48 people were arrested over the weekend in Manchester, says the Guardian.
According to some estimates, 2,000 people attended the protests, by the English Defence League (EDL) and members of Unite Against Fascism (UAF) on Saturday afternoon.
Most of those who were arrested were for public order offences, but there were a few detentions for racially-aggravated offences, possession of weapons and drugs.
UAF protesters are believed to have outnumbered the EDL by nearly two to one.
Before the protests kicked off, the BNP released a strategically worded statement distancing itself from the “anti-Islamism” group. The BNP conspiratorially claims that the EDL is a Zionist front organisation, or is some other form of conspiracy run by “some dark hand” , quite possibly the State. But new evidence has emerged from UAF which claims that many of the EDL’s members have close associations with the BNP.
What isinteresting about the tactics of the EDL are its similarities to those of the National Front during the 1970s, who would attract supporters through their immediate concerns, in this case it the rise of Islamism in the UK, and then introduce them to a wider ideology of nationalism and race. Many lower level members of the NF would then pursue a course of violence and whipping up tension within fragile communities. So it comes as no surprise that Saturday’s protest saw some protestors sporting NF flags.
2010 General election: Richard Barnbrook to stand in Barking
Richard Barnbrook with Nick Griffin, party leader
For the BNP’s top target seat in Barking the party has chosen Richard Barnbrook, BNP London Assembly member.
Barnbrook is currently serving a one-month suspension from Barking and Dagenham council for inventing murders in the borough to whip up concern about crime and gain support for his racist party.
Interestingly enough Barnbrook has failed to mention has party’s name anywhere on his literature and the BNP have not announced the news on their web site.
A few weeks ago we reported how a BNP online merchant was selling racist novelties alongside football logos. We wrote to the relevant clubs asking them to take the strongest line possible against the use of their imagery to help promote racial hatred.
This week it has been announced that Newcastle United are seeking legal advice on how to stop the English Defence League from passing off the image to promote division.
We believe that clubs have a duty to their players and fans, who are from a range of nationalities and ethnicities, to disassociate themselves from all forms of intolerance and hatred.
EDL thugs were caught shouting, "We hate Paki's more than you!"
Friday saw more more violence break out between the violent ultra-nationalist English Defence League, Unite Against Fascism and gangs of Asian youths, outside Harrow Central Mosque.
In scenes reminiscent from the 1970s, EDL skinheads raised Nazi salutes and chanted racist slogans such as “I hate Pakis more than you”.
A worrying development is the news that the EDL want to enlist football fans for a Mussolini “March on Rome”-style event. (On the basis , according to insiders, that “you need an army for a war”.)
The EDL are a rag-tag bunch of racists and football hooligans. UAF, however, should know better. After previous clashes we have said that UAF must restrain themselves more as their actions are counterproductive and actually heighten tensions.
It would appear that senior members of the Muslim community also agree. On Friday the General Secretary of Harrow Central Mosque expressed his anger at UAF for holding a counter protest (against the advice of the police) outside the mosque.
Violence and provacative behaviour will not help solve the problems of social cohesion in Britain. Dialogue, serious attempts at addressing alienated voter’s concerns and undistracted police work, however, will.
See Sky news report from Friday (note Martin Smith from UAF seen clearly walking alongside trouble causers – 35″)
Gordon Brown is considering putting Jack Starw up against Nick Griffin MEP on Question Time.
Some commentators feel there is a danger that Griffin may throw back at Straw the comments he made about Islamic veils in 2006.
Straw described them as a “visible statement of separation and difference” and called on women to cease wearing them. This allegedly led to ugly instances of yobs pulling veils off Muslim women in streets.
THE BNP has been accused of hijacking the legend of Owain Glyndr by printing T-shirts bearing the image of the historic Welsh figure.
The image used on the BNP T-shirts is taken from a statue of Owain Glyndr on a horse that was presented to the people of Corwen, Denbighshire, the town where Glyndr was born.
Sculptor Colin Spofforth, who spent four years creating the statue, said: “I certainly did not give any permission for it to be used and I would never have done.”
Mr Spofforth added: “Whoever has done this obviously does not know their Welsh history or what Owain Glyndr was all about.
The Rev Geraint ap Iorwerth, of St Peter ad Vincula Church in Pennal, where a bronze statue of Glyndr stands in the Princes’ Memorial Garden, said: “Owain Glyndr would be turning in his grave if he knew the BNP were using him as one of their heroes”.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development warns there is a “distinct possibility” that weak economic growth and fears over a double-dip recession will lead to further redundancies in the coming years.
The CIPD says despite the UK falling into the worst recession since the Second World War, job cuts have not been as bad as in the 1980s or 1990s.
The Institute warns that unemployment could stay at 3.5 million for over a decade.
According to the US Department for Homeland Security, high unemployment has the potential to lead to alienation and statistically increases an individual’s susceptability to accept extremist ideas. The report cites a 2007 study from the German Institute for Economic Research, which says there is a strong association between a parent’s unemployment status and the formation of neo-fascist beliefs in children – specifically racism and xenophobia.
While the stock market and housing market may be coming out of the recession, hard working families are still suffering from the disastrous effects of the credit crisis on Britain’s heartland manufacturing and business support industries. As the head of the TUC has said today, the UK will only be fully out of recession when unemployment falls. So far, we believe that more needs to be done to tackle UK unemployment and re-tool our workforce.
* Police have said they expect to make more arrests – on both sides – after violence flared in Birmingham city centre at the weekend. A police spokeswoman said: “We anticipate adding significantly to the toll of 90 people who were arrested on the day.”
* The news comes as it emerges that the Chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque, Dr Mohammed Naseem, had urged Muslim youths to confront the EDL – contrary to the advice given by the police to community leaders to stop their followers from attending.
* The next protest being planned by the ultra-nationalist EDL is set for September 11th, Harrow Central Mosque.
We believe these recent events show a re-energised racism on the back of the election of the BNP. Race riots were once a thing of the past (particularly in Birmingham). However, with the election of Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons, racism has been given a degree of legitimacy in the eyes of ultra-nationalist groups like the EDL – who are determined to whip up hatred.
Hain to boycott Question Time
Welsh Secretary Peter Hain is to boycott BBC Question Time over proposals to invite the BNP to take part.
Westminster’s elite can complain about the BBC’sdecision to consider the BNP for flagship programmes. However, it was inevitable that a party, with one million votes, was going to get air time.
Unless the BNP are intellectually challenged they will continue to define themselves and win more votes. To defeat the BNP, voters’ bona fide anxieties need to be addressed.
Adam Smith: Economic policies of the BNP are left-wing
Karl Marx
The Adam Smith Institute have said that the BNP’s economic policies would make the left “proud”. Here are a few examples of the BNP’s economic policies list by the ASI:
The protection of British companies from unfair foreign imports
The renationalisation of monopoly utilities and services
Bring hospital cleaning back in-house and make high cleanliness a top priority
More emphasis must be placed on healthy living with greater understanding of sickness prevention through physical exercise, a healthier environment and improved diets
Develop renewable energy sources such as off-shore wind farms, wave, tidal and solar energy
The introduction of a system of workfare for those in unemployment benefit for more than six months with compulsory work and training in return for decent payment
Take all privatised social housing stock back under local democratically controlled council ownership
This is a useful guide for understanding why it is factually wrong to refer to the BNP as “right-wing” and more accurate to describe them as National Socialists. There’s nothing “right-wing” about socialism.
EDL protesor struggles with a police officer on Saturday in Birmingham
This weekend saw ninety arrests after clashes between “The English Defence League”, an ultra-nationalist organisation and who organised the ”anti-Islamic extremism” event, “anti-fascists” and gangs of Asian youths in Birmingham.
“There were about 250 people in total, fighting and throwing bottles at each other,” said one onlooker.
Yesterday, West Midlands Police said all those arrested were “male, aged between 16 and 39, and offences included criminal damage and violent disorder, including possession of an offensive weapon.”
Gang of Asian youths wearing balaclavas during Birmingham clashes
There is some confusion, however, with the BNP’s involvement with the EDL and Saturday’s fracas. Pre-judging Saturday’s event, the BNP (last Thrusday) sought to distance itself from the EDL and announced via its website, it would be a “disciplinary offence” for any BNP member to be involved with the EDL.
And yet, as we reported via our Twitter site, the BNP did promote, on its official Facebook page (3/9/09), an “anti-Islamic extremism march” in Birmingham for September 5th 2009. Interestingly, some web-sites are reporting that EDL protesters are seen wearing BNP official merchandise t-shirts.
While this weekend may have nothing to do with the BNP, we do believe that because of it preach a message of hate, extremism and intimidation, ordinary people are riled up by them and therefore encouraged to hold unacceptable views and behaviour. Furthermore, to stop UK social cohesion worsening, groups like UAF and thuggish gangs, who appear to actively seek trouble, need to understand that violence is entirely destructive and offers no viable answers/solutions (on issues such as Islamism, immigration, unemployment and the recession etc) to those who maybe seeking an alternative to neo-fascism and the politics of hate.