Skip to content or view screen version

Daily Star And Guardians Rick Lyons, An Attack Of The Hacks.

The Long And The Short Of It. | 07.09.2008 07:23

British journalism has often suffered from it’s fair share of half-witted hacks trying to make a name for themselves, but usually they atleast try to actually research the subject matter of pieces they are submitting for print if only to prevent total embarassment.

Rick Lyons recent article in the Guardian (Wednesday September 8th 2008) was a piece that any anti-fascist in the UK should frame and hang up on the lavoratory wall, along with his previous rant in the Daily Star (Sunday July 27th 2008) which is probably the most right-wing rag in the country, entitled “Nazi Bashers In BNP Vow”, an article that had Antifa themselves no doubt laughing hysterically as Lyons appeared to be doing their job for them.

In the Star, Lyons in a moment of stunning genius decided to take postings from the Antifa website and internet forums, by his own admission, and fall into the trap of not seeing blatant misinformation at work, hoping in fact he was going to get his story of the decade which would transform his pathetic journalistic career.

Up to now his literary contributions include such stunning masterpieces as

ANGIE IS A BOURNE WINNER-
"Angelina Jolie has landed her biggest film role yet... playing a foxy female super-spy"

and

TAKE OUR CHALLENGE -

"Brits have gone world record breaking crazy...with the help of the nation's favourite luxury chocolates. Hundreds of bonkers Brits are attempting to break the quirky record - which currently stands at six - every week."

These are just two of a whole selection of trash that most sensible people would line their cat litter tray with rather than take any serious notice of.

But what can one expect from a Daily Star ‘Crime Correspondent’?

Lyons belief that he was onto something huge and that an almighty army of anti fascists would be turning up to have a full scale battle with the fascists of the BNP, led him to contact Antifa by email on several occasions trying to get information but was told in no uncertain terms to ‘hop it’.

He carried on regardless though and was no doubt the height of amusement at work when the said carnage he predicted did not in fact occur, nor was it ever going to.

Dejected and bitter at being made a monkey of, his scathing attack in the Guardian that Antifa had failed and that the BNP had come out on top, again has the reporting dynamics of a secondary school needlework rag, with clearly no background knowledge of the opinions of the residents in the Denby area let alone any serious investigation having being done in the local community. Put simply, he doesn’t know what he is writing about.

Lyons mediocre understanding of the day’s events and the groups involved led him to write

“After emerging from a field dressed in anarchist black and attempting to block the road with objects from farmyards, Antifa were dealt with – severely and quickly – by riot police. Assessed simply against their own aim - that of stopping the festival - the group's expedition to Derbyshire can only be seen as a complete failure. What should be of more concern to Antifa than impotency though, is that their actions served to help their opponents. By fighting with police, taking private property and scaring residents, they gifted the BNP a PR victory by allowing them to seem the more law-abiding and reasonable group.”

His total dedication in trying to correct his own self imagined and misguided loonacy will quite likely lead him in the new direction of a ‘cheese and wine column’ next year, when the RWB event is refused permission to be held in Denby and is seeking a new home, due nothin more than to the fact, as Lyons himself puts it “there was a clash, but it was over in less than 20 minutes”.

Lyons went on to write

“Some denunciation, outcry and opposition of the BNP is no doubt required. Hopefully Antifa's members now recognise that their approach was ineffective and counter-productive. At the other end of the road from where Antifa were beaten back by baton-wielding police and dog handlers with alsations, a dignified, peaceful protest against the Red, White and Blue Festival was taking place. Members of Unite Against Fascism, Stop the BNP and trade unions held a well-attended march and rally. Next year, I urge Antifa to take off their black bandannas and hoods, put down the missiles, and join them.”

It’s amazing that the TV media footage on the day showed scuffles between the UAF protestors et al and the police on their ‘dignified march’, but hey Rick, when you’re baying for blood- whats a little ‘slap and tickle’ to justify your second rate talent at reporting!

No such media footage went out about the militant action.

In terms of Antifa taking any advice from Rick Lyons there is clearly a touch of grandeous delusion going on there. There is a fine tradition of physical militant ant-fascism in Britain which is not going to be given up by groups because some half-witted middle class hack didn’t get his jollies on. Long may it continue.

Perhaps Mr.Lyons could however carry on doing Antifa’s work for them by continuing to publish their propoganda and succesfully getting the RWB stopped wherever it may try and raise it’s ugly head next year.

His assistance in the matter in that respect has been nothing short of exemplary.

It seems however he is just too stupid to realise it!

The Long And The Short Of It.

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

WHAT!!!

08.09.2008 09:41

Come on lets face it a few dozen guys in black scuffling with police at the entrance to the RWB hardly consitutes any sort of victory. The police have more trouble with Dartford Football club fans on a Saturday than they did at the RWB. Stop playing games, after all your hype it was embarrassing and ineffectual.

Your counterparts on the continent and the old lags from Red Action and Anti Fascist Action must have had their toes curling up with embarrassment. The fact that 80% of your troops are students going through their revolutionary stage before they settle into a nice comfortable middle class lifestyle, speaks volumes about your lack of appeal to the vast majority of the working class and your lack of a coherant political alternative to the current mess.

Danzig


FOR!!!

08.09.2008 12:04

i'd say 76.85% of our troops come from defiantly working class backgrounds.

The old lags from red action hung up their spurs a long time ago, although i do rememebr them getting no end of criticism, usually from posh lads and lefty liberals (like rick lyons and danzig) for their efforts.

It's not a competition mate.


A_N_T_I


Rubbish

08.09.2008 14:07

This is a fight between a few hundred knuckle draggers in the BNP and a few hundred Cable St wannabees in the Antifa and that's it. The BNP has no power, limited support and as much likelhood of real influence as the SWP has. I despair to see the time, energy and rescources wasted on this

go away


To Antifa

08.09.2008 15:41

After coming across this rambling and rather hysterical article, I thought I would try and answer some of the criticisms I think it is trying to make.

Firstly, you say that I wrote an article about Antifa’s intention to go to the festival and that I included postings from the internet. This is true. You go on to say that the internet postings were deliberate misinformation and that I was doing your work for you by repeating them. Given that the postings were about your intention to go the RWB festival and that you did, in fact, go to the festival, I don’t understand how it was misinformation. As for doing your work for you, if I did then I don’t mind doing so.

You say that I went to the festival with the hope of getting a story which would transform my ‘pathetic’ career and I was bitter and disappointed when I failed to do that. It is true that I went to the festival hoping to get a story, but I wasn’t disappointed because I did get one. There was big page lead about the RWB and Antifa in my paper the following Sunday. It didn’t transform my career though and I wasn’t expecting it to. As for my job being pathetic, your entitled to your opinion, but I quite enjoy it.

You say that I had no knowledge of the opinions of the people in Denby. This is not the case. I spent the whole of Friday afternoon talking to residents along Codnor-Denby Lane and spoke to more residents, who kindly made me a cup of tea, after Antifa had been seen off by the police. None of them were particularly keen on the BNP, but they were more concerned about having a load of anarchists on their doorstep fighting the police and nicking stuff from their driveways.

Finally, you seem to imply that your intention was to create a disturbance so the BNP will be refused permission to hold the festival next year, and that you were successful in doing this. This is certainly a misrepresentation of the facts. The BNP didn’t need permission to hold the festival this year and they won’t need it again next year. It was a private gathering on private property and no permission from the council is required. They need a licence to sell alcohol and host live music, but they withdrew their licence application and it didn’t stop them going ahead.

I’m sorry what I wrote upset you so much you felt I warranted a personal attack. I was only trying to contribute to the debate – and it is just my personal opinion. As you are anti-fascists I think it’s fair to say we both agree on one thing: the importance of free speech.

Regards,

Rick

Rick Lyons


To Rick Lyons

08.09.2008 20:54

I think we all understand the importance of free speech, Rick. Certainly Marco Materazzi, Andy Cole, and the McCann's know all too well about your papers particular brand of free speech.

And you still want us to take you seriously you miserable lowlife fuck?

But what your your own specialised take on free speech rick? I would defend with my life anyone who wrote the following -

"SORRY girls... but the last thing Led Zeppelin want is a Whole Lotta Love"

"BOOZY Brits are set for the worst New Year hangover ever – thanks to new super-strength beers flooding the UK"

"CELEBS and the super-rich are being put at risk because bodyguards are too fat"

"MATCH Of The Day host Gary Lineker’s relaxed dress code has sparked a betting frenzy"

"SHARON Osbourne is holding out for a mega-bucks deal to re-join X Factor after hosting the Brits"

And you want us to take you seriously you useless piece of fucking hack scum?

Whatever you think you are writing, on behalf of your rather unpleasant owner richard desmond, and indeed the buxom beauty that is dawn neesom, we both know better don't we?

A_N_T_I


Hello again

08.09.2008 21:48

I'm not in the least ashamed of any of the articles you mention, although I don't recall the one about Led Zepplin. I would however like to point out that the article about Antifa which so enraged you was written for the The Guardian website, unpaid, and had nothing what so ever to do with the Star, Dawn Neesom or Richard Desmond.

Btw Dawn is the editor of the Daily Star. I work for the Sunday edition, the Daily Star Sunday, which has a completely different editorial team, including editor.

Regards

Rick Lyons


Come again...

09.09.2008 12:43

"Finally, you seem to imply that your intention was to create a disturbance so the BNP will be refused permission to hold the festival next year, and that you were successful in doing this. This is certainly a misrepresentation of the facts."

Rick you seem to over look the fact that pressure on the event led to cancelling their licence and made the event a shadow of what it could have been, the militant protests also forced a heavy police presence (something the BNP didn't want) and did swing opinion against them. Instead as the original article suggested you approached this simply wanting to score points against an organisation that had the bottle to take the intiative against the far-right.

not rick lyons


MORE GUARDIAN FASCIST MISINFORMATION AND CRAP SEE URL

10.09.2008 12:33

It is clear The Guardian's miserable and forever diminishing readership is the cause of major postings and new left news stories but are they ever true - the answer for many communities is no they are not and that is why they need not buy it anymore.

 https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407607.html

grandadrightwingpaper


good good keep it coming

10.09.2008 14:53

They don't pay for articles on their website?

Saw you coming then Rick.

Comment is free, indeed....

Guardian bank manager