East Midlands Anti-fascists

Another local far right eejit has been charged with terrorism activities for his involvement with neo-Nazi loons National Action.

On Wednesday 5 September, the BBC reported that he and a number of apparent comrades had been picked up in police “raids”:

Five people including a 17-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of being members of a banned far-right group.

Two men from Birmingham aged 22 and 28, a 23-year-old man and 22-year-old woman from Halifax and the teenager from Nottingham are being held by police in the West Midlands.

They are suspected of being members of National Action.

A number of properties are being searched following the arrests.

A separate report suggests the local lad was bailed while the others were remanded into custody.

On Monday it was reported that three of those arrested had been charged:

Garry Jack, 22, and Daniel Ward, 28, both from Birmingham, and a 17-year-old boy from Nottingham, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were charged with being part of the group.

They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

National Action was founded in 2013. It made a reputation for itself with overblown rhetoric online, infamously celebrating the murder of Jo Cox MP. The group also made friends by displaying a banner insisting “Hitler was right”. (An odd position for a group whose politics seems closest to the Strasserites who Hitler tried to liquidate in the Night of the Long Knives.)

In December 2016, the group became the first British far-right group to be banned since the 1940s when it was made illegal under the Terrorism Act.

Since then there have been a string of raids and arrests picking up assorted members of the groups. Several have ended up serving prison sentences.

Locally the group has not had much obvious presence. Although they did claim to have (very briefly) turned up at Nottingham and Nottingham Trent Universities in 2015.

Whether the anonymous 17 year-old was an active member of just a loser following them online remains to be seen.

We’re excited by a new anti-fascist initiative amongst football fans: Football Lads and Lasses Against Football (FLAF).

The organisation has been set-up in response to the recent surge in far-right activity.

The Football Lads Alliance is at the core of this new movement. Despite the hard work that has taken place in football to fight racism, it’s clear there remains a section of fans who are susceptible to far-right and fascist ideas. FLAF want to change that.

In it’s founding statement FLAF state:

It’s time now for those fans who oppose the rise of the right at football to stand up and be counted. As well as mobilising against their marches, we need to counter them at our own clubs, by whatever means is necessary, from leaflet and sticker campaigns to gentle persuasion.

The founders have been busy creating versions of the logo with shitloads of team crests. Among them some of the big local clubs: Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Leicester City (see below).

Fans are encouraged to use these logos at their club as they see fit (provided they don’t add any other political symbols). Apparently eager Leicester fans have already begun printing wads of stickers.

You can find FLAF on Twitter and Facebook.

Nottingham Forest FLAF

Derby County FLAF

Leciester City FLAF

Tomas Mair, the fascist terrorist who murdered Jo Cox MP in June this year has – to nobody’s surprise – been found guilty and jailed for life.

Mair is unusual amongst wannabe fascist terrorists in that he actually managed to kill somebody before he got caught. Nevertheless, as we’ve pointed out before, there have been no shortage of attempts over the last few years.

Just last week, Roger Smith, 46, of Summerwood Lane, Clifton, Nottingham went on trial at Nottingham Crown Court facing various charges under the Explosive Substances Act and Terrorism Act.

According to the Nottingham Post, Smith “had gunpowder, crossbows, knives and chemicals at his home because he wanted to defend the country from an attack from ISIS”.

We don’t know if Smith was a full-blown fascist, but like others on the far-right, Smith claims to believe that ISIS is an existential threat to our very society:

Prosecutor Michelle Heely told the jury: “He was asked about his views on Muslims and ISIS. He said that ISIS was a threat to the entire Western civilisation, and that if there was another Lee Rigby-style attack, he would be the sort of person who would help to stop it.

“He has it in his mind that he is going to defend the country from an attack by ISIS, and he has gathered his weapons, got his patriotic flags ready, and made explosives at home in order to do that.”

It’s hard to imagine many people would have slept better had we known Smith was looking out for us. Most likely, many people would have feared – with good reason – that he intended to use his new toys not for defence, but for attack.

Smith also described Islam as a “religion of terror”, a fairly standard Islamophobic canard.

Predictably the Post doesn’t use the words fascist, terrorist or even racist anywhere in it’s coverage, instead describing him as a “self-proclaimed survivalist”.

The BBC meanwhile, went with the headline “Accused ‘not an Islamophobic madman’,” because who hasn’t stockpiled weapons for the coming apocalypse?

Elsewhere in the media, the story has been largely ignored.

Would a brown-skinned person in the same situation be treated with the same kid gloves? Clearly not. Despite the conviction of Thomas Mair it’s clear that the clear and present threat of fascist terrorism continues to be of no interest to the mainstream media.

Smith – of course – denies the charges.

The EDL held a national demo in Boston, Lincolnshire yesterday, hoping to capitalise on the town’s sizeable vote for Brexit. They only managed to muster 20 people, including a film crew, and most were from out of town. This pathetic contingent then proceeded to shout at locals including calling a local girl a slag who deserved to be raped which I am sure will boost their numbers for future demos in the area. More evidence that the EDL’s influence in Lincolnshire is fading even faster than their overpriced merchandise!

So the EDL marched in Nottingham, last month, or was it the far right extremist Casual Infidels? So many of the same faces popped up that it was hard to tell the difference, but then the fascists have always been an opportunist lot. EDL, BNP, National Front, EVF, Casuals United, Infidels – all different names for the same bunch of losers, who shift alliances according to where they can get the most cash, gullible followers or both.

While they were enjoying their taxpayer funded street drinking – was it the cops or the local council who generously provided their portaloos? – we took the opportunity to document the diehard few who still cling to the EDL banner.

EDL marching in Nottingham featuring Ian Kellett (sunglasses and Union Jack scarf), Craig Burridge (white vest, cap, lanyard), Jack Stevens (black coat, hood up) and Daniel Hall (red shirt, black cap)

All of the main organisers and participants from the previous Casual Infidels outings were there, including Daniel Hall, Jack Stevens (who got convicted of criminal damage for throwing a flare at the demo just this week), Craig Burridge, Andrew Shaw, Jimmi Rae, Adam Repton, and Ian Kellett. In fact, Worksop’s Craig Burridge – a key Casual Infidels organiser – was one of the EDL’s security crew. There were a lot of other faces from other parts of the country who turned up to the last Casual Infidels demo as well: Luke Hathaway (Walsall), Spencer Shirley (Colne), Conrad Ayscough (Halifax) and Gaz Jones (Manchester).

Craig Burridge, Worksop EDL and Notts Casual Infidels

Far left: Daniel Hall (Mansfield, Notts Casual Infidels) chatting with Luke Hathaway (Walsall, United Patriots)

Andrew Shaw (Centre, blue hoodie): Worksop EDL and Notts Casual Infidels

Right: Jimmi Rae, Worksop, Notts Casual Infidels

Spencer Shirley, Colne EDL

Centre, rolling cigarette: Conrad Ayscough, Halifax EDL

Left: Gaz Jones, Manchester EDL

In addition to the Casual Infidels, the few members of Leicester EDL who have stuck it out turned up including Craig Elliott and Simon Smith.

Simon Smith, Leicester EDL

Another familiar face from the Notts Casual Infidels demo was this chap (see picture below) who turned up with his camera to take a few pics for Redwatch. He was also trying to pass himself off as a bystander at the Notts Casual Infidels demo in July.

Confused steroid man

The EDL claim that they had 160 people at their march in Nottingham on Saturday but photos of the rally only show around 100. They have haemhorrhaged support since their last march in the city in 2009. This is largely because most supporters have realised that the organisation is going nowhere and that piss ups and marches don’t achieve anything except hostility from the locals.

EDL supporters took to EDL pages to moan about the poor turnout and the “non organised whole thing”. Nottingham EDL agreed – “the numbers have dwindled down” they said admitting that “whatever else happens on the day is out of our hands”. They have lost control of their only tactic.

Another major turnoff for potential EDL supporters has been the constant infighting and jockeying for power (and cash) by all of the self-appointed leaders. The EDL “star speaker”, Pete Gillett, was the target of playground-style attacks from Daniel Hall AKA Jamie Upton, the all-talk-no-action leader of the Casual Infidels. Which is strange, seeing as he invited him to speak at the Casual Infidels demo in Nottingham only a month ago. Apparently Gillett is a “Kray-rent boy”, a “melt” and a “boring cunt”. This followed a major tiff between Gillett and other far right nobodies in the run up to the demo.

You might remember that after the NCI demo Gillett was accused of only being in it for the money and responded saying “I’m not doing demo’s [sic] I do not want to rub shoulders with cunts like them”. However, ever the attention-seeking self-publicist, Gillett changed his mind to get back on the grubby EDL podium.

After three blocked marches in a row for local fascists, it was clear that Notts police were going to push this one through by any means necessary and they drafted in coppers from over 20 forces to make sure the EDL got their march. Heavily outnumbered by over 400 antifascists the far right would never have had their way without their police minders.

As if the march wasn’t disappointing enough for the fash, Nottingham EDL organiser, Jack Stevens, (or should that be Jack Stevens, 26, of Oxford Street, Long Eaton) was arrested for throwing a flare and has been charged with criminal damage. He will appear in Nottingham Mags at the start of next month.

Craig Elliott AKA Craig Leicester, Leicester EDL organiser, threatened that the EDL would be back without police liaison next time. We’re not holding our breath.

With less than a week to go before the EDL’s demo in Nottingham it’s becoming clear just how half-cocked the whole thing is. The demo is being organised by Jack Stevens, last spotted stumbling out of the off-license after the Notts Casual Infidels demo last month providing plenty of entertainment for the antifascists. The Twat in the Hat, as we affectionately know him, is rarely sober as you can tell from his long Facebook rants, casual racism and loyalty to the EDL. If the EDL is relying on this muppet to run their national demos they’re in trouble. Which of course they are.

Helping him along is Mansfield’s Daniel Hall, best known for inciting the murder of Labour MPs on his Notts Casual Infidels page. Clearly the EDL have forgiven him for stealing their money, splitting away to form his own gang and the pending legal action. Or they’re just desperate. You decide. We wonder whether he’ll bring his bogus “charity” collecting bucket again this time?

According to Jack, the EDL are coming to Nottingham because of an obscure Islamist sect that no one had heard of until the EDL started giving them publicity. But that’s the way with the EDL and their fellow travellers – they know they need to prop up the most extreme, attention-seeking elements within the Islamist community to boost their own support.

The EDL do nothing to prevent Islamic extremism – on the contrary, they actually help out these Islamist groups by trying to reduce the world into a street fight between white nationalists and Muslims – Isis would love it!   (It’s also worth noting that the most effective fighters against Isis in Syria and Iraq have been the Kurdish YPG, who are predominantly muslim and avowedly anti-fascist…..the idiotic anti-Isis pub rhetoric of the EDL becomes even more laughable….)

Oppose the fascists in Nottingham on Saturday 6th. UAF are meeting at the Brian Clough statue at 12pm and keep an eye on the Midlands Antifascists page for details of their own mobilisation. These pictures from the last Nottingham demo will give you an idea of who to look out for.

The EDL’s “Nottingham Division” has announced a demonstration in Nottingham on Saturday August 6th.

This hasn’t exactly gone down well with city council leader Jon Collins who has called on the police to ban the march.

The city’s Market Square is currently the site of a beach, complete with sand, water and fairground rides. A horde of drunken fascists doesn’t exactly fit with the intended ambiance.

Collins says:

“We’re extremely concerned about the prospect of an event of this kind taking place in the heart of the city centre during the school holidays.

“That can’t be right when families are enjoying the beach, the water feature and everything else Nottingham has to offer during the summer holidays.”

Banning the march is unlikely to be very effective. Under the Public Order Act, it’s only possible to ban marches, not static demos. Whatever the police decide, the EDL will likely turn up anyway.

That said, they aren’t likely to get many people out. The EDL is a drink-addled shadow of the organisation that brought several hundred members to Nottingham in 2009.

On Saturday they held a national demonstration in London. It wasn’t a great success, as EDL News explain: “Only 50 turned up and those that did were staggering around drunk and high on drugs.” The latest EDL split (ironically using the moniker United People of Britain) followed days later.

Recent protests in Nottingham by the Notts Casuals Infidels have hardly been major victories for the far-right and suggest the the inevitable handful of drunken fascists are unlikely to be get a warm welcome.

Britain First apparently think they are some kind of low-rent Sheriff of Nottingham and have travelled to Sherwood Forest to search for an alleged “migrant camp”. Except there’s no migrants. And there never were.

In a video posted online, the group’s deputy leader Jayda Fransen (who has a fascinating family tree) says:

“You may have seen reports in the media that migrants have set up illegal camps and within these camps they’ve been causing a huge amount of destruction and disturbance.

“There’s litter everywhere, they’ve been cutting, hacking at trees, cutting bushes down.

“They’ve got knives and locals have been threatened by these migrants occupying these illegal camps.

“It really is an issue around here.”

Sounds scary right? Except she’s talking utter bollocks.

There is an abandoned camp in the forest. But it has bugger all to do with migrants.

The claims about a “migrant camp” in the forest originated on Facebook and were reported in local rag the Mansfield Chad. As a neat fit with their anti-immigrant agenda it was uncritically repeated by the Daily Express and probably elsewhere.

It quickly turned out that the camp had in fact been built by local teenagers in 2010. Brad Dury told the Chad:

“The truth is me and a few friends just decided to build it in 2010 when we were bored in the summer. We wanted somewhere to camp and have a party, as you do.

“We never chopped down any of the trees we used ones that had already been knocked down and pieced it all together. It took about five of us to put the arched trunk up there!”

Assorted detailed claims about the supposed inhabitants of the camp were made to the Chad by a local man who refused to give his real name. Whether he made them up or actually believed his own bullshit isn’t clear. He certainly wasn’t pleased to get called up on it. Chad reporter Nick Charity told the Huffington Post:

“The source also claimed a very elaborate treehouse was built by migrants. When we confronted him with the knowledge it was actually built by local teens in the summer of 2010, he argued with this presuming they were lying and must ‘be with some immigration protection outfit’. Eventually he submitted but asked if our contact was foreign.”

Fascists have never troubled themselves greatly about facts. It probably shouldn’t be a great surprise that despite an overwhelming body of evidence that this isn’t an issue they decided to try and build a campaign around it.

This latest instance of stupidity by the party comes only a week after they released a video of themselves harassing a homeless couple in Mansfield.

All of this is amusing in it’s own way. Everybody enjoys a chance to watch fascists making tits of themselves. But it should also stand as a warning to anti-fascists. They clearly feel confident to openly throw their weight around in Nottinghamshire and elsewhere. If they ever get their shit together enough to identify a real target they could prove to be a genuine threat.

Since the results of the EU Referendum were announced on Friday, there has been a surge in racist incidents across the country.

In Nottinghamshire the police had received 14 reports of hate crime between Friday and Monday. In Mansfield they say that tensions are being “closely monitored”. (Figures for elsewhere in the region are harder to come by.)

There has always been a level of racially motivated incidents in the UK, widely assumed to be under-reported. However what is happening now seems to both quantitatively and qualitatively different (i.e. there’s more of it and it’s worse). Victims report abuse of a type they haven’t experienced in decades.

This all comes after a deeply divisive campaign. While campaigners briefly tried focussing on the economic arguments (“your boss says vote X”), the “debate” quickly switched to immigration. There were an array of sensationalist claims about Turkey joining the EU and exploitation of the refugee crisis. This was clearly a key factor mobilising the leave vote.

This is not too suggest that all 17 million people who voted to leave are racist. They clearly are not. However, a small, racist minority have interpreted the vote as meaning that a majority of people agree with them. We must now prove them wrong.

There is already a movement to challenge this racist surge. On Tuesday evening hundreds of people gathered in Nottingham’s Market Square to call for unity.