Brno city councilors condemn international neo-Nazi march on 1 May (Czech Republic)

Brno city councilors have passed a resolution condemning a parade that has been announced for 1 May in Brno by the Workers' Youth (Dělnická mládež - DM). The city council resolution openly states that the march is being organized by neo-Nazis and that it will be a "hate action against members of national minorities living in Brno" which aims to "spark conflicts, fear and tension".

The extremists have announced the parade for two separate routes, both of which were rejected by local authorities. A court, however, overturned those decisions. The city is therefore preparing for the march to take place.

The conveners of the march have officially called it a Labor Day celebration, but Martin Ander (Green Party - SZ), a city councilor and head of the city's Committee for National Minorities, has said it will be a rally by neo-Nazis from all over Central Europe. Moreover, the march means Brno will become the setting for such an enterprise for the third time in the last four years. "The web pages of Czech neo-Nazis and their illegal organization, National Resistance (Národní odpor - NO) are investing a lot of energy in calling on all promoters of neo-Nazism, including those abroad, to come to Brno on 1 May," Ander said.

Read more at Romea.Cz

Fears over Coast white pride festival (Australia)

A white pride music festival set to be held on the Gold Coast next week has fuelled concerns the city is becoming the go-to destination for white supremacists.

The second annual Hammered Music Festival will be held on April 16 at an unknown location.

It will be the third of its kind on the Coast in the past year.

Organisers said it was a ``weekend of sun, surf and racialist music mayhem''.

Members from white supremacist groups linked to the event, including Crew 38, Southern Cross Hammer Skinheads and Blood and Honour have imposed tight restrictions to keep the location under wraps.

Gold Coast-based organiser who goes by the online name of ``Tattooed Aryan'' wrote on websites, including www.crew38.com and www.stormfront. org, that the festival was expected to be larger than the inaugural event which drew people nationwide.

``We have a great line-up of bands and alot (sic) of good times planned in one of Australia's top holiday destinations,'' he wrote.

Bands will include Deaths Head, Open Season and Ravenous.

Bond University criminologist and forensic psychologist Professor Paul Wilson said the Gold Coast's reputation as a holiday destination extended to the skinhead community.

``People of all ideologies like going on holidays.


"But it is disturbing to see a group like this celebrating on the Gold Coast or anywhere else,'' he said.

``So far they appear to be doing it legally, but this is not the image the Gold Coast would want.''

Despite community concern, Coomera police district officer Inspector Steve Flori said events were bound by state and local laws to ensure public safety.

``As long as the group abides by the law, it is not a police issue,'' he said.

Event organisers did not respond to emails.


Goldcoast.com

Pig's foot, anti-Semitic message sent to Peter King (USA)

A bloody pig’s foot and an anti-Semitic note addressed to Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) were intercepted at a congressional mail facility on Monday.

King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has been outspoken in voicing his concerns about the “radicalization” of some American Muslims, and, in an apparent reaction, someone has responded by sending him a bizarre package.

“Anytime you get involved in any controversial issue, there’s always going to be extremes that react,” King told POLITICO on Tuesday. “It probably adds to the climate” of hostility, he said.

A U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman said the force has “an active open investigation regarding this incident and are working with postal inspectors” and could not confirm the contents of the package.

King’s chief of staff, Kevin Fogarty, said his office would be cooperating with the investigation.

Coming less than a month after King held a widely publicized hearing warning that terrorist groups including Al Qaeda were targeting Muslim communities in the United States to recruit new members, the discovery of the package Monday morning at a postal facility in Landover, Md., is an odd twist.

Last month, on the morning of his hearing, King told POLITICO that he had been under around-the-clock police protection since late 2010. Security officials “do the threat analysis, they decide what type of coverage they believe is necessary,” he said. The threats at that time were described as coming from overseas.

King and his staff haven’t seen the package, but a congressional source told POLITICO that the pig’s foot was bloody and that the letter was “a rambling type” of message conveying anti-Semitic sentiments. At one point, it refers to King as a “Jew,” though he is Catholic.

“Somewhere in the message it says ‘all the babies in America will be named Mohammed,’” the source said. The letter also says “kiss my black Muslim ass.”

The source said: “I guess you have to interpret it as a threat. It’s certainly not a sign of affection.”
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations and a frequent King critic, said his group often receives pig-themed hate mail. “My guess is it was an anti-Muslim bigot, and bigots not being brain surgeons they probably got their signals crossed,” he told CBS News.

Politico

Alyn and Deeside Welsh Assembly candidates unite against BNP (UK)

Welsh Assembly candidates in Alyn and Deeside have joined forces to condemn the British National Party (BNP).

A joint statement was issued today (Tuesday) by Lib Dem Pete Williams, Conservative John Bell, Labour’s Carl Sargeant and Plaid Cymru’s Shane Brennan.

They said: “We recognise the right of the BNP to stand in democratic elections, however we all utterly condemn the division they bring.”

But BNP candidate Mike Whitby has hit back at the comments.

He said: “These four parties have identical policies when it comes to the future existence of the Welsh and British people

“That is why they unite against the BNP, which is the only party that supports the right of the Welsh people to remain Welsh and the British people to remain British.”

For the full story, and first round of candidate’s questions, see Thursday’s Flintshire Chronicle.

Cheshire Online

Plans for Wrexham political campaigning ban criticised (UK)

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas has criticised the council's "outrageous" plan to ban political campaigning in areas of Wrexham's town centre.

Under plans to be debated on Wednesday, no "activities or events can be held to promote parties, groups, organisations or individuals for political purposes" at Queens Square or Llwyn Isaf.

Labour MP Lucas said the plan were a "profound embarrassment" to Wrexham.

Neither the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru nor the Conservatives back it.

Wrexham council reviewed its protocol for events in the town centre after the English and Welsh Defence Leagues indicated two years ago that they planned to hold marches there.

A report to be discussed on Wednesday says: "During 2009 when the English and Welsh Defence League indicated that it was planning to march into Wrexham, the emergency planning team requested that the protocol should be reviewed in order to ensure that any future political events may be robustly denied access to Queens Square and Llwyn Isaf."

The report adds: "The chief legal and democratic services officer believes that the protocol should be amended to include a clause that strengthens the council's position by stating that 'no activities or events can be held to promote parties, groups, organisations or individuals for political purposes or for canvassing.'"

Mr Lucas said: "In a democracy, freedom of speech to argue one's case is fundamental.

"Limitation of this right should only be considered in extreme circumstances.

"For a council sub-committee to take this step, and to do so without public debate, is outrageous."

He said he also doubted whether the move was lawful.

'Voter turnout'

Aled Roberts, leader of Wrexham council, and the Liberal Democrat candidate for north Wales in the 5 May assembly election, said he was strongly of the view that political activity should be encouraged and supported in public places.

He said the proposal was recommended by officers to the council's executive board in February.

"It is precisely because we were unhappy with the proposal that we asked the scrutiny committee to look at it again to make sure that the right to free protest and political debate is ensured."

John Marek, Conservative assembly candidate for Wrexham, said, "It is only right that election candidates wishing to speak to voters and campaign within the law, should be entitled to do so.

He said it was "unfortunate that council officers are considering these powers, which could negatively impact on voter turnout".

"I hope that councillors will defend the democratic process and the right of voters to exercise their democratic choice."

Plaid Cymru candidate for Wrexham, Coun Marc Jones, who sits on the corporate governance and policy scrutiny committee discussing the plan, said: "It would be appalling for the council to try and ban democratic, political meetings.

"Political parties have been meeting in the town for decades without this kind of heavy handed treatment and I will be firmly opposing the proposal to stop this tomorrow."

The English Defence Leage was a "red herring to ban legitimate political processes and that must not be allowed," he added.

BBC News