Race row over cop picture (South Africa)

A row has broken out over a “fake” photograph of three black women police officers apparently asleep in the  Mitchells Plain charge office – and the man believed to have taken the picture could face charges of crimen injuria and defamation.

The picture has also focused attention on claims of racism by a group of senior coloured police officers at the station who are accused of using Afrikaans to exclude black officers from being employed there.

The Police and Prison Civil Rights Union (Popcru) claims the officers – a constable and two trainees – were told by an inspector to pose for the picture last week.

“After he finished taking the picture, he laughed and told the three he would expose them in the media,” said Popcru provincial chairman Francisco Fields.

The inspector is believed to be related to DA councillor Grant Pascoe, who at the weekend posted the picture on his Facebook page, which elicited angry responses.

Pascoe has insisted the picture was not “doctored” as earlier claimed by Mitchells Plain police cluster commander Jeremy Veary.

One of the responses to Pascoe’s Facebook page was from the DA’s spokesperson on the police, Diane Kohler Barnard, who commented: “OMG – It’s like Zuma’s three wives at the opening of Parliament”.

Pascoe is one of the candidates to succeed Cape Town mayor Dan Plato after next year’s local government elections should the DA retain control of the city.

Fields said yesterday that all three women had been traumatised, as the picture was published in the Sunday Times and later in other newspapers, and that they would file cases of crimen injuria and defamation against the inspector.

Western Cape police spokesman Billy Jones said no one at the station had been charged for any departmental or criminal offence.

“We are investigating the whole matter. We cannot predict when the investigation will be concluded, but the outcome will determine the course of action,” said Jones.

According to one officer at the station, the picture has exposed an undercurrent of racism at the station from a group of long-serving, mostly coloured, officers who have resisted the employment of “outsiders”.

At a public meeting in August with senior police officers and former community safety MEC Lennit Max, the issue of “service delivery”, specifically Afrikaans proficiency of officers stationed at the charge office, was raised.

Max said yesterday that his reply to the issue was one of inclusivity.

“What I said was that the police should cater for all languages. I said that they had to cater for the majority languages in specific areas, Afrikaans being the case in Mitchells Plain,” said Max.

This response, according to senior black police officer, at the station “emboldened” a group of coloured officers to resist the employment of black police officers at the station on the grounds that they could not speak or write Afrikaans.

Pascoe said yesterday he would not reveal the source of the picture, insisting it had nothing to do with racism.

“They (Popcru) can come with the allegations. I’m not going to reveal my sources. They’ve not proven anything, they’re making wild allegations,” said Pascoe. But he admitted two of his uncles worked at the Mitchells Plain police station, a fact he said was well known in the area.

Pascoe said allegations of racism at the station were a “sideshow” used as a convenient excuse to deflect issues of service delivery there.

“Most of people in Mitch-ells Plain speak Afrikaans. What is racist about all languages being protected in our constitution?” asked Pascoe.

He called on police to investigate Veary for claiming the three officers weren’t working at the station.

Veary insisted he only said the three women were not on duty on Thursday night last week when the picture was purportedly taken.

“The police investigation must determine if the picture was set up. I was accused of doctoring a picture, which is false,” Pascoe said. He said he had hired the services of forensic scientist David Klatzow.

But Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman Ismail Chotia slammed Pascoe, saying he hardly attended public meetings on policing in the area.

“I don’t go to CPF meetings. It’s a futile exercise. They’ve killed off neighbourhood watches and instead started street committees,” Pascoe said.

Former community safety MEC Patrick McKenzie (ANC) said it would be “regrettable” if the picture was found to be staged. “I would have expected much better from someone like Pascoe who wants to lead the DA. He should have checked his facts.”

IOL News

Hungary failing to stop hate: Amnesty

Hungary is failing to crack down properly on hate crimes against Roma because its police lack the skills to recognise and investigate such crimes, Amnesty International said in a report.

Amnesty cited the case of six Roma who were killed by a group of serial offenders in nine attacks across the country last year. Two men with a history of extremist sympathies were finally arrested in the case in August but they have yet to be sentenced.

"Hungarian authorities failed to identify and respond effectively to violence against Roma in Hungary, including by not investigating possible racial motivation," Amnesty said.

"Although there are existing provisions to combat hate crimes they are not being properly implemented, including because the police lack capacity to recognize and investigate hate crimes and lack training."

Amnesty said Hungarian authorities were not collecting the data necessary to identify trends in hate crimes. It said the law also needed to be strengthened to ensure tougher punishments for crimes that were racially motivated.

The far-right Jobbik party, which has vilified the estimated 700,000 Roma living in the country, got into parliament for the first time in elections in April, grabbing 12 percent of parliamentary seats.

 TV NZ

NATIONALISTS AND OPPONENTS TO MARCH IN WARSAW ON INDEPENDENCE DAY (Poland)

Two conflicting marches will be on the streets of Warsaw on 11 November - one by extreme rightwing groups and one by their opponents - to mark Poland’s Independence Day.

“The March of Independence”, organized by the nationalist All-Polish Youth will be joined by the extreme-right National Radical Camp and will start from near the Old Town at 15.00 CET. They will be opposed by the anti-fascist Never Again NGO, who are also planning a demonstration. The organizers of the nationalist demonstration have appealed to Warsaw residents to take part in the event so as to manifest their “national pride and commitment to the sovereign Polish nation” and to express their will “to fight for a strong and great Poland,” says a statement released to the media. In response, Never Again has issued a protest letter to city authorities against giving a green light to the demonstration, which “broke the law in previous years.”
The association, along with the Anti-Nazi Group, have joined a coalition called the 11 November Agreement, which aims to actively oppose what they call “fascist demonstrations carried out with impunity,” as the group writes in its communiqué. Representatives of up to 40 NGOs, along with journalists, artists and politicians will attend the protest. “We are demonstrating against utilising Independence Day by fascists for their own purposes. Fascism is not patriotism!” says Wiktor Marsza³ek, coordinator of the protest run by the Never Again association.

News from Poland

HOMOSEXUALS BANNED FROM CROATIAN NATIONAL TEAM, SAYS FOOTBALL FEDERATION PRESIDENT

Croatian gay and lesbian associations have condemned Croatian Football Federation president Vlatko Markovic after he said there was no place for homosexuals on the national team. "While I'm the president of the Croatian Football Federation, there will be no homosexuals playing on the national team," Vlatko Markovic said in an interview with Croatian daily Vecernji List. Asked whether he has ever met a homosexual footballer, Markovic replied: "Luckily, only normal people play football." Gay and lesbian associations have informed Croatian media that they will sue the Football Federation President for discrimination. They also intend to report Vlatko Markovic to UEFA, European football's governing body. The Croatian national football team is in the top ten of the FIFA world ranking.

Croatian Times

Players in scuffle after alleged racist remark (Wales, UK)

A football match was marred by a half-time brawl between the two teams after an alleged racist remark was made.

The match, between Aberbargoed Buds and Ton Pentre in the Welsh League Division Two, saw the two sets of players embroiled in a scuffle as the half-time whistle blew.

It is claimed the fight was triggered by a derogatory remark made in the ground by one unidentified person. The match, played at Aberbargoed’s Recreation Ground in the Rhymney Valley, ended in a 2-2 draw.

Aberbargoed secretary Graham Owen rejected the claims, stating the club would “absolutely not tolerate” any player guilty of racial abuse.

After the match Ton Pentre claimed there had been an incident fuelled by a racist remark made during the game. Ton Pentre said their recent signing, Nana Baah, was racially abused while the team were leaving the field at half-time with the score at 2-2.

Ton Pentre’s secretary Chris Jones said: “It was a fiery opening half, which sometimes happens in games like this. But when the players were leaving the field something was shouted at our black player, Nana Baah, which led to a scuffle among the players.”

It was only the second game that Cardiff-based Baah had played for the Rhondda side.

Mr Jones said: “We have a good relationship with the Aberbargoed club. This was an isolated incident involving an individual.”

Mr Owen said nobody was aware of any racial abuse and that the whole matter had been blown out of proportion.

He said: “This club has never had any problems with racial abuse, which is something we would absolutely not tolerate.

“We have played against many teams containing black players and there have never been any problems.”

Mr Owen also said the referee had cited a Ton Pentre supporter for misconduct.

Ton Pentre AFC chairman Brian Bees said: “It is unwise for me to make a club comment until I have seen the referee’s report.”

South Wales Police said no complaints were made to them following the game.

Wales online

Activists' children allowed to return home after break-in

A Calgary anti-racism activist was told by the province that his children can return home after the family's home was invaded by what he calls white supremacists.

Jason Devine and his friend were viciously beaten up in the southeast home Monday by a group of five men armed with hammers and bats.

His friend suffered a broken arm while Devine sported bruises up and down his back.

Devine's wife Bonnie, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last month's municipal election, and four children were asleep in a nearby bedroom but were unharmed.

Devine says his home was targeted as retaliation for posting anti-racist pamphlets near the home of a known neo-Nazi.

But Jason Devine says he felt he was revictimized when Alberta Children and Youth Services got involved two days after the attack because he says the department likened them to gang members or drug dealers.

"They said just as gang members and drug dealers put their kids in dangerous situations because they have drugs, our activism, no matter how worthy it is, is putting our children at risk," Devine says.

Calgary police say they had contacted Children and Youth Services about the case because of the degree of violence and the history of violence against the family.

The children had been staying with relatives since the attack but are now allowed to return home.

The department cannot comment on individual cases but says if contacted, they are obligated to assess the safety of the children. They said their aim is always to keep families together.

CTV.ca

City is united against racist group (UK)

 Preston City Council has issued a joint statement about the English Defence League and their plans for a protest in Preston on 27 November.

“Preston City Council completely oppose plans by the English Defence League to hold an anti-Muslim protest in Preston on Saturday 27th November.

“Islamophobia and bigotry against Muslims are as unacceptable as any form of racism.

“Its aim is to divide communities by singling out one religious minority group. We reject their demonisation of Muslims and re-affirm Preston City Council’s commitment to the values of unity, tolerance and mutual respect.

“Preston is a multi-cultural city and that is something we should be proud of and celebrate.

“We are also proud of the harmony that exists amongst the various ethnic and cultural groups in Preston.

“The English Defence League threaten the harmony and understanding as well as posing a direct threat to the safety of Preston people and businesses.” 

Asian Image

Black Cats stars backing racism fight (UK)

A string of Sunderland stars are supporting a bid to boost the Show Racism The Red Card charity.
Striker Darren Bent, goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and young midfield star Jordan Henderson have all signed up to back its drive to be named the Football Association's charity of the year.

Defenders Titus Bramble, Anton Ferdinand and Michael Turner were also on hand at the Academy of Light training ground, in Cleadon, to throw their weight behind the campaign.

The honour would see the North East organisation benefit from the publicity associated with its affiliation to the FA, while it would also get a share of fund-raising activities carried out by the governing body, including proceeds from the annual Community Shield matches.

Craig Bankhead, North East education manager with the charity, said: "The support from both the players and the club has been amazing.

"They were happy to get involved, give their backing, and sign the card. It was a great effort."

Launched in 1996, Show Racism The Red Card holds events with football clubs across the country, runs competitions for schools to enter and produces DVDs, where players and youngsters speak about their experiences of and views on racism.

Craig added: "The campaign is going very well. We've had support from fans of all clubs, and hopefully we stand a good chance of winning FA charity of the year status, which will make a massive difference to the group."

Earlier this year, Black Cats chairman Niall Quinn pledged his support to the charity of the year bid.

He said at the time: "The education that Show Racism The Red Card provides to children is valuable not only within sport, but within any walk of life, as we aim to put a stop to anti-social and discriminatory behaviour.

"As the charity strives forward, I am delighted to continue my support in its 15th year, building on its many successes."
Sheilds Gazzette

Rally at Vancouver's Clark College protests neo-Nazi fliers (Canada)

A month after a Clark College student and member of a neo-Nazi group sparked outrage by distributing a flier on campus reading "White and Proud," some students and faculty members remain unsettled by the school's response.

Critics said the college failed to act swiftly or decisively after the fliers were distributed, and more than 100 students rallied under the school's landmark chime tower Tuesday to promote unity and diversity and to protest the college's response.

Clark College President Bob Knight -- who has been criticized for not taking a tougher stance -- attended the rally, but only made himself known when a student speaker wondered aloud where he was.

Knight said in an interview that the college's hands are tied, but students at the rally said it needs to do more.

"They need to quit hiding behind the First Amendment," said Vannak Kong, a second-year student at Clark College who helped organize the event. "I think that was an abuse of the freedom of speech."

The concern started early last month when students reported the presence of white supremacist fliers on the 16,000-student campus.

Knight ordered the fliers removed that day because they were distributed improperly under school policy, but the school didn't publicly respond till days later. That response came from a vice president who is temporarily leading the school's diversity initiatives. To some, it seemed the college was brushing off the incident.

"The students didn't hear the voice of the administration," Debra Jenkins, an early childhood education professor and member of the school's cultural pluralism committee, said at the rally. "That voice is still yet to be heard."

Knight sent an e-mail the week after the fliers were distributed saying that threats against members of the campus community wouldn't be tolerated, and the college invited people to comment at a previously scheduled public forum Oct. 18.

The 90-minute meeting drew 250 students and staff members, The Columbian newspaper reported. There, Nathan Goncalves -- sporting a navy blue uniform with a swastika -- claimed responsibility for the fliers and defended them.

He was the first to speak, and he read his flier aloud within the three minutes all speakers were allotted. Others who spoke criticized the fliers and Clark College's reaction.

Early this month, a second set of fliers -- these more overt, listing statistics suggesting nonwhites are inferior -- was approved by the school's attorney general and posted on bulletin boards around campus. The school says it has no choice.

"We're a state institution. Legally, I have to do that," Knight said Tuesday. "I wish we didn't have to allow them to do that, but free speech is protected."

Fourth-year student Ash Lehmann, who led the rally, said Clark College's administration isn't taking its students seriously.

"They're riding a fine line," Lehmann said. "I understand that. But the administration needs to respect that this is a diverse campus."

Knight said perhaps he should have been the one to e-mail students and staff after the fliers first appeared, but at that time he thought it would only spread the message.

"If I can do something a little differently and help people through this, I'm open to that," he said. "I will not be satisfied if one student is scared at college. We're going to do everything we can to make people feel safe."

Knight said the campus needs to continue having conversations about the issue. Two forums are planned this week for students, and the school plans to continue implementing its diversity objectives, which include training for administrators and opening a diversity resource center.

Oregon Live

Councillors angry as police favour the EDL in Preston (UK)

Councillors and anti-racists in Preston are furious over police decisions about the protest by the racist English Defence League (EDL) on 27 November.

Preston independent socialist councillor Michael Lavalette spoke to Socialist Worker about Monday’s council meeting. “It was one of the most shocking moments in all my time as a councillor,” he said.

“We are asking that EDL supporters are not allowed to gather in pubs but the police are going to allow them to do it—and they will be marched through the city centre.

“The police admitted that Unite Against Fascism (UAF) had booked the Flag Market before the EDL. But they said they were giving it to the EDL anyway.”

A number of councillors raised angry objections to the plans, asking why UAF could not be given the Flag Market.

“It will be Preston’s shame if they are allowed to march on our streets,” says Michael. “I think it is vitally important that we don’t give this ground to racists and fascists.”

Defeated

The police and Tory councillors asked the council to put out a statement calling for no counter protest against the EDL. But it was defeated as councillor after councillor spoke about the need to confront racists and Nazis.

“There was no vote on whether we accepted the police proposal and, unfortunately, the council did agree to allow the chief executive to apply for a ban of marches on the day,” says Michael.

“I spoke against this, arguing it will not prevent the EDL from holding a static protest or the police from marching them from one end of the city to the other.”

Michael has come under attack from the police for his interview in Socialist Worker last week about the protest. But he is sticking by his account and has the backing of other councillors.

He explained how the police seemed to think UAF was “as much of a problem, if not more so, than the EDL”.

“I agree with Michael’s account,” Labour councillor Dave Wilson told Socialist Worker. “I was astounded at the approach of the police. I live in an area that has a church, a mosque and a Hindu temple—people respect each other. The EDL threatens that unity. That’s why I will be on the counter protest.”

Another Labour councillor, Drew Gale, agreed: “I was perplexed by the police’s approach. I don’t agree with those who say we should not protest—we need greater numbers than the EDL.”

Socialist Worker Online

Port Vale: FA probe as supporters accused of racist abuse

PORT Vale could be hit by an FA fine after some of their fans were accused of racially abusing Burton defender Darren Moore during last week’s League Two stalemate at the Pirelli Stadium, writes Steve Shaw.

The FA launched an investigation after the alleged abuse was reported by match referee Phil Gibbs.

Vale chairman Bill Bratt responded by vowing to issue life bans to any supporters found guilty of “bigoted behaviour”.

“We’re deeply shocked and saddened by these reports, which brings the good name of Port Vale into disrepute,” he said.

“The club have always prided ourselves on the excellent work undertaken by the Valiants Against Racism initiative.

“Football has spent the last 30 years trying to attract families and ethnic minority groups into our grounds.

“That work must not be undone by a small and mindless minority.

“Any of our supporters who use racially-abusive language to any player or supporter will be apprehended and suffer an immediate life ban from Vale Park.”

“This kind of bigoted behaviour is not acceptable.”

The alleged racial abuse was reported by West Midlands referee Phil Gibbs who took charge of last week’s stalemate at Burton.

The FA could fine Vale if their investigation concludes the club have a charge to answer.

An FA spokesman explained: “The investigation is only at a preliminary stage and the FA have asked both clubs to give their observations.”

Vale defender Lee Collins is facing a race against time to be fit for Saturday’s League Two clash at Northampton.

The 22-year-old has been suffering from shin splints for at least a month and will not resume training until Thursday after coming off in Saturday’s 1-1 FA Cup draw at Dartford.

Striker Marc Richards is also a doubt after missing Saturday’s FA Cup draw with non-league  Dartford because of a knee injury, but is still expected to line up at Sixfields.

Winger Rob Taylor could return to training later this week as he nears his recovery from a torn hamstring.

The replay with Dartford will take place at Vale Park on Tuesday, November 16 (7.45pm)

This is Stafordshire

'Racist sniper' appears in Swedish court

A Swedish man suspected of a year-long shooting spree against immigrants was remanded in custody on Tuesday, facing one charge of murder and five of attempted murder, a court official said.

"He has been remanded in custody," a clerk at the Malmoe district court in southern Sweden told AFP.

Since his arrest late Saturday, the suspect has been identified by police only as a 38-year-old ethnic Swede, but media reports have named him as Peter Mangs.

Prosecutor Solveig Wollstad requested he be remanded in custody on suspicion of the murder of a 20-year-old woman in October 2009 and five attempted murders since.

She told reporters after the hearing she feared that if released, "he will destroy evidence ... and will continue with his criminal behaviour."

"The suspicion against him has been strengthened" since his arrest, Wollstad told a press conference broadcast live on television, adding that other shooting incidents also figured in the ongoing investigation.

The court hearing, held behind closed doors, determined that charges should be brought against the suspect by November 23, but Wollstad said the probe would take longer and that she would ask for his detention to be extended.

Defence lawyer Christina Brink meanwhile said her client denied any wrongdoing and opposed being held in custody, the Expressen daily reported.

The ruling to keep him in custody came as a massive Malmoe police investigation continued into whether a lone shooter with racist motives was behind some 15 attacks over the past year, killing one person and injuring several others.

The shooter may even have committed unsolved murders dating as far back as 2003, police said.

"The investigation is far from over," regional police chief Boerje Stroemholm told Tuesday's press conference, stressing that questioning of the suspect had not revealed a motive.

"He denies committing a crime, so it is difficult to ask what his motives have been," he said.

The incidents in the southern city bore chilling similarity to the case of a gunman who targeted immigrants in Stockholm in the early 1990s, dubbed "Laserman".

The "Laserman", John Ausonius, shot 11 people of immigrant origin, killing one, around Stockholm from August 1991 to January 1992.

Ausonius, who got his nickname by initially using a rifle equipped with a laser sight, was jailed for life in 1994.

Police said the man arrested Saturday possessed a licence for two weapons, seized during a search of his home.

Expressen reported that at least one of the weapons has been linked to a number of the shootings being investigated as part of the case.

Swedish media have also reported that the suspect is suffering from Aspergers disease, and on Tuesday police acknowledged that he had "a handicap," they were taking into consideration during interrogations.

Police meanwhile criticised the massive media attention surrounding the case, lashing out at journalists for revealing so many details and publishing the man's name and picture.

Stroemholm said any attempt to set up a photo identity parade for victims and witnesses "has been ruined," adding that police had also been forced to evacuate at least two family members and acquaintances of the suspect due to media pressure.

Trez Persson, 20, was killed last October when someone fired several shots into the car in which she was sitting with a friend, a man of immigrant origin, who was seriously wounded.

Media reports have linked several shootings last month to the case, including incidents in which two men were shot in the back, a week apart, as they waited alone in the dark at isolated bus stops.

Google Hosted news

Racist gang's glass attack raises fears of pub owners (UK)

The 37-year-old mixed-race man was said to have been enjoying a drink with friends in the City Limits Bar on Leith Walk, when they were approached by a gang of white men who started racially abusing the group.

One member of the gang is said to have grabbed a pint glass off the bar and smashed it over the victim's head before running away from the scene.

The victim, who was "covered in blood", was taken to the ERI before being moved to St John's Hospital for plastic surgery on the deep wounds.

Publican Silvana Murray said she was "devastated" that something so horrific could happen in her normally peaceful pub.

She told the Evening News: "In all my years, since buying the pub in 2002, I have never seen anything like this. I am devastated and feel physically sick thinking about it.

"We are a peaceful pub where different football supporters and all different races can mix without any bother.

"At around 9pm, I believe some words were exchanged between the two gangs and racial slurs were thrown about, then the guy attacked him with a glass. I'm not entirely sure how it came about as staff were changing over at the time.

"It was horrific and the guy was covered in blood. His girlfriend said he's been taken to St John's Hospital where he's getting some plastic surgery.

"He's a regular here and a nice lad."

She added: "We have given police CCTV footage of the incident. We want this person caught."

A police spokesman said: "The suspect is described as male, white, 5ft 10ins tall with shaved fair hair. He was wearing a black jacket, a red t-shirt, dark jeans and coloured trainers with the numbers 006 on them. He is believed to be between 25 and 30-years-old.

"Anyone who was within the pub and witnessed anything suspicious or who has information that can assist in identifying the male responsible is asked to contact police immediately."

It is not the first time in recent months that violent, anti-social behaviour has been reported on Leith Walk.

The owners of the nearby Word of Mouth Bistro said they had witnessed a stabbing, glass bottles being thrown at passers-by and several incidents of theft from their own premises.

Owner Kirstie Campbell, who has been forced to call the police more than 10 times in 2010, said a man stumbled into their premises last March after being stabbed in the stomach.

She said: "We were just closing up when a guy came up and knocked on the door.

"He pulled his t-shirt up to reveal a large, deep wound on his stomach so we got him in and called an ambulance. He had seen a couple having an argument and the guy has stabbed him then ran off.

"Sadly it's not an isolated incident."

Leith councillor Gordon Munro said: "Evidence from police indicates there are less violent incidents within the area nowadays, but if people aren't reporting anti-social behaviour I would encourage them to do so, so that they give us a true picture of what is going on."

The Scotsman

Malmö shooter suspect set for remand hearing (Sweden)

The 38-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in connection with the racist shootings in Malmö is set for a remand hearing on Tuesday as reports emerge linking one of his guns with a crime scene.

The prosecutor has filed a remand request and the hearing is booked to be held in the security chamber at Malmö District Court from 12-1pm on Tuesday.

The man, named as Peter Mang by the Expressen daily on Tuesday, is suspected of murder and five cases of attempted murder.

According to the newspaper, police have concluded after tests that at least one of the weapons licensed to Mang matches bullet fragments found at one or more of the shootings of which he is suspected.

Skåne police spokesperson, Ewa-Gun Westford, declined to confirm the report.

Peter Mang was arrested on Saturday after a tip off from a member of the public. Police have confirmed only his age, that he "has a Swedish background" and that he does not have any previous criminal convictions.

A possible motive for the attacks has not been released by the police but Mang's father was quoted by the Aftonbladet daily on Monday as saying that his son "lived in fear of immigrants taking over Swedish society".

Police are working on up to 20 unsolved shootings that they believe may have been deliberately targeting people with immigrant backgrounds in the city.

Malmö police have issued calls to the public to assist with information pertaining to the case.

The announcement spread panic in the city and a connection was quickly established with the case of an immigrant-shooting sniper in Stockholm in the early 1990s nicknamed "Laser Man."

"Laser Man" was the nickname given to John Ausonius, who shot 11 people of immigrant origin, killing one, around Stockholm from August 1991 to January 1992.

Ausonius, who got his nickname by initially using a rifle equipped with a laser sight, was sentenced to life behind bars in 1994 and remains in prison.

The Local Sweden

Portland neo-Nazi gets federal prison term for mailing noose to an Ohio NAACP leader (USA)

A federal judge in Ohio sentenced a Portland neo-Nazi today to 18 months in prison for mailing a hangman's noose to the president of an NAACP chapter.

U.S. District Judge David A. Katz, in Toledo, ordered that Daniel Lee Jones, a onetime regional director of the American National Socialist Workers Party, be remanded into the custody of U.S. marshals and sent to prison.

Upthegrove by sending him a noose at his home. Upthegrove, who is African-American, was president of the Lima, Ohio, chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Authorities said Upthegrove was targeted for the racist mailer after he spoke out against police for a drug raid in Lima that left 26-year-old Tarika Wilson dead and her 14-month-old son, Sincere, wounded.

The government accused Jones of mailing hate fliers about the shooting to residents of Lima, which Upthegrove publicly condemned.

On Valentine's Day 2008, Upthegrove received a package containing the noose.

Judge Katz ordered Jones to be supervised by the court for three years after his release from prison.

No one answered Jones' cell phone before or after his sentencing today. His court-appointed defense lawyer, Andy P. Hart, did not return a voice mail or email seeking comment.

 Oregon live

Racists' hate campaign is making our lives a misery (Scotland, UK)

The Kanji family, who live in Cramond Vale, say they have been subjected to violent attacks as well as years of psychological abuse and racist taunts.

Tara Kanji, 65, who left Idi Amin's Uganda in 1972 following the African leader's expulsion of his country's Asian community, said she and her daughter Salimah, 40, were now scared to leave their home.

They said a hate campaign had been launched against them which has seen their car smashed and dead wasps put through their letter box.

Salimah, a social policy student at Edinburgh University, said she had also been assaulted and even stalked by a man with a video camera.

She said: "There have been so many times when we've had abuse shouted at us, horrible things like 'you black b******, I'm going to hang you from the trees'.

"We're just a quiet family, trying to live peacefully in our flat and they are trying to intimidate us.

"We've told the police so many times, but they say they need other witnesses.

"Now things are escalating. Our car got vandalised and we feel scared to speak to the police."

She added: "There are probably other families like us suffering in silence."

Lothian and Borders Police said it was aware of recent incidents and was continuing to investigate.

A police spokeswoman said: "We can confirm we are looking into allegations following a number of complaints."

Local councillor Norman Work said: "It's very disappointing to hear something like this has been taking place.

"Fair-minded citizens should rally round and look out for anything like this happening."

Last month, racists were blamed after an Asian family had their cars smashed with golf clubs and vandalised with battery acid. The two sisters and their brother, whose parents came from Bangladesh, had been subjected to a hate campaign over the last six months. Each of the attacks took place in Whitson Place East in Saughton, where one of the sisters and her brother live in separate flats.

During one incident, a gang of five men wielding golf clubs broke the windows and dented the bodywork of the sisters' vehicles as they sat watching X Factor on television. The siblings, who were too scared to give their names, said they were worried the vandalism against their cars would escalate into violent assaults.

The News has also told recently how a 36-year-old woman from Stenhouse was left fearing for her safety after receiving more than 30 cards and letters racially abusing her two mixed-race children and saying she will end up "6ft under".

The Scotsman

Anti-racist activist targeted in home invasion (Calgary, Canada)

Two men savagely beaten during a home invasion say it was the work of vengeful neo-Nazis.

Jason Devine, a member of the vocal Anti-Racist Action Calgary group which has clashed with white supremacist factions at rallies in the past, suffered serious bruising and cuts around the head during the attack at his home early Monday morning.

His wife Bonnie, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in the city's recent election, and their four children were asleep upstairs when five masked men burst into their home and laid a vicious beating on Devine and his friend at about 1:15 a.m.

Both men were taken to hospital where Jason's friend remains, awaiting surgery for a broken arm.

"This is obviously a message," said Devine.

"They weren't able to bash my head in and do some serious damage, but it was still meant as a message: '(expletive) off, quit, leave it.'"

While the investigation is still in its early stages, police are considering a number of motives including that it may have been the work of retaliatory white supremacists.

"This was definitely a targeted attack, this was not a random attack," said Sgt. Brad Moore.

Devine recently launched a leaflet campaign alerting neighbours that known neo-Nazis were living in their midst.

Police have ruled out robbery as a motive.

No arrests have been made, although cops have a number of suspects in mind, including at least one high-profile white supremacist linked to the Aryan Guard, a white supremacist group once active but reportedly disbanded following high-profile bombings in Calgary last year.

The Anti-Racist Action Network maintains an Internet presence to report on local neo-Nazi activity.

"Based on who we know the victims are, based on their identities in the community, that's definitely an angle we're looking at," Moore said.

"At this point in time we can't confirm whether or not it was anybody related to any of those groups."

The assault is the latest in a string of attacks against the Devines, who recently moved.

Their former home had been on the receiving end of a Molotov cocktail, a Swastika was spray painted on their window and someone threw a cinder block through another window.

"After everything else that's happened over the last couple years, I don't know who the hell else would do it," Devine said.

Toronto Sun

MERKEL COPIED ME, SAYS DUTCH FAR-RIGHT LEADER WILDERS (Germany/Netherlands)

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders said German Chancellor Angela Merkel had copied his politics to improve her popularity ratings, in a media interview released Sunday. 'Merkel is scared,' Wilders told Spiegel news magazine. 'Because there are surveys which suggest that, if a charismatic personality arose in Germany the way I did in the Netherlands, they could count on 20 per cent of the vote.'  Wilders, who heads the far-right People's Party for Freedom (PVV), said this development threatened Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and the opposition Social Democrats (SPD), who have traditionally shared the political mainstream. 'This is why they are trying to copy us: Merkel declared that multicultural society has failed,' Wilders said, reiterating part of a statement by the chancellor last month.

At the time, Merkel had made a more nuanced assessment that the notion of multiculturalism, in which people live alongside each other in a patchwork of cultures, had 'absolutely failed.' However, she added that integration had to succeed as Germany was reliant on immigrants. Horst Seehofer, the leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), had earlier said Germany should not accept more immigration from 'alien cultures' such as Turkey and Arab countries. 'What we experienced in Holland is now happening here (in Germany) too - the political elite is in turmoil,' Wilders said. The Dutch politician said most Germans did not accept the assessment by their president, Christian Wulff, that 'Islam also belongs in Germany.'

Two weeks ago, a German government spokesman rebuffed Wilders' claim that the CDU and CSU had taken 'the lead in the domain of Islam criticism' in Europe. The PVV became the third-strongest Dutch political force in June's parliamentary elections, meaning all decision-making now goes through Wilders, whose party backs a minority government formed by the Christian Democrats and the Liberal Party.

dpa

Councillor shocked his Nazi jibe thought racist (Wales, UK)

A councillor has said he was “horrified” when he was accused of racism over comments about Cardiff Council’s leaders.

Ralph Cook yesterday said he meant no personal insult when he compared the city’s Lib Dem-Plaid administration with “Nazi stormtroopers”.

He had likened the council’s executive to Hitler’s elite troops for censoring the opposition by cutting a debate on the budget during a stormy meeting in February.

Mr Cook, 51, yesterday told a judicatory panel the fact council leader Rodney Berman, who is Jewish, may interpret his comments differently, “went right over my head”.

If the panel finds the Labour councillor breached the code of conduct it could reprimand him; suspend him from duty on the council for 12 months or bar him from public duty for up to five years.

Speaking at the hearing at the Mercure Holland House Hotel, in Cardiff yesterday, Mr Cook said he had lost members of his family in World War II and that he was horrified when his remarks were wrongly taken as racist.

He said: “Those who know me would say I’m a little pedantic.

“So when Rodney wrote to challenge me about stormtroopers and blitzkrieg being synonymous with Nazis my reaction was: ‘No they’re not’.

“I saw it as a philosophical or factual disagreement.”

Mr Cook, who was referred to the Local Government Ombudsman, said he had used the “commonplace military terminology” referring to blitzkrieg and stormtroopers in relation to hardened activists who pursued an electoral advantage.

He told the hearing he simply wanted to remind members that democratic processes had been used to crush debate in pre-war Germany, as he said had happened at the budget meeting.

He said: “I had not even considered or thought about Rodney being Jewish, but thinking about it now I understand this thin line.

“But I was clearly aiming my comments at the Liberal Democrats of the party, not at an individual.”

Mr Berman earlier told the hearing the remarks followed correspondence with Mr Cook about his production of leaflets using the terms “blitzkrieg” and “stormtroopers” to describe the Liberal Democrats.

During that correspondence, Mr Berman said he had reminded Mr Cook of his Jewish background and of the pain caused by the insensitive remarks.

The council leader told the hearing: “I was brought up in the Jewish faith, knew people who had survived concentration camps and had conversations with relatives who believed they had lost someone close in those camps.

“As a child I suffered abuse about my religion, so anything that suggests you are like a group who persecuted, murdered and tortured millions is extremely distressing and inappropriate.”

Mr Berman said it was totally improper to compare the coalition with the Nazis as it had trivialised what Adolf Hitler’s regime had done, particularly as Cardiff is home to the largest Jewish community in Wales.

The hearing was told Mr Berman demanded an unreserved apology but Mr Cook insisted he had done nothing wrong and argued his comparisons predated the German Nazi era.

The hearing is expected to last three days.

Wales Online

A CHARGED WEEK IN RUSSIA: SKINHEADS MARCHING, JOURNALISTS BEATEN

Russia's ultranationalist, skinhead, neo-Nazi, and right-wing groups and their sympathizers staged a series of demonstrations last week, celebrating the "National Unity Day" on November 4. Since the holiday was reintroduced in modern Russia in 2005, right-wing groups have used the occasion to demonstrate their own unity and to explain what 'being Russian' means according to their understanding. The march in Moscow brought together some 5.5 thousand people, which is a record for Russia's capital. During the demonstration, the participants shouted racist, nationalist, and antisemitic slurs while greeting each other with the "Nazi salute." In Saint Petersburg, the turnout was considerably less, about 1000 people. In some 30 other major cities, the march attracted anywhere from several dozen to several hundred participants. The notable exceptions were Samara (in the Volga region) with close to 1000 marchers, and Novosibirsk (in Siberia), with another 500 participants. Our colleagues from the Moscow-based SOVA Center, a think tank monitoring hate crime in Russia, attended several marches and reported the figures on attendance. Here is a slide show with some pictures taken in the Lyublino District of Moscow.

Russia's neo-Nazi gangs are the main perpetrators of hate crime attacks in the country, which have grown by some 15-20 percent annually from 2006--2009. The improved police investigations of these cases and increased number of prosecutions helped to reverse this negative trend, although skinhead groups remain active in Russia and dozens of murders have already taken place in 2010. While the police have begun to bring perpetrators of hate crimes to justice, attacks and murders against civil society activists and journalists remain largely unsolved. For example, Anna Politkovskaya's murderers and Lev Ponomarev's attackers are still at large. Such attacks continue to occur, as the latest incidents targeted reporters Oleg Kashin and Anatoly Adamchuk, the former representing the national powerhouse Kommersant and the latter employed by a small regional weekly newspaper Zhukovskie Vesti. President Dmitry Medvedev reacted to Oleg Kashin's beating on the day it was reported, urging the Interior Minister and the Prosecutor General to oversee the investigation of this case.

Human Rights First Blog

The face of white supremacy (South Africa)

Gareth Cliff

Gareth Cliff is the poster boy of post-1994 racism and the ANC is happy to burnish his image.

Responses to Cliff's "Letter to the government" on his website have exposed that most South Africans cannot decode white supremacists' texts and actions.

Cliff, the Radio 5 DJ, has written an anti-black manifesto which ironically is celebrated as a statement for clean government.

He has achieved what the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging and other right-wing racists groups have failed achieve -- normalising white supremacy.

He dresses it up as humanist concerns for good governance and service delivery. Cliff is the new paternalistic white liberal Biko so despised.

Unconscious racist
What makes Cliff so effective is that he is not a conscious racist. A basic mistake is the misreading of white supremacy as the preserve of neo-Nazi lunatic elements and not part of the whole reality that naturalises white privilege at the expense of blacks.

This is written into our history of slavery, colonialism and apartheid. White supremacy is taken as a given and the unearned privileges it bestows on whites are never seen or questioned.

Cliff's genius as an effective agent of racism is in his usage of "the truth".

When Manto Tshabalala-Msimang passed on, Cliff used the "truth" of the ANC's murderous HIV/Aids denialism to launch a brutal, racist attack on her. He wrote: "Manto is dead. Good. A selfish and wicked bungler of the lowest order. Rotten attitude and rancid livers -- all three of them …"

Mail and Guardian Online

FESTIVAL TURNS INTO WAR ZONE AS MIGRANTS AND NATIONALISTS CLASH (Cyprus)

One man was stabbed and several police and members of the public were injured last night at the annual migrants’ Rainbow Festival in Larnaca when violent clashes broke out between nationalist protestors and festival-goers. Phinikoudes Beach was turned into a warzone, when marching members of three nationalist movements came into conflict with participants at the antiracism festival, and with members of migrant support group KISA, the organisers of the event. Even in their riot gear, a number of policemen sustained injuries, as did several members of the public. In the aftermath, the beach was covered with broken chairs and other debris. Eyewitness Beran Djemal told the Cyprus Mail last night that one Turkish Cypriot man – 30-year-old singer Sertunc Akdogdu who was performing at the festival - was rushed to hospital after being stabbed in the stomach, while another man had his arm broken. Djemal said after the fracas a number of Turkish Cypriots took refuge at Larnaca Police Station waiting for the violence to be over. As the newspaper went to press, incidents were ongoing.

“A music group of Turkish Cypriots who tried to go home were warned not to leave as it would be dangerous,” said Djemal. She said the injured Turkish Cypriots - and other festival-goers - asked for a police escort to the hospital because they were scared. “But the police refused to help and arrested four of the festival-goers. They did nothing to the fascists and told us not to take photographs because they said it was provocative.” Headed by the Greek Resistance Movement, a group of protestors had been on their way to the town’s Ayios Lazaros area in a march they had arranged over a month ago to protest the government’s migrant policies. Accompanied by a strong police presence, the protestors were on their way through Phinikoudes Beach – where the Rainbow Festival was being held – and according to eye witnesses, all hell broke loose.

The protestors came into conflict with members of KISA, which had decided to hold the Festival in Larnaca – instead of Limassol, as was initially planned – in a bid to hold an “anti-demonstration” to counterbalance the nationalists’ march. According to Djemal, it all started during a speech by the head of the European Commission’s Representation in Cyprus – Androulla Kaminara. “During the speech, around 80 fascist protestors carrying Greek flags started shouting slogans against migrants,” said Djemal. “The festival-goers returned the slogans, shouting: ‘Nazis out of Cyprus’”. It was then that the scuffles broke out. “Some of the nationalists had their faces covered, one lifted up his shirt and showed a swastika tattooed on his stomach,” Djemal said. “They threw bottles at festival-goers and cut the electricity cables when a band was playing. Over the next two hours, clashes continued and the group of nationalists grew to around 150.”

Even though both sides offer contradicting accounts of how the events unfolded, the general view was that police and Larnaca Municipality had done little to avert the troubles. KISA head Doros Polycarpou said his NGO had asked the police to divert the protestors’ march so that it didn’t pass by the Rainbow Festival. “On the contrary, the police seem to have allowed them to move forward and once they reached the event, to protect ourselves, we sat in the road to block it in a peaceful way to convince the police to veer them away,” said Polycarpou. “They allowed the neo-Nazis to head into the event and start hitting people, in full view of the police. You can imagine what happened after that.”

Another eye witness who wished to remain anonymous told the Cyprus Mail: “The protestors entered the area where the festival was about to start and started throwing chairs all over the place, breaking every single one. There were children waiting in a caravan and they became very scared.” On the opposite side of the fence, the nationalist protestors claim it was they who were attacked. However, they too agree that it all could have been avoided if the correct actions were taken by the police and Larnaca mayor. “I am a member of the public who decided to march against illegal immmigrants - not against the migrants themselves, but the policies promoted in their favour by the government,” Dr Andreas Paraxenopoulos, a member of Greek Resistance, told the Cyprus Mail last night. “We announced our march a month and a half ago to the police, and the police – along with the Larnaca mayor – oddly allowed KISA to do another anti-demonstration. It is like they wanted to make us fight.”

Paraxenopoulos said the troubles started when members of KISA attempted to prevent the protestors from moving ahead with their march. “We were calm. We are just trying to exercise our right as Cypriot citizens to do a demonstration to protest something that is of concern to us.” He went on to accuse KISA members of throwing chairs at the protestors, as well as paint – something he said the public would become witness to when watching the news today. “They started approaching us, breaking chairs and throwing them at us, calling us neo-Nazis – we just want our country to remain Greek. I was personally drenched in paint. They were savage with bad intentions and if the police weren’t there, they would have slaughtered us,” Paraxenopoulos claimed. “The police and municipality are to blame; they really seem to have wanted us to fight among ourselves.” A Larnaca police spokesman said there had been a number of injuries, though the full extent of the damage will be assessed today.

Trouble started brewing last week, when KISA announced it would be cancelling the Rainbow festival in Limassol and bringing it to Larnaca last night, as an “anti-demonstration” to the planned march against migrants by the three nationalist groups. KISA called on all members of the public to join its anti-demo against the “racist and radical right-wing elements in Larnaca”. It added that the Rainbow Festival would from now on be held in Larnaca instead of Limassol – as well as Nicosia – as an antiracism message to the town. “In view of this new provocative demonstration, KISA decided to organise this year’s Rainbow Festival – apart from Nicosia – in Larnaca instead of Limassol, as was the case for the past two years,” KISA announced. “On the same day of the aforementioned event, the Rainbow organisation will send our antiracist messages against the presence and actions of the radical right-wing and racist elements in Larnaca.” Referring to KISA as a “social abscess” and “the fifth column” – defined as a group of people who clandestinely undermine a larger group, such as a nation, from within to help an external enemy – the Greek Resistance used its website to blast KISA for organising the Rainbow Festival on the same day.

Cyprus Mail

Man arrested for murder in Malmö shootings (Sweden)

Police have confirmed that a 38-year-old man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in Malmö in connection with the recent shootings in southern Sweden.

He faces charges for one murder and seven attempted murders. The suspect was charged in absentia in the afternoon and arrested at 6.30pm on Saturday. The man has denied the crimes, according to chief prosecutor Solveig Wollstad.

"It was at 6.30pm in the evening it began. I saw many police with helmets and shields sneaking around. However, they were very discreet," an eyewitness at the arrest near central Malmö told news agency TT on Sunday.

"Everything proceeded calmly and there was no uproar. The police appeared to have a good grip on the situation," the witness added.

Police technicians were also on site.

"They took away many cardboard boxes, bags and other things. It was all over at 8pm," the witness said.

Of the 50 to 60 shootings that have taken place in Malmö last year, police consider about 15 of them as "unaccounted."

One woman was shot to death near Västra Skrävlinge church, while eight others were injured.

Trez Persson, 20, was killed last October when someone fired numerous shots into the car she was sitting in with a friend, a man of immigrant origin, who was seriously injured in the attack. She was the only one who did not have an immigrant background.

At several of the shootings, including the murder, a single large-calibre weapon was used.

Intense media interest greeted the police press conference that began at 1pm on Sunday that was broadcast on public television. Eight to 10 television crews were on site, as well as about 20 journalists, including those representing Danish media.

Wollstad confirmed that she charged a 38-year-old man in absentia on Saturday. After preliminary questioning, police decided to proceed with an arrest in connection with the murder in Malmö in October 2009 and seven attempted murders from October 10th, 2009 to last month.

In October alone, numerous shootings appear linked to the case, including two men shot in the back a week apart as they waited alone in the dark at separate isolated bus stops.

"By noon on Tuesday, I will take a position on whether to demand custody for the man," said Wollstad.

She added that police have made certain findings that strengthen suspicion against him and that further interrogation questioning is ongoing.

What led to suspicion against the man was simply traditional police work, according to Skåne county criminal investigation department superintendent Börje Sjöholm.

"Tips from the public helped spark interest in him," he explained.

Malmö police stopped short of calling the arrest a complete success. The following weeks and perhaps months will be filled with intensive police work.

In addition, the man is only suspected in seven of the nearly 20 shootings that police believe they have no other obvious explanation.

The suspect has only been heard once, on Saturday evening, when he denied the crimes.

The man has a license for two weapons that were found during a home raid.

"The weapons are being examined by the National Laboratory of Forensic Science [Statens kriminaltekniska laboratorium]", said Sjöholm.

When asked why the man had a weapons permit, Sjöholm responded, "I do not want to answer about that. In this case, I do not help to contribute to unmasking the man's identity."

Police work is now intensively focussed on questioning, according to Sjöholm.

"This case is far from solved, but the work on the investigation has just begun," he said.

The police also pointed out that they have continued with preventative work in Malmö through increased visibility.

During the press conference, the police detailed the circumstances behind the arrest at his home on Korsörvägen.

"It proceeded calmly. He was arrested in his home. The man has a Swedish background," said Sjöholm.

Police added he was not previously known to police, but as Dag Andersson of the National Murder Commission pointed out, "At least he is not in our records over the last five years."

The police and Wollstad did not disclose any details about the man's possible motives behind the shootings, saying he is under suspicion for probable cause.

"I believe that it is probable cause, which strengthens the suspicion," said Wollstad.

The suspect may even have committed unsolved murders dating as far back as 2003.

The announcement has spread panic in the city and the incidents bear a chilling similarity to the case of an immigrant-shooting sniper in Stockholm in the early 1990s nicknamed "Laser Man."

Police also declined to comment on whether fortified police watches suggested that more offenders are under suspicion.

"It is probably a foregone conclusion," said Sjöholm.

The extra security measures include an increased police presence on the streets. When asked whether people of foreign backgrounds are now safe on Malmö's streets, Malmö city police chief Ulf Sempert replied, "We think that it has been so the whole time."

Wollstad did not disclose the suspect's name and refrained from officially linking him to the man Swedish press have dubbed "the new Laser Man."

"Laser Man" was the nickname given to John Ausonius, who shot 11 people of immigrant origin, killing one, around Stockholm from August 1991 to January 1992.

Ausonius, who got his nickname by initially using a rifle equipped with a laser sight, was sentenced to life behind bars in 1994 and remains in prison.

Unlike Ausonius, the Malmö shooter does not appear to use a laser sight rifle, but police say the same gun has been used for several of the shootings, including the attack on the only known ethnic Swedish victim.

Protesters show racists who's boss (UK)

 Thousands marched in London on Saturday in a mass demonstration of solidarity against the rise of racism.

Protesters from all over the country marched to Parliament holding banners that read: "No to racism, fascism and Islamophobia" and chanting: "There are more of us than you."

The demonstration and carnival, organised by Love Music Hate Racism and Unite Against Fascism, was called in response to the rise of far-right groups EDL and BNP in Britain and growing racism and fascism in Europe and beyond.

Marcher Gabriella Trimblett told the Morning Star: "The rise of Islamophobia, the hooliganism of the EDL and its brainwashing is very concerning and the fear and hatred-stirring needs to be countered with awareness and education."

Graham McKnight, also on the march, said: "I'm here to show my hatred for the BNP and EDL, my love for music and to express my belief that immigration is beneficial to our country.

"Immigrants are the first to suffer during a recession and we cannot sit back while EDL organises rallies on our streets and the BNP has two seats in the European parliament."

The anti-fascist revellers danced to music by the Specials' founder Jerry Dammers, Muslim pop group Mumzy, DJ Rugrat and eclectic Manchester band Kid British.

Speeches were also made by Respect Party leader and former MP George Galloway, Love Music Hate Racism co-ordinator Martin Smith, Green Party MEP Jean Lambert, TUC assistant general secretary Kay Carberry and UAF's Weyman Bennett.

Mr Galloway said: "It's great to see everyone from different creeds and colours - because black or white, this is what we are and this is what we like."

He referred to the distinction between the different evils of fascism and racism and called on demonstrators to do everything in their power to defend Muslims.

Unite regional secretary for London and Eastern region Steve Hart told the Morning Star: "It's really important that we show that there is a very strong voice against racism and fascism that's sweeping Europe.

"The biggest threat this country faces is the exploitation of latent racism and xenophobia by groups such as the EDL and BNP."

And National Union of Teachers deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney warned of the "cancer and poison" of racism in classrooms and said greater efforts need to be made to stamp it out.

Morning Star Online

Nova Scotia man guilty of hate crime in cross-burning (Canada)

A Nova Scotia man has been found guilty of inciting hatred in a cross-burning incident last year near Windsor, N.S., in a precedent-setting case for Canada.

Justin Chad Rehberg, 20, pleaded guilty to criminal harassment as his trial was set to begin in Windsor provincial court last month, but he pleaded not guilty to inciting hatred.

On Friday, Judge Claudine MacDonald convicted him on that charge, saying that the burning of a cross is closely associated with the Ku Klux Klan in the United States.

Rehberg was charged after Michelle Lyon, who is white, and Shayne Howe, who is black, awoke Feb. 21 to find a cross with a noose on it burning outside their Poplar Grove, N.S., home. Their five children, between the ages of two and 17, were home at the time.

Crown attorney Darrell Carmichael said this is the first time a cross-burning has been recognized as a hate crime in Canada.

"I think it is a really significant decision for our country," Carmichael told reporters outside the courtroom. "There has never been an official court decision which states that cross-burning in this context is a hate crime."

Carmichael said he would be seeking a prison term for Rehberg, who will return to court Dec. 14 for sentencing on both charges.

Rehberg, who was released from custody pending his sentencing, said nothing as he walked out of the courthouse.
'We all bleed the same'

Last month, Carmichael and defence lawyer Chris Manning presented an agreed statement of facts, in which Rehberg admitted to assembling the cross, treating it with a flammable substance and setting it on fire.

Both the defence and Crown agree that someone yelled, "Die, n----r, die."

Manning argued there was no proof that it incited others to action. In fact, Manning said, the community rallied in support of Lyon and Howe.

Darrell Boutilier, Rehberg's uncle, said Friday that his nephew was willing to apologize to the couple and that should have been the end of the matter.

"I'm not saying that it should have been done because it shouldn't have been," Boutilier told reporters outside the courthouse. "But everybody makes mistakes when you're young. I mean, I've done foolish things in my crazy youth, but that's life."

Lyon and Howe told reporters that they were happy with the judge's decision.

"I got emotional in the courtroom because I kind of relived the whole incident all over again," said Lyon. "In the end it was good, it was a good outcome in the end."

"We all bleed the same," Howe added. "No matter our colour or how we look, we still bleed the same, we walk the same, we work the same.

"For that conviction to come through, it makes me happy to see that they're not tolerating this kind of stuff around here anymore."

Nathan Rehberg, Justin's brother, is charged with criminal harassment, public incitement of hatred, mischief and uttering threats.

His trial is set to start on Monday in front of a different judge.

CBC News

Far right in Moscow appropriate holiday to rally against immigrants

Two nationalist groups made their presence known during demonstrations in Moscow. To mark National Unity Day, the far right railed against immigrants, while pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi called for an end to crime.

Teenaged skinheads, many wearing masks, made Nazi salutes and shouted "Glory to Russia," "Long Live Russia," and "Forwards, Russians."

Among the speakers was Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov, who has been accused of masterminding a murder attempt against former Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Chubais.

The meeting dispersed after an open air concert. Police said there were no reports of violence.

 Extremists appropriate national holiday

Protestors behind a red banner raise their right arms in saluteBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  The demonstration was focused against immigrants, but anti-Semitic chants were also heard

Around 50 percent of Russians voiced sympathy for the slogan "Russia for the Russians" in a poll by state-run Levada Center last year. Although the far-right remains on the fringes and is unlikely to gain seats in parliament next year, civil rights activists warn that the group could soon become a major force in national politics.

The number of participants at the annual "Russian March" was up by one-third over last year, mainly because of a performance by a popular far-right rock group, according to activist Galina Kozhevnikova, whose anti-racist SOVA Center monitored the march.

The march has been held every year to mark the November 4 holiday National Unity Day, declared a holiday by Russia's then-president Vladimir Putin in 2005 to replace the November 7 commemoration of the 1917 October Revolution.

The holiday is intended to cement Russia's post-Soviet national identity by commemorating the 1612 repulsion of a Polish invasion from the Kremlin. However, polls show that only 10 percent of the public knows what the holiday is about.

The demonstrators in Moscow got support from Preston Wiginton, an American advocate of white supremacy, who has earlier been refused entrance into the United Kingdom. He fulminated against what he called "the cult of multiculturalism."

Pro-Kremlin youth protest boasts 15,000

Naschi youth mark in Moscow with signsBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Pro-Kremlin youth used the day to rally for a crackdown on crime

Meanwhile on Thursday, Pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi ("Ours") meanwhile claimed it had attracted over 15,000 people to its rival demonstration on the banks of the Moscow River -also dubbed the "Russian March." There, Nashi youth yelled primarily pro-Kremlin slogans and protested against crime.

Participants in the rally were encouraged to take videos of law violations that they witnessed, and Nashi members said they would then present thousands of such images to the authorities.

"We are going to fight against the violations of the law that we see every day," said Nashi official Maria Kislitsyna. "This is our country. We live here."

DW World

Far-right NPD votes for merger with like-minded party (Germany)

Party delegates of the right-wing National Democratic Party agreed by a clear majority to combine forces with the like-minded German People's Union. In previous state elections, the two parties split the far-right vote.

Out of 207 delegates, 194 voted in favor of a merger with the German People's Union (DVU), a National Democratic Party (NDP) spokesman said from the conference in Hohenmoelsen, Saxony-Anhalt, on Saturday.

The chances of the merger going ahead now depend partly upon the DVU, the smaller of the two parties, voting in favor of the move in a conference at the end of the month. A ballot of all members of both parties would then have to take place.

Under current plans, the new party would be called "NPD - the People's Union."

The parties together gained 1.5 percent of the vote nationally in the 2009 general election, keeping them well below the 5 percent threshold for national parliamentary representation.

While the NDP holds seats in two of Germany's 16 state parliaments, the DVU has no seats.

In recent years, both parties have faced financial problems and dwindling membership numbers. Federal agencies that monitor right-wing groups estimated that the NPD had some 6,800 members at the end of 2009, with the DVU having about 4,000.

 Protest outside meeting
As the conference took place, around 400 people protested outside against right-wing extremism.

A tribunal on Friday in the city of Magdeburg gave approval for the conference to be held in Hohenmoelsen, despite objections from the town itself.

 Both parties are known to attract votes from neo-Nazis and opponents have called for them to be banned, arguing that they are hostile to democracy.

 Leading the protest was Saxony-Anhalt Premier Wolfgang Boehmer, who addressed the crowd.

"We have already gambled democracy away once before in Germany," Boehmer said.

"That must never be allowed to happen again."

DW-World

Neo-Nazi takes seat in local Swedish council

A newly elected municipal council representative from a neo-Nazi nationalist party started his first day as an elected official in western Sweden with a lesson on the ABCs of democracy.

Before the lesson, Daniel Höglund, who is also the leader of the Party of Swedes (Svenskarnas parti, SVP), appeared pleased to take part in the class.

"Good," he said before the lesson on Thursday.

"This is totally new for me."

In the 2010 general elections, the SVP won 102 votes, or 2.8 percent, in the Grästorp municipal elections in western Sweden's Västra Götaland county, giving the party its sole seat in any elected office in Sweden.The Party of Swedes is typically described as a neo-Nazi party and its sees "the current chaos" as a result of democracy. It wants to replace democracy with another governmental system.

In the meantime, Höglund intends to follow all political rules that apply to an elected city council member.

"We have ambitions in the long run," said Höglund.

The party is formerly known as the People's Front (Folkfronten) and was founded by members of the former National Socialist Front (Nationalsocialistisk front, NSF), of which Höglund was also one of the two leaders, in November 2008.

At the time it dissolved, NSF was the largest neo-Nazi political party in Sweden. It became a political party on April 20th 1999, the 110th birthday of Adolf Hitler.

The Party of Swedes' win is its first-ever in party history. The last time an extreme-right white nationalist party held elected office in Sweden was nearly 70 years ago during the Second World War.

In addition to the Party of Swedes, the Sweden Democrats also won a seat in the last election, but its seat remained empty at Thursday's meeting after the party's representative resigned.

An extremely discreet level of security was discernable outside the concert hall where the meeting was held, but no protesters were present. The meeting covered only the election. The budget and other decisions will be tabled on November 25th.

The Local Sweden

MEP: UKIP kicked me out because I was a lesbian (UK)

The UK Independence Party is to be taken to the High Court by an MEP claiming it discriminated  against her because she was lesbian.

Nikki Sinclaire is taking action over Ukip withdrawing the whip from her in the European Parliament and preventing her standing for the Commons as a candidate for the party.

She claimed today that her treatment had been in breach of Ukip's constitution and was motivated by sexual orientation discrimination.

A directions hearing is to be held by the High Court today. The West Midlands MEP is also taking the party to an employment tribunal, with a preliminary hearing on December 28.

Ms Sinclaire was kicked out of the party after she refused to sit with the eurosceptic group Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) which Ukip joined in the European Parliament last year.

She said she quit the EFD because it contained ''extreme elements'', including people with ''openly homophobic opinions''.

''I think that homophobic in itself the fact that they expected me to sit next to such people and engage with such people in the Parliament, while taking a holier-than-thou attitude to parties like the BNP (British National Party) in the UK,'' she said.

As well as withdrawing the whip from the MEP, Ukip's national executive committee also ended her position as the party's candidate for Meriden at the general election.

She said she still believed in the aims of Ukip, whose principal goal is to take the UK from the European Union, and would be prepared to be one of its MEPs again if it was ''more tolerant''.

''It is unacceptable in the 21st century for people to be marginalised and treated in an offensive and derogatory way on the grounds of their sexuality,'' the MEP said.

''This behaviour needs to be exposed, so that the party can move forward and I can get on with representing the people of the West Midlands and their causes, which I am so passionate about.''

Her solicitor Paul Daniels, of Russell Jones and Walker law firm, said: ''Ms Sinclaire has just commenced discrimination claims concerning the prejudices she considers present within certain parts of Ukip and its leadership, as she considers these prejudices need to be challenged so that all members are treated respectfully and fairly.

''Ms Sinclaire remains dedicated to the cause of Ukip, but will fight for equal opportunities for all, including the rights of minority groups as well.''

The Telegraph

'Holocaust grave' discovered in Romania

A mass grave containing the bodies of about 100 Jews killed during the Holocaust has been discovered in Romania, researchers say.

The burial pit was found in a forest about 350km (220 miles) north-east of the capital, Bucharest.

It is thought to contain the remains of men, women and children shot in 1941 by troops of the pro-Nazi Romanian regime.

Up to 380,000 Jews are believed to have been killed in Romanian-controlled territory during WWII.

The mass grave was found near the village of Popricani, near the city of Iasi, following testimonies from local inhabitants, who witnessed the killings.

"So far we exhumed 16 bodies but this is just the beginning because the mass grave is very deep and we only dug up superficially", Adrian Cioflanca, a Romanian historian involved in the dig, said.

It is only the second Holocaust-era mass grave discovered in Romania since 1945.

BBC News

Nick Griffin admitted to hospital days before court date (UK)

BNP leader undergoing tests for suspected kidney stones

Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, has been admitted to hospital with suspected kidney stones days before he is due back in court over an attempt to have him jailed.

The MEP and British National party chairman is undergoing tests near his home in Welshpool, Wales, after suffering back and stomach pain, a party spokesman said.

"I am very keen on being in court on Monday as I believe there is going to be a judgment in favour of the British National party," Griffin said in a statement.

"I am waiting on the result of a series of tests on my kidneys and gall bladder and then the doctors will decide what course of action to take."

The Commission for Equality and Human Rights has applied for the committal of Griffin, deputy Simon Darby and party officer Tanya Lumby over allegations that the BNP has failed to remove potentially racist clauses from its constitution.

Griffin, who is representing himself, has countered with an application for the cases to be thrown out.

The move to jail them was adjourned in September at the high court. At a brief hearing in London before Mrs Justice Nicola Davies, it was agreed the actions should be heard by two judges and be transferred to the divisional court for a two-day hearing starting on 8 November.

The Guardian

BOSNIAN FOOTBALL FACES INTERNATIONAL EXILE

Conflict with UEFA and FIFA and exclusion from international competition looks certain as Bosnia's soccer federation, the NSBiH, refuses to call an end to its ethnically selected tripartite presidency.
 
Bosnia's national and domestic teams face suspension from international compettition if the sport's national governing body, the NSBiH, refuses demands from FIFA and UEFA to elect a single president instead of the current three. A high level FIFA and UEFA delegation will attend a meeting of football's national governing body in Sarajevo today. FIFA and UEFA have repeatedly requested that the ethnically-based tripartite presidency be replaced with a single president, but Bosnian Serb football officials have vehemently rejected the demand. “It is truly sad that instead of focusing on the game we must think about things which have nothing to do with sport,” Asmir Begic, goalkeeper for the national team, told Balkan Insight. Begic, who plays for English Premier League club Stoke City, added he hoped that the NSBiH officials “will find a solution and that everything will end well.” Bosnian football officials last rejected the FIFA and UEFA request in July and were given until March 31 next year to change their mind or face automatic suspension and the imposition of an interim committee. If sanctioned, Bosnia would also lose international funding which currently makes up between 70 and 80 per cent of the NSBiH budget. The federation is made up of representatives of the football associations of the country’s two highly independent entities, the predominantly Serb Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat federation.

Bosnian Serb football officials insist they will not accept the FIFA and UEFA demands no matter the consequences. “We believe that preserving the tripartite presidency is a must…the only thing we can accept is that the Presidency rotates [between the three ethnic groups] every 16 months,” the vice president of the Republika Srpska football association, Stasa Kosarac, told Balkan Insight. “We will not back away from this request,” Kosarac added. Radmilo Sipovac, president of Borac, Republika Srpska's leading team, which currently tops the country’s Premier League table - told Balkan Insight his team “did not want to think” about the political shenanigans at the NSBiH. “We play football and the only thing we think about is how to win and become Premier League champions…it is not our job to deal with politics,” he said. Sipovac added that he hoped Bosnian teams would not be suspended from international competition because “it would be a huge loss for sport and football in this country.”
Balkan Insight

Police hate crime campaign honoured (Northern Ireland, UK)

An anti-hate crime campaign involving police in Northern Ireland has been recognised at an awards ceremony.

Unite Against Hate highlights homophobia, racism, sectarianism and transphobia as well as prejudices involving faith or disability.

It was awarded third place in the diversity in action category at Jane's Review gala awards in London on Thursday. Home Secretary Theresa May presented the awards.

Chief Constable Matt Baggott said: "This is a true illustration of the personal, professional, protective nature of the service.

"We are committed to challenging the issues that communities identify as priority and as these awards recognise, we do so with impartiality and absolute integrity. We will continue in our endeavours to deliver the worlds finest police service."

Unite Against Hate involves several government offices. The online campaign had received more than 3,000 petition signatures. Text messaging has also been used to target more than 15,000 students.

Also recognised were Sergeant Brian Caskey, from north Belfast, who came third in the officer of the year category. He has played a key role in the interface strategy developed to address conflict between the neighbouring communities of Tigers Bay, Newington and New Lodge.

"I am delighted and privileged to have been nominated for this award. This is in recognition of the work that all police officers across the service do on a daily basis," he said.

Inspector John Kinkead, from Coleraine, picked up second place in the lifetime officer of the year category.

He has 28 years of service. While based in Coleraine he helped introduce the first registered door supervisor scheme in Northern Ireland. This now forms the basis for the nationally recognised registration required by every staff member employed as a door supervisor.

Sergeant Andy Davies, of Gloucestershire police, said there was no evidence to suggest racially motivated crime had increased in Cheltenham, but said incidents of abuse often go unreported.

"Racism is something we do not tolerate," he said. "We all need to stand up to these kind of outdated and abhorrent attitudes. We would encourage anyone who is targeted by racial abuse to report it to us so that we can take steps to catch the offenders."

Belfast Telegraph

Racist youths in Cheltenham left family terrified - Asian father-of-two (UK)

Roby Mekkara says his family are living in terror after being targeted by racist yobs.

The 41-year-old, of Whaddon Road, has been abused in the street and had his home vandalised by gangs.

In the latest attack, thugs hurled stones at the house, smashing the glass of the front door.

Roby said the family was petrified as the gang of youths peppered their home with stones and eggs, kicking at the door in a prolonged onslaught.

"It was really nasty," he said. "I wasn't there at the time so my wife and children were at home on their own.

"Just imagine how they felt. They were terrified."

The father-of-two, who is originally from India, said the incident is the latest in a string of racist attacks since his family moved to Cheltenham five years ago.

"It has been going on for some time and it seems to be getting worse," he said. "This is the fifth time I have had to repair a window at my home because of something like this.

"I have had to put up with teenagers shouting abuse from the park opposite.

"It makes me sad. The whole family has been made to feel unhappy."

Roby, who grew up in southern India, came to the UK in 2005 after his wife Smitha got a job working as a nurse for the NHS.

He found work as an architectural technician and the couple sent their son, five, and daughter, 10, to a local school.

"We came here to work and to bring our children up in a safe environment," he added.

"I accept the people responsible for this are in a minority, but it has become a problem.

"Nobody should have to put up with this sort of abuse. It has to stop."

Gloucestershire police said they were aware of ongoing problems and were intent on bringing a stop to the anti-social behaviour.

Inspector Roddy Gosden, of Whaddon Safer Community Team, said: "We fully support the Mekkara family and are taking reports of the latest incident very seriously.

"We are aware there have been problems in the past and a lot of work has gone into investigating them – including putting up CCTV cameras at the house to identify who is responsible.

"This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in our community. We are stepping up our efforts to bring these problems to an end for the Mekkaras and appeal for anyone with information to get in touch."

A year ago Sri Lankan national Suda John said attitudes towards ethnic minorities in Cheltenham were worse than ever.

The 31-year-old, from Lansdown, said the situation had got so bad he was considering leaving the town that has been his home for the past six years.

He said: "I've been abused on the street, outside my home and even at work.

"If it happens once you think it might be just one idiot, but when it keeps happening you think there must be a deeper problem."

This is Gloucestershire

A Halloween costume conundrum in Campbellford (Canada)

Despite recent appearances to the contrary, Blair Crowley and Terry Nunn say they are not racists. They just may not possess the best judgment when it comes to Halloween costumes.

Granted, it certainly looked like racism at a Royal Canadian Legion Halloween costume party last Saturday in Campbellford, Ont. where the pair dressed, respectively, as a Klu Klux Klan member and his slave, complete with blackface and a rope tied around his neck.

The appalling costume choice – made all the more disgraceful by the fact that the duo WON THE CONTEST - came to light after party attendee Mark Andrade (a black man) left the event in disgust and later complained to local police about the incident (while Crowley and Nunn did nothing illegal, an investigation has been launched into the Legion branch’s role in the matter).

Crowley and Nunn deserve their fair share of criticism for a clearly insensitive, offensive and poorly conceived idea, but their costumes were less a product of racism as much as they reflected a growing October 31 tendency to push the envelope. For some, Halloween has turned into an arms race to garner the greatest shock value, all the while de-emphasizing what constitutes good taste and reasonable public behaviour.

Obviously, as evidenced by Crowley and Nunn’s first place finish, the costumes were viewed by at least some as being amusing, similar to other common boundary-pushing costumes like a Catholic priest. Crowley’s response to the situation highlighted a widely held attitude that costumes – regardless of their nature – are a light-hearted aspect of a light-hearted holiday and should be received as such.

"It was just a costume for Halloween," Crowley told CTV News (story can be found here). "People dress up like axe murderers [too], so I didn’t think it was that big of a deal."

But while there is a place for humour among Halloween costumes, they should not come at the expense of making others uncomfortable. The term “political correctness” has taken on a negative stigma as being associated with an overly rigid, limiting mindset that caters to supposedly humourless, easy-to-offend people. While it can be taken to the extreme and over-used, political correctness came into being due to diverse populations in which no one should be made to feel alienated or ostracized.

That continues to be the case today, and Mark Andrade should still never be made to feel uncomfortable, regardless of what day of the year it is.

Digital Journal