doing more to address the rumours of her father's role in Germany during World War II.
BBC News
London riots: Neighbours mount anti-gang patrols amid fears of far-Right agitation (UK)
In Enfield, where a gang on Monday night torched a Sony warehouse, residents declared a ‘looter free zone.’
Nick Davidson, 27, a computer shop owner said: "Everybody supports the police but we can see their hands are tied. We're good people but we're not having this."
In Southall, west London, hundreds of Sikh men stood guard outside their temple and mounted street patrols, armed with baseball bats.
In Eltham, south east London, a crowd of 200 men gathered in the streets, promising to protect their neighbourhood from looters and arsonists following rioting in nearby Lewisham and Woolwich.
“We won't stand for it. If anyone wants to come down here and start looting tonight, let them try - we'll be ready for them,” said one.
"We're here to protect the town. What went on last night was a disgrace. It shouldn't be allowed. We're taking a stand."
On Monday night, the Turkish business owners in Stoke Newington, North London, chased a gang of rioters out the area and yesterday men stood guard last night with baseball bats and fire extinguishers. In Whitechapel groups of Muslim men gathered outside the East London mosque to defend it and repelled looters from a bank.
But there were concerns far-right groups were seeking to take advantage of the disorder.
Stephen Lennon, the leader of the far-right EDL, said he spent yesterday in Enfield and claim to have 100 supporters on the streets of the town.
Lennon said the group had encouraged all its members to take part in street clean-ups. He said members would launch street patrols in Bristol, Manchester, Luton and Leicestershire over the coming days in an attempt to talk young men out of rioting.
"If they tried to smash up Luton town centre I’d know every one of them. I can go into any working class community and talk to them.”
Footage emerged last night of a gang of white men chasing an alleged looter through the streets of Enfield. One bystander shouts: “We’re chasing blacks.”
Nick Griffin, the British National Party leader, claimed the men in Eltham had chanted ‘BNP’. He said the situation was in the town was a “race riot”.
The Telegraph
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