New 'White Pride' in Chillicothe (USA)

American Nationalist Socialist Party has operated out of home since November

Racial tension could be thrust into the spotlight locally during the next year as a self-described "white pride" group looks to bring its message to town.

Chillicothe resident Paul Mullet, 37, is the "reichsführer" of the American National Socialist Party and has operated the group from his home since creating it in November 2010. Mullet started the group after having a disagreement with Aryan Nations 88 -- the group he created in 2009 -- which he also led for several months from Chillicothe.

"The group's mission is to be able to bring about White Heritage Month and be able to open up the eyes of everybody and let people see how much the white race is being written out of history," Mullet said.

In the past 13 months since the Columbus-area native moved to Chillicothe from Idaho, Mullet has not conducted any group activities locally because he thinks he would be targeted. The one thing he said the group did was collect and donate boxes of school supplies, but they didn't divulge their identity out of concern their donation would have been rejected.

"We do not do acts of violence," he said. "We do not do terrorist acts, and if any member is caught doing anything like that, I will be the first one on the media to say, 'Yes, this person was a member of the organization and he has been banned because he did this. This is not what we stand for. This is not the way we are going to accomplish our goals and that's all there is to it.' It will not be tolerated."

Read the full article at the Chillicothe Gazette

Far-right in Hungary renews anti-Gypsy campaign

Hungary's far-right Jobbik party is losing support. To fight the trend, it is doing what far-right parties often do  in Europe: pick on the Gypsies.

Exploiting anti-Gypsy fears and enduring unemployment in villages hit hard by the economic crisis, Jobbik entered parliament for the first time in 2010 with nearly 17 percent of the vote. Recent polls, however, show its support has slipped to 13 percent among likely voters.

So after months of focusing its political energy in the legislature, Jobbik has renewed its campaign against Gypsies, also know as Roma, with rallies in villages across the country.

Jobbik lawmakers and some 600 supporters, including 50 in camouflage gear and military boots, demonstrated Saturday evening against "Gypsy terror," in Hejoszalonta, a small village 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Budapest, the capital.

The protest was sparked by the March 22 murder of a local woman. Two of her Roma tenants and a third suspect have been apprehended by police.

Hungary's Roma make up around 6-to-8 percent of the country's population of 10 million and are among its poorest and least-educated residents, facing discrimination at all levels, from education to employment to health care.

Jobbik's rise was aided by the Hungarian Guard, a uniformed group with several thousand members that held several marches in rural towns to "protect" the non-Roma and intimidate Romas. The Guard was disbanded by the courts in 2009 and Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed before the 2010 April election to enforce the ban, famously saying he would deal with them with "two slaps in the face."

While the Hungarian Guard's Internet page has been inactive for nearly a year, groups with similar names—and many of the same members—have taken their place: the New Hungarian Guard, the Hungarian National Guard, the Guard Motorcyclists and the National Garrison, among others.

Amnesty International and other rights groups have called on police to protect Hungary's Roma minority and to prevent the self-appointed vigilantes from carrying out similar marches. But Jobbik held a rally in another eastern village last month and uniformed extremist groups patrolled its streets for weeks.


Read more Mercury News

Far-right mob banished from town centre (UK)

Far-right demonstrators were marched out of Halifax by police after racist abuse was shouted at town-centre traders.

Scores of officers and dog handlers were deployed to Wards End and Horton Street on Saturday at around 5pm to deal with a mob of English Defence League (EDL) supporters on their way back from a rally in Blackburn.

Protestors from factions in Halifax, Hull, Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Leeds gathered at The Courtyard pub on Wards End, hanging an EDL flag outside.

A worker at the nearby Chicken Grill House takeaway said three men had shouted racist abuse and staff at some shops were so worried they closed up.

Assistants at Hot 4 U takeaway on Wards End said a fight started in the street and eight men had tried to get into their shop but police had marched them away.

Staff at the Courtyard, which was also busy with Halifax Town supporters, said the EDL demonstrators arrived just before the football fans.

Most of them congregated outside and when police arrived, officers asked pub staff to ask their customers to stay inside.

“The police were trying to contain the EDL supporters,” said one worker. “It all kicked off outside. All I could see from the bar was a lot of them running down Southgate.

“The police thanked us afterwards for helping and I thanked them, they were really good.”

One man was arrested, it is believed on suspicion of a racially aggravated public disorder offence.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said; “A group of EDL supporters spontaneously arrived in Halifax town centre. There was no indication of any disorder before this.

“They were dealt with positively by police and escorted onto trains out of the area.

“We would like to thank the community for their assistance. We are thankful that people showed restraint and let the police deal with the situation.”

An estimated 2,000 EDL supporters had earlier gathered in Blackburn while a short distance away, a separate counter-demonstration by around 500 people was held by Unite Against Fascism (UAF).

Hundreds of police, some drafted in from as far away as Cumbria, along with mounted officers and steel barriers, kept the two sides apart.

There were some skirmishes amongst supporters at the EDL rally, with one man knocked unconscious from a punch, and coins and a pint glass thrown.

Halifax Courier

BNP member to be Padiham’s deputy mayor? (UK)

A Padiham town councillor’s bid to become Mayor is being hampered by political prejudice, he has claimed.

Coun. John Cave, who is a member of the British National Party, said party politics is the reason why some other town councillors have objected to him becoming Deputy Mayor of Padiham for the next civic year.

Although he has only served on the council for 12 months, Coun. Cave said under the rules of standing orders, he should be entitled to hold the post.

But, according to Coun. Cave, some members of the council said the rules prevent him being nominated as Deputy Mayor because of the short time he has been a town councillor.

Coun. Cave, who is married to Coun. Sharon Wilkinson, leader of the BNP group in Burnley, said the objection, which he said was made by Coun. Andy Tatchell at a closed meeting of the town council, was actually voiced because of his links to the BNP and not due to the interpretation of the rules.

To allay any confusion councillors and the town clerk Mrs Elizabeth Bolton are now waiting for clarification of the rules from Burnley Borough Council’s democracy officers.

“It strikes me as though he is keen to stop me being Mayor,” said Coun. Cave.

“It is not supposed to be political, Padiham Town Council is apolitical. It’s because I’m BNP.

“I’m used to it to a certain extent, you expect it. But I’ve done my damnedest to keep politics out of it.”

Coun. Cave said he is more than equipped for the role after years of experience and would relish the chance to be Mayor of Padiham the following year, after Coun. Bob Clark.

Mrs Bolton added: “The matter is still under review and the democracy team at Burnley Borough Council is assisting the town council in its interpretation of the rules. As soon as we know that, the matter will be put before the full town council.”

A borough council spokesman said: “This is a matter for the town council.”

Coun. Tatchell and current Mayor of Padiham Coun. Jean Cunningham said it would be inappropriate to comment until clarification had been received from the borough council.

Padiham Town Council’s next meeting is at Padiham Town Hall at 7 p.m. on Monday.

Burnley Express

Fitna II costs Wilders seats: poll (Netherlands)

Support for Geert Wilders’ far right Freedom Party has dropped by an equivalent of two seats in parliament, according to an opinion poll by Maurice de Hond’s peil.nl.

The poll comes after Mr Wilders announced he would be making a sequel to his controversial anti-Islam film Fitna.

The two notional seats have shifted to the largest party on the right, Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s VVD. Freedom Party voters appear to be less enthusiastic about Fitna than they are about Mr Wilders other political ideas and proposals, say the pollsters. The percentage of Freedom Party voters who say they would vote for the party again has dropped to 79 percent, the lowest level in the polls since 2006.

“Sick mind”
Mr Wilders would win 24 seats in the 150-seat parliament if an election were held now, according to the poll. In fact this is the number of seats his party now actually holds – in the polls his popularity had risen since the last election. Senior coalition partner the VVD would gain two seats, three more than it currently holds.
On 1 April Mr Wilders announced he would be making Fitna II in 2012, about “the barbaric life of the sick mind of Muhammad”.

Sixty-five percent of Freedom Party voters said they approved of the proposed Fitna sequel. However, the move only had the backing of 22 percent of those surveyed in total. Fifty-eight percent thought the new film would harm the Netherlands’ position internationally.

Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Hammers fans accused of racially abusing own players' relatives (UK)

Families of two West Ham players claim they were victims of racist abuse - from their own fans.

West Ham are investigating after guests of strikers Victor Obinna and Freddie Piquionne were involved in a row with fans during Saturday’s defeat to Manchester United.

Angry relatives of Obinna confronted supporters in the Main Stand after they and guests of Nigerian frontman Obinna were abused.

The families were sitting in a box behind fans watching the game when they claim a small section began hurling racist abuse at them.

An altercation is understood to have taken place after at least one family member left the box to go downstairs and confront fans.

A source said: “Some of the stuff they said was disgusting. You just don’t expect to hear that from people supporting your own team.

“These were families of the players who didn’t do anything to deserve that. It’s a disgrace.”

The families are believed to have declined the opportunity to speak to police but a formal complaint is now being considered.

A West Ham spokesman said: "We take these allegations very seriously and are looking into them. If there is found to be any wrongdoing, then we will take appropriate action."

Mirror Football

Blackburn protests 'to cost Lancashire Police £500,000' (UK)

Policing demonstrations by the English Defence (EDL) and opposing groups in Blackburn could cost about £500,000, it has been estimated.

The estimated cost, by Lancashire Police Authority, is something the force can "ill afford", its chairman said.

On Saturday, about 2,000 EDL supporters gathered on Northgate with about 500 rival protesters at a separate site.

Twelve people were arrested during the demonstrations.

Some shop owners said the event had led to a drop in trading.
'Matter of judgement'

A 48-year-old man, from Blackburn, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and others were arrested on suspicion of offences including breach of the peace, affray, being drunk and disorderly and using threatening words or behaviour.

Even though the force faces having to make savings of £42m over the next four years, it said it had a duty to ensure people were safe particularly at events such as demonstrations.

"One of the things you have to do in circumstances like this is to make sure you have sufficient resources to do the job you have to do," Malcolm Doherty, chairman of the Lancashire Police Authority said.

He said it was a "matter of judgement" for senior police officers to decide how to carry out the operation.

"We had a plenty of time to prepare for this, and one of the big costs of these sorts of operations is when you have to cancel rest days at short notice," he said.

"Good preparation and good planning", had helped keep policing costs down, Mr Doherty explained.

Phil Ainsworth, who runs a jewellery shop and is a member of the Blackburn Town Centre Partnership, said trade had been quiet on the day of the demonstrations.

"We did less than 5% of our usual Saturday business, never mind it being Mother's Day, which is one of the biggest days in the retail calendar," he said.

"As a retailer it has massively impacted on our day, but the police did a fantastic job in marshalling the day".
Shops closed

Hundreds of police, along with mounted officers and steel barriers, kept the EDL supporters and those from opposing groups apart, in areas away from the general public.

The EDL demonstrated outside King George's Hall and a counter protest took place at Sudell Cross.

Some roads were closed during the event and a number of smaller traders in the town centre closed for the day.

The force restricted numbers to 3,000 from each side, for the "safety of the community".

BBC News