Skip to content or view screen version

East Mids Anti-Fascists: August report

anon@indymedia.org (EMAF) | 02.09.2012 16:55

It's been a month marked by a huge amount of infighting in the far right with BNP vs English Democrats, EDL vs Casuals United and "Zionists" vs Nazis. The far right scented blood after locals protested the decision to lease a building to a Muslim group in Thurnby Lodge, Leicester and even Nick Griffin was seen waddling about trying to get some action. More EDL supporters got banged up for being racists and blamed their drink problems. And the BNP pretended to be lovers of fluffy animals whilst guzzling sausage when a halal slaughterhouse started business in Skegness.

The month started with the news that Rob Walker, BNP activist from Wellingborough and author of the Northants Patriot, had defected to the English Democrats.

We analysed the nonsense spouted by Nottingham EDL member and Casuals United's favoured man to take Tommy's job, Tony Curtis. Unsurprisingly, we found he'd been talking bullshit.

The English Democrats stood Boston buffoon, Elliott Fountain, who is a big fan of Enoch Powell, as a candidate in the Lincoln East by election. He only got 24 votes.

We had a good laugh at Derbyshire BNP organiser, Paul Hilliard's new pet project, a Facebook group called 'Nationalists must unite as one to achieve victory'. It has featured blazing rows and recrimination between different factions and old-fashioned Jew-hating Nazism.

The far right wet their pants with excitement when locals in Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, protested about the decision to lease an abandoned Scout hut to a Muslim group. The BNP even went as far as bussing Griffin in to attend the protests which also attracted the EDL and Leicester Casuals United. There was a very amusing post on the Casuals' website calling the EDL a "f*cking disgrace" and "if it kicked off [Leicester EDL] would get f*cking slaughtered." Despite their efforts, these "outside groups" were told they were not welcome. Leicestershire BNP are still moaning about how it's all a conspiracy.

The English Democrats' decision to employ hated former BNP PR man, Jim Dowson, to mail BNP members asking them to join the EDs backfired spectacularly, setting off another round of nationalist infighting in Northants. As one disgruntled BNPer put it "There seems to be some kind of ingrained culture of plotting and back stabbing in the nationalist movement".

Ashley Pegg of Chaddesden, Derby, admitted committing affray and racially aggravated assault against a Muslim taxi driver after chanting "We are the EDL" in the back of the cab and blamed alcohol in mitigation.

Leicester EDL tried to whip up hysteria before their ill-fated day out to Walthamstow by likening a swimming session aimed at Muslims to apartheid South Africa. Their followers thought that the best way to respond would be to "put a dead pig on a lilo and float it in the middle of the pool". They were sent to bed without any dinner.

Two men who subjected an Asian family to racist abuse and threatened them with a knife after saying they were EDL, were jailed. Kelvin Barratt and Stefan Davis of Bulwell, Nottingham, blamed alcohol for their behaviour.

The BNP have indicated they will be attempting to hijack a campaign against a halal abattoir in Skegness. Their new found love of animals hasn't stopped them from munching Lincolnshire sausage however, and we reckon they might be more interested in slagging off Muslims than liberating animals.

Finally, we enjoyed a good gloat about the decimation of the local BNP by poor leadership, endless splits and plenty of pressure from people who hate fascists. Leicester, Nottingham and Derby were among the areas with the most BNP members in the country in 2008 and NG16 in Broxtowe was the postcode with the most fascists. Now, Broxtowe and Ashfield branches are defunct, the party has slumped in Amber Valley and the Nottingham organiser has given up. Long may the disintegration continue!


anon@indymedia.org (EMAF)
- http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2755