### here

Posts Tagged ‘EDL’

News round up: More arrests pledge after riot | Hain to boycott Question Time | Adam Smith: Economic policies of the BNP are left-wing

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

Fall-out from the weekend’s riot in Birmingham

* Police have said they expect to make more arrests – on both sides – after violence flared in Birmingham city centre at the weekend. A police spokeswoman said: “We anticipate adding significantly to the toll of 90 people who were arrested on the day.”

* The news comes as it emerges that the Chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque, Dr Mohammed Naseem, had urged Muslim youths to confront the EDL – contrary to the advice given by the police to community leaders to stop their followers from attending.

* The next protest being planned by the ultra-nationalist EDL is set for September 11th, Harrow Central Mosque.

We believe these recent events show a re-energised racism on the back of the election of the BNP. Race riots were once a thing of the past (particularly in Birmingham). However, with the election of Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons, racism has been given a degree of legitimacy in the eyes of ultra-nationalist groups like the EDL – who are determined to whip up hatred.

Hain to boycott Question Time

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain is to boycott BBC Question Time over proposals to invite the BNP to take part.

Westminster’s elite can complain about the BBC’sdecision to consider the BNP for flagship programmes. However, it was inevitable that a party, with one million votes, was going to get air time.

Unless the BNP are intellectually challenged they will continue to define themselves and win more votes. To defeat the BNP, voters’ bona fide anxieties need to be addressed.

Hain to boycott Question Time – Wales Online 

Adam Smith: Economic policies of the BNP are left-wing

Karl Marx

The Adam Smith Institute have said that the BNP’s economic policies would make the left “proud”. Here are a few examples of the BNP’s economic policies list by the ASI:

  • The protection of British companies from unfair foreign imports
  • The renationalisation of monopoly utilities and services
  • Bring hospital cleaning back in-house and make high cleanliness a top priority
  • More emphasis must be placed on healthy living with greater understanding of sickness prevention through physical exercise, a healthier environment and improved diets
  • Develop renewable energy sources such as off-shore wind farms, wave, tidal and solar energy
  • The introduction of a system of workfare for those in unemployment benefit for more than six months with compulsory work and training in return for decent payment
  • Take all privatised social housing stock back under local democratically controlled council ownership
  • This is a useful guide for understanding why it is factually wrong to refer to the BNP as “right-wing” and more accurate to describe them as National Socialists.  There’s nothing “right-wing” about socialism.

    BNP and the left – Adam Smith Institute 

    News round up: 90 arrested in Birmingham

    Monday, September 7th, 2009
     90 arrested in Birmingham
    BNP clashes
    EDL protesor struggles with a police officer on Saturday in Birmingham

    This weekend saw ninety arrests after clashes between “The English Defence League”, an ultra-nationalist organisation and who organised the ”anti-Islamic extremism” event, “anti-fascists” and gangs of Asian youths in Birmingham.

    “There were about 250 people in total, fighting and throwing bottles at each other,” said one onlooker.

    Yesterday, West Midlands Police said all those arrested were “male, aged between 16 and 39, and offences included criminal damage and violent disorder, including possession of an offensive weapon.” 

    Anti-fascist campaigners gather to demonstrate against members of the English Defence League in Birmingham

    Gang of Asian youths wearing balaclavas during Birmingham clashes

    There is some confusion, however, with the BNP’s involvement with the EDL and Saturday’s fracas. Pre-judging Saturday’s event, the BNP (last Thrusday) sought to distance itself from the EDL and announced via its website, it would be a “disciplinary offence” for any BNP member to be involved with the EDL.

    And yet, as we reported via our Twitter site, the BNP did promote, on its official Facebook page (3/9/09), an “anti-Islamic extremism march” in Birmingham for  September 5th 2009. Interestingly, some web-sites are reporting that EDL protesters are seen wearing BNP official merchandise t-shirts.

    While this weekend may have nothing to do with the BNP,  we do believe that because of it preach a message of hate, extremism and intimidation, ordinary people are riled up by them and therefore encouraged to hold unacceptable views and behaviour. Furthermore, to stop UK social cohesion worsening, groups like UAF and thuggish gangs, who appear to actively seek trouble, need to understand that violence is entirely destructive and offers no viable answers/solutions (on issues such as Islamism, immigration, unemployment and the recession etc) to those who maybe seeking an alternative to neo-fascism and the politics of hate.

    See footage from Saturday below: 

     

    Ninety arrests over city clashes – BBC