A neo-Nazi is in jail because he allegedly tried to pick a fight with the wrong man, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
According to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, Daren C. Abbey, 28, is accused of verbally confronting and then assaulting Marlon L. Baker, a 46-year-old African American. It happened inside a Bayview, Idaho bar on July 3.
According to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, Baker was approached by Abbey. Investigators said Abbey began threatening to stab Baker if he would not leave Bayview. Investigators said Abbey said "blacks are not welcome here." After continued harassment, Baker left the bar and walked about 400 yards with Abbey following behind him yelling racial slurs.
Baker finally turned around and Abbey came at him. That's when investigators said Baker punched Abbey in the face once, knocking him down. Investigators said Baker was wearing a shirt that said "Spokane Boxing Club Champion". Investigators also said Abbey was intoxicated.
The Southern Poverty Law Center spoke to the owner of Spokane Boxing who said Baker has never been a licensed professional boxer, to his knowledge. It is possible Baker may have informal boxing experience.
Investigators said Abbey is listed as a transient out of Coeur d'Alene. He has ties to California and Montana. Reports show Abbey had contact with police in Coeur d'Alene in 2004. He has multiple tattoos including swastikas and a thunderbolt. He also has a shaved head.
According to SPLC, Abbey was arrested and booked into jail on charges of battery, a misdemeanor, and felony malicious harassment. Officials said Baker was not injured and not charged.
Abbey was treated for a possible broken nose after being booked into the Kootenai County Jail.
Abbey is being held on $75,000 bond.
NWCN
Saturday, 9 July 2011
670 police prepare for marches (UK)
Police in Cambridge have deployed more than 670 officers as the English Defence League and anti-fascist groups march through the city.
Cambridgeshire Police expect up to 500 members of the EDL to take part in a march.
Similar numbers from Unite Against Fascism and the TUC will take part in a counter march.
East of England MEP Richard Howitt will deliver a speech to the counter march. He will say: "We publicly attest that the EDL is not welcome in this city because we cannot let the poison of their ideas seep in to the body of our community.
"I am proud to live and work in this, the most international of cities, where one in 10 of my neighbours comes from black or ethnic minority communities.
"This is a city which spoke out to end slavery 50 years before it was abolished and today, over two hundred years later, we speak out to restate that there can never be those amongst us who can be treated as less than equal."
Mark Woods, speaking on behalf of Cambridge's Muslim community, said: "We accept that there's a right to free speech but there are also laws against inciting racial hatred.
"The Muslim community here recognises it has had its own problems and is working hard to tackle those.
"Our message to the EDL is: you're not welcome in Cambridge."
Belfast Telegraph
Cambridgeshire Police expect up to 500 members of the EDL to take part in a march.
Similar numbers from Unite Against Fascism and the TUC will take part in a counter march.
East of England MEP Richard Howitt will deliver a speech to the counter march. He will say: "We publicly attest that the EDL is not welcome in this city because we cannot let the poison of their ideas seep in to the body of our community.
"I am proud to live and work in this, the most international of cities, where one in 10 of my neighbours comes from black or ethnic minority communities.
"This is a city which spoke out to end slavery 50 years before it was abolished and today, over two hundred years later, we speak out to restate that there can never be those amongst us who can be treated as less than equal."
Mark Woods, speaking on behalf of Cambridge's Muslim community, said: "We accept that there's a right to free speech but there are also laws against inciting racial hatred.
"The Muslim community here recognises it has had its own problems and is working hard to tackle those.
"Our message to the EDL is: you're not welcome in Cambridge."
Belfast Telegraph
Enormous Disruption Looming: Halifax counts cost of EDL protest (UK)
Traders across Halifax were today counting the cost of the English Defence League’s decision to hold another demo in town - today.
Scores of pubs and other businesses will be shutting while the far-right group staged its protest.
Shops and pubs say they will lose business but want to avoid the disorder seen last time the EDL came to Halifax.
Megan Forest, from The Three Pigeons, South Parade, said they planned to shut until 4pm. “We don’t want the trouble.”
Others closing include The Ring O’Bells, which will stay shut until the protesters have left. The Barum Top will be closed until 6pm. The Salvation will keep its doors shut till 5pm and the Plummet Line will also be closed till 5.
Chris Lord, of Chris Lord Photography, said he was bound to lose business today because people will not be passing his office on Square Road.
“We’re all trying hard to earn a living,” he said.
The EDL decision to come to Halifax will also mean Eureka, one of Halifax’s busiest tourist attractions, will shut for the day.
Police and Calderdale Council have designated the museum car park as the least disruptive spot for the protest.
Police are also be expected to run a up a huge bill manning the demonstration.
The force cannot say yet how much it will cost them but a demonstration in Bradford last summer cost the force £650,000.
MP for Halifax Linda Riordan said: “This has caused unnecessary disruption to people, businesses, and shopkeepers as well as affecting the local economy.
“It is outrageous that local businesses have been put in a position where they have to close for the day.
“I am confident the police will handle the situation effectively.
“But my message to the EDL is for them to go away and don’t come back to Halifax.
“I am sure the vast majority of people in this town, who are tolerant, respectful and decent, would agree with me.”
A joint statement from a group of Halifax organisations and individuals including Calderdale Council’s political leaders, Mrs Riordan, Halifax Minster, Calderdale College and Halifax Festival said: “The planned EDL protest is unwanted and damaging to everyone who lives, works and cares for Halifax and Calderdale.
“We support the right to peaceful protest but there is no clear reason why this group want to protest in Halifax,and the event will only bring tension, discord and anxiety.
“We have seen the impact of previous disruptive and criminal behaviour by supporters of this group in Halifax in recent months followed by the arrests of 16 people in April.
“Today is the first day of Halifax Festival. Eureka would be marking their 19th birthday in Halifax, but is now closed. It should be a day for local people to enjoy, a day for us to welcome visitors to our town, and a welcome boost for local businesses in difficult times.
“Instead, this protest – which will cost the police, council and partners many thousands of pounds – will disrupt our town and have a damaging impact on our businesses on the day itself and potentially afterwards.
“Fortunately, Halifax is a resilient place, with a clear determination to respond to the challenges of the economic recession.
“We are a place where people live side by side, with common values based upon mutual respect, tolerance and unity.
“The actions of the EDL in choosing to demonstrate in Halifax today show they care nothing for the wellbeing of anyone who lives, works in or cares about Halifax.
“They are not welcome in our town. It is time that they got this message.”
The protest clashes with the launch of Halifax Festival, but organisers say they are determined it will go ahead.
A counter-EDL protest was being held today in King Cross Road, around noon.
Halifax courier
Scores of pubs and other businesses will be shutting while the far-right group staged its protest.
Shops and pubs say they will lose business but want to avoid the disorder seen last time the EDL came to Halifax.
Megan Forest, from The Three Pigeons, South Parade, said they planned to shut until 4pm. “We don’t want the trouble.”
Others closing include The Ring O’Bells, which will stay shut until the protesters have left. The Barum Top will be closed until 6pm. The Salvation will keep its doors shut till 5pm and the Plummet Line will also be closed till 5.
Chris Lord, of Chris Lord Photography, said he was bound to lose business today because people will not be passing his office on Square Road.
“We’re all trying hard to earn a living,” he said.
The EDL decision to come to Halifax will also mean Eureka, one of Halifax’s busiest tourist attractions, will shut for the day.
Police and Calderdale Council have designated the museum car park as the least disruptive spot for the protest.
Police are also be expected to run a up a huge bill manning the demonstration.
The force cannot say yet how much it will cost them but a demonstration in Bradford last summer cost the force £650,000.
MP for Halifax Linda Riordan said: “This has caused unnecessary disruption to people, businesses, and shopkeepers as well as affecting the local economy.
“It is outrageous that local businesses have been put in a position where they have to close for the day.
“I am confident the police will handle the situation effectively.
“But my message to the EDL is for them to go away and don’t come back to Halifax.
“I am sure the vast majority of people in this town, who are tolerant, respectful and decent, would agree with me.”
A joint statement from a group of Halifax organisations and individuals including Calderdale Council’s political leaders, Mrs Riordan, Halifax Minster, Calderdale College and Halifax Festival said: “The planned EDL protest is unwanted and damaging to everyone who lives, works and cares for Halifax and Calderdale.
“We support the right to peaceful protest but there is no clear reason why this group want to protest in Halifax,and the event will only bring tension, discord and anxiety.
“We have seen the impact of previous disruptive and criminal behaviour by supporters of this group in Halifax in recent months followed by the arrests of 16 people in April.
“Today is the first day of Halifax Festival. Eureka would be marking their 19th birthday in Halifax, but is now closed. It should be a day for local people to enjoy, a day for us to welcome visitors to our town, and a welcome boost for local businesses in difficult times.
“Instead, this protest – which will cost the police, council and partners many thousands of pounds – will disrupt our town and have a damaging impact on our businesses on the day itself and potentially afterwards.
“Fortunately, Halifax is a resilient place, with a clear determination to respond to the challenges of the economic recession.
“We are a place where people live side by side, with common values based upon mutual respect, tolerance and unity.
“The actions of the EDL in choosing to demonstrate in Halifax today show they care nothing for the wellbeing of anyone who lives, works in or cares about Halifax.
“They are not welcome in our town. It is time that they got this message.”
The protest clashes with the launch of Halifax Festival, but organisers say they are determined it will go ahead.
A counter-EDL protest was being held today in King Cross Road, around noon.
Halifax courier
Racist' stop-and-search powers to be challenged (UK)
The high court has agreed that a full legal challenge can be brought against a police stop-and-search power alleged to be used in a racist way against African-Caribbean people.
The challenge follows officers stopping and searching a 37-year-old woman with no convictions, after they claimed she was holding onto her bag in a suspicious way.
The woman, Ann Roberts, ended up being held down by officers on the floor in front of other people, handcuffed and taken to a police station where she was wrongly accused of being a class A drug user and placed on a treatment programme under the threat of arrest if she failed to attend.
Roberts was stopped under section 60 of the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, brought in to tackle illegal raves. The power allows police to stop and search people without having a reasonable suspicion they are involved in criminality.
Roberts, a special needs assistant, argued that a disproportionate number of black Londoners are searched in violation of article 14 of the European convention on human rights, which bans discrimination.
Her lawyers say statistical evidence implies that a black person is more than nine times more likely to be searched than a white person. They go on say section 60 is "incompatible" with three articles of the convention: 14, 5, which protects the right to liberty and security, and 8, which protects the right to private and family life.
Police say section 60 is a valuable tool which has been used to tackle areas plagued by violence.
On 9 September 2010 Roberts was on a bus when an inspector found she had insufficient money for her journey on her prepaid Oyster card.
Police were called when she could not produce identity documents.
According to her lawyers, she was searched under section 60 after a police officer took the view she was holding on to her bag in a manner that suggested she had something to hide.
She was told the area she was in was a "hotspot" for gang violence and the possession of knives. Few, if any, acts of gang violence are committed by married women in their mid 30s.
Roberts asked to be searched in a police station rather than in public in case it was seen by young people with whom she worked.
Police refused and when they tried to seize her handbag a struggle followed which led to officers restraining her on the floor.
Three bank cards with different identities were found in her bag. She explained they were in her name, her maiden name – having recently married – and her son's name.
She was told she was being arrested on suspicion of fraud and taken to Tottenham police station.
She was subjected to a drugs test which she was told showed small amounts of crack cocaine, but a later test showed she was clear.
After being put in a cell, she was interviewed and told she was no longer suspected of fraud but was being detained on suspicion that she had obstructed a police search.
Later a caution was administered for obstruction.
The Guardian
The challenge follows officers stopping and searching a 37-year-old woman with no convictions, after they claimed she was holding onto her bag in a suspicious way.
The woman, Ann Roberts, ended up being held down by officers on the floor in front of other people, handcuffed and taken to a police station where she was wrongly accused of being a class A drug user and placed on a treatment programme under the threat of arrest if she failed to attend.
Roberts was stopped under section 60 of the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, brought in to tackle illegal raves. The power allows police to stop and search people without having a reasonable suspicion they are involved in criminality.
Roberts, a special needs assistant, argued that a disproportionate number of black Londoners are searched in violation of article 14 of the European convention on human rights, which bans discrimination.
Her lawyers say statistical evidence implies that a black person is more than nine times more likely to be searched than a white person. They go on say section 60 is "incompatible" with three articles of the convention: 14, 5, which protects the right to liberty and security, and 8, which protects the right to private and family life.
Police say section 60 is a valuable tool which has been used to tackle areas plagued by violence.
On 9 September 2010 Roberts was on a bus when an inspector found she had insufficient money for her journey on her prepaid Oyster card.
Police were called when she could not produce identity documents.
According to her lawyers, she was searched under section 60 after a police officer took the view she was holding on to her bag in a manner that suggested she had something to hide.
She was told the area she was in was a "hotspot" for gang violence and the possession of knives. Few, if any, acts of gang violence are committed by married women in their mid 30s.
Roberts asked to be searched in a police station rather than in public in case it was seen by young people with whom she worked.
Police refused and when they tried to seize her handbag a struggle followed which led to officers restraining her on the floor.
Three bank cards with different identities were found in her bag. She explained they were in her name, her maiden name – having recently married – and her son's name.
She was told she was being arrested on suspicion of fraud and taken to Tottenham police station.
She was subjected to a drugs test which she was told showed small amounts of crack cocaine, but a later test showed she was clear.
After being put in a cell, she was interviewed and told she was no longer suspected of fraud but was being detained on suspicion that she had obstructed a police search.
Later a caution was administered for obstruction.
The Guardian
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