“Man jailed for racist attack on Cheltenham mosque”

A man has been jailed after leaving a pigs head tied to the gates of Cheltenham Mosque and daubing racist graffiti, in an apparent ‘revenge attack’ against Muslims after seeing members of the extremist ‘Muslims Against Crusades’ burn poppies on remembrance day.

Simon Parkes

The incident happened on November 13th 2010, when him and an unknown accomplice arrived late at night, hooded and masked up. They left the pigs head tied to the gate, and painted ‘Rag Heads Out’ on a wall.

Simon Parkes, 45, of Crown Close, Bishop’s Cleeve, was charged with racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage and a public order offence on July 14, 2012. On August 9 he pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates and yesterday he was been sentenced to four months at Gloucester Crown Court.

– Whilst 3 Counties Anti-Fascists fully condemn the racist actions of Simon Parkes and his indiscriminate targeting of Muslims, we would also like to point out that we fully oppose the hate-filled ideology behind ‘Muslims Against Crusades.’ We believe that they and groups such as the EDL and BNP are different sides of the same coin – both standing in the way of working class unity , freedom and equality.

Possible racist graffiti in Herefordshire

In the last couple of months swastikas and anti-Polish graffiti has appeared on a number of road signs across Herefordshire. West Mercia Plod said there is no racist motive and put it down to ‘pranksters.’ The fact that a number of swastikas have also appeared and the clear anti-Polish sentiment makes us think differently.

3 Counties Anti-Fascists are appealing for any information relating to the graffiti; so if you know who’s responsible or spot any more, then please get in touch.

When hate slogans appear and stay in place for a long time it gives the impression that nobody in the area cares. This makes racists feel more confident and foreigners more isolated. When they get removed quickly the opposite message is sent out.

If you spot any racist or fascist graffiti anywhere in the Three Counties, take a picture, remove it if you can, and send us an email at 3cafa@riseup.net giving the date and location so we can add it to our database.

BNP rally ‘closed down’ in Glasgow

“Scores of trade union activists and anti-fascist campaigners have prevented the racist BNP and Scottish Defence League from holding what they described as a ‘national rally’ in Scotland.

BNP leader, Nick Griffin, had been due to attend an outdoor rally in Glasgow city centre.

In the event, three members of a small, breakaway fascist group turned up.

They were confronted by more than 200 counter-protesters and following an hour-long stand-off with police, they left the area.

Speaking at a rally immediately afterwards, deputy general secretary of the Scottish TUC, Dave Moxham told supporters: “Our job is to say that whenever fascists raise their heads, we will tell people – ‘you are not part of a proper democratic discourse, you are the enemies of a proper democratic discourse.’

“What they [BNP leaders] believe is that at a time of economic crisis, at a time of strife overseas, that this is their time. And they cannot believe that over the last couple of ears they have failed to get any traction in Scotland for their hatred.”

The rally was supported by a number of unions, including Unite, UNISON and the EIS teachers’ union.

Scottish National Party MSP Humza Yousa told  demonstrators: “This was a great victory for the voices of hope, the voices of tolerance, against the voices of those who try to divide us.

“We are proud of being the ‘chapati and chips city’; the city of bhangra and bagpipes.

UnionNews will post a film report on the demonstration and rally later.

Watch our Twitter feed @UnionNewsUK for updates.”

source

*Update July 29th “BNP chief’s terror in clash with protesters”

The so-called “Master race” in Liverpool today

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Reports: Liverpool echo and Liverpool Antifascists

Protest against the EDL – Bristol (14 July 2012)

Decent report from Standing Stone’s blog on yesterday’s events in Bristol and an updated report from EDLNews “EDL Bristol demo decends into gay bashing and racism“. Post demo reports continue at Bristol indymedia.

Casualties United Seaside Album (Brighton June 2nd)

Source

(Callout from Germany) Hamburg next Saturday: No future for the Nazis!

“One of the biggest Nazi marches in Germany takes place next Saturday in Hamburg. Project Antifa gives you the background for the march.

Saturday 2 June, the Nazis under the slogan “Day of the German future – our signal against over immigration,” march in Hamburg. Anti-Fascists have called for the demonstration and blockade – the demonstration will start at 9.30 on Gerhardt Hauptmann-Platz, the square just off the Central Station.

The Nazis tried to get approved an eight-hour march in Hamburg’s city center and the district of Altona. This has been rejected by the authorities because the resistance in these neighborhoods will be too great. Instead, they will demonstrate in the district of Wandsbek, which is not far from Hamburg’s city center. Wandsbek have also been victims of Nazi marches several times in the past. The Nazis have proclaimed that they will be over a thousand participants.

Since 2009, the Nazis tried each year to assert itself in June with “a day for the German Future”. Officially becomes the march organized by the initiative “Future rather than immigration,” which is a grouping of several regions, bringing together both free friendship groups and NPD-wishers from all over northern Germany. Several of the organizers has for decades been the key people in the North German Nazi environment.

The neo-Nazi groups around Hamburg, are closely linked. This is evident when you look closely at who is behind the march. The notifier Thorsten Schuster, a member of the NPD in Hamburg. The current president of NPD-Hamburg Torben Klebe, played an important role in building the militant network Blood & Honour in the area. His deputy in the Hamborgske NPD, Thomas ‘Steiner’ Wulff, one of the ideological authors of the concept behind the free fellowship groups. He was also a reviewer of the first “day for the German future-march” in 2009 in Pinneberg.

The fifth May, more than 3,000 people to a festival against Nazi march. The mobilization of the anti-fascist activities are in full swing and the mobilization of wide everywhere in Germany.

A broad initiative with 200 different organizations and support groups, call for demonstration and picketing, including unions migrantiske initiatives, anti-fascist groups, autonomous groups, neighborhood initiatives, student political organizations and fodboldfanklubber from St. Pauli and HSV. Preliminary list of initiatives that support. The initiative leaning “Dresden Nazifrei” who organized the great mass picketing in Dresden, in February. Against this background, they have decided a block code, similar to that in Dresden.

It reads:

– We use civil disobedience against Nazi march.

– From our side there will be no escalation.

– Our mass picketing, human blockades.

– We are in solidarity with all who share our goal to prevent Nazi march.

Autonomous and anti-fascist groups in Hamburg has convened modaktiviteter the day. In a call they write, among other things:

“Opposition to the big Nazi march in Dresden and Hamburg in 2008, has shown that it is successfully to act in solidarity and commitment. Using a concept which we jointly stand side by side from mass picketing on direct action, as it was in Dresden in February, will be repeated in Hamburg. We are determined to prevent Nazi march! ”

“We want to make Nazi march in Hamburg on 2 June to a failure! We urge everyone to protest and show resistance, no matter by what means you choose. We are in solidarity with all who share our goal to prevent Nazi march. No future for the Nazis – Attacker racist state! ”

The expected anti-fascists from all over Germany and neighboring countries. From several towns people travel by buses, and in Berlin is a common departure by train. It is clear already that the anti-fascist mobilization will be one of the largest in many years, in northern Germany.”

There are direct train service from Copenhagen and Aarhus to Hamburg Central Station. Eurolines has buses to Hamburg.

More info about the anti-fascist activities:

Info on the march: Kein tag der Deutschen Zukunft

Wide Anti fascist group in Hamburg

If you need a bunk, then you can contact them here: cchamburg.blogsport.eu

Bristol Calling 14/07/12

Repost from Anti-Fascist Network

On the 14th July the EDL are proving their stupidity by attempting to march through Bristol. Bristol Anti-Fascists are hard at work organising a community response – here are some leaflets and stickers to view, print off, and distribute… have fun!! (drop us a mail if you can’t use the ones here and we can arrange to e-mail you the files in a different format.) More Info to follow closer to the time. Get involved innit!

Racism at Ross-on-Wye hunt

Lee Peters, huntsman with the Herefordshire-based Ross Harriers hunt, was arrested on Saturday after racially abusing a hunt saboteur who was present to try and stop illegal hunting from taking place.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association said, “As the Harriers left their meet at Penny Farthing, Aston Crews, Mr. Peters shouted racist remarks about a saboteur to other members of the hunt. Fortunately he was overheard by an independent witness who called the police.”

Only weeks ago Alan Morgan of the neighbouring Cotswold Vale Farmers Foxhounds, based in Gloucestershire, plead guilty to racially abusing another hunt saboteur and was fined £100 and ordered to pay £200 compensation to his victim.

If hunts in the region think it’s acceptable to use racial abuse and intimidation as a weapon then they’ll soon be attracting the attention of not only animal rights activists and the police, but also anti-racists and anti-fascists.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association press release on the incident is here.

Anti-fascist news update

Britain First, British National Party and Trams
The arrest of Emma West for the now infamous ‘My Tram Experience’ racist rant video on Youtube sparked backlash from the far-right, with groups competing for the best ‘Free Emma West’ campaign.

The British National Party wasted no time getting their ugly mugs involved, and their new splinter group, Britain First, jumped at the opportunity to have a campaign and some publicity of their own.

She’s now been released on bail…and Britain First activists have been left scratching their heads, wondering what to do next.

British Freedom Party and zee EDL
With splits happening left, right and centre, and rapidly declining turnouts on demos, the English Defence League have decided it’s time for some reinventing. They’ve entered a pact with the other new BNP spin off, British Freedom Party. They believe the pact will give EDL activists somebody to vote for, a prospect that the BFP has gleefully jumped at.

However this is hardly the best suited of marriages, and it’s doubtful that it will be too long before real cracks start to show. In a leaked British Freedom Party ‘Skype meeting,’ they have already laid out that they are the ones who should wear the trousers and discussed how the EDL can be ‘used.’

You can listen to it here.

Down South
Anti-fascists have been busy on the south coast recently, harrying the British National Party at their every turn.

An article from Schnews said, “Over the last month, the BNP have been trying to establish a street presence down south. They’ve attempted with varying degrees of success to hold stalls in Worthing and Bognor, and made a morale-boosting effort to host Nick Griffin in Hastings. Throughout they have been opposed by a rag-tag but determined bag of anti-fascists.

Although they have managed to hold street stalls under the radar, Griffinbore couldn’t show his face in Hastings and a constant weekend vigil by anti-fascists has frustrated any further stalls. The most recent effort in Worthing on Remembrance Sunday was abandoned as quote “there are too many scruffy commies in town”.

A further blow for them came when they advertised a meeting on their website happening in Bognor/Littlehampton on 15th November at 7.30pm. Spice was added to this snoreathon by an attempt to keep the meeting place secret.

Unfortunately for them, they aren’t running a very tight ship and the venue location was leaked – Aldwick Parish Hall. On the night of the meeting anti-fascists attached banners saying “Racism in secret is still racism” to road signs and roundabouts along the route to the hall. In the face of such opposition, the meeting was called off and never took place.”

For more check out Brighton Anti-Fascists site.

Sweden
There were clashes in Stockholm on Saturday 10th December, as anti-fascists attempted to block the annual ‘Salem march’ by far-right and fascist activists.

Around 400 people were taking part in the fascist march, with anarchists, socialists, trade unionists and others coming out against them. Bricks, bottles, firecrackers and flares reined down on the fascist procession, as the police ran around trying their best to protect them. 2 fascists received hospital treatment and half a dozen arrests made.

The BNP’s Nick Griffin joined the rally, one of his many recent jollies around European fascist events – no doubt at the expense of European tax payers.

Here’s a video that sets the scene of the day…

Montreal
A small march by around 30 members of the far-right separatist group, Légion Nationale, came into contact with anti-fascists in downtown Montreal at the end of November. Around 15 anti-fascists made their arrival known and pelted the march with bricks and bottles. Unfortunately around 10 arrests were made.