East Midlands Anti-fascists

You may remember that back in May we published extracts from a story on the New British Union (NBU), a fascist group attempting to follow in the footsteps of Oswald Mosley. That story revealed that the party’s Policy Officer was Matthew Gill from Sudbury in Derbyshire. However, it seems that since we published the story, Gill has seen the light. He wrote an extensive email to us saying he had left the NBU saying he “made a bad decision and I regret it. I will have to live with that for the rest of my life”. He said he did “not want to do anyone any harm” and was working to make sure other people were not lured into fascist and racist politics as he was:

What must be remembered is that the NBU and some of its members are sinister and dangerous, and they have lied to lots of people…[T]he longer I was in the group the more I noticed it was taking a more sinister and dangerous direction and lunging fast towards the extreme far-right. I know that the party has now established links with Ultra White Nationalists across Europe and the world and is, in effect, a front for white supremacists, even some of its new imagery that I have been shown by the police is disturbing.

I finally left at the beginning of May after joining in the back end of March of this year, I am glad that I got out when I did because the party was and is preaching hate against people of race and was and is growing extremely anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic and in some instances aligning itself with groups such as the EDL, something which I find to be abhorrent. However true to their dishonest nature I had to fight to get my name removed from the site and had to resort to threatening them with my lawyers in order for this to be done. After that threat they quickly complied with my wishes. They are dishonest right down to the core and I would describe the NBU as an ugly extreme right-wing hate group and I deeply regret ever having anything to do with them…

I hope to be able to warn youngsters about groups like the NBU and the way they manipulate and use people and use them to further their twisted ideas beliefs.

…I made a mistake and I acknowledge that, but much of what was written in the Sun newspaper was false, and in many places totally made up. I know what I did on my part was stupid and naive but I am glad that I can now do something positive from a very bad decision on my part.

Whilst it is impossible to verify whether this is truly Gill or not, we hope that it is genuine and he has got out. Certainly the accounts of lies, threats and manipulation describe the way that most far right groups operate. Like the EDL and the BNP the NBU is led by a secretive leadership whose true agenda is continually hidden from the masses who would be appalled by it. We hope that Gill will be able to use his first hand knowledge of getting caught up in fascism to prevent others from making his mistake.

[Repost from the Derbyshire Times]

Chesterfield’s Muslim community claims it has suffered an increase in racist abuse after the alleged murder of soldier Lee Rigby.

Two thugs who were convicted for being racially abusive on Cavendish Street in the town claimed they had been angered by the death of Fusilier Lee Rigby who was allegedly hacked to death in Woolwich, in May, by two converts to Islam.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard how Peter Levers, 33, of Circular Road, Staveley, was caught shouting, “Muslims, I’ll kill them all”, and in a separate case involving Mark Carr, 41, of Holme Road, Chesterfield, two Muslim women were subjected to racist abuse and swear-words during an incident where the comment ‘go back to your own country’ was heard.

A Chesterfield Muslim Welfare Association spokesman, who did not want to be named, said: “The issue seems to have been about Woolwich which has affected the Muslim community. Some groups have latched on to it and used it for their twisted purposes, and the Chesterfield Muslim community is suffering with abuse, but we try and get on with our lives.”

Former Navy serviceman Carr racially insulted two Muslim women in Chesterfield town centre and was ordered last Thursday, July 25, to pay £1,000 in compensation.

The court heard how the 41 year-old had been drinking before abusing the women on May 25.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Mahon said one of the women had children in a double buggy. Carr pleaded guilty to using racially aggravated threatening behaviour and causing racially aggravated distress. He told police he felt angry because of the death of Lee Rigby.

Matt Evans, defending, said Carr is remorseful and does not hold extremist views. Carr was given a 12 month community order with 120 hours’ unpaid work and also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

During a previous case, the court heard on June 24 how Levers was caught by police shouting at a taxi driver and said, “Muslims, I’ll kill them all”, and was fined £120.

Levers had been out drinking for around 16 hours before the incident in the early hours of May 24. He pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment.

Defence solicitor Bob Bashforth told the court Lee Rigby was in Levers’ mind and in his drunken state “it came to the surface”.

He was ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and £80 costs. The MWA spokesman added: “Abuse was prevalent after Woolwich but it has started to die down now.”