Oppose the EDL in Worcester!

On Saturday 22nd March the far-right protest group, English Defence League, are planning to hold a ‘national demonstration’ in Worcester.

They have randomly chosen the city to be the next host of their vile politics of racism and bigotry, only seeking to further divide communities in a time of brutal austerity measures by the Tories and their economic class.

We are calling for as many people as possible to come out and let them know that their politics of hatred and division are not welcome!

Keep the date in your diary, check back on this site for details and updates.

32 in court to be sentenced over Walsall EDL violence (+ updates)

Men were found guilty of violent disorder after protesters clashed with police in September 2012

Thirty two men will appear in court this week to be sentenced after violence erupted at an English Defence League demonstration in Walsall last year.

Over a period of four days the defendants will all appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court for their final hearing, after being convicted of violent disorder earlier this year.

The men were arrested and charged following an investigation by West Midlands Police Force CID following violence in Walsall town centre on September 29, 2012.

A series of operations were staged across the country to arrest people suspected of involvement in the disorder, which broke out when members of the protest group tried to break through police lines.

A further 17 men have already appeared before magistrates where they have been sentenced for crimes ranging from public order offences to criminal damage.

Det Chief Insp Pete Dunn, who led the police investigation into the disorder, said: “The majority of the people who visited Walsall to protest that day were law-abiding.

“However a small number of people decided to get involved in a few ugly scenes when protestors began to try and break through police lines and throw missiles.

“Thirty people were arrested at the time, and we continued to arrest people from as far and wide as Dorset and County Durham over the weeks and months that followed.

“This week sees the culmination of a detailed, painstaking investigation by a dedicated team of officers who were determined to bring those people to justice.

“We recovered many hours of CCTV, mobile phone and police footage which led to more than 450 hours of detective work to identify those responsible for bringing violence to the streets of Walsall.

“These court proceedings underline the fact that we will pursue people who commit crime in the West Midlands, no matter how long it takes, and bring them to justice.”

Chief Supt Dave Sturman, commander for Walsall and in charge of the operation on the day, added: “We recognise that the people of Walsall were both concerned and inconvenienced on the day and we hope that residents are reassured by our continuing efforts to bring those involved in disorder in the town to justice.

“The message to people intent on bringing violence to the streets of the West Midlands when attending such events is clear – we will not tolerate disorder or any form of anti social behaviour.

“The force takes a hard line against anyone who comes to the West Midlands and creates disorder, whether it be in the name of an organisation or just for devilment.

“If you commit such crimes we will track you down and ultimately you will be brought before the courts.”

Despite violence breaking out at the EDL demonstration, only a small number of protesters and police officers sustained minor cuts and bruises.

There were no serious injuries.

All 32 men will appear before Wolverhampton Crown Courtto be sentenced between Monday, December 16-Thursday, December 19.

Link

updates

16.12.13

Judge slams ‘mob violence’ as seven jailed over Walsall EDL demonstration

17.12.13

Seven jailed after EDL violence in Walsall

Dudley man jailed for joining mob violence at EDL demo

EDLNews updates

18.12.13

Day of reckoning for yobs in Walsall EDL violence

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

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

“Worcester UKIP candidate Richard Delingpole in Photoshopped Hitler picture row”

The posh nazis at UKIP try and hide behind the ‘joke’ tag yet again..

The picture featuring Richard Delingpole and Adolf Hitler

“A UK Independence Party election candidate in Worcester has published a doctored image of himself on the internet standing behind Adolf Hitler.

Richard Delingpole, who is standing for county council election in the Riverside ward, posted the image on Twitter.

One political rival has branded the picture “sickening and abhorrent”.

But the businessman, of Henwick Road, St John’s, has insisted the image was a joke in response to reports that the Conservative party is trawling social networking sites looking for dirt on UKIP candidates.

The picture shows Adolf Hitler, with three henchmen standing behind him, all of whom have had their faces changed to a youthful looking Mr Delingpole.

Yesterday UKIP’s Worcester branch apologised, blaming a “very deep sense of humour” which could be misunderstood.

Carl Humphries, the branch organiser for Worcester and Mid-Worcestershire, said he would not be thrown out of the party.

“I can assure you he is definitely not a Nazi or anything like that – he’s got a very deep sense of humour,” he said.

“He has been vetted by me, all our candidates are clean in every respect, but I am sorry if this offended people.”

Mr Delingpole, who runs a design agency, has now deleted the picture.

“There’s a story going around that the Tories are trawling Facebook accounts of UKIP candidates to drag up things about them, this was a joke based on that,” he said.

“Of course people won’t think I’m an Adolf Hitler sympathiser, to suggest otherwise is disingenuous.

“It’s clearly a picture of Adolf Hitler I have photo-shopped, it shows we’ve got a sense of humour.”

Mr Delingpole, who is a war re-enactor, said the image first appeared on his Facebook page some time ago after a friend joked that he was a Nazi.

 He posted it on Twitter yesterday morning with the caption: “I really must get rid of some of these old Facebook images before the Tories get hold of them” before deleting it.

But the image was seen by a Conservative councillor in another part of the country, who tipped off colleagues in Worcestershire.

Yesterday Coun Simon Geraghty, who is standing for the Conservative party in Riverside, said: “I find it absolutely sickening and abhorrent.

“I think the vast majority of British people will find this shocking – it’s not funny at all, it’s dreadful and I can’t believe he’s done it.”

UKIP is fielding 1,734 candidates in tomorrow’s council elections, but over the last few days it has been forced to suspend three candidates – one for being an ex-BNP activist, another for “liking” the extremist English Defence League on Facebook, and the third for being a former National Front Organiser.

Yesterday, a spokesman from UKIP’s national HQ in London said: “Richard Delingpole‘s not dodgy in any way – he did it because he’s fed up of people being professionally outraged.”

Meanwhile, UKIP leader Nigel Farage has waded into the controversy today, by saying it was “a joke” in the wake of yesterday’s coverage of rotten UKIP candidates in the Daily Mirror.

He said: “To present it as anything else would be a travesty.”

In today’s Sun newspaper another UKIP candidate, Bradley Monk, aged 19, who is standing at Hampshire County Council, was outed for posting snaps of himself online as shamed pervert Jimmy Savile.

He wore a mask of the disgraced paedophile at a Halloween party last year.

He said it was a “harmless joke” and added he was “in no way endorsing” what Savile did.

Mr Farage has admitted the party is too small to properly vet the record number of council candidates standing in the elections.

* The other candidates in Riverside are Labour’s Lynn Denham, Green Louis Stephen, Sean McCauley for Trades Unionists and Socialists Against the Cuts and Julie Whitwam for the BNP.”

Link

Richard Delingpole Worcester ukip

Bradley Monk Hampshire ukip

Further reading:

“UKIP officials expresses sympathy for far-Right EDL”

“Far right connections of UKIP candidates revealed as elections loom”

“Some Ukip candidates could be BNP members, says leader Nigel Farage”

“Key UKIP member went on marches with the English Defence League”

“UKIP Cumbria candidate posts racist ‘niggers’ photo”

“UKIP election candidate pictured giving Nazi salute and wielding knife”

“SHAMEFUL: Midland man defends mock KKK lynching as a ‘bit of fun'” (updated)

*Article below from The Birmingham Mail (The mail is not naming who they are talking about here so 3CAFA to the rescue .. it’s Darren Clifft from Walsall)

“Shocking fake hanging carried out as band played Johnny Rebel hits while 70 strong crowd gave Nazi salutes.

A Midland Ku Klux Klan admirer has defended his mock golliwog hanging stunt as “just a bit of fun”.

The man, who the Sunday Mercury has decided not to name, said: “I didn’t realise I was doing anything wrong.”

And he stressed that “it wasn’t planned” and that he was “egged on”.

The 23 year-old, from Walsall, was pictured holding a noose around the neck of a black doll at a music gig in Swansea last month. He later posted a video of the incident on Youtube.

His actions have been condemned by a Labour MP.

But the man told the Sunday Mercury: “The gig was absolutely brilliant. One of the best nights of my life. As I was hanging the golliwog the band was playing American Country and Western music and Johnny Rebel hits.

“It was all in jest and I don’t regret a minute of it and would so the same again.

“The mistake I made was to put a video of the ‘lynching’ up on YouTube.

“I didn’t realise I was doing anything wrong. I wasn’t inciting anyone to go out and lynch black people because it’s against the law.”

He added: “I admire the Klan and its Christian values and believe in racial segregation.

“The UK is only for white indigenous folk and everyone of colour should be settled in one small area out the way or better still deported back to their place of origin.”

Labour MP for Perry Barr Khalid Mahmood said the man’s actions were “reprehensible”.

“Police need to carry out a thorough investigation because individuals like this have the potential to cause serious damage in our communities through word and deed.

“He appears to show no remorse.

“His behaviour is just not acceptable in this day and age.”

The shocking images were captured at an event organised by Blood and Honour, a “white power” music ­network.

It took place after a “White Pride World Wide” march in the Welsh city.

The man told the Sunday Mercury that he had not planned to mock up the hanging of the golliwog.

He said: “The lynching wasn’t planned, but somebody from the Welsh National Front had bought along this stuffed golliwog he’d made to the gig.

“Everyone egged me on to re-enact what used to happen in the deep south of America to bad black people who had done something wrong.

“Innocent black people were never lynched and people forget that bad white people were also lynched by mobs too.

“The blacks were targeted for the better good of society there at the time.”

Johnny Rebel is a controversial American Country and Western singer whose songs, with incendiary titles like “Stay away from Dixie” and “Move them N*****s North”, were popular in the Deep South in the 1960s and 70s.

His lyrics were often supportive of the Ku Klux Klan and included derogatory references to black people.

Nearly 3,500 African Americans and 1,300 whites were lynched in the United Sates between 1882 and 1968.” Ends.

Darren Clifft in and out of uniform

update 31.07.13:

Willenhall man remanded in custody over accused racial hatred

“Turkish kebab shop owner gave into racist jibes”

“THE Turkish owner of a Malvern kebab shop and his staff were subjected to racist jibes by a gang of youths, Worcester Crown Court was told.

But 32-year-old Aydin Seven over-reacted, said prosecutor Peter Cooke and it led to violence on two occasions.

The youths – referred to as yobs by Recorder Adrian Redgrave QC – massed outside the shop in Moat Way and pulled up their hoods to conceal their identity from CCTV cameras.

An employee arriving for work was greeted by racist chants and was attacked in June last year, said Mr Cooke. Seven came to his assistance armed with a steel sharpening tool. It was brought out as a deterrent and caused the youths to flee.

Months later in October, there was another demonstration outside the shop. Seven was obstructed as he came out with a delivery and became involved in a fight with a teenager.

Mr Cooke said he admitted head-butting the youth and he also pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon in a public placeduring the June encounter.

Timothy Burrows, defending, said things had calmed down since the October incident and two youths were to appear before magistrates. Mr Seven intended to carry on with his business.

Recorder Redgrave told Seven that he had been more sinned against than sinning. He had been the victim of unpleasant and illegal behaviour.

He gave him a 12-month conditional discharge for both offences coupled with a £15 victims surcharge.

“And he advised the defendant: “Don’t give in to yobs.”

Link

“3CAFA would urge shopkeepers/business owners in the three counties area who are, or have been, subjected to racist abuse to contact us via the contact page“

“Attacker racially abused victim then hit him with pool cue”

“AN argument over playing pool in a Worcestershire pub led a 31-year-old man to racially abuse another man and hit him on the head with a cue.

Christopher Spires, of Churchill Road, Sedgeberrow, Evesham, was jailed for nine months after the court was told he swore at Gideon George and made references to him being black.

Alex Warren, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court Mr George had gone to Ruby Jack’s, Bewdley Street, Evesham, on August 30 last year with friends.

They put money on the pool table for three games but during the first one, Spires started leaning on the table and nudging Mr George as he played.

When the game finished, Mr George started to set up the next one but Spires said it was his turn and made a racist comment. He then grabbed Mr George’s cue, reversed it and swung it with both hands, hitting him with the thicker end just above the left eye.

Mr George took hold of the cue and they both fell to the floor before being separated.

As police led Spires away, he saw Mr George, who needed three stitches to the cut, and shouted “I’m glad your face got smashed in,” and made more racist comments. He then spat towards Mr George, who said in a victim statement he was now wary of going out at night in Evesham.

 Nicholas Roberts, defending, said Spires was deeply ashamed of his actions.

He had drunk eight cans of beer and some brandy and whisky on the night of the incident. He said Spires was not a racist and would not have made the comments if he had not been drinking.

“He accepts his comments were deeply offensive,” Mr Roberts said.

The court was told that he had 27 convictions for 87 offences but the majority of these were thefts to finance his 10-year heroin and crack cocaine habit, which he was now taking steps to tackle.

Spires pleaded guilty at South Worcestershire Magistrates Court to the offences in December and was committed for sentence.

He was given six months for assault causing actual bodily harm and three months consecutively for racial harassment.”

Worcester evening news

The remaining dregs of the EDL turned out in Walsall today

Dwindling numbers of racist boneheads belonging to the EDL (“Britain’s biggest street movement” according to themselves) turned out in Walsall in the west midlands today to shout racist abuse at the local Asian population and throw bricks and stuff at the cops.

Many projectiles missed causing injuries to their own side. More injuries were incurred when the boneheads tried to fight their way through a line of cops to get at members of the local community.

Mainstream report from the Birmingham mail here

Report from vice.com “The EDL Got Covered in Their Own Blood Again”

Casualty of friendly fire apparently

A contingent from the counter demo

And off they limped