The attempt was a spectacular failure. Liverpool Antifascists held their ground until the Tierneys, unable to provoke a fight despite threats and insults, got bored and scuttled off.
Now, on their blog, they are trying to claim differently. According to one post, “the fascist UAF tried to upset the day by intimidation and interfering in the democratic process, but were seen off by BNP supporting Halewood South residents.” That there is no UAF (Unite Against Fascism) group in Liverpool, and that Liverpool Antifascists did nothing more intimidating than walk past Tierney’s Land Rover on their way to the station are inconvenient facts that only serve to get in the way of a good piece of nonsense.
A later post contains the video of “the camera shy UAF” “being a nuisance to everyone around them.” Yes, Peter, turning away when you’re trying to film us and refusing to rise to it when you call us “shithouses” or threaten to “get some local lads down” certainly is a “nuisance,” isn’t it?
The lies are typical and to be expected. More telling, however, is the hypocrisy. When Liverpool Antifascists walked past Peter and Andrew Tierney, the only other BNP supporter present was a chubby but fairly young man who swore at us from the safety of the Land Rover. Still, the blog saw fit to worry about “our BNP old age pensioner thugs” (their words, not ours) “in case these UAF scum decided to attack us.” However, the older lady standing at the bus stop when the Tierneys were filming was only a “bag lady” and therefore didn’t deserve to be spared.
Even by the standards of the far right, Merseyside BNP are an unsavoury and demented bunch. With the evidence mounting in the run-up to Peter Tierney’s trial for assault, the main BNP website has simply ceased reporting news from Merseyside. The fascists posting on Stormfront and Vanguard News Network think that “violence is all the LBNP seem to get involved in.” Only Redwatch will give them any time, reposting the pictures and addresses offered by the local party, and showing that the connection between the site and the BNP, at least in Liverpool, remains strong.
That, on the back of such behaviour, they will claim to be victims of “intimidation,” only casts further doubt on Merseyside BNP’s every claim to victimhood. Several weeks ago, the accusations thrown by Tierney to draw heat from his assault of an antifascist were shown up in court as lies. Little wonder, then, that they have been disowned as a PR disaster.
As well as being active fascists, Peter Tierney and Merseyside BNP are violent thugs. They cannot be allowed to dispatch of this fact down the memory hole with their constant and fallacious claims to victimhood.