An infamous neo-Nazi homepage may go offline soon, it has emerged.
Viennese newspapers report today (Weds) that Austrian prosecutors came to an agreement with authorities in the United States over shutting down the "Alpe-Donau" website.
Austrian Green Party officials have pointed out for months that Austrian neo-Nazis are frequently leaving fascist and racist statements on the internet platform. State prosecutors in Vienna recently started investigations only to find out that they are unable to interfere as the website is run by a server based in the USA.
Now reports have it that Austrian investigators convinced colleagues in the United States that the homepage must be taken off the web although activities on it did not breach any federal laws.
A notification posted on "Alpe-Donau" earlier this week informs visitors that the page will "log off shortly – but we will be back."
The internet portal has been in the news as many of its users openly backed the Freedom Party (FPÖ). The party headed by Heinz-Christian Strache is currently the third-strongest faction in the federal parliament in Vienna. It garnered 17.5 per cent in the most recent general election in 2008 and claimed nearly 26 per cent in the Vienna city parliament ballot last October.
Several "Alpe-Donau" users agreed in discussion forums that they were happy about current developments within the FPÖ as far as the right-wing party’s ideology and policies were concerned. Strache has emphasised that he and his party are totally disassociating themselves from the website and any fascist and racist propaganda.
The FPÖ used to be Austria’s liberal political force but took on a right-wing ideology when Jörg Haider – who died in 2008 – took over in 1986. Some political analysts have pointed out that the party is more and more focusing on campaigning against Muslims after having criticised Jewish and black people in the past.
Only last month, a lecturer was ordered to pay a fine of 480 Euros for calling Islam "hostile" and the Koran "evil" in a seminar organised by the FPÖ’s academy which was held in a hotel in Vienna in 2009.
FPÖ General Secretary Harald Vilimsky infuriated political rivals, Muslims and non-government organisations (NGO) last year by calling mosques "hotbeds of radical Islam."
Austrian Independant
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Party’s over as BNP disappear (UK)
Far right political party the BNP will not field a single candidate in South Tyneside in May.
A spokesman for the party said the move was a political decision in a bid to persuade national leader Nick Griffin to stand down.
Martin Vaughan, fundholder for the party in South Tyneside, said the party was “finished” under Mr Griffin’s leadership.
The move comes despite the BNP standing candidates in all borough electoral wards up for grabs at last year’s local elections.
Rival parties in South Tyneside today expressed their delight at the announcement.
Coun Jane Branley, Independent Alliance representative for Westoe, said she believes the real reason is “disillusionment that they can’t get a toehold in what they thought were winnable seats in South Tyneside”.She added: “I am delighted that the BNP are not fielding any candidate as I abhor everything they stand for.”
Coun Iain Malcolm, the Labour leader of South Tyneside Council, also welcomed the party’s non-participation, adding: “I look forward to the day that the BNP as a political party is disbanded.”
But Coun George Elsom, Real Independent for Cleadon Park, described the withdrawal as a “big surprise”.
He added: “I abhor the BNP and what they stand for, but I defend anyone’s democratic right to stand for election. Their candidate polled well in Cleadon Park last time round, so some people obviously agree with their policies.”
Mr Vaughan said: “Mr Griffin has attracted a lot of bad publicity and the party is in debt. There is a lot of disillusionment with him, and the party in South Tyneside want him to stand down. Under his leadership, the BNP is finished and we need him to go before we can rebuild.
“Previously loyal BNP members are being sacked throughout the country for speaking out against him. I don’t expect to remain in my role for much longer.”
Mr Griffin had been invited to meet his critics at a gathering at the High Lane Social Club in Hebburn at the weekend, but did not attend.
Mr Vaughan added: “He wasn’t even willing to answer his critics.”
Mr Griffin was unavailable for comment.
Sheilds Gazette
A spokesman for the party said the move was a political decision in a bid to persuade national leader Nick Griffin to stand down.
Martin Vaughan, fundholder for the party in South Tyneside, said the party was “finished” under Mr Griffin’s leadership.
The move comes despite the BNP standing candidates in all borough electoral wards up for grabs at last year’s local elections.
Rival parties in South Tyneside today expressed their delight at the announcement.
Coun Jane Branley, Independent Alliance representative for Westoe, said she believes the real reason is “disillusionment that they can’t get a toehold in what they thought were winnable seats in South Tyneside”.She added: “I am delighted that the BNP are not fielding any candidate as I abhor everything they stand for.”
Coun Iain Malcolm, the Labour leader of South Tyneside Council, also welcomed the party’s non-participation, adding: “I look forward to the day that the BNP as a political party is disbanded.”
But Coun George Elsom, Real Independent for Cleadon Park, described the withdrawal as a “big surprise”.
He added: “I abhor the BNP and what they stand for, but I defend anyone’s democratic right to stand for election. Their candidate polled well in Cleadon Park last time round, so some people obviously agree with their policies.”
Mr Vaughan said: “Mr Griffin has attracted a lot of bad publicity and the party is in debt. There is a lot of disillusionment with him, and the party in South Tyneside want him to stand down. Under his leadership, the BNP is finished and we need him to go before we can rebuild.
“Previously loyal BNP members are being sacked throughout the country for speaking out against him. I don’t expect to remain in my role for much longer.”
Mr Griffin had been invited to meet his critics at a gathering at the High Lane Social Club in Hebburn at the weekend, but did not attend.
Mr Vaughan added: “He wasn’t even willing to answer his critics.”
Mr Griffin was unavailable for comment.
Sheilds Gazette
Judicial Watch: Extremist Hispanic Group Releases Racist Death Threat Video Attacking Black Civil Rights Activist Ted Hayes (USA)
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained a shocking video produced by a radical Mexican separatist group attacking civil rights activist Ted Hayes with racist smears and death threats. The video was posted to the Internet on YouTube after Mr. Hayes testified, by invitation of Maryland Delegate Pat McDonough, on March 15 before the Judiciary Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates against providing taxpayer dollars for in-state tuition benefits for illegal aliens.
The video begins with the message "[expletive] you 'Mayate,'" which is reportedly a racist and derogatory term used to smear African Americans and "dark skinned" people. The video then streams a series of racist images including: the silhouette of a man hanging from a noose, photos of Mr. Hayes adjacent to photos of monkeys and bananas and doctored photos of Mr. Hayes pictured with a gun next to his head. The video, which runs two minutes and nine seconds, concludes with the message "Your (sic) FREE Now Mayate go back to Africa."
The video was initially posted to the video website YouTube by a group with the moniker "The Timmytop," and was subsequently removed. The Timmytop Youtube "channel" includes a number of extremist
propaganda videos with messages such as "This Is Our Land Whiteboy [expletive] you Gringo." The videos seem to express support for the La Raza/Aztlan movement, which seeks to conquer the American Southwest and "return" it to Mexico. Notably, the videos attack black and white Americans.
Mr. Hayes is a long-time opponent of illegal immigration, noting specifically that its devastating impact on the African American community is largely ignored by other black leaders. Death threats and intimidation of a witness because of his testimony before the Maryland legislature would violate federal and Maryland criminal statutes.
"Judicial Watch is outraged at the racist death threats and intimidation directed at the black civil rights activist Ted Hayes in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights. The debate over in-state tuition for illegal aliens in Maryland has been compromised and chilled by these threats," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "The individuals responsible for this evil video must be held accountable to the rule of law. This is an attack on the entire black community, not just Ted Hayes. The Holder Justice Department and the Maryland Attorney General need to take immediate action to investigate these threats."
Judicial Watch has obtained the video in question and is making it available on its Internet site at www.judicialwatch.org.
prnewswire
The video begins with the message "[expletive] you 'Mayate,'" which is reportedly a racist and derogatory term used to smear African Americans and "dark skinned" people. The video then streams a series of racist images including: the silhouette of a man hanging from a noose, photos of Mr. Hayes adjacent to photos of monkeys and bananas and doctored photos of Mr. Hayes pictured with a gun next to his head. The video, which runs two minutes and nine seconds, concludes with the message "Your (sic) FREE Now Mayate go back to Africa."
The video was initially posted to the video website YouTube by a group with the moniker "The Timmytop," and was subsequently removed. The Timmytop Youtube "channel" includes a number of extremist
propaganda videos with messages such as "This Is Our Land Whiteboy [expletive] you Gringo." The videos seem to express support for the La Raza/Aztlan movement, which seeks to conquer the American Southwest and "return" it to Mexico. Notably, the videos attack black and white Americans.
Mr. Hayes is a long-time opponent of illegal immigration, noting specifically that its devastating impact on the African American community is largely ignored by other black leaders. Death threats and intimidation of a witness because of his testimony before the Maryland legislature would violate federal and Maryland criminal statutes.
"Judicial Watch is outraged at the racist death threats and intimidation directed at the black civil rights activist Ted Hayes in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights. The debate over in-state tuition for illegal aliens in Maryland has been compromised and chilled by these threats," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "The individuals responsible for this evil video must be held accountable to the rule of law. This is an attack on the entire black community, not just Ted Hayes. The Holder Justice Department and the Maryland Attorney General need to take immediate action to investigate these threats."
Judicial Watch has obtained the video in question and is making it available on its Internet site at www.judicialwatch.org.
prnewswire
Man broke window in EDL demo (UK)
A man who smashed a window during the English Defence League protest in Leicester has admitted causing criminal damage worth £1,500.
Gareth Mooney (29) of Sandown Court, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, broke the shop window of Big John's Takeaway, in Humberstone Road on October 9 last year.
Liz Dodds, prosecuting, told Leicester magistrates that Mooney was one of about 200 protesters who broke through a police cordon in Queens Street at about 4pm to challenge a group of Asian youths.
The trouble then spilled into Humberstone Road, where up to 20 members of the public had sought refuge in the takeaway.
She said: "Mr Mooney was caught on CCTV giving a forceful kick to the window, causing it to shatter in a spider effect.''
"His behaviour instigated the subsequent attack on the building which caused a total of £5,000 damage."
Mooney said: "I'm very sorry for the trouble I've caused. It was down to stupidity."
He was bailed to appear at North Tyneside Magistrates Court on April 12.
This is Leicestershire
Gareth Mooney (29) of Sandown Court, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, broke the shop window of Big John's Takeaway, in Humberstone Road on October 9 last year.
Liz Dodds, prosecuting, told Leicester magistrates that Mooney was one of about 200 protesters who broke through a police cordon in Queens Street at about 4pm to challenge a group of Asian youths.
The trouble then spilled into Humberstone Road, where up to 20 members of the public had sought refuge in the takeaway.
She said: "Mr Mooney was caught on CCTV giving a forceful kick to the window, causing it to shatter in a spider effect.''
"His behaviour instigated the subsequent attack on the building which caused a total of £5,000 damage."
Mooney said: "I'm very sorry for the trouble I've caused. It was down to stupidity."
He was bailed to appear at North Tyneside Magistrates Court on April 12.
This is Leicestershire
France's National Front eyes name change
France's far-right National Front party could change its name ahead of 2012 parliamentary elections in an effort to broaden its appeal to mainstream voters, its new leader Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday.
Le Pen is expected to be endorsed as a presidential candidate by her party shortly and she told Reuters that if she did well in that contest, as polls suggest, the party could choose a more inclusive name ahead of legislative elections.
Under the current system, legislative elections follow shortly after the Elysee race.
"It's about transforming the National Front into a party capable of a getting a majority," she said.
Whatever new name is settled on, she said it would include "rassemblement," a more inclusive word with a long history in French politics which can be translated as rally.
Several polls have recently indicated that Le Pen could prevent President Nicolas Sarkozy from reaching the run-off ballot of France's two-stage presidential elections.
Le Pen's party hopes to win local council seats for the first time in an election on Sunday, following a record first-round score that left it snapping at the heels of Sarkozy's ruling party, the conservative UMP.
Reuters
Le Pen is expected to be endorsed as a presidential candidate by her party shortly and she told Reuters that if she did well in that contest, as polls suggest, the party could choose a more inclusive name ahead of legislative elections.
Under the current system, legislative elections follow shortly after the Elysee race.
"It's about transforming the National Front into a party capable of a getting a majority," she said.
Whatever new name is settled on, she said it would include "rassemblement," a more inclusive word with a long history in French politics which can be translated as rally.
Several polls have recently indicated that Le Pen could prevent President Nicolas Sarkozy from reaching the run-off ballot of France's two-stage presidential elections.
Le Pen's party hopes to win local council seats for the first time in an election on Sunday, following a record first-round score that left it snapping at the heels of Sarkozy's ruling party, the conservative UMP.
Reuters
French far-Right in financial setback
Miss Le Pen, who took the reins of the National Front party (FN) from her father Jean-Marie in January, is enjoying a surge in the polls and the prospect of winning seats in the second round of local elections on Sunday.
The FN is trailing President Sarkozy's party by just two percentage points after the first round with the Socialists in first place.
Burnt Cross Near Black Family's House Allegedly a Hate Crime (USA)
Religious leaders in a Southern California county are sounding off against the recent burning of an 11-foot cross in a city that hasn’t had a hate crime reported since 2002.
In a letter published Wednesday in the San Luis Obispo Tribune, members of the San Luis Obispo Ministerial Association made clear that the burning crosses, etching of swastikas on synagogue walls, and writing of hateful words on mosque doors are acts that should not be tolerated.
“[They] are not pranks,” stated the letter’s 35 signers, representing a number of different faith groups, including Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, and Buddhists, among others.
“They are hate crimes meant to frighten and intimidate. They should have no place in this beautiful county, but they do sometimes happen here. When they do, they cannot be tolerated or laughed off as ‘just a joke,’” the religious leaders added.
The letter was published just days after authorities in Arroyo Grande, Calif., responded to a report of fire outside the residence of a black teenager. According to the city’s police department, the object found burning early Saturday morning was later identified as a cross that had been stolen from the grounds of Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande sometime between Feb. 5 and March 5. The members of the church were not aware of the theft for about one month.
“The Arroyo Grande Police Department is pursuing the investigation of the incident on South Elm Street as an arson and a hate crime,” the department reported Monday.
The Christian Post
In a letter published Wednesday in the San Luis Obispo Tribune, members of the San Luis Obispo Ministerial Association made clear that the burning crosses, etching of swastikas on synagogue walls, and writing of hateful words on mosque doors are acts that should not be tolerated.
“[They] are not pranks,” stated the letter’s 35 signers, representing a number of different faith groups, including Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, and Buddhists, among others.
“They are hate crimes meant to frighten and intimidate. They should have no place in this beautiful county, but they do sometimes happen here. When they do, they cannot be tolerated or laughed off as ‘just a joke,’” the religious leaders added.
The letter was published just days after authorities in Arroyo Grande, Calif., responded to a report of fire outside the residence of a black teenager. According to the city’s police department, the object found burning early Saturday morning was later identified as a cross that had been stolen from the grounds of Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande sometime between Feb. 5 and March 5. The members of the church were not aware of the theft for about one month.
“The Arroyo Grande Police Department is pursuing the investigation of the incident on South Elm Street as an arson and a hate crime,” the department reported Monday.
The Christian Post
'Racist' Paris Hilton 'described black men as gross'
The heiress is said to have made the remark after getting friendly with a Saving Private Ryan actor in 1999 but has furiously denied any wrongdoing.
The accusations were made by showbiz author Neil Strauss who said in his book that Hilton had been kissing the unnamed actor but when the lights came on was shocked by her conquest’s skin colour and quickly ditched him.
Read more about this at the Metro
The accusations were made by showbiz author Neil Strauss who said in his book that Hilton had been kissing the unnamed actor but when the lights came on was shocked by her conquest’s skin colour and quickly ditched him.
Read more about this at the Metro
Soldiers post racist videos on Facebook (Australia)
The Australian Army has launched an investigation into the conduct of soldiers in Afghanistan who posted racist comments and videos on Facebook.
The Seven network has shown the videos which show soldiers referring to Afghans as "sand coons", "dune coons", "niggers", and "smelly locals".
Another is referred to as a "raghead."
Advertisement: Story continues below
When a local man is shown running away from an explosion, a soldier is heard to say that the blast "scared the f out of that mufti."
A number of soldiers list their employer as a "fing ranga", a reference to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
The Acting Chief of Army Paul Symon said the behaviour undermines everything Australia is trying to achieve in Afghanistan.
"There will be thousands of soldiers disgusted at what we're looking at," Major-General Symon told the Seven network.
He said the soldiers concerned could face serious consequences.
"When you put words in the public domain you will be held accountable," he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
The Seven network has shown the videos which show soldiers referring to Afghans as "sand coons", "dune coons", "niggers", and "smelly locals".
Another is referred to as a "raghead."
Advertisement: Story continues below
When a local man is shown running away from an explosion, a soldier is heard to say that the blast "scared the f out of that mufti."
A number of soldiers list their employer as a "fing ranga", a reference to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
The Acting Chief of Army Paul Symon said the behaviour undermines everything Australia is trying to achieve in Afghanistan.
"There will be thousands of soldiers disgusted at what we're looking at," Major-General Symon told the Seven network.
He said the soldiers concerned could face serious consequences.
"When you put words in the public domain you will be held accountable," he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
The EDL, and the Muslamic Ray Guns
We at the SUTH blog have often wondered what the hell the English Defence League are actually defending us from.
Well finally we have a genuine answer, it's Muslamic Ray Guns. Priceless.
Well finally we have a genuine answer, it's Muslamic Ray Guns. Priceless.
Former KKK leader and Lakes Wales mayoral candidate Paul Rogers speaks (USA)
Lake Wales, Florida - A mayoral candidate in Lakes Wales is speaking out about his involvement with the Klan.
70-year-old John Paul Rogers wants to become the next mayor of Lake Wales, but critics say he could have a tough time bringing the town together because he's a former member of Ku Klux Klan.
Rogers, who is currently a commissioner, spoke with 10 News Tuesday afternoon and says, "I'm not running for the Klan for Grand Dragon. That's because Rogers has already had that title.
He blames his opponent Mike Carter for bringing up his former involvement in the United Klans of America.
Read the full story at Wtsp.com
70-year-old John Paul Rogers wants to become the next mayor of Lake Wales, but critics say he could have a tough time bringing the town together because he's a former member of Ku Klux Klan.
Rogers, who is currently a commissioner, spoke with 10 News Tuesday afternoon and says, "I'm not running for the Klan for Grand Dragon. That's because Rogers has already had that title.
He blames his opponent Mike Carter for bringing up his former involvement in the United Klans of America.
Read the full story at Wtsp.com
‘UNPRECEDENTED’ RISE IN RACIST CRIME (Cyprus)
Data collected by anti-racist civil society groups reveal that Cyprus has seen “an unprecedented rise in racist crime and racist violence particularly against migrants and asylum seekers” as well as the rise of far-right nationalistic groups and parties. A press release issued by the Cyprus branch of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) yesterday to mark International Day against Racial Discrimination, reports point to manifestations of racism across Europe in a broad range of areas, including employment, housing, education, health, policing, access to goods and services, and the media. The pending release of the reports covering the 2009-2010 period is expected to highlight that extremism and racist violence are on the rise in Europe.
On Cyprus, the report will conclude that “the strict migration policies and model followed in Cyprus continue to deny migrants, asylum seekers and refugees effective access to basic social and political rights and in most cases to their human rights in general”. While Cyprus has antidiscrimination legislation in place, this “remains largely unimplemented on the ground”, said the ENAR Cyprus branch, adding that the country was “far from taking the necessary measures to achieve real equality for all people irrespective of nationality, race, colour or ethnic origin”. In a damning indictment of the government’s latest efforts to introduce and implement a migration policy on the island, ENAR said: “Whereas integration may stand prominently on the agenda of the Cypriot migration policies, little is achieved to that effect and migrants continue to live at the margins of the society.”
ENAR President Chibo Onyeji said: “The report demonstrates that racism is far from over in Europe -- we still have a long way to go before reaching effective equality for all.” ENAR is a network of European NGOs working to combat racism in all EU member states and represents more than 700 NGOs spread around the EU. The network’s purported aim is to fight racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, to promote equality of treatment between EU citizens and third country nationals.
Cyprus Mail
On Cyprus, the report will conclude that “the strict migration policies and model followed in Cyprus continue to deny migrants, asylum seekers and refugees effective access to basic social and political rights and in most cases to their human rights in general”. While Cyprus has antidiscrimination legislation in place, this “remains largely unimplemented on the ground”, said the ENAR Cyprus branch, adding that the country was “far from taking the necessary measures to achieve real equality for all people irrespective of nationality, race, colour or ethnic origin”. In a damning indictment of the government’s latest efforts to introduce and implement a migration policy on the island, ENAR said: “Whereas integration may stand prominently on the agenda of the Cypriot migration policies, little is achieved to that effect and migrants continue to live at the margins of the society.”
ENAR President Chibo Onyeji said: “The report demonstrates that racism is far from over in Europe -- we still have a long way to go before reaching effective equality for all.” ENAR is a network of European NGOs working to combat racism in all EU member states and represents more than 700 NGOs spread around the EU. The network’s purported aim is to fight racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, to promote equality of treatment between EU citizens and third country nationals.
Cyprus Mail
Big gains for far right in local polls (France)
France’s far right National Front (FN) continued to steal headlines after Sunday’s local elections, in which half of France’s 2,023 cantons, the country’s smallest territorial units, were up for grabs.
Surfing on the popularity of their new leader Marine Le Pen, National Front candidates won a place in the second round in 394 cantons, or one in five of all contested councils.
Socialist candidates won the most votes, with 25% of ballots cast. French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s party, the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), picked up 17% of the votes cast, barely ahead of the National Front’s 15% tally.
"It’s not just a sanction vote,” said Marine Le Pen, who took over as the head of the euro-sceptic, anti-immigration National Front party in January. Since then, the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen has twice polled ahead of President Sarkozy in surveys of voters’ intentions ahead of next year’s presidential election.
In an interview with FRANCE 24 last week, Le Pen said the broad support she is enjoying should not be treated as a surprise. “Those numbers encourage me to keep working and talking about my policy proposals. There are still a lot of French people who have a totally caricatured vision of the National Front,” she said.
FN officials said Sunday’s election results confirmed their progression. The party’s vice-president Louis Aliot declared: "There is something in the air…If things continue this way, the [National] Front is going to replace the right.”
Abstention on the rise
But over 55% of potential voters shunned the ballot box on Sunday, underscoring a growing trend towards abstention that marked elections for the European Parliament in 2009 and French regional polls last March.
“Abstention is France’s first political party,” the free daily 20 Minutes mused on its website on Monday, adding that while turnout was expected to be low, levels had exceeded the worst expectations. Voter participation in France has historically been high.
Jean-François Doridot of the Ipsos polling institute said low turnout provided “further proof of the disenchantment of the French vis-à-vis the political establishment, from both the left and right.”
Sarkozy’s party left smarting
President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ruling centre-right party struggled to inspire voters in what was the final electoral contest before next year’s presidential poll – in which Sarkozy is expected to seek a second term.
UMP officials tried to minimize the results of Sunday’s first-round poll, preferring to comment on the left’s failure to score a decisive win. The party leader, Jean-François Copé, told RTL radio that the results “were not glorious” for the Socialists.
“If we add up the Socialists’ score and that of the other left-wing parties we get 31%, the same score as the presidential majority,” Copé said, referring to UMP allies who ran on independent tickets.
Many French observers said the results reflected the sagging approval rates of Sarkozy and his government. The polls came on the heels of the latest in a series of ministerial scandals that saw UMP party fixture Michèlle Alliot-Marie ejected from the foreign affairs post.
But the UMP was not the only party to bemoan Sunday’s results. The polls have also been described as a step back for the Greens, who failed to establish themselves as the second biggest force on the left. Green candidates picked up just over 8% of the vote, falling short of the 9% tallied by a far-left coalition headed by France’s Communist Party.
France 24
Police warning ahead of EDL protest in Blackburn (UK)
Police have said they will not tolerate acts of violence or damage when up to 4,500 people descend on Blackburn town centre for protests next month.
Members of the English Defence League (EDL), Muslim Defence League and Unite Against Facism (UAF) are all expected to stage demonstrations on 2 April.
Police said they were working to minimise the impact on the community and would facilitate peaceful protests.
Blackburn with Darwen Council said the town would be open for business.
The EDL is being allowed to demonstrate outside King George's Hall for one hour while a counter demonstration will take place at Sudell Cross.
Some roads will be affected, including temporary closures, but officials said they were working hard to make sure that people could "go about their daily business as usual".
Damage 'not tolerated'
Ch Supt Bob Eastwood said: "We will police the demonstration as we would any public event and we will facilitate a peaceful protest.
"Day-to-day policing in Lancashire will carry on as normal and we have detailed plans in place to deal with any issues on the day.
"We will have specially-trained officers policing the demonstration.
"Our role is to facilitate peaceful protest. If anyone commits a criminal offence they will be dealt with fairly but firmly.
"The police will not tolerate damage to the town or acts of violence and I would urge anyone thinking of coming to Blackburn to attend either demonstration to bear this in mind."
Tom Stannard, of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "The bulk of the town centre will remain open for business.
"This borough has a strong track record of good community relations and will continue to support all our community groups and representatives should they have any concerns about this demonstration."
BBC News
Members of the English Defence League (EDL), Muslim Defence League and Unite Against Facism (UAF) are all expected to stage demonstrations on 2 April.
Police said they were working to minimise the impact on the community and would facilitate peaceful protests.
Blackburn with Darwen Council said the town would be open for business.
The EDL is being allowed to demonstrate outside King George's Hall for one hour while a counter demonstration will take place at Sudell Cross.
Some roads will be affected, including temporary closures, but officials said they were working hard to make sure that people could "go about their daily business as usual".
Damage 'not tolerated'
Ch Supt Bob Eastwood said: "We will police the demonstration as we would any public event and we will facilitate a peaceful protest.
"Day-to-day policing in Lancashire will carry on as normal and we have detailed plans in place to deal with any issues on the day.
"We will have specially-trained officers policing the demonstration.
"Our role is to facilitate peaceful protest. If anyone commits a criminal offence they will be dealt with fairly but firmly.
"The police will not tolerate damage to the town or acts of violence and I would urge anyone thinking of coming to Blackburn to attend either demonstration to bear this in mind."
Tom Stannard, of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "The bulk of the town centre will remain open for business.
"This borough has a strong track record of good community relations and will continue to support all our community groups and representatives should they have any concerns about this demonstration."
BBC News
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Victorian neo-Nazi used as medic in Afghanistan (Australia)
 |
| Kenneth Stewart |
Kenneth Stewart, 36, has worked as a military-trained paramedic, accompanying aid workers around Afghanistan. His Facebook page shows a swastika flag in his room in Kandahar, and another picture shows him surrounded by Afghans he refers to as ''my nignogs'' with a friend adding the comment ''it's lovely to see a white man back in control of the subhuman''. On Stewart's Facebook page he regularly makes disparaging comments about Afghans, Aborigines, Jews and others.
He has worked as a medic for several aid groups based in Kandahar, including the United Nations Development Program.
The Age made several attempts to contact Mr Stewart, but received no reply.
In Melbourne, he helps recruit white supremacists to the local branch of the Southern Cross Hammerskins, an international neo-Nazi group. He described himself on one internet forum as a ''skinhead, mercenary, pork-eating viking; not bad just misunderstood''.
Anti-facist groups in the US say there are growing numbers of neo-Nazis working in the expanding private military sector, and that the Hammerskins are considered to be among the best organised and most violent neo-Nazi groups in America.
The beliefs and photos posted by Mr Stewart have been condemned by the United Nations and the contractor who hired him on their behalf.
Spokesman Brian Hansford said the UN was ''horrified by these … disturbing images''.
 |
| An image of Kenneth Stewart room. |
On Armistice Day last year, Mr Stewart posted on a white supremacist website that he and his colleagues in Kandahar had a service commemorating World War II soldiers, including Germans and Italians ''that did what they thought was right regardless of which side they were on''.
The Age has not been able to establish who Mr Stewart worked for in Afghanistan last year, but it is clear from photos on his Facebook page that he was doing similar work.
One Australian security company that has employed him said it repudiated any far-right views and said the images he posted on Facebook should be removed.
Security experts say any Nazi or racist references could risk endangering the Coalition troops fighting under the NATO banner, including personnel from the Australian Defence Forces.
In the US, an intercepted 2009 email purported to show Oregon fascist organiser Randy Krager warning his colleagues not to email him about his racist skinhead group while he was working in Afghanistan. The email read: ''All communications from the mid-east are monitored by dept. of defense and/or cia … so I will have some contact but will not be able to discuss any business, not even vaguely.''
The Southern Cross Hammerskins also organise music festivals where far-right bands perform in front of vetted audiences. Their next festival is on the Gold Coast next month.
Sydney Morning Herald
Amazon Often Rejects Porn But Helps White Racists Publish Books
And it’s eligible for super-saver shipping.
Amazon will even help novice white nationalists get their library going. For $50.14 – a slight discount – interested readers can buy Bristow’s book together with Racism Schmacism by James Edwards , host of the unabashedly racist radio program “The Political Cesspool,” and A Mighty Fortress by dedicated neo-Nazi Harold Covington, described by one enthusiastic reviewer as “unabashedly pro-white and anti-jew [sic] and non-white.”
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment from Hatewatch.
When Amazon announced its new self-publishing and POD service in 2005, the press release boasted: “Print-on-demand has changed the economics of small-quantity printing, making it possible for books with low and uncertain demand to be profitably produced. BookSurge [now called CreateSpace] makes it possible to print books that appeal to targeted audiences, whether it’s one copy or one thousand. … Thanks to print-on-demand, ‘out of print’ is out of date.”
Amazon’s forecast turned out to be correct: It is precisely this business model that makes it possible for extremists like Bristow to get their self-published screeds – “books with low and uncertain demand” which a decade ago would have been be limited in quantity, difficult to find, poor in quality, and unknown to anyone but hard-core believers – to a broader audience than ever before. It may well be that no human being at Amazon or its POD service ever actually reads a book like White Apocalypse —the book may be produced entirely by computer.
White Apocalypse is centered on the “Solutrean Hypothesis,” a theory that has almost zero support among anthropologists but bravely insists that whites from Europe managed to cross the North Atlantic to North America 15,000 to 17,000 years ago, thus becoming the real “Native Americans.” Bristow claims that the crossing in fact happened, and that those early whites were massacred by the later-arriving Asiatic people who crossed the ancient land bridge across the present-day Bering Strait. The book’s hero is a white man on a mission to give the hypothesis a fair hearing – but in order to do so, he must vanquish his “evil, anti-western” opponents at the Atlanta-based “Center for Diversity and Multiculturalism” — an organization that bears a striking resemblance to the Montgomery, Ala.-based Southern Poverty Law Center. It even includes characters clearly based on Mark Potok, the director of SPLC’s Intelligence Project, and Heidi Beirich, its director of research. The book contains a graphic description of the Potok character’s assassination at the hands of the hero.
The “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” list for White Apocalypse runs 96 books long and includes Jean Raspail’s white nationalist, anti-immigration classic Camp of the Saints; Holocaust denier and longtime Klan leader David Duke’s My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding; fiction by hard-core nativist Matthew Bracken; and works by white nationalist Jared Taylor, who edits the American Renaissance journal, and anti-Semitic California State University, Long Beach, psychology professor Kevin MacDonald.
Also listed is The 21st Century Sniper: A Complete Practical Guide, described as “a complete practical guide for any modern sniper, [including] tips and basic training necessary to become an efficient marksman.” Amazon’s teaser for the book says, “To the sniper, the battlefield is like a painter’s blank canvas. It is his job to simultaneously utilize tools, training, and creativity to deliver devastating psychological impact upon the battlefield. And it is he alone who is left with the intimacy of the kill.”
On page 195 of White Apocalypse, the main character shoots the Potok character sniper-style from a parking lot roof.
Like any private business, Amazon is entitled to determine what books it wishes to promote. The bookseller seems quite clear on some matters — pornography and books that prove an embarrassment among them.
In 2010, for instance, Amazon got 3,000 negative comments in a single day from people incensed that it had made the self-published The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure available on Kindle. (The author, Phillip R. Greaves, claimed the book was an “attempt to make pedophile situations safer for those juveniles … by establishing certain rules for these adults to follow.”) The day the comments came in, Amazon issued a statement claiming that it “believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable.” But according to the Los Angeles Times, the next day, links on Amazon to the listing were rerouted to a page that said, “We’re sorry. The Web address you entered is not a functioning page on our site.”
Amazon’s Kindle service also has pulled incest-fantasy and other erotica and two books titled How to Rape a Straight Guy and Rape in Holding Cell 6, whose author posted on his blog a letter from Amazon stating that the books “contain content that is in violation of our content guidelines.”
Amazon does sell The Turner Diaries, a race war fantasy novel that inspired crimes including Timothy McVeigh’s bombing of Oklahoma City’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Written under a pseudonym by William Pierce, founder of what was once the most dangerous neo-Nazi organization in America, the National Alliance, The Turner Diaries’ plot includes a bomb attack on a federal building by white supremacist guerillas. It also features a bloody section on the “Day of the Rope,” when “race-mixers” are hung from lampposts and trees.
SPLCentre
Birmingham City Council social worker sees discrimination case thrown out (UK)
A white social worker has lost his bid to claim up to £18,000 compensation from Birmingham City Council for race discrimination.
Anthony Francis, employed in the local authority’s controversial child protection unit, alleged he was racially discriminated against for being a white Anglo Saxon by not being included on a course.
A Birmingham employment tribunal heard he previously received an out-of-court settlement when he made a racial discrimination complaint against his employer in 2002.
In his latest claim Mr Francis, of Hagley Road, Halesowen, who has worked at the council for nearly 17 years, also accused a woman boss of covert bullying and alleged she was unpleasant to anyone within the team.
Tribunal judge Victoria Dean told the hearing he had issued three different claims against the council in relatively quick succession since receiving the out-of-court settlement nine years ago. She rejected Mr Francis’ latest allegations and accused him of abusing the claim process. Liz Cunningham, representing the council, previously accused Mr Francis of abusing the tribunal process by including allegations from two previous cases against the council, both of which he lost.
“Mr Francis used 155 paragraphs in his evidence yet used old claims which had previously been dismissed,” said Miss Cunningham previously.
Mrs Dean said the tribunal had no jurisdiction to deal with two of the cases and that, under the current claims, Mr Francis had been seeking between £6,000 and £18,000 compensation.
“But the claimant had filed further particulars in the latest claims which, among other things, represented the claims that were dismissed in previous cases,” said Mrs Dean.
“The tribunal’s judgment is that the latest claims are struck out on the basis that the manner in which the proceedings have been conducted have been vexatious.
“The tribunal doesn’t have jurisdiction over the latest claims.”
Birmingham Mail
Anthony Francis, employed in the local authority’s controversial child protection unit, alleged he was racially discriminated against for being a white Anglo Saxon by not being included on a course.
A Birmingham employment tribunal heard he previously received an out-of-court settlement when he made a racial discrimination complaint against his employer in 2002.
In his latest claim Mr Francis, of Hagley Road, Halesowen, who has worked at the council for nearly 17 years, also accused a woman boss of covert bullying and alleged she was unpleasant to anyone within the team.
Tribunal judge Victoria Dean told the hearing he had issued three different claims against the council in relatively quick succession since receiving the out-of-court settlement nine years ago. She rejected Mr Francis’ latest allegations and accused him of abusing the claim process. Liz Cunningham, representing the council, previously accused Mr Francis of abusing the tribunal process by including allegations from two previous cases against the council, both of which he lost.
“Mr Francis used 155 paragraphs in his evidence yet used old claims which had previously been dismissed,” said Miss Cunningham previously.
Mrs Dean said the tribunal had no jurisdiction to deal with two of the cases and that, under the current claims, Mr Francis had been seeking between £6,000 and £18,000 compensation.
“But the claimant had filed further particulars in the latest claims which, among other things, represented the claims that were dismissed in previous cases,” said Mrs Dean.
“The tribunal’s judgment is that the latest claims are struck out on the basis that the manner in which the proceedings have been conducted have been vexatious.
“The tribunal doesn’t have jurisdiction over the latest claims.”
Birmingham Mail
45 YEARS LATER ENAR SHADOW REPORT SHOWS THAT RACISM IS FAR FROM OVER IN EUROPE
In 1966, the United Nations proclaimed March 21 as the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’, and every year on this day, all nations are encouraged to examine racial discrimination and take affirmative steps to address racial inequality. This Day takes on even more significance as 45 years later, data collected by anti-racist civil society across Europe show that racism remains a deep-rooted problem in a broad range of areas, including employment, housing, education, health, policing, access to goods and services, and the media. ENAR’s European Shadow Report draws on 27 national shadow reports prepared by ENAR members across the European Union and Croatia. It identifies communities vulnerable to racism and presents an overview of manifestations of racism in a range of areas, as well as an assessment of the legal and political context and responses by governments.
The report reveals that across Europe, ethnic and religious minorities continue to face discrimination and exclusion in all areas of life. For instance, in the field of education, the issues highlighted include lower quality education for ethnic minorities, segregation, racist bullying, as well as lower attendance and schooling rates. Access to public transport is also highlighted as a key area of concern in many countries with regard to various means of transport, including airlines. Another example of such discrimination is in the private rental market, most notably in Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, Latvia, Malta and Spain. Explicit discriminatory remarks in housing adverts are reported in a number of countries. In addition, extremism and racist violence are on the rise across Europe. The rise of extremist organisations and public expressions of racist sentiments within the mainstream political parties and elected governments has hindered the integration of migrants and ethnic minorities. These barriers and challenges have been amplified by the financial and economic crisis. The report also shows some areas of improvement, notably with regard to the positive impact of EU anti-discrimination legislation in EU member states. However, the report shows that legislation alone is not sufficient and that additional measures need to be taken to ensure non-discrimination in practice. These are some of the main conclusions of ENAR’s 2009/2010 Shadow Report on racism in Europe.
Chibo Onyeji, ENAR President, said: “ENAR’s European Shadow Report demonstrates that racism is far from over in Europe -- we still have a long way to go before reaching effective equality for all. It is crucial that decision makers retain a focus on racism and ensure equality of treatment, particularly in times where an essentially negative approach to migration has meant migrants, or individuals perceived as migrants, are often treated as second class persons.”
The European Report, the 27 national reports, as well as a report on Racist violence in Europe, produced by ENAR, are available on the ENAR website
The European report “Racism in Europe - ENAR Shadow Report 2009/2010”can also be ordered in hard copy in English and French from the ENAR secretariat
European Network Against Racism
The report reveals that across Europe, ethnic and religious minorities continue to face discrimination and exclusion in all areas of life. For instance, in the field of education, the issues highlighted include lower quality education for ethnic minorities, segregation, racist bullying, as well as lower attendance and schooling rates. Access to public transport is also highlighted as a key area of concern in many countries with regard to various means of transport, including airlines. Another example of such discrimination is in the private rental market, most notably in Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, Latvia, Malta and Spain. Explicit discriminatory remarks in housing adverts are reported in a number of countries. In addition, extremism and racist violence are on the rise across Europe. The rise of extremist organisations and public expressions of racist sentiments within the mainstream political parties and elected governments has hindered the integration of migrants and ethnic minorities. These barriers and challenges have been amplified by the financial and economic crisis. The report also shows some areas of improvement, notably with regard to the positive impact of EU anti-discrimination legislation in EU member states. However, the report shows that legislation alone is not sufficient and that additional measures need to be taken to ensure non-discrimination in practice. These are some of the main conclusions of ENAR’s 2009/2010 Shadow Report on racism in Europe.
Chibo Onyeji, ENAR President, said: “ENAR’s European Shadow Report demonstrates that racism is far from over in Europe -- we still have a long way to go before reaching effective equality for all. It is crucial that decision makers retain a focus on racism and ensure equality of treatment, particularly in times where an essentially negative approach to migration has meant migrants, or individuals perceived as migrants, are often treated as second class persons.”
The European Report, the 27 national reports, as well as a report on Racist violence in Europe, produced by ENAR, are available on the ENAR website
The European report “Racism in Europe - ENAR Shadow Report 2009/2010”can also be ordered in hard copy in English and French from the ENAR secretariat
European Network Against Racism
NEO-NAZIS FACE COURT FOR ONLINE RADIO CONTENT (Germany)
Eighteen operators of a right-wing extremist online radio station face a Koblenz court on Monday for incitement of hatred. They face up to five years in prison. The trial at the district court was scheduled to begin at 9:30 am, when the men aged 20 to 37-years-old stand accused of forming a criminal organisation. As administrators and moderators of Widerstand Radio, or “Resistance Radio,” the group allegedly played music by German and international neo-Nazi bands. The music was also accompanied by racist commentary and illegal National Socialist sentiments, according to prosecutors. The group was arrested in November 2010 during raids by Federal Criminal Police (BKA) in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North-Rhine Westphalia. If the defendants are convicted they face up to five years behind bars.
The Local Germany
The Local Germany
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)