EDL outnumbered in Bristol

Reposted from Anti-Fascist Network

Yesterday evening’s demonstration against the EDL in Bristol seems to have gone well despite short notice.

A dozen EDL supporters outnumbered by police & anti-fascists
outside City Hall (photo: @Bristol_Culture)

The local Bristol EDL had called a demonstration outside a meeting that was to be discussing an application to convert the empty Jesters comedy club in Stokes Croft into an Islamic religious and cultural centre. The event was to be for members of the Assahaba Centre group proposing the development to “discuss the objectors’ concerns and provide a better insight into the Islamic faith”. Funnily enough no one objecting to the development was interested in this and the meeting was cancelled due to lack of interest from objectors. The EDL not interested in actually hearing about the Muslim faith from some actual Muslims? Who’d have thought?

The council made the decision to approve the mosque application the day before the EDL protest.

So the EDL held a barely half hour long protest outside a meeting that wasn’t happening because they refused to go to it, before they headed back to the pubs they came from.

EDL pioneer radical new Y-fronts-as-headgear look

Bristol UAF, Bristol Anti-Fascist Co-operative and Bristol Anti-Fascists mobilised against the EDL. There were about 100 anti-fascists opposing about 30 EDL, from most accounts. Outnumbering the fascists 3 to 1 is not bad for short notice.

There was a frank exchange of views and some minor skirmishing.

For more background on the Stokes Croft Islamic centre and the EDL’s campaign against it, including multiple threats to “burn it down”, see our previous post.

This particular local struggle in Bristol may not be over yet, but this was a positive moment, showing that the EDL will be opposed wherever they raise their heads.

Counter-protest the EDL flash demo in Bristol jan 7th

Info below taken from another opposition page on facebook.

“The English Defence League have announced a flash mob demonstration for next Tuesday evening at 6pm (7th January) at College Green outside the Council House. They are demonstrating outside the Council House in protest at a planning application to convert a building in Stokes Croft into an Islamic Cultural and Religious Centre. Their demonstration is clearly designed to stir racial division and hatred in the city.

Bristol Unite Against Fascism are calling a counter demonstration at College Green to begin at 530pm on Tuesday 7th. We welcome all anti-racists and anti-fascists.”

Click for larger map

Jailed mosque blaze pair ‘went on marches with EDL’

TWO men who set fire to a mosque met at Hester’s Way Library in Cheltenham and went on English Defence League marches together, a court was told.

Clive Ceronne, 37, and Ashley Juggins, 21, were former members of the controversial group before starting the blaze at Masjid-E-Noor in Ryecroft Street, Gloucester.

Gloucester Crown Court was told yesterday the pair had been driving around and shouting abuse at Muslims on the evening before the arson.

Ceronne was jailed for four-and-a-half years and Juggins for three-and-a-half after the pair pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Juggins, of Brooklyn Road, in Cheltenham, poured petrol on the mosque’s steps before sparking a rag and setting it alight, causing £3,200 damage.

CCTV stills from the attack

The blaze came 27 days after the death of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was killed in Woolwich.

Prosecutor Peter Coombes said: “Ceronne used to work for P&L Security and was posted to Hester’s Way Library where they met.

“His previous employer said Juggins told people that Ceronne had taken him to an EDL rally and had expressed anti-Muslim views to his boss, but also said he had changed his views now.”

In mitigation, Dermot Clarke said Juggins was first introduced to the EDL marches four years ago, but had since stopped taking part.

Mr Clarke said: “He left after two years because, in his own words, he describes the meetings as degenerating into no more than throwing things at the police, however he remained in contact with Ceronne.

“I would be doing him a disservice if I did not mention the influence. He was unemployed, lacking sophistication and befriended by an older man that perhaps had an agenda.”

Since being remanded in prison, Juggins was said to have attended church three times a week.

The court was told Ceronne of Redwood Close in Gloucester had been the county’s divisional officer of the New British Union.

The group is said to be styled on Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, which was banned in the 1940s, after it aligned itself with Nazi Germany.

On its website, Ceronne claimed to have been involved in “far right cults, including the EDL”.

Joe Maloney, for Ceronne, said: “He has had time to reflect on his beliefs, which is not to say he will change his beliefs, drastically over- night.”

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Black Country mosque bomber Pavlo Lapshyn jailed for life

A racist terrorist who planted bombs at three mosques in the Black Country and murdered a man was today jailed for life.

Pavlo Lapshyn will spend a minimum of 40 years behind bars after mounting his campaign of terror across the West Midlands.

His sentencing was delayed after a suspect package was found in the court sparking an evacuation of the Old Bailey.

Staff and members of the public were told to leave the building shortly after 1pm while investigations were carried out.

After the unnamed item was checked thought officials said it was not a danger to the public.

No –one was detained in relation to the drama.

Jailing Lapshyn at the Old Bailey today, Judge Nigel Sweeney said: “You clearly hold extreme right wing, white supremacist views.

“Such views, hatred and motivation, are abhorrent to all right thinking people and have no place whatsoever in our multi faith, multi-cultural society.

“You were intent on finding a Muslim to murder, it seems to me you acted alone and were motivated by your extreme, appalling prejudices.”

West Midlands Police footage of the interview with jailed terrorist Pavlo Lapshyn.

The 25-year-old Ukranian had wanted to start a race war and told police he targeted his victims simply because they were not white.

But today Lapshyn, who was described by police as ‘extremely dangerous’, was handed the lengthy prison term.

The nail bomber’s 90-day campaign of terror began just five days after he entered the country.

He stabbed Mohammed Saleem three times in the back, killing the 82-year-old as he walked home from evening prayers in Birmingham on April 29.

On June 21, he targeted Walsall’s Aisha Mosque in Rutter Street, Caldmore, when he planted explosive devices in a child’s lunch box at the mosque gates.

Then seven days later he placed a bomb on a roundabout near Wolverhampton Central Mosque.

But his most serious attack was at Kanz-ul-Iman mosque in Tipton, where he packed hundreds of nails in a bomb on a railway embankment next to the mosque’s car park.

Pavlo Lapshyn is seen blowing up a tree believed to be in Ukraine in footage released by West Midlands Police.

Worshippers were only saved from serious harm as Friday afternoon prayers were being held an hour later than usual on the first Friday of Ramadan.

Lapshyn said he had planted the bombs because he wanted to ‘increase racial hatred’.

On Monday Lapshyn admitted murdering Mr Saleem, causing an explosion on July 12 and engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between April 24 and July 18.

Link

Man admits pensioner murder and mosque attack

A Ukrainian student with a hatred of “non-whites” pleads guilty to stabbing an 82-year-old grandfather to death and causing explosions near mosques in the West Midlands.

Pavlo Lapshyn

Pavlo Lapshyn, a postgraduate student from Dnipropetrovsk, in Ukraine, who moved to Birmingham after winning a work placement contest, was charged with the murder of Mohammed Saleem as he walked home from a mosque.

Mr Saleem, the pensioner and father-of-seven, was stabbed three times just yards from his house as he walked home alone after worship on 29 April. He was described as “a much-loved and respected community member” in a family statement at the time.

Twenty-five-year-old Lapshyn also admitted to causing an explosion on 12 July near the Kanzal Iman mosque in Tipton and planting bombs near mosques in Walsall and Wolverhampton, researching locations to plant bombs and buying chemicals on the internet to make explosives.

He will reappear at the Old Bailey for sentencing on Friday 25 October.

Mohammed Saleem

The court heard how the self-confessed racist, from Dnipropetrovesk but in the UK on a year-long visa had “acted alone.”

Detective Superintendent Shaun Edwards, from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “In interview Lapshyn stressed he was acting alone – not part of a wider cell or influenced by any group – and was keen to take credit for masterminding and carrying out the attacks.”

Mr Lapshyn would undoubtedly have gone on to ramp-up his bombing campaign, had he not been caught, the court heard.

Mr Edwards added: “We found part-made devices in Lapshyn’s room – plus chemicals and bomb-making equipment – so it is clear he planned to place further devices with the intention of killing or maiming innocent members of the public.

Nails collected from the blast site in Tipton

“All three of the devices he detonated were powerful but his final attack in Tipton was the first to feature shrapnel and nails.

“He placed this near the mosque’s car-park with the intention of hitting worshippers as they arrived for prayers – thankfully the service had been put back an hour so the mosque was largely deserted when the bomb went off.”

Mr Lapshyn planted the first of his improvised explosive devices – hidden in a child’s lunchbox – by gates outside Walsall’s Aisha Mosque in Rutter Street on 21 June and followed that seven days later by detonating an IED on a roundabout near Wolverhampton Central Mosque.

And on 12 July he packed hundreds of nails into a bomb placed on a rail embankment near Kanzul Iman Masjid mosque in Binfield Street, Tipton, which sent debris flying across the car-park and into a residential street.

Detectives investigating the initial Walsall blast trawled many hours of CCTV and managed to identify Lapshyn arriving at the scene with his deadly package and leaving minutes later empty handed.

More security camera scrutiny enabled officers to plot the Ukraine Metallurgical Academy graduate’s route on a bus to Birmingham and an earlier service taking him into the city centre from Small Heath.

The Ukrainian had been in the UK on a sponsored work placement at a software firm in the Small Heath area of Birmingham when he was arrested on suspicion of Mr Saleem’s murder nearby on 20 July.

Speaking outside the court, Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale described Lapshyn as “dangerous and evil.”

He said: “I hope they (Mr Saleem’s family) get some solace from it. You must feel for them when they lose their dad in such circumstances.

“But hopefully it will be one small step in coming to terms with what has been an awful, awful time.”

He added: “He (Lapshyn) was extremely dangerous. It is of great relief that he is not free to walk the streets any further.

“He’s a dangerous, evil and completely ill-informed man. There is no justification for the crimes he committed or the intent that he has.

“He was operating alone, he was a lone actor.”

Link

Nails found after ‘terror’ explosion near Tipton mosque

Debris and nails were found near a mosque in Tipton following an explosion that was this afternoon being treated as terrorism.

Police at Coneygree Road in Tipton which has been closed

 Police evacuated a large part of the town after a loud bang was heard by residents living near the Kanz-ul-Iman Muslim Welfare Association Central Jamia Mosque in Binfield Street.

Residents said shortly after that they had discovered debris and nails.

Roads closures included Sedgley Road East at Dudley Port, Dudley Port at Tudor Court, Jays Avenue at Tudor Court/Tudor Street, Park Lane East at Slater Street, Crompton Road at Martin Road and Victoria Road at Park Street.

Officers were called to Binfield Street just after 1pm and a cordon was set up immediately.

There are no reports of any injuries, but police have evacuated the area as a precaution.

Sedgley Road East near Binfield Street which has been closed after residents heard a loud bang

Wasin Kahn, a member of the congregation spoke of how he heard the explosion.

The 23-year-old who lives on Park Lane East in Tipton  said: “I heard a loud bang, at first I didn’t think anything of it.

“The police were called and they evacuated the mosque and some houses at the back. There are around 20 police cars here, we just don’t know what’s going on.

A resident of nearby Crompton Road said she was alerted to the incident when she saw police cars racing past her home, she said: “I was about to go out shopping at around 2pm and saw a number of police cars flying down Victoria Road and I thought ‘what’s going on here?’ “I didn’t think much of it then I got a call from friends asking if I was safe.”

John Brown who works at The MOT Bay on Sedgley Road East said: “I heard a bang and it sounded like a gas canister going off but we’re next to a tyre place and I thought it could have been a tyre that had blown.

“As soon as I saw the police coming down here and the streets being sealed off I knew it was something serious. The police helicopter is hovering above us.”

Commercial manager Mark Watton was just yards away when he heard ‘an almighty bang’.

Mr Watton, aged 49, from Bloxwich, was working on his late mother’s house in Coneygre Road at the time.

“The house is the other side of the railway embankment from the mosque, probably less than 50 years away,” he said.

“I was working at the house and heard this very loud bang. It was just after 1pm. I rushed outside but couldn’t see anything or anyone. I popped out to get some spare parts a few moments later and when I came back, 20 minutes later, the whole area was sealed off by the police.”

Article

..Finally, not being classed as a “hate crime”

More on the continuing wave of racist attacks against mosques here

Swastikas sprayed on walls and windows of Redditch mosque during break-in

“MEETINGS are to take place between police and Muslim leaders after a Redditch mosque was attacked and racist graffiti, including swastikas, was painted on the building.

The damage at the mosque in Jinnah Road was caused between 2am and shortly before 4.30am this morning, when it was discovered by a targeted police patrol.

Graffiti including swastikas had been sprayed onto walls and at least six windows, using paint taken from builders’ cabins on the site, which is still under construction.

Photo from BBC news website

Entry to the site was forced via a gate and the intruders then broke into the main building. It is not known at this stage whether anything has been stolen.

Police have informed mosque representatives and are currently guarding the site and carrying out local reassurance patrols. Forensic examinations are ongoing.

North Worcestershire police commander, Superintendent Kevin Purcell, said: “For as long as I can remember the relationship between the Muslim community in Redditch, the police and the wider community would best be described as excellent.

Photo from BBC news website

“Due to incidents happening nationally targeted patrols have been put in place and these will now be further increased as we will not tolerate mindless attacks of this nature.

“I will be arranging meetings with the chairs of the mosques, local civic leaders and the Independent Advisory Group to reassure them of our commitment and determination to do everything possible to prevent any further such incidents and track down those responsible for this attack.”

Link

Meanwhile in Worcester..

Two women subjected to “vile tirade” of racist abuse

 Do you know man who racially assaulted taxi driver?

 New image of man who racially assaulted taxi driver in Worcester

So a bomb outside a mosque isn’t designed to “terrorise”?

Seems like plod and the state are being very selective with their words concerning racist or possible racist attacks since drummer Lee Rigby died. If an army barracks/ Govt building was firebombed or an explosive device was found nearby they would hardly call it a “hate crime”…

Police call home-made bomb outside Walsall’s Ashia Mosque a ‘hate crime’ and draft in counter-terror police

Remains of the bomb were handled by different people before committee rang police on suspicious item

Counter-terror police have been called in to assist with a major hate crime investigation after a small home-made bomb that had exploded near a mosque was discovered on Saturday night.

Around 150 people were evacuated from their homes, and 80 had to stay in temporary accommodation in the Caldmore area of Walsall on Saturday night to allow bomb disposal experts to make the device safe.

West Midlands Police confirmed the blast heard by residents on Friday “appeared to be consistent” with the device exploding. The remains of the device were not discovered until the following evening, when a member of the public found the remains. No one was injured and the device caused minimal damage.

The device was discovered in an alleyway adjoining the Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre in Rutter Street on Saturday by a local man who took it home and showed it to his wife.

Later, the mosque’s imam also took the remains home before anyone realised their significance. Eventually members of the committee and local residents gathered at the mosque and decided to call police about the item, which reportedly contained a battery.

Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe said on Sunday evening: “The force is taking this attack against the mosque very seriously and we have a major investigation under way.

“To that end, I have called in support from all over the force, including the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, which has a number of experts supporting the inquiry.

“Specialist investigators have been working all day and continue to ensure that we maximise every opportunity from the crime scene.”

She added: “At this stage we are keeping an open mind on a motive, but have recorded it as a hate crime.”

She described a hate crime as: “Any criminal act committed against a person or property that is motivated by the offender’s hatred of people because of their gender, race, religion, disability or sexual orientation.”

In a bid to reassure the community of their safety Walsall police have been patrolling the area, despite believing that the planting of the device was an isolated incident.

Zia Ul-Haq, a committee member and spokesman for the mosque, told BBC WM committee members contacted police at about 10.15pm because the device looked suspicious.

“It was found by one of our worshippers who after midday prayer was going home, and he had a look and it looked suspicious, so he picked it up and took it home.

“He showed it his wife and his wife said, ‘Well, it looks like something suspicious so you should take it to the mosque’. So he brought it to the mosque but unfortunately there was nobody responsible in the mosque so he took it back home.

“Then he brought it back in the evening and then our imam had a look at it, and he took it home because nobody thought it was that serious.

“I said it looks suspicious and we decided to call the police. As soon as the police came they said we should not have handled it.”

Mr Ul-Haq thanked officers and the local council for the measures they had taken to support the community in the aftermath of the discovery.

He said: “They have taken this very seriously and they have supported us wholeheartedly and we are very grateful to the police and the local authority.

“We are not suspecting anybody, we are leaving it in the good hands of the police. We have beautiful relationships with the local community and we’ve never had any trouble at all at our mosque.”

Mr Ul-Haq told the BBC that the mosque had been a part of the community for more than 40 years and held strong relations with communities of all faiths, often holding open days for non-Muslims.

“We never ever thought there was going to be a problem and people are still finding it hard that somebody could have targeted us.”

Bomb disposal experts from the Royal Logistic Corps attended the scene to ensure the device was safe and forensic teams spent several hours conducting a detailed search for evidence.

About 80 people evacuated from the area as a precautionary measure overnight were given shelter by Walsall Council, while 70 residents stayed with friends or family.

Councillor Zahid Ali, portfolio holder for public health and protection, said the community was standing together “shoulder to shoulder” in support of the police.

“Walsall has really shown its mettle in coming together and responding with calm determination.”

The incident comes after a number of recent events at mosques following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, London. Last week two men were charged in relation to an alleged arson at a mosque in Gloucester, and an Islamic cultural centre in Grimsby was hit by petrol bombs last month.

Link

Update

Arrest in explosive device find near Walsall mosque

SICKO! EDL Uses The Murder of Woolwich Victim For Thier Own Gain.

Reposted from Anti-Fascist Network

Last night in a calm, considered and educated manor the EDL thought about its response to the brutal public murder, and botched beheading of a man going about his business in Woolwich, London….Not really, as you might expect from a group of reactionary right wing morons they set about making the most of the situation and used the murder as an excuse to dress up like terrorists and run around with plod. They got pissed, the celebrations got out of hand, and they ended up smashing up a pub before fighting with police. Vice magazine took some good photo’s of the pricks here – Vice pics.

London EDL, Bexley Div – Celebrating the fact they think there’s a 
chance for a bit of racism.

The EDL is really going to milk this horrible incident, giving the two murderers exactly what they wanted; divided communities. As has been said many times, the British far right (EDL etc) and lunatic religious extremists are two sides of the same coin. The religious extremists can’t get any support for their insane ideas from 99.9% of British Muslims, so they carry out a brutal murder and the EDL responds just as the extremists would like, they attack the innocent – ruining lives and communities, and trying to divide us in a way that the religious fanatics could never have done on their own. It’s lucky for the rest of us that the Muslim community is in general very thoughtful, and reacts to the threats with a dignity that the EDL followers will never know.

There have already been incidents of attacks against innocent Muslim communities – in Essex a masked man walked into a mosque brandishing knives, in Kent a mosque was vandalised and in Bolton cars outside a mosque have been done over. One shitsack ‘patriot’ has been spreading lies on twitter that ordinary Muslims in Oldham were celebrating in the streets!?! This lie was then spread by CxF and EDL until GM Police had to take to twitter to say it was a load of old cobblers. On BBC Radio Five a caller of Indian decent, with kids in the army, talked of how she did not feel safe with the EDL running around blaming all brown people.

Other EDL divisions throughout the country who have been surrendered for some time are springing into life again to capitalise on the horrific murder. No doubt the Newcastle EDL organisers are rubbing their hands in glee, hoping that this death will boost their numbers at Saturdays protest. The EDL has called for a demo for bank holiday Monday outside Downing Street – presumably as the two murderers were sent on an all expenses paid cruise rather than being shot, uh? Time for London to unite and show the haters where to go! All Antifascists will be remaining vigilant over the coming weeks – to again try to stop the rot the far right brings to our streets, and using the upsurge in EDL facebook activity to gather intelligence on organised racism.

YAY “we got what we wanted” Sick fascists, yesterday evening.

Below is a statement from an AFN  affiliated group, speaking on behalf of the Anti-Fascist Network.

The Anti-Fascist Network deplores the murder of a young man in Woolwich yesterday and our condolences go out to his family and friends. We also deplore the use of this incident by the far right to stir up Islamophobia once again.

 By calling a ‘terrorist alert’ the government has shamelessly sought political capital from what was clearly an isolated act of brutality by a couple of lone psychopaths claiming to be Muslims. There are maniacs in every community and grouping, not least the far right. The loss of a life in such horrific circumstances is always a tragedy for those involved, just as it was when fascists killed Altab Ali or when the police killed Blair Peach.

 

Meanwhile the Muslim community has conducted itself with dignity, and a huge number of individual Muslims have spontaneously taken to social media to disassociate themselves from any kind of sectarian violence.

 

Unlike the EDL, now virtually a spent force, who have chosen to use this man’s death to go on a recruiting drive and encourage attacks on minorities. The Internet is now buzzing with ‘patriots’, nationalists and fascists eager to exploit the situation – please don’t encourage them by carelessly repeating their drivel.

 

We will all need to be vigilant, and work with our communities against any rise in fascist activity.

 

We reproduce below a statement from the Muslim Council of Great Britain:

“This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and we condemn this unreservedly.

 Our thoughts are with the victim and his family.We understand the victim is a serving member of the Armed Forces. Muslims have long served in this country’s Armed Forces, proudly and with honour.

This attack on a member of the Armed Forces is dishonourable, and no cause justifies this murder. This action will no doubt heighten tensions on the streets of the United Kingdom.

We call on all our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim, to come together in solidarity to ensure the forces of hatred do not prevail.”

 – Muslim Council of Great Britain

There’s another blog post worth checking here: Andy Carrington

Photo’s in this article are taken by extremely good looking, talented photographers, who work with Vice Magazine , used without permission (sorry).

[Ends]

Callout:

“Calling For South London Anti-Fascist Response to EDL in Woolwich”