Far Right groups Archives - TELL MAMA https://tellmamauk.org/category/far-right-groups/ Anti-Muslim Hate & Islamophobia Hate Crime Reporting Website Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:07:16 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://i0.wp.com/tellmamauk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-TELL-MAMA-ALTER-ICON.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Far Right groups Archives - TELL MAMA https://tellmamauk.org/category/far-right-groups/ 32 32 191828290 Why Tommy Robinson could face prison after being found guilty of harassing journalists https://tellmamauk.org/why-tommy-robinson-could-face-prison-after-being-found-guilty-of-harassing-journalists/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:07:16 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18509 The far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) was today found guilty of harassing two...

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]]> The far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) was today found guilty of harassing two MailOnline journalists, causing fear of violence.

The jury convicted him by a majority of 10 to 2 on both charges (harassment causing fear of violence), having deliberated at Southwark Crown Court for 11 hours and twenty-five minutes.

Mr Justice Cavanagh will consider all options when Yaxley-Lennon returns for sentencing on 16 December, including a custodial sentence – be it in prison or suspended. Harassment causing fear of violence can carry a maximum custodial sentence of ten years in prison.

Yaxley-Lennon’s posts about Jacob Dirnhuber and Andrew Young gained millions of views on X (formerly Twitter) after the newspaper’s high-profile coverage in print and online included the headline “stoking riots from his sunbed”  following the far-right violence and rioting after the horrific murders and stabbings in Southport in August 2024.

One of the journalists who worked on identifying Yaxley-Lennon in Cyprus, Andrew Young, had described in court an “increasingly menacing” tone in their phone call, which the prosecution had argued sat within a wider pattern of “intimidatory tactics”. And that “Mr Young believes Mr Lennon said, ‘I’m coming to get you’.” Further describing publishing photographs and the address of his family.

Yaxley-Lennon had contacted Dirnhuber again over direct message on X, stating, “Okay got your address. We need to talk,” having made a public post on 5 August 2024. A day later, Yaxley-Lennon claimed, “Don’t worry I’ve already tracked each one of them”, in a post that gained over three million views on X and remained online throughout the trial. Hours later, he went further, sharing a photo of one of the journalists and then family members outside of their home.

A witness statement from Dirnhuber made clear: “I was concerned about the risk of being intercepted on my way to work, either by Robinson for a livestreamed interview or by an unpredictable supporter of his hoping to cause me or my partner physical harm.”

A third Daily Mail journalist, George Odling, detailed in his witness statement that he, his wife, and young child left their home, fearing that supporters of Yaxley-Lennon would follow them.

By 7 August 2024, Yaxley-Lennon had left a voicemail to the Daily Mail’s editor-in-chief, Ted Verity, informing him that he would “make you famous and your families”, as Verity passed to the police a voicemail that also included the claim: “I’ve already located every f****** one of you.”

During the trial, jurors heard that the newspaper had hired a close protection officer for  Young, as Dirnhuber moved house, fearing a vigilante-style attack.

Yaxley-Lennon had failed to convince the jury that the Daily Mail and MailOnline coverage had “endangered his family”.

Frank Ferguson, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, in a statement published following the verdict: “Stephen Lennon weaponised social media and subjected two journalists to a campaign of harassment which caused them serious fear of violence.

“The evidence in this case showed that he targeted the victims directly and indirectly through social media and by telephone. He also published images relating not only to them, but also their families.

“The jury heard from the victims and witnesses in this case, ultimately deciding that this behaviour crossed the line into criminality.

“Nobody should be made to fear violence because of the work they do. Journalists play an important role in a democratic society and should be able to carry out their professional duties without being subjected to harassment.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police detailed the timeline of the case, as a spokesperson said: “There are legitimate and established routes that can be pursued by people who have concerns or complaints about their treatment by the media.

“In this case, Lennon chose not to follow any of these and, instead, issued various threatening online posts in the knowledge that they would almost certainly lead to his followers to target and intimidate those journalists, which is exactly what happened. This left them fearing for their own safety and that of their families – so much so that they felt compelled to take significant safety precautions including leaving their homes and hiring private security personnel.

“This kind of intimidatory behaviour is not acceptable, and anyone behaving in such a way to intimidate, harass and threaten others either online or in the real world can expect to be investigated and brought before the courts as was the case here.”

 

 

 

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]]> 18509 Tommy Robinson could face up to 10 years in jail for harassing journalists https://tellmamauk.org/tommy-robinson-could-face-up-to-10-years-in-jail-for-harassing-journalists/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:42:10 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18503 Credit: PA Tommy Robinson could face jail after a judge warned he would consider “all...

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]]> Credit: PA

Tommy Robinson could face jail after a judge warned he would consider “all options” following the far-right activist’s conviction for harassing two journalists and causing them to fear violence.

The 43-year-old, who told his trial his full name is Stephen Lennon, was labelled a “bully” by prosecutors after freelance reporter Andrew Young and Daily Mail editor Jacob Dirnhuber felt forced to either leave their homes or employ extra security for fear of a “vigilante” attack.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court took 11 hours and 25 minutes to find Robinson guilty by a majority of 10 jurors to two of both charges of harassment causing fear of violence.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Robinson’s trial heard how the anti-migrant activist “retaliated” after the Daily Mail and its sister publication the MailOnline published a story about him “stoking riots from his sunbed” during unrest in the UK in August 2024 following the murders of three girls in Southport.

Robinson made a series of posts on social media about the unfolding situation while on holiday in Cyprus, prompting the newspaper to send Mr Young and a photographer to the island.

After the MailOnline published its story about him, Robinson posted criticisms on his X account of Mr Young and Mr Dirnhuber because of their involvement in the article.

Robinson went on to hire private investigators to find the home addresses of his victims, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mail Ted Verity.

The jury panel accepted the prosecution’s case that the decision to hire detectives was designed to “intimidate” his victims, with photographs of Mr Dirnhuber outside his home and cropped images of Mr Young’s family posted online by Robinson.

As well as social media posts and direct messages to Mr Dirnhuber, the defendant also became “increasingly menacing” on a telephone call with Mr Young on August 5, 2024 – telling the freelance journalist: “I’m coming to get you.”

Jurors rejected claims from the activist that the Daily Mail had put his family in danger by publishing the story, with the defendant weeping in the witness box on Thursday as he spoke about the relationship he had with his children.

Prosecutor Ben Holt previously told the court Mr Young was given a close protection officer by the Daily Mail after photographs of his wife and children were posted on Robinson’s X account.

Mr Dirnhuber had to move house because of the harassment and Daily Mail correspondent George Odling also felt the need to leave his family home after becoming concerned with the publicity surrounding his colleagues.

Mr Verity also provided evidence to police of a voicemail he received from Robinson, who told him: “I’ve already located every f****** one of you.”

The activist posted on X before the trial began to thank Tesla owner Elon Musk for funding his legal fees.

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said Robinson had “weaponised social media” in his campaign of harassment.

He said: “The evidence in this case showed that he targeted the victims directly and indirectly through social media and by telephone. He also published images relating not only to them, but also their families.

“The jury heard from the victims and witnesses in this case, ultimately deciding that this behaviour crossed the line into criminality.

“Nobody should be made to fear violence because of the work they do.

“Journalists play an important role in a democratic society and should be able to carry out their professional duties without being subjected to harassment.”

Robinson could face jail after a judge warned he would consider “all options” following the far-right activist’s conviction for harassing two journalists and causing them to fear violence.

The 43-year-old, who told his trial his full name is Stephen Lennon, was labelled a “bully” by prosecutors after freelance reporter Andrew Young and Daily Mail editor Jacob Dirnhuber felt forced to either leave their homes or employ extra security for fear of a “vigilante” attack.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court took 11 hours and 25 minutes to find Robinson guilty by a majority of 10 jurors to two of both charges of harassment causing fear of violence.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Robinson’s trial heard how the anti-migrant activist “retaliated” after the Daily Mail and its sister publication the MailOnline published a story about him “stoking riots from his sunbed” during unrest in the UK in August 2024 following the murders of three girls in Southport.

Robinson made a series of posts on social media about the unfolding situation while on holiday in Cyprus, prompting the newspaper to send Mr Young and a photographer to the island.

After the MailOnline published its story about him, Robinson posted criticisms on his X account of Mr Young and Mr Dirnhuber because of their involvement in the article.

Robinson went on to hire private investigators to find the home addresses of his victims, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mail Ted Verity.

The jury panel accepted the prosecution’s case that the decision to hire detectives was designed to “intimidate” his victims, with photographs of Mr Dirnhuber outside his home and cropped images of Mr Young’s family posted online by Robinson.

As well as social media posts and direct messages to Mr Dirnhuber, the defendant also became “increasingly menacing” on a telephone call with Mr Young on August 5, 2024 – telling the freelance journalist: “I’m coming to get you.”

Jurors rejected claims from the activist that the Daily Mail had put his family in danger by publishing the story, with the defendant weeping in the witness box on Thursday as he spoke about the relationship he had with his children.

Prosecutor Ben Holt previously told the court Mr Young was given a close protection officer by the Daily Mail after photographs of his wife and children were posted on Robinson’s X account.

Mr Dirnhuber had to move house because of the harassment and Daily Mail correspondent George Odling also felt the need to leave his family home after becoming concerned with the publicity surrounding his colleagues.

Mr Verity also provided evidence to police of a voicemail he received from Robinson, who told him: “I’ve already located every f****** one of you.”

The activist posted on X before the trial began to thank Tesla owner Elon Musk for funding his legal fees.

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said Robinson had “weaponised social media” in his campaign of harassment.

He said: “The evidence in this case showed that he targeted the victims directly and indirectly through social media and by telephone. He also published images relating not only to them, but also their families.

“The jury heard from the victims and witnesses in this case, ultimately deciding that this behaviour crossed the line into criminality.

“Nobody should be made to fear violence because of the work they do.

“Journalists play an important role in a democratic society and should be able to carry out their professional duties without being subjected to harassment.”

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]]> 18503 Tommy Robinson found guilty of harassing two Daily Mail journalists https://tellmamauk.org/tommy-robinson-found-guilty-of-harassing-two-daily-mail-journalists/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:20:23 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18499 Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been convicted of harassing two journalists and causing them to...

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]]> Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been convicted of harassing two journalists and causing them to fear violence.

The 43-year-old, who told his trial his full name is Stephen Lennon, was labelled a “bully” by prosecutors after freelance reporter Andrew Young and Daily Mail editor Jacob Dirnhuber felt forced to either leave their homes or employ extra security for fear of a “vigilante” attack.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court took 11 hours and 25 minutes to find Robinson guilty by a majority of 10 jurors to two of both charges of harassment causing fear of violence.

His trial heard how the anti-migrant activist “retaliated” after the Daily Mail and its sister publication the MailOnline published a story about him “stoking riots from his sunbed” during unrest in the UK in August 2024 following the murders of three girls in Southport.

Robinson made a series of posts on social media about the unfolding situation while on holiday in Cyprus, prompting the newspaper to send Mr Young and a photographer to the island.

After the MailOnline published its story about him, Robinson posted criticisms on his X account of Mr Young and Mr Dirnhuber because of their involvement in the article.

Robinson went on to hire private investigators to find the home addresses of his victims, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mail Ted Verity.

The jury panel accepted the prosecution’s case that the decision to hire detectives was designed to “intimidate” his victims, with photographs of Mr Dirnhuber outside his home and cropped images of Mr Young’s family posted online by Robinson.

As well as social media posts and direct messages to Mr Dirnhuber, the defendant also became “increasingly menacing” on a telephone call with Mr Young on August 5, 2024 – telling the freelance journalist: “I’m coming to get you.”

Jurors rejected claims from the activist that the Daily Mail had put his family in danger by publishing the story, with the defendant weeping in the witness box on Thursday as he spoke about the relationship he had with his children.

Prosecutor Ben Holt previously told the court Mr Young was given a close protection officer by the Daily Mail after photographs of his wife and children were posted on Robinson’s X account.

Mr Dirnhuber had to move house because of the harassment and Daily Mail correspondent George Odling also felt the need to leave his family home after becoming concerned with the publicity surrounding his colleagues.

Mr Verity also provided evidence to police of a voicemail he received from Robinson, who told him: “I’ve already located every f****** one of you.”

The activist posted on X before the trial began to thank Tesla owner Elon Musk for funding his legal fees.

He was granted bail ahead of his sentencing on December 16.

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]]> 18499 Jury retires to consider verdicts in Tommy Robinson harassment trial https://tellmamauk.org/jury-retires-to-consider-verdicts-in-tommy-robinson-harassment-trial/ Tue, 27 Oct 2026 16:00:48 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18496 The jury trying the case of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who is accused of harassing...

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]]> The jury trying the case of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who is accused of harassing two journalists and causing them to fear violence, has retired to consider its verdicts.

The 43-year-old, who gave his full name to Southwark Crown Court as Stephen Lennon, is alleged to have harassed freelance journalist Andrew Young and Daily Mail editor Jacob Dirnhuber in August 2024.

Robinson is alleged to have acted as a “bully” by hiring private investigators to find the addresses of the complainants, before posting pictures of Mr Dirnhuber outside his home and cropped images of Mr Young’s family members on his X account.

Prosecutor Ben Holt previously told the court the defendant “threatened” the journalists after what he perceived to be “an unnecessary intrusion into his holiday”.

He is accused of telling Mr Young “I’m coming to get you” during a phone call on August 5 2024, and sending a direct message to Mr Dirnhuber saying: “I’ll be knocking at your door.”

Jurors heard Mr Young was provided with a close protection officer by the Daily Mail, while Mr Dirnhuber had to move house because of the alleged harassment.

Speaking from the witness box during his trial, Robinson said he wanted to put “pressure” on the journalists but denied that hiring the detectives was designed to “intimidate” them.

Robinson, who founded the English Defence League, entered not guilty pleas in July last year to two charges of harassment causing fear of violence.

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]]> 18496 MI5 investigated 13-year-old over extreme right-wing beliefs https://tellmamauk.org/mi5-investigated-13-year-old-over-extreme-right-wing-beliefs/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 18:50:40 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18456 A 13-year-old was investigated by MI5 over extreme right-wing beliefs earlier this year, the head...

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]]> A 13-year-old was investigated by MI5 over extreme right-wing beliefs earlier this year, the head of the security service said.

Sir Ken McCallum told journalists the recent increase in the terror threat to the UK was “driven in significant part” by right-wing extremists.

In a speech at Thames House on Tuesday, he said: “Over the last year, the most marked trend has been an increase in cases where extremist versions of anti-immigration and anti-Muslim grievance are tipping into terrorist intent; we’ve dealt, for example, with would-be terrorists aspiring to attack mosques and venues connected to immigration and asylum.

“Extreme right-wing terrorism also continues to skew (the) young, driven by the internet.

“A few months ago, MI5 was investigating a radicalised extreme right-wing 13-year-old here in the UK.

“Believe me, we wish we didn’t have to. But that investigation generated insight that enabled one of our international partners to prevent a lethal attack on their soil.”

He also mentioned the case of a 16-year-old from Inverclyde who was jailed for 10 years for plotting to attack an Islamic centre.

Official figures show that in 2025, 39 people aged 17 and under were arrested in connection with counter terrorism investigations, and 40 the previous year.

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]]> 18456 Anti-Muslim Hate Rises in UK as Mosque Vandal Pleads Guilty https://tellmamauk.org/anti-muslim-hate-rises-in-uk-as-mosque-vandal-pleads-guilty/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:49:46 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18414 Anti-Muslim Hate Rises in UK as Mosque Vandal Pleads Guilty Two separate incidents targeting mosques...

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]]> Anti-Muslim Hate Rises in UK as Mosque Vandal Pleads Guilty

Two separate incidents targeting mosques within days of each other have again put anti-Muslim hate at the centre of national attention, as fresh data confirms the trend is accelerating rather than easing. On 17 September, a Ukrainian national pleaded guilty to a graffiti campaign against five Muslim institutions in east London that investigators say was orchestrated by a Russian-linked network. That same week, Cornwall’s only mosque was rammed by a car and doused in oil in an attack now being investigated as racially aggravated criminal damage. Together, the two cases illustrate how anti-Muslim hate in the UK is being fuelled by both organised, externally-directed extremism and opportunistic local hostility.

Guilty Plea Reveals Russian-Linked Campaign of Anti-Muslim Hate

At Thames Magistrates’ Court, Illia Bilyk, 21, admitted five counts of racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage after spraying abusive graffiti across the Stratford Islamic Association, Al-Birr Mosque, Leyton Jamia Masjid, Noor Ul Islam Primary School and the Islamic Shariah Council over two nights in January 2025. According to BBC reporting, Bilyk was recruited and paid by a Russian-speaking handler on Telegram, and investigators have linked the case to the same network behind arson plots against properties connected to former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, for which two other Ukrainian nationals were previously jailed. British police have said they have no evidence the wider campaign was directly state-sponsored, and the Russian Embassy has denied involvement, but the case underlines how anti-Muslim hate can be deliberately manufactured and amplified by hostile actors seeking to sow division. Bilyk is due to be sentenced on 19 October. Met Police Chief Superintendent Rhona Hunt said the attacks “caused significant distress within Muslim communities” and stressed that “anti-Muslim hate crime and Islamophobia have absolutely no place in London.”

Cornwall Mosque Targeted in Racially Aggravated Attack

In an unrelated incident, the Islamic Community Centre in Carnon Downs, near Truro — Cornwall’s only mosque — was attacked late on 17 September when a vehicle repeatedly rammed its entrance gates before two people poured what is believed to be diesel across the grounds and exterior walls. Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating the incident as racially aggravated criminal damage and have appealed for witnesses, CCTV and dashcam footage; no arrests have yet been made. Volunteer imam Hasan Kilic said the community was “shocked and in horror” and urged vigilance, while stressing the attack would not divide the community. It was the centre’s first such incident in nearly two decades, and a local fundraiser for repairs and security improvements has already drawn strong public support.

Data Points to a Sustained Rise in Anti-Muslim Hate

Both incidents land against a backdrop of worsening figures. Tell MAMA data shows that reports of anti-Muslim hate in London during the first six months of 2026 (1,031) have already exceeded the entire 2023 total (1,028), while Metropolitan Police figures point to a 25% rise in faith hate crime and a 31% increase in recorded Islamophobic offences over the past year. Tell MAMA director Iman Atta OBE said the figures reflect “a sustained escalation of anti-Muslim hate” rather than a temporary spike, calling for “a sustained and uncompromising no-nonsense response from our public institutions.”

Anti-Muslim Hate Also Rising in NHS Settings

Tell MAMA’s own monitoring shows anti-Muslim hate extending well beyond the streets and places of worship. Verified incidents recorded within NHS settings — including GP surgeries, hospital wards and emergency departments — nearly doubled from 37 in 2024 to 71 in 2025, with a further 29 logged in the first half of 2026 alone. One NHS doctor described being called a “terrorist” while wearing a hijab on duty, adding that years of training and exhausting shifts “meant nothing” in that moment. Tell MAMA is calling on NHS trusts to take the data seriously, strengthen reporting pathways and improve staff training to protect both patients and healthcare workers from anti-Muslim hate.

Report Anti-Muslim Hate

If you have experienced or witnessed anti-Muslim hate — whether online, on the street, at a place of worship, in a school, or within a public institution such as the NHS — you can report it confidentially at tellmamauk.org. Accurate reporting helps Tell MAMA build a clear national picture of anti-Muslim hate, support victims, and press public bodies and police forces to respond effectively.

Read More: Police investigating anti-Muslim graffiti on Birmingham Mosque.

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]]> 18414 Far-right extremist who wanted to murder migrants jailed for terror offences https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-extremist-who-wanted-to-murder-migrants-jailed-for-terror-offences/ Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:28:01 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18367 A far-right extremist who called for the racist murder of migrants “when they arrive on...

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]]> A far-right extremist who called for the racist murder of migrants “when they arrive on their boats” has received a prison sentence of over five years for terrorism offences.

Ivan Jennings, a 46-year-old warehouse worker and former local councillor from Stafford, whom the judge described as possessing “deeply held abhorrent and racist views”, belonged to at least seven extremist far-right Telegram channels.

It was within these extremist racist channels that Jennings discussed procuring the “most poisonous” mushrooms to put in the food of Muslim and Jewish communities.

One possible target for a far-right terror attack was those celebrating Pakistan’s Independence Day in Manchester, the court heard.

Further targets included the racist murder of refugees and migrants arriving via boat, amid discussion of the use of Molotov cocktails. Online searches in August 2024 revealed that he had looked up motorboat chartering services at Dover and subsequent rental costs, as he suggested in one chat that individual members should aim to murder at “least 200 and stop the constant influx”.

Nor did Jennings express any reservations about murder and far-right terrorism, writing in one chat: “It’s not murder, because we are at war. If it’s subhumans, it’s justified and actually needed”.

He had admitted in May to encouraging terrorism online between 15 August and 14 November 2024.

Jennings admitted another terrorism offence, disseminating the terrorist publication authored by the white supremacist terrorist Anders Behring Breivik on 21 August 2024.

He pleaded not guilty to possession of the screed authored by the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, in May 2019, but this count will remain on file.

Jennings, however,  advocated for a copycat terror attack on Muslim communities, suggesting “we need a bigger impact”.

Upon leaving prison, the 46-year-old will face a further five years on extended licence.

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]]> 18367 Tommy Robinson associate appears to claim credit for Dover protests https://tellmamauk.org/tommy-robinson-associate-appears-to-claim-credit-for-dover-protests/ Sat, 05 Sep 2026 17:52:01 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18344 Credit: Press Association An associate of right-wing activist Tommy Robinson has appeared to claim credit...

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]]> Credit: Press Association

An associate of right-wing activist Tommy Robinson has appeared to claim credit for demonstrations which saw hundreds of masked protesters cause traffic chaos in Dover.

Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, shared footage from the anti-illegal migrant protest in a post on social media, saying: “This is our warning.”

The protests saw hundreds of demonstrators dressed all in black and with balaclavas block road access to the Kent port on Saturday morning.

A group was seen marching through the town and chanting “Whose streets? Our streets” and “Stop the boats” as dozens of police officers followed.

Campaign group Hope Not Hate linked the action to the Patriot Platform, which Tommo recently launched.

Sharing a video of protesters marching on Instagram, Tommo wrote: “It’s time! Protect our country! And more importantly our women and children! This is our warning!”

Another video shared by Tommo showed the words “blood is on your hands” spray-painted on the ground outside Western Jet Foil, a short-term holding facility for migrants arriving into the UK on small boats.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, weighed in on the protests himself on social media, suggesting they were part of a co-ordinated plan.

He wrote on X: “Simultaneously at different locations across Dover patriots have mobilised to close down the port.”

Tommo and Robinson have frequently appeared together at political rallies and events, with Tommo described by some media outlets and Hope Not Hate as Robinson’s “right-hand-man”.

Tommo attended Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally in May, lauding it as an “incredible” achievement in a video on social media.

Hope Not Hate said the demonstrations show a growing trend of “anti-migrant vigilantism coming to a head in the public eye”.

The group wrote: “Today, we could see Patriot Platform for what it is: a far-right network of men happy to intimidate and inconvenience an entire town for what was effectively a publicity stunt.”

Tommo has described the Patriot Platform as “the resistance standing against the downfall of the United Kingdom”, with contingents across the country.

Saturday’s demonstrations brought traffic on roads leading to UK’s busiest international ferry and passenger port to a halt, delaying some ferry services and blocking major roads.

A Government spokesperson said it condemned protesters’ behaviour “and the travel disruption it has caused”.

Kent Police said no arrests were made during the “spontaneous protest”, adding demonstrators had dispersed by midday.

Read More: Neo-Nazi Alex Davies Guilty of Belonging to Banned Terror Group National Action.

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]]> 18344 14-year-old boy guilty of terror offence and racist graffiti avoids prison https://tellmamauk.org/14-year-old-boy-guilty-of-terror-offence-and-racist-graffiti-avoids-prison/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:17:43 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18338 A 14-year-old boy from Nottingham who downloaded a bomb-making video they found on TikTok and...

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]]> A 14-year-old boy from Nottingham who downloaded a bomb-making video they found on TikTok and vandalised his neighbour’s fence with racist graffiti avoided prison.

He appeared at Nottingham Justice Centre last week (28 August) and received a three-year youth rehabilitation order with electronic monitoring.

Counter-terror police arrested the boy in January 2026, following concerns that he carried a knife. Officers located the knife in his bedroom, resulting in a nine-month referral order for possession of that offensive weapon.

During the trial, it emerged that the TikTok video, downloaded to their phone, discussed how to create a bomb with household materials, a Section 58 offence under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The prosecution, citing an expert witness, outlined how the video did not provide “detailed instructions,” adding that officers found no chemicals at their home during their search, The Independent noted.

He targeted a neighbour with racist graffiti, daubing a Nazi swastika, a racial slur, and a reference to the Christchurch terrorist on their garden fence last year, which left the woman (who lives alone) scared and fearful. In her victim impact statement, read aloud in court, she said: “It felt like a personal attack on me, a woman of colour who lives alone.”

Tell MAMA continues to monitor and report on the disturbing, lingering influence of the Christchurch terrorist on social media and amongst individuals convicted of far-right terror offences after the fact, including young men.

The judge, however, believed the offending occurred from a desire to “fit in” and not from an ideological extremist mindset, the BBC reported.

Other factors the judge cited included the boy’s engagement with Prevent, whilst they considered his age, maturity, and the nature of the harmful content they consumed online, and the influence of others.

He told the boy: “I’m placing some trust in you – please repay it by staying out of trouble and doing as you are asked.”

Responding to the verdict, Detective Inspector Steve Shaw, who was Senior Investigating Officer in the case, said in a statement: “It is worrying to think a person of such a young age could display these concerning thoughts and behaviours.

“Going from owning weapons, to spray-painting graffiti, to downloading a bomb-making tutorial, shows how his behaviour was escalating, which is why we stepped in and charged him when we did.

“I’d encourage all parents to check they know what their child is doing online. Know what kind of things they are reading and watching, who they are talking to, and what sites they are visiting.”

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]]> 18338 ‘British Movement’ Stickers Plastered Over Hackney Lamp Posts https://tellmamauk.org/british-movement-stickers-plastered-over-hackney-lamp-posts/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:59:36 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18316 We have received reports today of a far right group – the so-called ‘British Movement’...

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]]> We have received reports today of a far right group – the so-called ‘British Movement’ that has been active in the London Borough of Hackney. We have received numerous pictures of their stickers on Hackney lamp posts and with the individual reporting in suggesting that there are multiple sites where these stickers have been plastered.

We are in no doubt that such actions are meant to intimidate and plastering such stickers in one of the most diverse boroughs in London is troubling. This is not so much about raising the profile of the far right group, as being about creating fear and anxiety in local communities in Hackney.

If you have come across such stickers, we would be grateful if you could let us know the location of where they are in Hackney, so that we can work with the local authority to ensure that they are removed.

Read More: Teenage Neo-Nazi Who Wanted to Kill Asian Friend Found Guilty of Terror Plot.

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]]> 18316 How anti-Muslim rhetoric and conspiracies still permeate social media https://tellmamauk.org/how-anti-muslim-rhetoric-and-conspiracies-still-permeate-social-media/ Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:00:29 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18240 Anti-Muslim conspiracies permeated across social media following a fire at a historic Leicester church, which...

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]]> Anti-Muslim conspiracies permeated across social media following a fire at a historic Leicester church, which the fire service ruled was accidental.

Tell MAMA received reports concerning various far-right content pushing anti-Muslim narratives, including an extremist who called for the burning of a local mosque in response. Another post of great concern also suggested setting fire to mosques in response.

X removed the content after we flagged it, which was written in response to another account holder listing the address of a Leicester mosque amidst a flurry of conspiracies falsely blaming Muslims for the fire. The police were made aware of its content.

Tell MAMA flagged these posts with the police.

Racist, anti-Sikh hatred appeared on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) about the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Kulwinder Singh Johal, pushing disinformation that he had not made a statement about the fire, or, in some cases, used Islamophobic language.

In fact, Lord Mayor Johal posted a heartfelt statement on Facebook on 29 July. He wrote, “I am heartbroken to see the devastating fire at St Andrew’s Church on Jarrom Street. This tragedy feels deeply personal to me, as I lived on Jarrom Street as a young kid and know firsthand just how special this tight-knit community truly is,” before adding, “Seeing such a historic, cherished landmark engulfed in flames is profoundly painful for all of us who hold this area dear to our hearts.” He closed his statement with a message of support and solidarity: “We will get through this heartbreak together, and we will support the St Andrew’s family every single step of the way.”

Some of the most animated accounts pushing these falsehoods and anti-Muslim or anti-Sikh narratives appeared outside of the UK, including in Europe or the United States. Some UK-based far-right extremists or agitators who had since left the country had also done the same.

Other far-right content sought to push racialised conspiracies about demographics and of so-called Muslim “invasions” or how Leicester is “overrun” with Muslims had populated some of their online rhetoric.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed on 29 July that the “most probable cause of the incident is accidental” in response to potential misinformation and speculation about the cause of the fire on social media.

St Andrew’s parish priest, the Rev’d Canon Dr Johannes Arens, said they “take comfort from the confirmation that the most probable cause is accidental,” as the church posted a donation link to help with the cost of restoration and recovery work.

Locals also praised the bravery of firefighters in rescuing a coffin from the blaze.

The church was able to resume its services after the horrendous fire. The Reverend Richard Trethewey, Archdeacon of Leicester, said the church was “hoping things can find new life after this terrible event” and spoke of how much the wider community’s offers of support helped.

Read more: Bacon strips left on door handle of Dunfermline Central Mosque

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]]> 18240 From Ceuta to Britain: How a Border Crisis Is Fuelling Anti-Muslim Hate Online https://tellmamauk.org/ceuta-morocco-anti-muslim-hate-social-media-britain/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 23:02:29 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18233 From Ceuta to Britain: How Anti-Muslim Hate Travels Content warning: some links refer to hateful...

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]]> From Ceuta to Britain: How Anti-Muslim Hate Travels

Content warning: some links refer to hateful or extremist material.

Over several dramatic days, the Spanish territory of Ceuta—situated on the North African coast beside Morocco—became the centre of an unprecedented migration and humanitarian crisis. Images of thousands of people crossing border fences, swimming around breakwaters and moving through the city spread rapidly across X, TikTok, Facebook and Telegram.

According to Reuters’ latest report, approximately 50,000 people entered Ceuta from Morocco from 30 July 2026. At least 67 people died, either by drowning or after being crushed during the chaotic crossings. Spain said that more than 48,000 people returned to Morocco within 48 hours.

The scale of the incident understandably raises serious questions about border security, organised smuggling, Morocco’s responsibilities and Spain’s migration policies. These are legitimate matters for democratic debate. However, social media has increasingly transformed a complex political and humanitarian crisis into a story about Muslims collectively “invading” Europe.

That shift—from discussing migration policy to treating Muslims as a civilisational enemy—is where political debate becomes anti-Muslim hate.

What caused the Ceuta crossings?

The complete picture is still emerging. Spanish authorities blamed people-smuggling networks for circulating misleading interpretations of a recent court judgment. Viral posts suggested that migrants reaching Ceuta by sea could remain in Spanish territory because they could not be summarily returned without due process.

An Associated Press fact-check found that claims about Spain simply opening its borders or offering automatic legal status were inaccurate. Spain’s residency programme applied only to people who could demonstrate that they had been living in the country before a specified date.

Economic desperation also matters. Many of those interviewed described unemployment, poverty and a lack of opportunity in Morocco. A quarter of Moroccans aged between 15 and 24 are reportedly outside education, employment or training. Several young people told journalists that social media footage convinced them that the border had become passable and that Europe offered their only realistic prospect of a better future.

This does not excuse unlawful border crossings or violence. It does, however, demonstrate why reducing every person present to a religiously defined threat is both inaccurate and dangerous.

How migration became an “Islamic invasion”

Within hours, social media accounts were attaching words such as “invasion”, “conquest”, “military-aged Muslims” and “Islamisation” to footage from Ceuta. One widely circulated post explicitly described the incident as an “Islamic invasion”, adding “No more Islam”. Another foregrounded the migrants’ assumed Muslim identity while presenting criminal allegations as collective behaviour.

The purpose of this framing is significant. “Migrants” describes a legal or social status. “Muslim invasion” turns a border incident into an existential struggle involving every Muslim, including millions of European Muslims who had nothing whatsoever to do with events in Ceuta.

The language then travelled into British political discourse. British-based voices described Europe as having been “invaded”, while another post claimed that what happened in Ceuta was already happening in the United Kingdom. A British MP similarly characterised Ceuta as an “invasion”.

The word “invasion” is not automatically anti-Muslim hate, particularly when describing a rapid and unlawful breach of a border. Context matters. But when such language is combined with references to Islam, collective criminality, demographic replacement or demands to remove Muslims, it becomes part of a recognisable anti-Muslim narrative.

Why this matters in Britain

Britain does not approach this latest online escalation from a neutral starting point. Recent polling found that 42% of respondents believed Muslims could not integrate into British society, despite 85% of British Muslims surveyed supporting integration.

Tell MAMA has also documented how foreign and domestic far-right networks use migration stories to encourage hostility towards British Muslims. Our investigation into the so-called Direct Action UK network showed how anti-migrant propaganda, conspiracy theories and AI-generated material were used to encourage the vandalism of British mosques. Cryptocurrency rewards were even offered to those willing to carry out attacks.

Other UK-based online extremists have shared and glorified footage of the Christchurch mosque terrorist attacks. Such examples demonstrate why online rhetoric cannot always be dismissed as mere provocation. A narrative may begin with a foreign border incident but end with a British mosque, Muslim woman or family being threatened.

Research highlighted by Tell MAMA, covering more than 125,000 posts, found that immigration and anti-Muslim narratives were among the most common forms of misinformation. The same material frequently portrayed Muslims and refugees as criminals, demographic threats or participants in a supposed “replacement” of European populations.

Platforms must act before hatred becomes harm

Social media companies must respond faster to content that collectively dehumanises Muslims, promotes violence or deliberately misrepresents footage. Political disagreement, criticism of Islam and debate about migration must remain protected. Threats, incitement and the deliberate portrayal of all Muslims as enemy invaders are something very different.

Users should preserve URLs and screenshots before reporting hateful material, as posts can be deleted or altered. Anyone experiencing anti-Muslim abuse can report it confidentially to Tell MAMA, call 0800 456 1226, or WhatsApp 07341 846086. Call 999 where there is an immediate danger.

Ceuta is a serious border and humanitarian crisis. It should not become an excuse to place millions of innocent Muslims—including British citizens—under collective suspicion. Facts, responsible language and rapid action against incitement are essential if online hostility is not to produce further fear and harm on Britain’s streets.

Read more: Read our Report by Tell MAMA entitled, ‘A decade of anti-Muslim hate‘
Read more: Supporting Victims of anti-Muslim hate and Monitoring It Nationally

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]]> 18233 Tommy Robinson apologises after labelling Glasgow father an ‘invader’ https://tellmamauk.org/tommy-robinson-apologises-after-labelling-glasgow-father-an-invader/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:45:23 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18106 Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has apologised after falsely calling a Glasgow man an “invader” who...

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]]> Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has apologised after falsely calling a Glasgow man an “invader” who was filming children.

Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, shared a video of an anti-immigration protest which took place in the city on Sunday.

It showed 43-year-old Quroum Beg being shouted at by protesters in the Gorbals area and being led away from a playpark by police.

Mr Robinson wrote on X: “Another invader hanging around a park filming children. Glasgow again too!”

Mr Beg, 43, had challenged the protesters and filmed his own video of the incident after taking his children away from the park.

He told the protesters: “I’m not afraid of you, keep on walking.”

Following Mr Robinson’s post, Mr Beg said he had been left “fearing for his life”.

However Mr Robinson, who has two million followers on X, made a further post on Tuesday saying he wished to correct the record.

It said: “In this instance I got it wrong, as did many others, so for that I apologise and I have deleted that post.

“However… That does not negate all the other many instances of freshie migrants taking over parks and filming children. It happens, It happens a lot.

“One incorrect example does not mean this issue should be ignored, in fact it should chased down relentlessly.

“People may need to be a little more careful about how they approach these situations from a factual point of view but we should never apologise for protecting children.”

Mr Beg had earlier told STV News he had been concerned for himself and his children at the protest.

He said: “I told them ‘we see you, we all see who you are and what you are doing’.

“They came to our doorstep, and I felt that I had to take a stand because I saw all my neighbours being fearful and leaving the park.

“I’m the fourth generation in this country, my children will be the fifth generation here.

“If I don’t make a stand, then who else is going to do that?”

Following Mr Robinson’s apology, Mr Beg said he is seeking legal advice.

He told STV: “I’ve been alerted that he’s apologised to his followers.

“Has he apologised to me? And the harm this caused to my reputation and my family?

“Being falsely accused of something like this, and the abuse that followed, has been deeply distressing.

“I am taking legal advice and considering my options.”

Read more: Syrian teenager suing Tommy Robinson ‘seeking at least £150,000 damages’

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]]> 18106 The Base: Understanding the Threat of Violent Neo-Nazi Extremism and What It Means for British Muslims https://tellmamauk.org/the-base-understanding-the-threat-of-violent-neo-nazi-extremism-and-what-it-means-for-british-muslims/ Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:40:28 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18058 Violent extremist movements continue to evolve, adapting their methods of recruitment and communication to exploit...

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]]> Violent extremist movements continue to evolve, adapting their methods of recruitment and communication to exploit social divisions and encourage acts of terrorism. While much public attention in recent years has rightly focused on Islamist-inspired terrorism, it is equally important to recognise that violent extreme right-wing organisations remain a persistent and serious threat to public safety and community cohesion.

One such organisation is The Base, an international neo-Nazi accelerationist network that has attracted the attention of counter-terrorism agencies across Europe and North America. Although its membership remains relatively small, its ideology promotes violence, racial hatred and the deliberate destabilisation of democratic societies. For British Muslims, Jewish communities and many other minority groups, understanding organisations such as The Base is essential in recognising how extremist narratives continue to evolve. The sad reality is that this organisation may have impacts on young minds here in the United Kingdom in the future.

What is The Base?

The Base is a transnational white supremacist and neo-Nazi organisation founded in 2018. Its name is believed to be a direct translation of the Arabic word al-Qaeda (“the base”), reflecting its aspiration to build an international extremist movement that mirrors the decentralised structure adopted by some jihadist organisations.

Unlike traditional far-right political groups that seek influence through elections or public campaigning, The Base openly embraces the concept of accelerationism. This ideology argues that society should be pushed towards instability and conflict through acts of violence, intimidation and terrorism, ultimately leading to the collapse of democratic government and the establishment of a white ethno-state. Given the political polarisation that we are seeing in the United Kingdom, there is a chance that this organisation could attract young minds to its nihilism.

Its ideology combines elements of neo-Nazism, racial supremacy, antisemitism and anti-government extremism. Members have been linked to paramilitary training, weapons offences and plots to target infrastructure and minority communities. As a result, the organisation has been designated as a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom and several other countries.

Why does this matter to us?

We all know that the United Kingdom is experiencing a changing threat landscape in recent years. Counter-terrorism policing has repeatedly highlighted that extreme right-wing terrorism now represents a significant proportion of domestic terrorism investigations.

Although organisations rise and fall, the underlying ideologies often survive. Online platforms enable extremist groups to share propaganda, recruit vulnerable individuals and create transnational networks that transcend national borders. Young people are being exposed to violent material through gaming platforms, encrypted messaging applications and social media algorithms that increasingly recommend increasingly extreme content.

For organisations such as The Base, physical membership is often less important than ideological influence. Individuals who consume and internalise violent propaganda may never formally join an organisation yet still commit acts of violence inspired by its worldview. There is therefore a very real chance that we will see cases of people disseminating material from ‘the Base’ in the United Kingdom.

British Muslims remain a primary target

For British Muslims, organisations such as The Base represent more than an abstract security concern. Their ideology explicitly portrays Muslims as enemies who threaten the racial and cultural identity of Western societies. These narratives often recycle longstanding conspiracy theories surrounding immigration, demographic change and so-called “replacement” myths that have inspired numerous acts of terrorist violence internationally.

Tell MAMA has consistently documented how periods of heightened political tension, international conflict or inflammatory public discourse can coincide with increases in anti-Muslim hatred. While most prejudice never develops into terrorism, violent extremist organisations actively seek to exploit existing social divisions by encouraging supporters to move beyond hateful rhetoric into acts of intimidation or violence.

Muslim women, particularly those who wear visible Islamic dress, continue to experience disproportionately high levels of anti-Muslim abuse. Mosques, Islamic schools and community centres also remain symbolic targets for those seeking to intimidate entire communities.

The online environment

The internet has fundamentally transformed how extremist movements operate. The Base and similar organisations have relied heavily upon encrypted communications, decentralised online communities and digital propaganda. Rather than maintaining large formal memberships, they encourage loosely connected supporters to consume ideological material, develop operational security and prepare independently for future violence.

Tell MAMA has long argued that tackling online hatred cannot simply focus on removing illegal content. It must also include education, digital resilience and early intervention to prevent vulnerable individuals from becoming immersed in extremist ecosystems.

Avoiding unnecessary fear

It is important to maintain perspective. The overwhelming majority of people exposed to extremist propaganda never become involved in terrorism. Likewise, violent organisations such as The Base remain relatively small compared with wider society.

However, history demonstrates that even small extremist networks can have devastating consequences when individuals become radicalised towards violence. Maintaining awareness should therefore not create panic but encourage vigilance, informed discussion and confidence in reporting concerning behaviour through appropriate channels.

Tell MAMA continues to monitor incidents of anti-Muslim hatred across England and works closely with victims, statutory agencies and community organisations.

At Tell MAMA, we remain committed to documenting anti-Muslim hate, supporting victims and promoting evidence-based responses that strengthen community cohesion. Extremist organisations flourish where fear and division take hold. They are weakened when communities stand together, reject hatred and continue to uphold the values of democracy, mutual respect and equal citizenship.

Read More: How Christchurch Inspired the Terror Shootings at the Islamic Centre of San Diego

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]]> 18058 Protests as Tommy Robinson speaks at student debating society event https://tellmamauk.org/protests-as-tommy-robinson-speaks-at-student-debating-society-event/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:19:14 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18017 More than a hundred protesters have gathered in Oxford city centre to protest against an...

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]]> More than a hundred protesters have gathered in Oxford city centre to protest against an Oxford Union event featuring far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

The debating society sparked controversy when it announced it would be hosting a debate entitled The West Is Right To Be Suspicious Of Islam, featuring Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – alongside former actor Laurence Fox.

Protesters took to New Inn Hall Street and Cornmarket Street on Wednesday night, occupying either side of St Michael Street where the event is taking place.

Chanting slogans such as “Oxford Union, shame, shame”, they far outnumber the handful of counter-protesters, carrying Union flags, who gathered on Cornmarket Street in support of Robinson.

The two groups were separated by a police cordon, and numerous officers were present across the area to monitor the protest.

A minor incident took place on Cornmarket Street in which protesters booed police officers, and a couple of demonstrators appeared to throw water at them.

Oxford City Council previously said St Michael Street would be closed while the event is ongoing.

“St Michael’s Street will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians between 4pm and 11pm on Wednesday June 17 due to an event at the Oxford Union,” the council said.

“A small number of bus routes will operate slight diversions, but no bus stops are affected.

“No other road closures are planned.”

Shops and some pubs in the area have also reportedly closed early because of the event and protests.

Thames Valley Police said in a statement on Wednesday night: “We work closely with a range of partners through well-established, safety advisory structures to ensure events take place safely and smoothly, while minimising disruption to our communities.

“We support freedom of speech and are working with the Oxford Union and other local stakeholders to facilitate this event and any associated peaceful protest.”

Participants in the debate who will oppose Robinson include former Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg and activist Abdullah al Andalusi.

Rees-Mogg released a YouTube video on Wednesday afternoon explaining why he believes the union is “right” to host Robinson for a debate.

He said: “I think the best way to answer him is to debate with him. You see, if I just ignore him he won’t go away, he won’t lose his following and people will just say people like me are scared.”

He added that the Oxford Union would be a “pointless society” without free speech and that it “exists to argue”.

It was reported last month that the debate had been delayed after significant outcry about Yaxley-Lennon’s attendance.

The most significant opposition came from faith leaders including the Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, and founder of the Oxford Foundation, Imam Monawar Hussain, who said they were “disturbed and saddened” when he was invited to speak.

Ian McKendrick, vice chairman of Oxford Stand Up To Racism, has previously accused Yaxley-Lennon of inciting “violent race riots” in Southampton, Belfast and Glasgow over the past weeks.

Read More; Belfast Attack & Unrest is Having an Impact on Anti-Muslim Hate in England

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]]> 18017 Belfast Attack & Unrest is Having an Impact on anti-Muslim Hate in England https://tellmamauk.org/belfast-attack-unrest-is-having-an-impact-on-anti-muslim-hate-in-england/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:29:33 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=18004 The recent knife attack by Hadi Alodid in Belfast has led to a spate of...

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]]> The recent knife attack by Hadi Alodid in Belfast has led to a spate of attacks against asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in the City. In the last 72 hours, police and security forces in Belfast have had to intervene and remove from their homes the families of people targeted because of their race and ethnicity. The Northern Ireland Secretary, Hilary Benn, has also called the mindless violence ‘racism’ for its targeting of ethnic minority residents in Belfast.

Tell MAMA has received an uptick in reports over the last 48 hours from British Muslims living in England and Northern Ireland and we have repeatedly said that what happens internationally is usually felt within 24-48 hours in the United Kingdom. We have measured the same reactions on numerous occasions and we recognise the pattern of upticks and the rises in anti-Muslim hate that are reported to us because of local, regional, national or international events.

We are highlighting this as our teams continue to receive reports and with anti-Muslim comments made to victims that link back to ‘Ireland’ or to ‘Belfast’ or to ‘killers’ and other such terms. The context of these reports are extremely important and we continue to monitor the situation and to work with relevant police forces on an ongoing basis.

Read More: Intimidation in Northern Ireland Towards Muslims is Deeply Worrying

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]]> 18004 Man admits shouting racially abusive remarks at police officer during protest https://tellmamauk.org/man-admits-shouting-racially-abusive-remarks-at-police-officer-during-protest/ Tue, 19 May 2026 11:44:11 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17975 A man has admitted shouting racially abusive remarks, including “go back to your homeland”, at...

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]]> A man has admitted shouting racially abusive remarks, including “go back to your homeland”, at a police officer during the “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration on Saturday.

Stuart Adams, 49, pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence after shouting racially abusive remarks at Metropolitan Police officer Harjot Sehmi, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday.

Adams, who attended the protest in central London on Saturday, hurled “you’re a c***”, “f*** Keir Starmer” and “let’s have a fight” at police officers standing around a cordon outside Downing Street on Saturday, the court heard.

He then looked at Mr Sehmi and shouted “what are you looking at”, “p****” and “go back to your homeland”, the court was told.

Suleman Hussain, prosecuting, said the police officer told him Adams’ s face was “contorted in anger” and he kept “agitating” his arms as he shouted at him.

Mr Hussain added the police officer felt “upset” and “sad” when he heard Adams, and did not want to continue policing the rally, which was organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

Adams appeared in court on Monday wearing a grey sweatshirt and blue jeans, and spoke to confirm his identity and indicate his plea.

Fadi Daoud, defending, said Adams, who was arrested and taken to a police station after making the remarks, “regrets totally his actions”.

Mr Daoud said: “He regrets totally his actions. He regrets and apologised. He apologised at the police station.

“He understands he shouldn’t have done it. He won’t do it again.”

Adams, of Aberconway Road, Merton, south London, will next appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 16.

Some 43 arrests were made during protests in central London at the weekend, including 20 linked to the Unite the Kingdom rally, the Metropolitan Police said.

About 60,000 people are estimated to have joined Tommy Robinson’s march on Saturday, the force added.

Another person was charged following a pro-Palestine Nakba Day demonstration, which was also in central London but kept separate by police from Tommy Robinson’s rally.

Dara Harbison, 26, from Brighton, East Sussex, was charged with assaulting an emergency worker, criminal damage and possession of cannabis, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 6.

Read more: Neo-Nazi student sentenced for terrorism and hate offences

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]]> 17975 Suspected neo-Nazi faces trial over alleged explosives, blackmail and deep fakes https://tellmamauk.org/suspected-neo-nazi-faces-trial-over-alleged-explosives-blackmail-and-deep-fakes/ Fri, 15 May 2026 13:22:45 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17964 A suspected teenage neo-Nazi is facing a trial next April for a range of allegations...

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]]> A suspected teenage neo-Nazi is facing a trial next April for a range of allegations ranging from making explosives to blackmail and creating deep-fake images of girls.

The 17-year-old, from Norfolk, is accused of 16 offences including allegations of making explosives, having a firearm, possessing and distributing terror manuals, and stirring up racial hatred.

The youth defendant, who cannot be identified, is also alleged to have “catfished” men online in order to blackmail them over sexual images, and produced deep-fake sexual images of six teenage girls.

He was arrested at home in south Norfolk on April 10 last year and charged following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London.

The boy, who is on conditional bail, appeared at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb on Friday.

The judge set a plea hearing at Leicester Crown Court on September 25 with a provisional trial in April next year.

The defendant’s barrister indicated he would deny the 16 charges at present.

They are: possession of a record containing information useful to terrorism; two counts of distributing a terrorist publication; four charges of making an explosive substance and one of having an explosive substance; possession of a firearm; two charges of distributing written material to stir up racial hatred; criminal damage; racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage; two counts of blackmail; and making six indecent pseudo-photographs of children.

Read More: Man facing jail after admitting planning bomb attack on South London mosque

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]]> 17964 Neo-Nazi Who Wanted to Kill Jews and Muslims Tried to Behead Kurdish Barber https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-who-wanted-to-kill-jews-and-muslims-tried-to-behead-kurdish-barber/ Fri, 15 May 2026 12:50:17 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17958 A neo-Nazi teenager who wanted to kill all Jews and Muslims to create a white-only...

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]]> A neo-Nazi teenager who wanted to kill all Jews and Muslims to create a white-only Britain tried to behead a Kurdish barber with an axe, a court has heard.

Alina Burns, 19, attacked Mohammed Mahmoodi, 27, with the weapon as he stood outside the shop in Bedminster, Bristol, in August last year.

Bristol Crown Court heard Burns had been motivated by neo-Nazi extremism and had been in contact with far-right groups.

She had told a man on a dating app to “kill all Jews and Muslims”, and had searched for information online about Jihad, the Southport stabbings, Jewish supremacy and Nazi Germany.

Serena Gates KC, prosecuting, told the court: “The prosecution case is that the defendant had an extreme right-wing mindset and wanted Jews and Muslims to be killed, and non-whites to flee or be expelled from the UK.

“The day before the attack the defendant was watching videos of SS marches and sent an email called ‘The dawn of civil war’.”

The incident happened on the afternoon of August 2 when Burns approached Mr Mahmoodi from behind and swung the axe – that she had bought for the attack – at his neck, causing a small wound.

Mr Mahmoodi, who was much bigger than the 5ft 2in Burns, was able to wrestle the axe away from her before she could strike him again.

A nearby police officer heard the commotion and went to the scene in East Street and arrested Burns.

Asked why she had attacked the Kurdish-Iranian man, Burns told the officer: “Because I wanted to cut his neck.

“I would do it again, but to succeed.”

She later told a Mental Health Act assessor she knew Mr Mahmoodi worked in the barbers, which was involved “in money laundering”.

“I know of him, he works in the Turkish barbers, I think they are money laundering and the police aren’t doing anything about it,” she said.

“So, if I done this, then maybe the police would investigate the shop.”

Miss Gates told the court: “She further asked if it had been on the news yet. She said she wanted to influence people to do the same thing, but be successful.

“She stated she would do it again, but to succeed.”

After Burns was arrested, police discovered her links to far-right groups and extremism.

Five months before the attack she had used an online dating app to speak with a man who she told: “I am the embodiment of hell and desire to amplify everything I bear witness too.

“I don’t want to end my life any more. I plan on bringing change to the UK through means I can’t detail.”

She later told him to “kill all the Jews and Muslims in Britain please”.

The man, who was not identified in court, reported the exchange to the police, the court was told.

Detectives found at her home handwritten notes about the “spread of Islam”, how to use fertiliser to manufacture explosives, and nuclear weapons.

There were also notes about German SS units serving in the Second World War, Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf and the nationalist novel The Turner Diaries.

On her notebook computer was a copy of a terrorist handbook with information about chemicals and IEDs.

Burns had also used the Telegram messaging app to contact a representative of the British far-right group Patriotic Alternative.

At a previous hearing, Burns, of Lynton Road, Bristol, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and three charges of having an article with a blade or point – specifically an axe, a scalpel and two darts.

She had denied a charge of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, contrary to the Terrorism Act, which was ordered to lie on file.

The Crown argued that despite accepting the plea, there remained a terrorist motivation to the attack, which was accepted by the judge, Mrs Justice Lambert.

The sentencing hearing continues.

Read More: Neo-Nazi Fanatic Contemplated Making ‘Muslims into Mincemeat’

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]]> 17958 Lorry driver who hoarded weapons for ‘race war’ to shoot Muslims, jailed https://tellmamauk.org/lorry-driver-who-hoarded-weapons-for-race-war-to-shoot-muslims-jailed/ Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:15:04 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17774 A lorry driver who ran a workshop from his caravan converting blank-firing guns into deadly...

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]]> A lorry driver who ran a workshop from his caravan converting blank-firing guns into deadly pistols to sell to organised crime groups, and stockpiled weapons in preparation for a “race war”, has been jailed for 16 years.

Thomas McKenna, 60, sent messages on TikTok telling friends and associates to “get yourself ready” and anticipated the weapons he had gathered would be used to kill or shoot Muslims.

Prosecutor Emily Dummett previously told Kingston Crown Court that McKenna wrote messages about plans to “kill”, “shoot”, “unalive” and “neutralise” Muslims and immigrants “before they are too many”.

“Bro, that’s why I believe our only course for survival freedom is strike now while we have the numbers and hard unalive the f****** lot of them,” he wrote in one message, the court heard.

He is thought to have been self-taught, running his makeshift gun conversion unit, with a lathe and a drill, from one of three caravans he had in Buckles Lane, South Ockendon, Essex.

Police found six reactivated blank-firing guns linked to McKenna, but officers believe he created more, and say since his arrest there has been “a significant reduction in the number of converted blank firearms involved in shootings across London”.

Scotland Yard detectives say McKenna’s enterprise played an important role in the supply of guns in the capital.

The lorry driver and his partner, Tina Smith, 55, pleaded guilty to a number of offences including collecting terrorist information and possessing banned guns.

McKenna also made improvised explosives containing black powder, nails and fishing hooks. He and his partner, a bus driver, are thought to have slept in the caravan that housed the weapons.

The couple and eight others have been convicted of involvement in the firearms conspiracy that distributed guns to gangs across London, with the 60-year-old sentenced to 16 years in custody with five years on extended licence at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

One member of the criminal network was Faisal Razzaq, the getaway driver in the fatal shooting of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky during a raid at family-run Universal Express travel agents in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in November 2005.

When he was released from prison in 2017, Razzaq lived in Edgware, north London, and began running a luxury car hire business, but he spent most of his time obtaining guns and selling them to criminal customers.

One of Razzaq’s associates was stopped by armed police in Harrow as he drove to Notting Hill Carnival on August 26 2024, and officers found a bag in the car with a loaded firearm which was traced back to McKenna through fingerprint and DNA analysis.

Other weapons recovered from McKenna’s caravans included a 22-inch shotgun disguised as a torch, a hunting knife, throwing axes and a non-firing AK47.

Evidence from his online messages showed he was researching how to make the AK47 able to shoot ammunition again.

Police also found military clothing and a helmet.

Armed officers raided the three caravans in November 2024, and counter-terrorism police were called in to assist when they found homemade explosives and munitions guidebooks.

Police said evidence Tina Smith’s phone showed she had sent McKenna videos of her attempts to make black powder, followed by scathing replies from McKenna at her lack of expertise.

She was sentenced to seven years, with six to be served in custody, the CPS said.

Buyers of McKenna’s converted guns included Allan Crosby, 44, of Etfield Grove, Sidcup, south-east London, and Ryan Smith, 44, of Morants Court Road, Dunton Green, Kent, who were convicted of possession of firearms and modified ammunition.

Crosby was also convicted of possessing class A substances with intent to supply and was jailed for 10 years, while Ryan Smith was sentenced to seven and a half years.

McKenna’s friend Ricky Dorey, 43, who lived on the same static caravan site, helped him find customers to buy the guns.

He and his brother Robert Dorey, 44, of Tilbury, Essex, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited firearms.

Robert Dorey had been released from prison on licence in May 2023 after serving a 16-year sentence for attempted murder.

Abdul Saleh, 32, of Edgware, helped Razzaq sell the guns, and Patrick Loughnane, 59, acted as a communication link between Ricky Dorey and McKenna.

Detectives found evidence that Razzaq, the Dorey brothers and Saleh were involved in the sale of 10 firearms, the Metropolitan Police said.

Saleh, the Dorey brothers and Loughnane, of Hayes, west London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell prohibited firearms.

Razzaq admitted the same charge, and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life and two counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition when banned.

Loughnane’s partner Tammy Rigg agreed to store a converted firearm for him at her home in South Ockendon.

She pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of ammunition without a certificate.

Razzaq, Saleh, the Dorey brothers, Loughnane and Rigg will be sentenced on February 26.

Detective Chief Inspector James Tipple said: “One of the clearest examples of the impacts of this case in reducing gun crime in London is since McKenna’s arrest, we’ve seen significant reduction in the number of converted blank firearms involved in shootings across London.

“This demonstrates the importance of McKenna in the illegal supply of firearms and why it was so crucial this criminal network was dismantled.

“I’m pleased to say that as a result of the excellent police investigation some of the most dangerous members of our society will be off the streets of London for a very long time.”

Bethan David, head of counter terrorism at the CPS, said: “Both McKenna and Smith held extremist anti-Muslim views. Their stockpiling of weapons and explosives was not simply criminal opportunism — it was fuelled by a belief in the inevitability of violent conflict.

“Today’s sentences reflect both the seriousness of their actions and the extremist motivations behind them.”

Read More: How Police Stopped a Far Right Terror Attack on a Scottish Mosque

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]]> 17774 Neo-Nazi fanatic contemplated making ‘Muslims into mincemeat’ https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-fanatic-jailed-over-explosives-in-garden-shed/ Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:07:55 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17745 A neo-Nazi fanatic who made explosives in his garden shed as he contemplated turning Muslims...

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]]> A neo-Nazi fanatic who made explosives in his garden shed as he contemplated turning Muslims into “mincemeat” has been jailed for three years and nine months.

Harry Whittaker, 33, manufactured a homemade bomb and stored chemicals in a makeshift laboratory in the garden of the home he shared with his mother in the Bedfordshire village of Caddington, near Luton.

Police uncovered his stash of explosives after Whittaker suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction and called 999 for medical help on April 18 2024.

Following his arrest, police uncovered a stream of racist chat on WhatsApp in which Whittaker directed hate towards a mosque in Luton.

In one message, he wrote: “We need a tank covered in machine guns and flame throwers, drive it into that mosque on Friday afternoon and turn them into mincemeat.”

Following an Old Bailey trial, Whittaker was found guilty of charges of possessing and making explosives on or before May 6 2024.

Whittaker had admitted a charge under the Poisons Act and having ammunition without a licence.

During the trial, Whittaker cast himself as a “nerdy” science geek and jurors were not told about the extent of his extreme right-wing beliefs.

At his sentencing on Wednesday, prosecutor Emily Dummett set out further evidence of his racist views and interest in neo-Nazi ideology.

He had a picture of Adolf Hitler, a flag associated with Nazi Germany, swastikas and antisemitic notes in his bedroom.

Whittaker downloaded extreme right-wing material and had expressed a desire for Tommy Robinson to lead a “civil war” and “kick out” people of Asian heritage in a message to his brother in 2022.

In another message, he wrote about putting ricin poison into the water supply at Bury Park, near Luton.

He had continued to express extreme beliefs and failed to recognise that what he had done was wrong since his conviction, Ms Dummett said.

Mitigating, Polly Dyer maintained Whittaker had the explosives for “scientific interest and endeavour”.

She said: “They were low-level explosives. He had the majority of the items for years without seeking to use them intending to harm others and the property of others.

“There are of course items and messages put before the court that on any view are racist and offensive but there is no correlation between the items he was convicted on and other evidence referenced by the Crown.

“His experimentation was not motivated by any racial hostility to certain groups of individuals.”

She accepted he had “abhorrent” views and an interest in Nazism but insisted he did not pose a “significant risk”.

Whittaker had been on bail ahead of his trial but that was revoked after he failed to attend court and was found in a distressed state on two London bridges.

Ms Dyer said: “He has certain vulnerabilities. He has been very scared of custody in the run-up to his trial. He found the court proceedings extremely hard.”

Since he had been in jail, Whittaker had used his time productively and developed an interest in art.

Ms Dyer held up a drawing he had made of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven which he hoped to submit to a competition.

After conferring with the defendant in the dock, she added: “Mr Whittaker contests and disputes the fact he has the desire to cause harm to any groups based on race or religion.”

Sentencing, Judge Simon Mayo KC told Whittaker: “I am sure your conduct in making and possessing explosives gave rise to risk of harm to others.

“Whilst I cannot be sure you had formed any separate intent to use the explosives or chemicals for a violent purpose you spoke about it and to a certain extent contemplated it.”

The judge said Whittaker was “highly intelligent” and his responsibility was not diminished by his mental health issues or autism spectrum disorder.

He noted a previous conviction for driving off and injuring his neighbour, and his disorganised lifestyle, as he found Whittaker was a dangerous offender and posed a risk to members of the public in the future.

Previously, the court heard how paramedics had gone to the defendant’s home after being alerted to a possible anaphylactic shock.

Whittaker told them that he had been conducting experiments with chemicals in his laboratory and showed them his shed.

He said a window had broken on the shed after an experiment resulted in an explosion, the court was told.

The medics relayed their concerns to the police, who came to search the address on May 6 2024.

They found black powder, blanks and a round of live ammunition, chemicals, lethal poisons and suspected improvised explosive devices.

Officers also discovered radioactive materials and white phosphorus, a substance which can spontaneously ignite in air and is so dangerous that it had to be destroyed by controlled explosion by the military.

When he was detained by police, Whittaker was found in possession of a wrap of heroin.

In police interviews, Whittaker said: “I’m just a nerdy kid who likes doing science.”

The defendant said that he marked bottles with a skull and crossbones because it looked cool.

Whittaker thanked Judge Mayo as he was sent down from the Old Bailey dock on Wednesday.

Chief Superintendent Jaki Whittred, from Bedfordshire Police, said: “The upset and disruption within the local community following the findings at Mr Whittaker’s address was considerable.

“Once again, I pass on my thanks and admiration to residents across Caddington for their support and understanding during what would have been a deeply concerning time.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “By making improvised explosive devices and collecting such a toxic array of chemicals his shed, Whittaker’s actions were incredibly reckless and put his whole neighbourhood at risk.

“Whittaker claimed he just had a curiosity with science and that he meant no harm, but in reality he put himself, his family and all of his neighbours in great peril.”

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]]> 17745 The Risk of Foreign Influence on the UK Far-Right and Anti-Muslim Hate https://tellmamauk.org/the-risk-of-foreign-influence-on-the-uk-far-right-and-anti-muslim-hate/ Fri, 05 Dec 2025 13:56:47 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17724 What the “Direct Action” Case Study Reveals Click to view A new research briefing by...

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]]> What the “Direct Action” Case Study Reveals

A new research briefing by Tell MAMA exposes how anti-Muslim hate in the UK is no longer solely home-grown, but increasingly shaped by foreign influence, online extremism, and the misuse of artificial intelligence. The report documents how a short-lived but highly dangerous far-right network — operating primarily on Telegram and amplified through X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and YouTube — actively encouraged attacks on mosques, Muslim communities, and the police.

This case study shows how online hate translates into real-world harm, how AI is being weaponised, and how foreign actors can exploit moments of national trauma to incite violence inside the UK.

From Online Propaganda to Real-World Targeting

The report centres on an extremist network known as “Direct Action”, which emerged in the aftermath of the Southport murders and stabbings. The group deliberately sought to hijack public grief and social tension, reframing tragedy as justification for racist violence. Using Telegram as its core platform, the network led to encouragement of the vandalism of mosques, whilst it also offered incentives in cryptocurrency so that the flows of money could not be tracked. This incentivisation marked a new low in the targeting of mosques and Islamic institutions. 

Direct Action also shared terror manuals and circulated bomb-making instructions, as well as guidance on the use of weapons. The aim of this was to direct the possibility of arson attacks against Muslims and thereby the intimidation and harassment of Muslim communities in the real world.

Anti-Muslim Hate as a Strategic Target

A central finding of the report is the systematic targeting of Muslims and Islamic institutions. Analysis of hundreds of posts by our in-house researchers marked out the repeated references to mosques, Islams, Muslims and migration, as well as anti-Muslim tropes like the ‘Great Replacement Theory’ and the ‘Demographic Time Bomb of Muslims in Europe’. There were also calls to make things difficult in the social space for British Muslims. The report also highlights how Direct Action framed mosques as not just being places of worship, but places that needed to be targeted.

Clear Foreign Influence

One of the most alarming aspects of the case study is the strong indication of foreign ideological and technical influence. Our researchers found out that there were fingerprints of Russian hacktivists and logos from defunct Russian extremist Telegram channels that were evident in the fomenting of violence against mosques and Muslims. Language errors also pointed to people who were based overseas and non-native English speakers and we also picked up references to extremist manuals that were sourced from abroad. 

Our report also highlights AI-generated images that falsely depict Muslims as violent and visuals that have been created using AI tools that promote false narratives of burning police cars and mosques. The aim of these AI assets is to mobilise anger and emotional hatred, whilst then seeking to mobilise this emotional impact into real world physical impacts on the streets of the United Kingdom.

By launching this report, our in-house research team are highlighting the risk that foreign actors are fomenting on our streets in the United Kingdom. This is not only a security issue — it is a human one.

Read the Report HERE.

Read More: Thirty Reports of Mosques Targeted Across the U.K. Between June and the 30th of October 2025

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]]> 17724 Leeds crossbow attacker praised Christchurch terrorist online, planned massacre https://tellmamauk.org/leeds-crossbow-attacker-praised-christchurch-terrorist-online-planned-massacre/ Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:19:30 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17590 The sole suspect in a crossbow attack that badly injured two women in Leeds, who...

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]]> The sole suspect in a crossbow attack that badly injured two women in Leeds, who counter-terror police had identified as having died of a self-inflicted wound, shared a screed promising a massacre that drew inspiration from the Christchurch terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in New Zealand in 2019.

Police had detained 38-year-old Owen Lawrence after two women, aged 19 and 31, suffered serious injuries following a crossbow attack on Otley Road in Headingley on Saturday.

Counter-terror police had assumed the lead in the investigation, concluding that Lawrence had written a screed on Facebook indicating a list of targets and citing the Christchurch terrorist as inspiration.

The two women received hospital treatment, one of whom faced life-threatening injuries but now remains in stable condition, as staff discharged the other woman.

Various Facebook posts from two accounts linked to Owen Lawrence paint a disturbing image of a man driven by misogyny and far-right views, who also displayed a deep fascination and admiration for mass murderers, including the Columbine and Saugus High School shooters. Lawrence declared his admiration for other mass shooters, including Pekka-Eric Auvinen, a Finnish school shooter who praised Hitler and murdered six fellow pupils, the principal and the school nurse in 2007.

Over several years, Owen Lawrence praised or drew attention to various far-right terrorists, including Anders Breivik in 2021, Stephan Balliet (in 2021 and 2023, respectively), and the Christchurch terrorist (2025).

In different posts, across various years, he discussed the far-right conspiracy of the so-called “Great Replacement” and how the Christchurch terrorist’s 74-page white supremacist screed shaped his extremist worldview.

He also admitted to enjoying “flirting with far right ideas.”

Lawrence openly praised other mass shooters, including Randy Stair, adding that he “identified with him a lot.”

In November 2023, Lawrence changed his Facebook cover photo to an image of himself performing a Nazi salute. Months earlier, he admitted watching Balliet’s synagogue terror attack in Germany on a now-defunct gore website, which we are declining to name as a mirrored and active version of the website still exists.

Around that time in early November 2023, he alluded to a possible arrest over an alleged assault, suggesting that his recent beard growth related to him appearing in a police lineup, as he ranted about “defending himself”. It is unclear, however, if such an arrest did occur or how much West Yorkshire Police knew about Lawrence before the crossbow attack.

On April 22, 2024, he shared a Vice News video about the terrifying phenomena of the far-right conspiracy of the so-called “Great Replacement”, which inspired various acts of terrorism and mass violence with the caption, “thinking about making a change.”

Credit: Facebook

In 2022, he ranted against the “rats” undermining society, and evoked antisemitic conspiracies with references to so-called “cultural Marxism.”

Lawrence called feminism a “cancer” and wrote openly about his hatred of gender equality and all forms of feminism and his hatred of bisexual relationships, celebrities and society. His Facebook screed listed his attack plan as “spree killings, mass murder, terrorism, and misogynistic rage.”

In a statement, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley said: “Officers will continue to conduct enquiries and we ask that if anyone has information that may assist, to pass this to police.

“We understand there are concerns around the incident and questions about how and why this has happened. Our teams are committed to carrying out an in-depth investigation to provide answers to those affected.

“We continue to work closely with West Yorkshire Police to support the local community and thank residents for their support and understanding over the weekend.

“Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this incident.”

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]]> 17590 Three ‘Nazis’ planned terror attacks against mosques and synagogues https://tellmamauk.org/three-nazis-planned-terror-attacks-against-mosques-and-synagogues/ Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:08:45 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17414 Three “Nazis” who believed a race war was imminent were planning terrorist attacks on mosques...

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]]> Three “Nazis” who believed a race war was imminent were planning terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues, a jury has been told.

A jury at Sheffield Crown Court was told that Christopher Ringrose, 34, Marco Pitzettu, 25, and Brogan Stewart, 25, were “right-wing extremists” who were preparing to use firearms, explosives and a range of bladed weapons in their attacks.

They were arrested when security services believed an attack could be imminent after undercover officers infiltrated their group, the court heard on Wednesday.

Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, said the defendants had acquired or were trying to acquire a “wide variety of weapons” including swords, knives, axes, spears and crossbows as well as gathering information on explosives and firearms.

He said the preparations they were making included “taking steps to complete the manufacture” of a 3D printed semi-automatic firearm.

Mr Sandiford said: “The prosecution say that these three defendants were right-wing extremists who regarded themselves as National Socialists, or Nazis, and they supported the National Socialist movement in the UK, such as it is or indeed was.”

He said the defendants followed a cause which embraced an admiration for Adolf Hitler, white supremacy, a “hatred towards black and other non-white races”, and glorification and admiration for mass killers who have targeted the black and Muslim community.

He told a jury of seven men and five women that the trio all held a “belief that there must soon be a race war between the white and other races”.

Mr Sandiford said that, at the time of their arrest in February 2024, “all three were involved in making preparations for acts of terrorism in furtherance of their political, racial or ideological causes”.

He said the three were also gathering equipment such as riot shields, body armour and gas masks in readiness for a race war.

The prosecutor told the jury that the defendants formed a group called Einsatz 14 in January 2024, with “like-minded extremists” who wanted to “go to war for their chosen cause”.

Mr Sandiford explained that Einsatz 14 included three undercover officers and the police intervened in February 2024 when it became clear the defendants had identified potential targets and there was a threat of an “imminent attack”.

The prosecutor told the jury that Ringrose had 3D printed most of the components of an FGC9 firearm at the time of his arrest in early 2024 and was trying to get the remaining parts.

He took the jury through a range of material on social media he said was evidence of the “political, racial or ideological causes” followed by the defendants.

He showed jurors a post by Stewart on a Telegram chat group called The National Socialist Movement of the United Kingdom which said: “Nazis wanted what’s best for the white people.

“They cared. They loved us so much they did everything in their power to save us from Jewish scum and for what? The world to be handed over to the hooked nosed creatures.”

Stewart went on: “Hitler did more for his people then any politician. And for Britain to have a paki and zionist in charge of the country is absolutely outrageous”.

Mr Sandiford said this last comment was a reference to the then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The jury was also shown a short video Stewart posted of himself wearing a German army helmet, a Nazi armband and a skull face covering, which the prosecutor said was associated with right-wing extremism.

Ringrose, of Cannock, Staffordshire; Pitzettu, of Mickleover, Derbyshire; and Stewart, of Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, deny a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.

Ringrose also denies manufacturing a prohibited weapon.

Mr Sandiford is expected to continue opening the prosecution case on Thursday at 10am.

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]]> 17414 Two Boys arrested under Terrorism Act after incident at mosque https://tellmamauk.org/two-boys-arrested-under-terrorism-act-after-incident-at-mosque/ Fri, 24 Jan 2025 01:49:33 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17269 By PA News Agency A second 16-year-old boy has been arrested under the Terrorism Act...

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]]> By PA News Agency

A second 16-year-old boy has been arrested under the Terrorism Act after an incident outside a mosque.

On Thursday at around 9am, police apprehended one youth outside the Inverclyde Islamic Centre, Greenock, under the Act.

It is understood he remains in custody. Police Scotland has said there is no risk to the community.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn said on Thursday evening a second male of the same age had been arrested “in the Greenock area”.

He said: “During the course of the investigation, a second 16-year-old male youth was arrested this afternoon in the Greenock area in connection with a separate terrorism offence.

“He has been released without charge pending further enquiries.”

Earlier in the day, Mr Freeburn said: “Shortly after 9am on Thursday January 23 a 16-year-old male youth was arrested outside the Inverclyde Islamic Centre, Laird Street, Greenock, in connection with offences under the Terrorism Act.

“The youth remains in custody and inquiries continue.

“There is nothing to suggest anyone else was involved or that there is any further risk to the public.

“We are speaking to members of the local community to provide reassurance and I would urge anyone with information or who has any concerns to please come forward and speak to officers.”

Martin McCluskey, Labour MP for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West, which covers Greenock, said: “As people will have seen from media reports, the boy is understood to be a white Scottish male and the police have said that there is no indication that anyone else was involved or that there is any further risk to the public.

“If anyone has any further information or has any concerns, I would encourage them to contact the police.”

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]]> 17269 Southport: Neo-Nazi who stoked riots online jailed for over 7 years https://tellmamauk.org/southport-neo-nazi-who-stoked-riots-online-jailed-for-over-7-years/ Wed, 08 Jan 2025 13:55:38 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=17244 A neo-Nazi described in court as a leading organiser of the summer riots following the...

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]]> A neo-Nazi described in court as a leading organiser of the summer riots following the horrific Southport stabbings received a prison sentence of over seven years.

Taxi driver Andrew McIntyre, 39, created the “Southport Wake Up” Telegram channel, encouraging others to carry out violence and disorder in Southport on July 30, including targeting the local mosque.

He pleaded guilty to pleading guilty to encouraging violent disorder and criminal damage and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

During sentencing, Judge Flewitt stated that racism was the key motivator for McIntyre, and “I have no doubt your actions encouraged many people to plan and then to commit offences of both violent disorder and criminal damage.”

For the prosecution, Arthur Gibson outlined that the riots and disorder were not ‘spontaneous’ or “that persons coincidentally simply decided to turn up and take part” and that individuals “to a greater or lesser degree participated in the organisation, encouragement and incitement of such gatherings, which resulted in the disorder.”

Two days before the far-right violence and disorder descended upon the mosque in Southport, threatening notes appeared, and staff alerted Merseyside Police. As the threat of violence grew on the day, officers encouraged congregants to lock themselves in the mosque. As the Liverpool Echo reported: “By now, Islamophobic hate chants could be heard from the growing mob outside, and there were attempts to break down the front door. Items resembling makeshift petrol bombs were thrown at the building, as well as bricks and rocks, resulting in several broken windows.”

Residents, disgusted by the far-right violence, worked together to clean up the damage and provide support to the mosque.

In the days before McIntyre’s arrest on August 8, Tell MAMA’s investigations and research team reported numerous social media materials, including from individuals responsible for and posting in the “Southport Wake Up” channel to various police forces and counter-terrorism.

Officers found a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf at McIntyre’s address.

One admin post from 4 August 2024 read: “WE NEED TO GET POLITICAL NOW LADS, STARTING WITH LIVERPOOL, WHAT GOVERNMENTAL BUILDING ARE WE TARGETING FIRST. THE TRAITORS WILL HANG. POST SUGGESTIONS IN COMMENTS (USE BURNER ACCOUNTS ONLY).”

Another post about the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, read, “We’re going to hang this woman and her associates, lads.” It was accompanied by various flexed biceps and fire emojis. McIntyre, however, was cleared of such a charge, as Judge Neil Flewitt KC stated: “There is a clear distinction between what might be termed a rant, however unpleasant it is, and messages which clearly incite criminal activity to take place.” The count will instead lie on McIntyre’s file.

A day later, he shared terrorist material – the Christchurch terror attacks – responsible for the murder of 51 Muslims in New Zealand in March 2019, captioning it “WHITE LEGEND F*** ISLAM F*** JEWS” and glorifying the name of the white supremacist terrorist responsible.

Other deeply disturbing anti-Muslim content from the Telegram channel included statements like “Kill All Muslims” and “Burn all mosques” surrounded by fire emojis.

Other examples of neo-Nazi propaganda included a white supremacist meme captioned: “TRIBE UP, ARM UP, WHITE LADS.”

Following the abhorrent violence and disorder in Southport, including the targeting of a local mosque, called for “Round 2” and named another mosque. The second half of the message contained extremist, racist language: “Mass deportations. Ethno state. Death to traitors. We are not asking, we are protesting. We are coming to take what is ours. Rise sons of Europa.”

During the trial, it emerged that McIntyre shared materials with pages called “Tommy Robinson/Britain First/For Britain” and “Liverpool People’s Resistance.”

The Liverpool Echo reported that Andrew McIntyre had two alt accounts on Telegram, revealing his engagement with other accounts, including praising the targeting of mosques, and in another example, posted in a pro-Tommy Robinson channel, “Free Quran stand in Liverpool city centre gets f***ed up. Go on lads,” inciting violence towards Muslims once again.

On X (formerly Twitter), McIntyre created an account on August 1 to spread their racist propaganda and incite others towards violence by posting the location of various mosques, the offices of immigration lawyers and hotels hosting refugees, repeating the extremist, racist and menacing content he shared on Telegram.

McIntyre harassed members of the public with abuse and antisemitic slurs before targeting Nick Lowles of HOPE Not Hate on the platform, whose investigation detailed McIntyre’s neo-Nazi ideology.

X limited the reach of but did not remove an extreme racist post from McIntyre that used the N-word.

Our investigation found that he interacted with another infamous far-right X user who incited others to riot – Wayne O’Rourke, replying to a racist tweet about refugees with screenshots of the locations of various mosques and hotels, each had various fire emojis attached and called for “mass deportations”.

Calls for violence from their X account appeared routinely – “Violence is right when it is time, now is the time,” “the time for violence is NOW,” and in reply to a post asking what “Britain needs the most right now” he replied “weapons”.

On Telegram and X, McIntrye used dehumanising anti-Muslim and Islamophobic language – calling Muslims “Muzzies” and “Muzz rats”. Across more than a decade of research, Tell MAMA has long documented how such animalistic and mechanistic forms of dehumanisation of Muslims appear online, especially how the above examples routinely appear in far-right discourse.

Following sentencing, Detective Inspector Paula Jones of Merseyside Police made clear that: “McIntyre played a key role in coordinating the group who took to the streets on 30 July, using social media to encourage members of the group to turn up at the heart of the communities in Southport and Liverpool to commit criminal damage. The result left dozens of officers injured as bricks, bins and other missiles were thrown at them.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 17244 Neo-Nazi jailed for terror offences praised the murder of Jo Cox, shared Christchurch terror attack video https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-jailed-for-terror-offences-praised-the-murder-of-jo-cox-shared-christchurch-terror-attack-video/ Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:31:38 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16764 A Lancashire-based neo-Nazi received a prison sentence of over two years for praising the terrorist...

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]]> A Lancashire-based neo-Nazi received a prison sentence of over two years for praising the terrorist who murdered MP Jo Cox, promoting banned terror groups, and stirring up racial hatred online.

Kieran Turner, 37, re-shared the Christchurch terror attack video online on the day it happened.

The BBC reported that the 37-year-old was an army veteran.

Turner used alternative social media platforms like GAB and Bitchute to spread racist and harmful propaganda – according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), between 2016 and 2020, he “posted and re-shared material expressing antisemitic, transphobic, misogynistic, homophobic, racist and Islamophobic views.”

A year earlier, Kieran Turner wrote: “Britain needs 650 Thomas Mairs.”

Counter-terror police arrested him in November 2021, gathering substantial evidence of their online behaviour: encouraging terrorism, stirring up racial hatred, and disseminating terror attack videos.

Great Manchester Police revealed that Turner praised the banned neo-Nazi terror groups National Action and the Sonnenkrieg Division whilst possessing a copy of the white supremacist screed written by the Christchurch terrorist.

Our research revealed how over twenty individuals, later convicted of far-right terrorism offences, took inspiration from or sought to replicate the terror attacks in Christchurch.

Appearing at Manchester Crown Court on February 8, Turner received a prison sentence of 2 years and 8 months following guilty pleas: one count of encouraging terrorism (contravening Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006); two counts of disseminating terrorist publications (breaching Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006); and seven counts of stirring up racial hatred in written materials – contrary to Section 19 (1) of the Public Order Act 1986.

Responding to Kieran Turner’s jailing, who leads the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, made clear: “Kieran Turner’s extreme views and his relentless attempts to stir up hatred have no place in society.

“His online posts and comments were abhorrent and far-right extremists such as Turner have the potential to threaten public safety and security.

“The CPS will always seek to prosecute such appalling online criminal behaviour, and it is only right that Turner has been sentenced today for his crimes.”

Detective Superintendent Andrew Meeks, from the Counter Terrorism Policing North West, described how the investigation “revealed he held abhorrent views. The ideology he promoted creates fear and distrust and will not be tolerated,” adding that: “A lot of the work carried out by CTPNW cannot be seen but rest assured we are committed to identifying and prosecuting those who pose a risk to our society.

 

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]]> 16764 Pudsey white supremacist who distributed racist stickers jailed for two years https://tellmamauk.org/pudsey-white-supremacist-who-distributed-racist-stickers-jailed-for-two-years/ Fri, 26 Jan 2024 16:39:53 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16749 UPDATE: Samuel Melia received a two-year prison sentence today (March 1). Original story below. It...

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]]> UPDATE: Samuel Melia received a two-year prison sentence today (March 1).

Original story below.

It took a jury less than a day to unanimously find a white supremacist guilty of spreading racist hate after creating a library of downloadable stickers for supporters to distribute in public.

Samuel Melia, 34, from Pudsey, who organises locally for Patriotic Alternative, will return to court on March 1 for sentencing after guilty verdicts at Leeds Crown Court on January 24.

The offences concern publishing or distributing material intending to stir up racial hatred and encouraging or assisting the commission of the offence of racially aggravated criminal damage between 2019 and 2021.

The Times newspaper exposed Melia’s racist activities following a lengthy investigation into Patriotic Alternative in 2021.

The Hundred Handers Telegram channel, created by Melia, granted supporters access to files to download – and shared examples of where the stickers appeared across the UK, Europe and North America. At its height, the channel had over 3,500 subscribers.

Following his arrest in 2021, police found various far-right stickers in Melia’s wallet as subsequent searches of his property revealed a poster of Adolf Hitler, a Nazi emblem, and a copy of fascist literature authored by Oswald Moseley.

Officers downloaded over 200 Hundred Handers stickers and photographs from Melia’s digital devices.

The prosecution further outlined the expectation Melia placed on others: to display the stickers in public as he did.

Examples of Melia’s racist stickering cited included anti-Black statements around Black Lives Matter (BLM) in his local town. On Telegram, the channel boasted of targeting a street sign near the home of a Muslim teenager and their family after making headlines for expressing support for BLM during the summer of 2020.

Over the years, Tell MAMA did receive reports about their activities, including stickers linking Muslims broadly to criminality or pushing white supremacist conspiracy theories. In 2018, the public alerted us to stickers targeting Muslim communities with “No 2 Halal” and “No 2 Koser” stickers – distribution of the former launched a hate crime investigation in the St Helens area in February 2020. Weeks earlier, we highlighted how local anti-racists removed a Hundred Handers sticker in Sunderland whilst highlighting the antisemitic, anti-Muslim and broad racist ideologies that underpinned the stickering.

Following the guilty verdict, Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, made clear that: “It is illegal to publish such material intending to stir up racial hatred towards others, and the CPS will not hesitate to bring prosecutions against those who break the law in this way.”

Price also stated: “Melia was perfectly aware that the stickers he published on his Telegram channel were being downloaded and then stuck up in public places around the country.

“He also knew full well the impact these racially inflammatory stickers were having, and by attempting to remain anonymous, sought to protect himself and others from investigation.

“He was very deliberate in the manner he wanted to spread his messages of racial hatred, and online messages recovered made it clear that he knew these stickers were being displayed in public and causing damage to public property.”

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]]> 16749 Cardiff neo-Nazi jailed for multiple terrorism offences https://tellmamauk.org/cardiff-neo-nazi-jailed-for-multiple-terrorism-offences/ Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:21:51 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16746 A Cardiff-based neo-Nazi who admitted various terror offences received a prison sentence of over four...

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]]> A Cardiff-based neo-Nazi who admitted various terror offences received a prison sentence of over four years last week.

Kristen Persen, 22, entered guilty pleas last month for ten charges – six concerned sharing terrorism material – a Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 offence – and four counts in breach of Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (collection terrorism information).

His arrest on November 30, 2022, followed a joint investigation between counter-terror police in the West Midlands and Wales.

Following news of his jailing, it emerged that counter-terror officers found books and manuals on a laptop to build firearms, explosives, and detonators.

Also amongst the litany of white supremacist propaganda, officers found material glorifying banned neo-Nazi terror groups and racist materials targeting Jewish and other minority groups.

Other white supremacist materials found at the Cardiff address included neo-Nazi clothing, flags and stickers.

In a statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Anastasia Miller, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands CTU, made clear that: “We work tirelessly to secure convictions of individuals such as Persen who pose a significant threat to communities across the country.

“Extremists use this kind of ideology to create discord, distrust and fear among our communities and we strive to counter this. As a result of these investigations, we have seen a significant increase of right-wing referrals to our Prevent programme.

“Our proactive efforts to confront the threat posed by extreme right-wing terrorism continues.”

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Williams, Head of Investigations at Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, welcomed the jailing of Kristen Persen by stating: Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Williams, Head of Investigations at Counter Terrorism Policing Wales stated:

“We welcome the outcome of the court process, which is the result of a lengthy and extremely detailed joint investigation between Counter Terrorism officers in both Wales and the West Midlands.

“It clearly demonstrates the benefits and strengths of a collective approach to what are often very complex cases to investigate. The safety and the security of the public is at the heart of everything we do, and our officers and staff rightly go to great lengths to meet that objective. The outcome of the court case helps us ensure that continues to be the case.”

 

 

 

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]]> 16746 Neo-Nazi, 18, guilty of terror offences and who had Christchurch terror attack video, jailed for six years https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-18-guilty-of-terror-offences-and-who-had-christchurch-terror-attack-video-jailed-for-six-years/ Fri, 15 Sep 2023 13:51:08 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16499 Malakai Wheeler received a six-year prison sentence on November 3 for the possession and dissemination...

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]]> Malakai Wheeler received a six-year prison sentence on November 3 for the possession and dissemination of terrorist material.

Original story below

—

A jury found a Swindon-based neo-Nazi guilty of terrorism offences following a two-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Malakai Wheeler, 18, shared terrorism documents and weapons manuals over Telegram.

Following the conviction, the judge told Wheeler to expect a custodial sentence.

Counter-terror police arrested him in May 2021, when aged 16.

The detailed investigation unearthed Wheeler’s obsessive sharing of racist propaganda to the Telegram channel – which amounted to 92 documents and 35 images.

Breaches of terrorism legislation included the sharing of information that would help in the creation of weapons or explosives, including smoke grenades.

The Telegraph reported that Malakai Wheeler began sharing terrorist materials aged 15 when a student at Marling School in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

He also possessed copies of various white supremacist literature, including terrorist screeds.

The jury also heard how Wheeler possessed a copy of the Christchurch terror attacks video on his mobile phone, dubbed over with the Queen song Don’t Stop Me Now.

The prosecution outlined how the Telegram channel in question was a space for hardened neo-Nazis.

Tell MAMA’s research has identified over twenty individuals convicted of far-right terrorism offences in the UK (one other case involved a UK national in Ireland) who took inspiration from or possessed copies of the Christchurch terror attack footage or had copies of the terrorist screed.

More broadly, following the publication of our wide-ranging ten-year report, at Tell MAMA, we warned that especially in the online world, the racist conspiracies that influenced such terrorism have gained more mainstream credence or attention.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, who is the Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, made clear following the guilty verdict that: “Although only 16 at the time of his arrest, Wheeler was deeply entrenched in a Telegram chat group committed to extreme right-wing ideology.

“He was not simply curious, or a passive observer within the group. He clearly shared the same mindset as other members and was very active when it came to promoting racist and antisemitic views and propaganda.

“It is important young people recognise the potential impact of their online activity, before they cross a line into criminality, or engage in harmful or dangerous behaviours.

Wiltshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith said in a press release: “I’m sure this case will cause some concern within our communities in Swindon but I hope it illustrates the commitment across the national police service to work together to apprehend those who share deeply dangerous views.

“I would like to thank our colleagues at the National Counter Terrorism Policing Network for their robust action and for ensuring this individual doesn’t pose any threat to our local communities.”

 

 

 

 

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]]> 16499 PSNI begin hate crime investigation after Nazi flags hung outside Belfast mosque https://tellmamauk.org/psni-begin-hate-crime-investigation-after-nazi-flags-hung-outside-belfast-mosque/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 11:22:32 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16484 Police in Northern Ireland launched a hate crime investigation following the hanging of Nazi flags...

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]]> Police in Northern Ireland launched a hate crime investigation following the hanging of Nazi flags on lampposts outside of a West Belfast mosque.

U105 broke the story yesterday, stating that the hate crime occurred between the hours of 10:30 pm on Tuesday evening and the early hours of Wednesday morning in Dunmurry.

Jamal Iweida, imam and chairperson of Iqraa Mosque, told the BBC of the fear it generated. He stressed their concerns about “if this will lead to further actions” and the safety of children as parents bringing their children to the summer school noticed the flags on Wednesday morning.

Iweida told the Belfast Telegraph, “Everyone knows what they mean and what they represent. It is the absolute embodiment of racism, and in this case, Islamophobia,” and stressed the community support that followed.

He added a message of defiance in the face of such intimidation, “They are not going to win. We must all say no to these people.”

Other worshippers described how the intimidation and Nazi imagery reminded them of the white supremacist terror attacks in Christchurch that resulted in the murder of 51 Muslims in March 2019.

The hate crime drew political condemnation, according to the News Letter.

In response to the anti-Muslim and Islamophobic hate crime, locals planned a solidarity rally for Saturday afternoon in Dunmurry Park.

In a press release, Chief Inspector Brannigan made clear that, at the early investigation stage they are “treating this report as a racially motivated hate crime”.

Weeks earlier, a joint survey between ITV News and Tell MAMA revealed that of the 117 mosques surveyed, almost 90 per cent experienced anti-Muslim hate crimes in the previous 12 months, with some mosques describing far-right intimidation and agitations.

The important ITV News report highlighted examples of “threatening letters, acts of violence, and in one case, having faeces smeared across their walls.”

Faith institutions that have experienced a hate crime (religious and racial) or feel vulnerable to hate crime can apply online for government-funded protective security schemes. Applicants can include evidence like police crime references and community impact statements from worshippers, including how they feel (think anecdotes or surveys).

Anyone with information is urged to call 101, quoting reference number 360 of 23/08/23. Tell MAMA can do this on your behalf or pass information to officers anonymously, as we endeavour to further liaise with the police following this despicable anti-Muslim and Islamophobic hate crime.

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]]> 16484 Nazi flags placed outside Belfast mosque in act of ‘intimidation’ https://tellmamauk.org/nazi-flags-placed-outside-belfast-mosque-in-act-of-intimidation/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 00:05:03 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16478 Original story published by RTE The Muslim community in west Belfast has been left “intimidated”...

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]]> Original story published by RTE

The Muslim community in west Belfast has been left “intimidated” by Nazi flags placed near a mosque in the Dunmurry area, the area’s imam said.

Flags bearing the SS and swastika symbols were pictured outside the Iqraa mosque on Wednesday morning.

They were seemingly put there overnight and reported to police by people arriving at the mosque and community centre just after 8am.

The mosque’s chairman and imam Jamal Iweida said members of the religious building have been working outside in recent days “and that might have brought some attention to us”.

He said: “But of course we don’t feel very good about that… a bit intimidated.”

Mr Iweida said there are often children around the mosque, with some seeing the flags before they were taken down.

“We have been working here the last few days, maintaining the building from outside and there are children here and they saw these flags – just very scary and very worrying for them, you know, of course,” he said.

“It’s a place where we have children most of the time, at this community centre, mosque and community centre, with social programmes and educational programmes. So actually, the lady who reported this, she was bringing her children in the morning for a class and she discovered that and she phoned the police, you know, so you can imagine that it would be worrying for the parents.”

Mr Iweida blamed the flag on a minority trying to offend and said most people in the area are supportive of the Islamic community.

“We have no doubt it’s a small minority but the problem (is) sometimes minorities can be aggressive,” he said.

“This is a problem but we are sure that the overwhelming majority of the people are supportive and good to us.”

He added: “The local community is very supportive. Very, very nice. People were disgusted here and they showed great support to us and the neighbours actually also in the morning saw it and came out in support.”

Local politicians have condemned the flags.

SDLP west Belfast councillor Paul Doherty said: “It’s absolutely disgraceful that these flags, a symbol of hate all over the world, have been erected outside a mosque in the Dunmurry area of west Belfast.

“It is truly staggering to see flags of this nature erected in west Belfast. This is an area that strongly rejects fascism and I cannot understand why anyone would target a place of worship in this way.

“I’d urge anyone with any information about these flags to come forward to police. These flags must be removed immediately and the people behind this held responsible for peddling hate in our community.”

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said: “This despicable and racially motivated action is clearly designed to intimidate members of a minority community.

“Fascism has no place in our community. I send full solidarity to the members of Iqraa Mosque and to all affected by this horrendous and racist act.”

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Our enquiries are at an early stage, however at this time, we are treating this report as a racially motivated hate crime.

“We are appealing to anyone who may have any information which may assist us with our enquiries to call 101, and quote reference number 360 of 23/08/23.”

Read More: Multicultural centre fire being treated as a hate crime in Belfast

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]]> 16478 Neo-Nazi jailed for extreme racist, anti-LGBT, and pro-terror group online posts https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-jailed-for-extreme-racist-anti-lgbt-and-pro-terror-group-online-posts/ Mon, 12 Jun 2023 15:23:34 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16402 A Midlands-based neo-Nazi who pleaded guilty to posting racist, homophobic content online and praised a...

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]]> A Midlands-based neo-Nazi who pleaded guilty to posting racist, homophobic content online and praised a banned neo-Nazi terror group received a prison sentence totalling almost four years.

Richard Osborne, 53, from the Marton Green area of Solihull, pleaded guilty to various offences last month.

He received a prison sentence of 3 years and ten months for posting racist and homophobic materials on the Russian social media platform VK at least 120 times.

Our investigation detailed the depths of the anti-Jewish racism – from Holocaust denial to racist caricatures from US-based white supremacists – those same caricatures included dehumanising, anti-Black racist tropes.

As detailed last month, Osborne posted disturbing material “calling for the violent removal of Muslim, Jewish, and Black communities from the UK and Europe, our investigation unearthed. Other disturbing posts linked Muslims to bestiality”.

In September 2021, he praised and shared propaganda from the banned neo-Nazi terror group National Action.

Officers from the West Midlands Police counter-terror unit recovered a baton fashioned from a metal bar in his car and a shotgun from under their bed, resulting in additional charges.

Detective Superintendent Anastasia Miller, from CTP West Midlands CTU, said: “By pleading guilty, Osborne admitted he held extreme far right views and through our investigation we were able to provide clear evidence he supported white supremacists as well as a proscribed far right group banned by the Government.

“Someone who holds extreme views against those that don’t look like him or hold the same views is not welcome in our society. Today’s sentence should be a clear message to those who intend to spread hate and terror, we will continue to work with partners and the CPS to protect our communities by pursuing and prosecuting such individuals.

“We work tirelessly to counter terrorism. Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and security of the people who live, work and visit the West Midlands area.”

 

 

 

 

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]]> 16402 Recent neo-Nazi terror convictions show Christchurch’s ongoing propaganda influence https://tellmamauk.org/recent-neo-nazi-terror-convictions-show-christchurchs-ongoing-propaganda-influence/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 11:26:12 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16391 Two neo-Nazis, aged 65 and 60, guilty of terrorism and other offences at different trials...

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]]> Two neo-Nazis, aged 65 and 60, guilty of terrorism and other offences at different trials this week, with one jailed for over seven years as the other awaits sentencing on June 5, show the ongoing propaganda influence of the Christchurch terrorist.

Both possessed copies of the Christchurch terrorist’s screed.

Alan Madden, 65, from Wirral, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on May 30, following two earlier guilty pleas, and was jailed for over seven years for terrorism and firearms offences.

Sixty-year-old Darren Reynolds, from Sheffield, a racist survivalist, worked alongside Christine Grayson, 59, in plotting the destruction of 5G phone towers as he called for the murder of MPs, making him guilty of encouraging terrorism. Both were found guilty of various offences at Leeds Crown Court, with Reynolds guilty of various terrorism offences.

Both neo-Nazis used Telegram and Bitchute to further their racist agendas and call for violence towards Jewish communities whilst propagating antisemitic conspiracies.

Our investigation found that Bitchute had removed Alan Madden’s account for breach of its community guidelines, but caches reveal the enduring overlap between racist conspiracies about Jewish communities historically and in contemporary forms, including around the origins of the coronavirus. Other antisemitic videos included Holocaust denial alongside comments from Madden wishing for the genocide of Jewish communities.

On Telegram, Reynolds praised the neo-Nazi terrorist who murdered the Labour MP Jo Cox and called the late Sir David Amess a “traitor” a day after a terrorist murdered them, Sky News reported. At Leeds Crown Court, the prosecution outlined how, on June 29, 2021, Reynolds posted to his Telegram group: “Storm parliament and the Lords, drag them all outside and hang them all on the spot for treason, sedition insurgency, attempted genocide and crimes against the peoples of Great Britain.”  An admin on various other Telegram channels, he used the platform to distribute neo-Nazi propaganda and terrorist literature.

Alan Madden pleaded guilty to a TACT 2006 offence, contrary to Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which concerns the dissemination of terrorist publications, as the Liverpool Echo revealed his praise for the proscribed neo-Nazi terror group National Action and re-posting their illegal, racist propaganda on BitChute. During the trial, officers unearthed various neo-Nazi propaganda in digital forms and physical copies – including a copy of the Christchurch terrorist’s screed.

Other guilty pleas from Madden included three counts of inciting racial hatred – a section 201 offence under the Public Order Act, and for possession of weapons that included possession of a firearm, 384 rounds, 9mm hollow point and 9mm Kurz ammunition. Other offensive weapons they possessed included nun chucks and a flick knife.

Darren Reynolds also had a keen interest in weapons – expressing his hopes of converting his M16 and an AK-47 replica assault rifles into viable weapons, as he ordered a self-loading crossbow online (delivered to a neighbour).

The respective ages of Alan Madden and Darren Reynolds mean they are the oldest individuals guilty of far-right terror offences where the terrorism in Christchurch appeared in their digital collections or provided inspiration so far. Others were teenagers in their mid-to-late twenties or thirties (or older in rarer cases).

Those other names include Harry Vaughan (18), Mason Yates (19), Morgan Seales (20), Vincent Fuller (50), Matthew Cronjager (18), Benjamin Hannam (22), Gabriele Longo (26), Dean Morrice (34), Paul Dunleavy (17), Thomas Leech (19), Filip Bednarczyk (26), Luke Hunter (23), Sam Imrie (24), Samuel Whibley (29), Michael Nugent (38), Robert Gregory (24), Nicholas Brock (53), Elliot Brown (25), an unnamed 16-year-old from West Yorkshire, Mark Wolf (a 37-year-old British national and paedophile jailed in Ireland), Vaughn Dolphin (20) and 19-year-old Luke Skelton.

Endnote: We welcome the jailing of the dangerous neo-Nazi terrorist Alan Madden, who posed a real threat to Jewish communities, and it remains alarming that we continue to see how the Christchurch terrorist and their screed hold sway or continue to influence those wishing to murder Muslims and violently harm other minority communities in our country. We hope the sentence of Darren Reynolds reflects the severity of his aims and calls for terrorism towards MPs.

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]]> 16391 Far-right terrorist guilty of plotting attack he hoped would start ‘race war’ in Britain https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-terrorist-guilty-of-plotting-attack-he-hoped-would-start-race-war-in-britain/ Tue, 16 May 2023 15:50:00 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16371 A white supremacist who plotted a terror attack on a police station to instigate a...

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]]> A white supremacist who plotted a terror attack on a police station to instigate a “racial war” was today (May 16) found guilty.

Luke Skelton, 19, from the village of Kielder in Northumberland, conducted hostile reconnaissance work, posted racist, sexist and anti-LGBT+ hate messages online, and drafted a screed to further his violent, racist ideology after the attack.

Details of the two-week trial revealed that Skelton spent innumerable hours online posting far-right speech and propaganda for over a year before his arrest.

19-year-old Luke Skelton joins a growing list of men convicted of far-right terrorism offences in the UK who praised or took inspiration from the Christchurch terrorist, as Tell MAMA continues to document.

Skelton, who also praised other neo-Nazi terrorists like Anders Breivik, wrote of his desire to “accelerate the coming collapse and racial war”.

He glorified fascists like Oswald Mosley and Adolf Hitler, praised Enoch Powell, and sought to propagate civil unrest in France.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “The evidence clearly demonstrated that he was not just a person who held strong views but a terrorist who wanted to cause serious harm.”

Prosecutors outlined how Skelton took a keen interest in napalm in the hopes of developing his explosive device, as expert witness Lisa Dunn, from the Ministry of Defence detailed how Skelton had gathered enough information to create, in her words, a “viable explosive”.

The Independent revealed how Skelton disengaged from the Prevent programme in May 2021 following a college referral in November 2020.

In one of the screeds penned by Skelton, he envisioned that 93 per cent of the society would be “native British”, outlaw Islam, remove suffrage for women and ban equal marriage, the Independent further revealed.

Skelton also called for violence towards drag acts.

Jurors proved unconvinced by claims that his white supremacist views were mere ‘jokes’.

Following a joint investigation between Northumbria Police and counter-terror police charges against Skelton came in November 2021.

He was found guilty of a single offence under Section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006 -engaging in conduct in preparation of a terrorist act.

Sentencing will occur on June 19.

 

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]]> 16371 Midlands neo-Nazi guilty of sharing extreme racist and anti-LGBT hate online https://tellmamauk.org/midlands-neo-nazi-guilty-of-sharing-extreme-racist-and-anti-lgbt-hate-online/ Fri, 12 May 2023 15:28:37 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16366 A Midlands-based white supremacist pleaded guilty to stirring up racial and anti-LGBT+ hatred by sharing...

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]]> A Midlands-based white supremacist pleaded guilty to stirring up racial and anti-LGBT+ hatred by sharing over 130 extremist images and materials on the Russian social media platform VKontakte (VK).

Richard Osborne, 53, often posted graphic, dehumanising racist materials on his VK profile – ranging from Holocaust denial and trivialisation, anti-Jewish and anti-Black cartoons published on an infamous US-based white supremacist website in the early 200s, to content calling for the violent removal of Muslim, Jewish, and Black communities from the UK and Europe, our investigation unearthed. Other disturbing posts linked Muslims to bestiality.

Osborne, who uploaded photographs of his membership card for the neo-fascist National Front, further shared violent LGBT+ content, calling for their violent removal from Europe.

On September 4, 2021, he shared a video promoting the banned neo-Nazi terror group National Action that propagated the racist myth of a so-called “white genocide”.

Within this violent, racist and anti-LGBT+ echo chamber, our investigation found that throughout 2021 and after that, Osborne interacted with another convicted white supremacist – 63-year-old David Hutchinson, even lamenting his jailing.

His appearance at Birmingham Crown Court, where he will appear again for sentencing next month, revealed that the offences occurred between February 16, 2022, and January 9, 2023.

Other guilty pleas concerned the possession of a shotgun without a licence and an offensive cosh weapon.

The BBC stated that Osborne appeared before the court via a video link from HMP Wandsworth in south London.

Sentencing will occur at Birmingham Crown Court on June 9.

 

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]]> 16366 Neo-Nazi guilty of terror offences after making explosives in aunt’s kitchen https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-guilty-of-terror-offences-after-making-explosives-in-aunts-kitchen/ Tue, 02 May 2023 15:17:32 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16354 UPDATE: Dolphin has been detained for eight and a half years. Original story below A...

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]]> UPDATE: Dolphin has been detained for eight and a half years.

Original story below

A self-described “dangerous lunatic” and white supremacist from Walsall was found guilty of various terrorism offences after blowing up his family’s kitchen whilst making gunpowder.

Vaughn Dolphin, then 19, had caused a fireball in his aunt’s kitchen as police uncovered a weapons factory in the family shed – including an improvised musket and bomb-making chemicals in a fridge in his bedroom.

Dolphin had downloaded bomb-making materials onto a USB stick inside a folder named “Boogaloo” – a broad anti-government extremist movement that seeks to propel the United States towards civil war, which has white supremacist and non-white supremacist elements to the movements online and offline.

Police also found homemade body armour adorned in Nazi iconography.

The BBC reported that he possessed guides on building a shotgun, how to carry out arson attacks, and building homemade explosives.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Payne, head of Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands CTU, said in a video statement: “We became aware that he was trying to acquire or had acquired explosive materials or weapons. So, within forty-eight hours, we had from acquiring the information, we went through his front door”.

In court, it emerged that Dolphin spent an obsessive amount of time in white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups online, including the Telegram channels Pol/4chan, Hitler Group, and the Segregation Wagon.

On June 14 last year, Vaughn Dolphin uploaded footage of the kitchen fire to the Segregation Wagon channel, commenting, “That was a bad f****** idea, it was so bad the f****** carbon monoxide meter went off. I started choking, so I had to put this on. Oh my gosh,” Sky News reported.

Other online comments included Dolphin expressing a desire to sell weapons to The Base – a violent, neo-Nazi paramilitary group in the United States. In 2021, neo-Nazi accelerationist groups like the infamous Attomwaffen Division (and affiliates) made the proscribed terror list in the UK.

Dolphin, now 20, joins a growing list of those convicted of far-right terrorism offences in the UK who took inspiration from or glorified the anti-Muslim terror attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, which claimed the lives of 51 Muslims in March 2019.

The court heard how Dolphin had downloaded the Christchurch terror attacks, commenting online, “Shame it doesn’t have the music,” The Times newspaper reported.

Counter-terror police disclosed that Dolphin had downloaded the Christchurch terrorist’s screed and other manifestos from similar terror attacks in the United States.

The jury found Dolphin guilty of various terrorism offences – including six counts that concerned the possession and distribution of terrorist manuals, two further charges of disseminating a terrorist publication, a charge of “being reckless” as to whether or terrorist activity would be encouraged and possession of a firearm.

Dolphin, now aged 20, was found guilty of six counts of possessing articles useful for terrorism, two counts of disseminating terrorist material and two of possessing explosive substances and one charge of possessing a firearm.

In a further written statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Payne, head of Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands CTU, stated: “Dolphin had claimed he had an interest in chemicals and military memorabilia however he combined a toxic extremist mindset, sharing right wing material online with the real-world acquisition of explosive material and homemade weapons.

“His mindset is one of a dangerous individual equipping themselves to harm others who did not look like him or who he disagreed with.

“Extremists use this kind of ideology to create discord, distrust and fear among our communities, our work to target dangerous individuals continues.”

Sentencing will occur on May 11.

 

 

 

 

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]]> 16354 British neo-Nazi terrorist and paedophile jailed in Ireland over mosque plot https://tellmamauk.org/british-neo-nazi-terrorist-and-paedophile-jailed-in-ireland-over-mosque-plot/ Mon, 03 Apr 2023 11:29:37 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16315 A British neo-Nazi who absconded terrorism and child abuse charges by fleeing to Ireland received...

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]]> A British neo-Nazi who absconded terrorism and child abuse charges by fleeing to Ireland received a ten-year sentence after Irish police (Gardai) foiled his Christchurch-influenced terror plot and possessing child abuse images.

A lengthy investigation by Irish counter-terror police brought 37-year-old Mark Wolf to justice after pinpointing his location to a hostel in Gardiner Street, Dublin. At that point, raiding his room, they discovered his imported firearm components, a guide on building 3D-printed weapons and four electronic devices containing sickening child abuse images, the Christchurch terror attack video and snuff videos.

Several Irish media outlets covered Wolf’s trial and subsequent conviction. The profoundly disturbing details of his plots and twisted collection of child abuse images and snuff materials he downloaded appear in greater detail in the Irish Examiner – which detailed how Wolf also sought to register a pro-paedophile web domain. Other sickening details appear in other Irish media, but we will not publish them further.

The Sunday World published pictures of Wolf and his military tactical gear, flick knives, goggles, a mask and a Sonnenrud (Black Sun) flag.

Wolf possessed much neo-Nazi paraphernalia, and his choice of hostel put him near a mosque.

Wolf’s efforts to build an arsenal of deadly weapons did not go unnoticed elsewhere – as the annual EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report for 2022 referenced Wolf’s arrest and trial in the section headed “paramilitary training and activities”.

Mark Wolf, also known as Mark Nolan and Mark Peppered, has a long history of violence in the UK (resulting in various criminal convictions) and had awaited extradition to the UK until new charges emerged in Ireland in December 2021.

The prolific online chats Gardai officers uncovered included Wolf’s violent desire to murder children.

Weapon components Wolf had imported into his Dublin hostel included silencers, triggers and trigger bars for semi-automatic pistols, a complete set of pins and ten magazine springs.

Wolf would plead guilty at Dublin’s Circuit Criminal Court to four charges concerning possessing components of a firearm, possessing an electronic document related to assembling a firearm, three charges of importing firearm components into Ireland and finally, three charges of possessing child abuse images in June 2021.

Judge Nolan called Wolf’s views “obnoxious”, recognising that he “demonstrated this man had an interest in violent means and had hostility towards certain groups,” and imposed a ten-year prison sentence and acknowledged how the guilty plea was an “important” factor in the length of the sentence.

Wolf’s conviction might also be the first related to far-right terrorism in the Irish courts, according to the Irish Times.

Tell MAMA continues to document those convicted of far-right terror offences and how they take influence from the white supremacist, anti-Muslim terrorism in Christchurch.

 

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]]> 16315 Neo-Nazi teen guilty of plotting terror attacks on mosques in West Yorkshire https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-teen-guilty-of-plotting-terror-attacks-on-mosques-in-west-yorkshire/ Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:02:17 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16310 A white supremacist teen who planned a copycat attack on mosques in West Yorkshire was...

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]]> A white supremacist teen who planned a copycat attack on mosques in West Yorkshire was today (March 30) found guilty of a terrorism offence following a three-week trial at Leeds Crown Court.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to their age, took inspiration from the Christchurch terrorist after jurors agreed that he intended to carry out an act of terrorism before counter-terror police intervened and arrested them.

Earlier this year, the teen pleaded guilty to six offences, a majority of which were terrorism-related, including four offences contravening Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (disseminating terrorist publications), a Section 1 offence of the Terrorism Act 2006 (encouraging terrorism) and finally, possession of a knife, a Section 139 offence of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

Sky News detailed how they had stolen their father’s car for a “dry run” on the mosques targeted in the early hours of June 5, 2022, only to crash the vehicle in an embankment upon returning home.

A day after googling the interior of a mosque in Keighley, counter-terror police made their arrest, The Times reported on March 13.

At the time of the arrest in June last year, they were aged 15, plotted to murder his former girlfriend and attack two mosques near Bradford with a gun procured online whilst dressed as a police officer, The Times reported during the trial weeks earlier, quoting the prosecution who outlined, “His plan was to attack mosques and kill the Muslims worshipping there.”

If they could not procure a gun online, they intended to have a knife decorated with far-right slogans and a vehicle as a weapon.

The guilty verdict demonstrates the dangerous, enduring influence of the terror attacks four years ago in Christchurch, New Zealand, on those convicted of far-right-related terror offences in the UK.

Tell MAMA published research last summer identifying at least sixteen individuals convicted of far-right terror offences in the UK between September 2019 and June 2022, where they had accessed the Christchurch screed, live stream, or taken inspiration from it. In the months ahead, we included the convictions of Daniel Harris and Elliot Brown. With today’s guilty verdict, we increase that figure to 19 individuals.

In October 2021, neo-Nazi Sam Imrie, 24, guilty of various terrorism offences, threatened to burn down Fife Islamic Centre, in a chilling example of those who wanted to recreate that infamous act of terrorism and stream it.

Further revelations from Sky News revealed how the teen spent hours imbibing racist and homophobic material on apps like Telegram. In addition, they dehumanised Muslim and Jewish communities as “invaders” who did receive a Prevent referral, but details of their involvement (or lack thereof) are unclear.

The teen will later face sentencing for all seven offences at Leeds Crown Court.

In a statement, Chief Superintendent Rob McCoubrey of Bradford District said: “We recognise that the details of this case will cause understandable concern, particularly for those from our Muslim communities”.

“Officers from our Neighbourhood Policing Teams will continue to be visible locally and will be on hand to speak to people regarding any concerns they may have.”

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 16310 Far-right racist jailed for disseminating terrorist material and other offences https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-racist-jailed-for-disseminating-terrorist-material-and-other-offences/ Thu, 23 Mar 2023 14:51:23 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16278 A far-right racist who put up racist stickers across Huddersfield was jailed this week after...

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]]> A far-right racist who put up racist stickers across Huddersfield was jailed this week after pleading guilty to various offences, including disseminating terrorist material.

Steven Donovan, 32, of Baker Street in Huddersfield, appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday to receive his 27-month prison sentence.

Other convictions related to his possession of racist material and extreme pornography – a trend observed in other convictions of those guilty of far-right-related terror offences.

The counter-terror investigation began after a local PCSO found racist stickers and graffiti in and around Greenhead Park in Huddersfield and raised their concerns further.

A subsequent investigation connected Donovan’s extremist far-right, racist behaviours online with the vandalism in Greenhead Park.

The 32-year-old was charged in August 2021, following their initial arrest in the summer of 2020.

In a statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Dunkerley, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “Communities in West Yorkshire work tirelessly alongside agencies such as the police to ensure our towns and cities are welcoming and inclusive to people of all backgrounds.

“Those that seek to bring hatred to our communities and disrupt cohesion through criminal activities will be tracked down and brought before the courts.

“We must stand together by challenging hateful extremist attitudes and trusting our instincts by reporting concerning or suspicious behaviour to the police.”

 

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]]> 16278 Scottish neo-Nazi guilty of terror offence in group linked to fascist Keighley cell https://tellmamauk.org/scottish-neo-nazi-guilty-of-terror-offence-in-group-linked-to-fascist-keighley-cell/ Fri, 10 Feb 2023 11:12:38 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16190 A Glasgow-based neo-Nazi who shared a video of how to build a sub-machine gun in...

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]]> A Glasgow-based neo-Nazi who shared a video of how to build a sub-machine gun in a fascist Telegram channel that contained members of the Keighley terror cell pleaded guilty to terror offences on Thursday.

James Farrell, 32, from the Pollok area of the city, shared his racist views with other members of the Oaken Hearth Telegram channel under the pseudonym “Jabz”.

Appearing at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday (February 9), Farrel pleaded guilty to a terror offence related to the “direct or indirect encouragement” to the “commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.

The Scottish Daily Record reported that Farrell called for the firebombing of synagogues in the chat.

A member of the Keighley terror cell had also uploaded the terrorist manual of the notorious US-based neo-Nazi James Mason as the Christchurch terror attack video, which claimed the lives of 51 Muslims, appeared in the group chat.

Members of the Keighley terror cell, who manufactured weapons and advocated racist violence, were jailed for over thirty years last July.

Farrell also posted extreme, dehumanising anti-Black racism.

Materials uploaded by James Farrell to the group included instructional documents and a video clip that would help individuals build a non-firing sub-machine gun, the court heard.

Alterations to the weapon would make it a viable, deadly weapon.

The arrests of the Keighley cell tipped police off to Farrell as part of a more comprehensive counter-terror investigation into the Oaken Hearth group. Photos uploaded to the group by Farrell, including neo-Nazi literature and a bronze axe police subsequently found in his address.

A press release from Police Scotland highlighted the intelligence sharing from Counter Terrorism Policing North East, as conversations between members in England with Farrell warranted the attention of their officers.

Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Houston, Police Scotland’s Head of Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “Farrell not only expressed views which are totally unacceptable in a civilised society but his actions in sharing material of this nature had the potential of significantly endangering the public.

“His conviction is testament to the work of Police Scotland officers and shows the value of working in partnership with our colleagues in Counter Terrorism Policing across the UK. Police Scotland is grateful for the assistance of Counter Terrorism officers from the North East of England, who initiated the investigation which led to Farrell’s activities being uncovered.”

Sentencing will take place next month.

 

 

 

 

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]]> 16190 Neo-Nazi Luca Benincasa jailed for terrorism offences and child abuse images https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-luca-benincasa-jailed-for-terrorism-offences-and-child-abuse-images/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 15:13:00 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16172 A neo-Nazi from Cardiff who admitted various terrorism offences and the possession of violent child...

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]]> A neo-Nazi from Cardiff who admitted various terrorism offences and the possession of violent child abuse images received a nine-year and three-month prison sentence.

Cardiff-based Luca Benincasa, 20, acted as a self-styled recruiter for the proscribed Neo-Nazi group Feuerkrieg Division and possessed materials related to bomb-making.

The BBC reported that Benincasa, who identified as an “incel”, had previously admitted to multiple counts of possessing violent child abuse images where the victims were just four to seven years old.

Other high-profile convictions for far-right terrorist offences included 19-year-old Daniel Harris and Thomas Leech, also 19, both had pleaded guilty to the possession or, with the latter, creating violent child abuse materials.

The court heard how Feuerkrieg Division grew from the proscription of other banned neo-Nazi groups like National Action.

Internet searches from Benincasa included child sacrifice, rape, and a pro-paedophilia t-shirt.

Counter-terror police raids uncovered a tactical vest, camouflage clothing, an SS dagger and flag, a Nazi Party armband, and masks at Benincasa’s home in Whitchurch in January 2022.

Benincasa owned a flag of the SS-Heimwehr in the then-free city of Danzig (now Gdańsk), which the Nazis illegally annexed following the invasion of Poland in 1939. Today, the Polish Post Office in the Free City of Danzig museum in Gdańsk honours the bravery of the Polish Post staff who resisted the Nazis on September 1, 1939.

Flag of the Nazi SS-Heimwehr (L) and the battle flag of the fascist Salò Republic (R), credit: Counter Terrorism Policing.

The third and final flag in Benincasa’s possession concerned the war flag of the fascist Italian Social Republic, broadly known as the Salò Republic – a Nazi puppet regime established in 1943 by Benito Mussolini, which controlled northern and central parts of the country until 1945.

Luca Benincasa entered guilty pleas via videolink at Winchester Crown Court last July to five offences – membership of a proscribed organisation and possession of four documents of a kind likely to be useful to a terrorist.

Detective Superintendent Mark Pope of Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, who led the investigation, said: “The dangerous nature of the material in Benincasa’s possession cannot be underestimated. This is why it is of such importance to hold to account those who seek to join proscribed organisations and gather material which may be useful to a terrorist.

“This intelligence-led investigation has resulted in the conviction of a dangerous individual and highlights the commitment by counter terrorism policing to tackle all forms of extremist ideology.”

Judge Jane Miller KC reflected in their sentencing remarks that Benincasa presents a “serious risk” to the public and will serve his sentence in a young offenders institute.

The detailed BBC reporting added that he sought to recruit teenage boys across the UK and, in one example, Germany, as sought to stay connected with those in the United States.

Det Supt Gareth Rees, who leads on far-right terrorism at Counter Terrorism Policing, told the BBC: “We need to understand how we can stop young people making decisions and being drawn into an area that is both very sad and very damaging and, ultimately at the top level, very threatening.”

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]]> 16172 Far-right terror: neo-Nazi jailed for encouraging others to make explosives https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-terror-neo-nazi-jailed-for-encouraging-others-to-make-explosives/ Tue, 17 Jan 2023 17:24:07 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16158 A neo-Nazi from Bath received a prison sentence of three years and three months after...

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]]> A neo-Nazi from Bath received a prison sentence of three years and three months after being found guilty of various terrorism offences.

25-year-old Elliot Brown was found guilty of two terrorism offences at Bristol Crown Court on January 16 (Monday), including for sharing an instructional video of how to create the explosive substance thermite via their Amazon device to a far-right Telegram channel.

A university dropout with no prior convictions, Brown had recorded a short video in March 2020 of his Amazon Alexa speaker responding to his question about making thermite, the BBC reported.

The Telegram channel contained racist and homophobic content targeting various minoritised groups. Police also found white supremacist imagery on the phone of Elliot Brown and video footage of different neo-Nazi terror attacks.

The BBC reported that the convicted neo-Nazi terrorist Dean Morrice, a fellow group member, had purchased enough ingredients three days later to build such an explosive – having retained a copy of the video Brown uploaded to the group.

Morrice received an 18-year prison sentence in the summer of 2021 for various terrorism offences that included the stockpiling of explosives.

Like Morrice, Elliot Brown possessed footage of the white supremacist terror in Christchurch, New Zealand, that resulted in the murder of 51 Muslims.

Last summer, our investigation detailed how Dean Morrice was one of at least sixteen men convicted of far-right terrorism offences across the UK, who took inspiration from, glorified those responsible, or possessed that infamous Christchurch terror attack video.

Elliot Brown will now appear on that list as it emerged following the verdict that a video on his mobile phone included a 48-second clip that turned that act of terror into a video game.

Counter-terror police unearthed additional disturbing materials on their phone, including an antisemitic clip of Smith barbequing that featured a song with the lyrics, “All I wanted to do is grill, but these Jews, they leave me no choice but to kill.” And the livestream of the terror attack in Halle, Germany.

Detective Superintendent Craig McWhinnie, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing South West, said: “Elliot Brown was not just seeking to explore an interest in extremist related materials. The video he produced and thought appropriate to share with people harbouring similar abhorrent views will understandably shock people.

“While there is no evidence that Brown planned to commit any terrorist attack, his actions went beyond just casual talk and are a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act.”

For Superintendent Steve Kendall of Avon and Somerset Police, “People like Elliot Brown, who hold extremist views, can live absolutely anywhere and although these instances are rare, they remind us we all need to be vigilant.

“Our number one priority is always public safety and that’s why we work so closely with our counter terrorism partners and other agencies. We will always work tirelessly to root out offenders such as Brown.”

 

 

 

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]]> 16158 Neo-Nazi terrorist, 19, from Derbyshire, guilty of various offences https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-terrorist-19-from-derbyshire-guilty-of-various-offences/ Thu, 01 Dec 2022 14:24:27 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16073 A neo-Nazi terrorist from Derbyshire convicted of various terrorism offences this week faces possible extradition...

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]]> A neo-Nazi terrorist from Derbyshire convicted of various terrorism offences this week faces possible extradition to the United States after uploading material that helped influence the anti-Black terrorism that left ten people dead in Buffalo, New York, in May.

CNN profiled those murdered by the neo-Nazi terrorist Payton Gendron.

The Times newspaper reported that Gendron referred to 19-year-old Daniel Harris from Glossop, Derbyshire as a “friend” two months before the attacks (having adopted the username “Jimboboii” on Discord) and incorporated propaganda from a video Harris created in their racist 180-page screed.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Harris celebrated Gendron’s terrorism but denied “knowing” of what he had planned, the report added.

The Times disclosed how Harris was previously guilty of the racist vandalism of a memorial to murdered George Floyd in Manchester and for possessing violent child abuse images – a trend with other men convicted of far-right terror offences.

Derbyshire Police noted the broader influence of Harris’s terrorism as CTP EM Detective Inspector Chris Brett said: “By posting these videos online, Harris’ toxic rhetoric could have had untold influence on countless people across the world. Such actions will not be tolerated.”

It also emerged that police attempted to engage with Harris via Prevent but had lied about his efforts to deradicalise, forcing the police to arrest him swiftly.

The jury found Harris guilty of five counts of encouraging terrorism, breaching Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006, and concerns the creation and uploading of materials to the internet between February 2021 and March 2022. One such video sanctified the Christchurch video and praised the neo-Nazi Norweigan terrorist Anders Breivik.

The 19-year-old was also guilty of possessing material for terrorist purposes – a Section 57 offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 – and concerned his possession of a 3D printer used in an attempt to make parts of a firearm.

He was found not guilty of a single count of encouraging terrorism and remanded into custody pending sentencing next month.

Tell MAMA exclusively detailed how at least 16 men were convicted of far-right terror offences in the UK between September 2019 and June 2022, where they accessed the Christchurch screed, live stream, or took inspiration from it.

Gendron’s screed mirrors the neo-Nazi ideology of the Christchurch terrorist (and others), which push the conspiracy of the so-called “Great Replacement“. It also propagated virulent racism towards Muslims, Jewish and Black communities, adding support for eco-fascism and transphobia. Like the Christchurch terrorist, the screed also contained a degree of shitposting (incorporating an image of the comedian Sam Hyde) and racist memes that populate imageboards like 4chan and 8chan. Gendron would plagiarise the Christchurch terrorist with sections related to horrific acts of child sexual exploitation in parts of the UK.

The plagiarism went further: copying calls to murder London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the Jewish philanthropist and Holocaust survivor George Soros, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

For a detailed analysis of the above, we urge audiences to re-read our 2019 report and related articles about far-right terrorism and digital fascism.

Payton Gendron pleaded guilty to the charges against him, including one count of domestic terrorism in the first degree, earlier this week.

Daniel Harris will appear for sentencing at Manchester Crown Court on January 16, 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 16073 Twitter banned racist account who praised the Dover terrorist Andrew Leak https://tellmamauk.org/twitter-banned-racist-account-who-praised-the-dover-terrorist/ Wed, 16 Nov 2022 13:20:07 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=16054 Twitter suspended a racist account holder who praised the Dover terrorist Andrew Leak after Tell...

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]]> Twitter suspended a racist account holder who praised the Dover terrorist Andrew Leak after Tell MAMA flagged the materials with them.

Our investigation began after a member of the public got in touch, flagging tweets from the account made on November 8, one of which called for Leak to receive a state funeral and a Victoria Cross medal.

A screenshot we captured before Twitter suspended the account holder following our complaint.

A further investigation revealed racist comments about deputy prime minister Dominic Raab being a “Jewish puppet of the WEF and UN”.

The racist currency of @BryanMc82451905 would see them trade in racialised, dehumanising comments about Muslims and refugees. Examples included myths of demographic change and so-called “Islamification” whilst linking both groups to criminality.

Examples of anti-Black racism appeared in archives, with some targeting the late Stephen Lawrence, murdered by racists in 1993. That inflammatory, hateful tweet read, “Blacks want to tear down Lord Nelson from his Column. No doubt they will replace him with St Stephen”.

Our investigation coincided with a report in The Independent that far-right individuals or groups are calling for attacks on refugee centres and hotels. On Telegram, the article described those who described the terrorist Leak as a “hero” and a “legend” who “shows that one of us [white people] has got a spine”.

In recent years, our research has detailed how a subsection of social media accounts reported to us praised or encouraged similar attacks following the far-right terror attacks in Finsbury Park and Christchurch, New Zealand. Examples of the latter resulted in criminal convictions for terrorism offences, as the murder of 51 Muslims continues to influence those convicted of far-right terror offences in the UK.

YouTube, however, did not remove comments that denied the terrorism or comments claiming it was a “false flag”.

Several high-profile far-right Telegram pages pushed similar “false flag” conspiracies, including the street defence movement Britain First, which wrote, “How on earth did the media manage to get such a perfectly timed photo of the attack on the Dover migrant processing centre?” on the evening of October 30.

As our briefing paper on Andrew Leak revealed, he was in the thrall of various conspiracy theories, notably around Covid.

Tell MAMA remains a trusted flagger across all major social media platforms and encourages the public to flag such material with us so we can escalate with the platforms or the police. Despite our reservations about Twitter’s direction, we will continue advocating for communities.

Following our investigation, we flagged the @BryanMc82451905 account with the police to investigate further.

Get advice from our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Alternatively, please leave us a WhatsApp message at 0734 184 6086.

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]]> 16054 Neo-Nazi jailed for posting extreme racist materials on Russian social media https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-jailed-for-posting-extreme-racist-materials-on-russian-social-media/ Thu, 20 Oct 2022 11:52:38 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15991 A 61-year-old neo-Nazi has become the second individual jailed for the extreme racist material they...

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]]> A 61-year-old neo-Nazi has become the second individual jailed for the extreme racist material they posted on the Russian social media platform VK.

Credit: Met Police

David Hutchinson, from Sutton, pleaded guilty to seven offences of publishing racist material, contrary to Section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986, between December 2020 and October 2021, receiving a three-year prison sentence at Kingston Crown Court.

According to the Evening Standard, Hutchinson sought to recruit other white supremacists to enact racist violence on a street level.

Our investigation of Hutchinson’s social media revealed a broad tapestry of highly violent racist imagery and language, including repeated use of the N-word and the K-word, targeting Black and Jewish communities.

Credit: VK.com

In one noteworthy post that matches the timeline of criminal offences committed, we identified a horrific racist cartoon about Jewish communities drawn from the notorious white supremacist hate site White Aryan Resistance. The author of these racist cartoons created them under the moniker “A Wyatt Man” in 2004 – their true identity remains a subject of much curiosity and investigation. The caption Hutchinson added called for direct violence towards the “K****”. Other content called for the murder of Jewish communities.

A disturbing pro-Hitler meme found on Hutchinson’s VK profile.

Other examples of content identified included racialised, harmful memes about Muslims that included “This is England, not Muslim lands” and a cartoon that invoked the Nazi Holocaust with Muslims depicted in gas chambers. Other anti-Muslim memes compared Islamic beliefs to faecal matter and referred to Muslims collectively as paedophiles. In May 2021, they posted a dehumanising comment about how to “handle a Muzzie rat”. Tell MAMA has long documented how anti-Muslim language amongst the far-right will invoke dehumanising language like “musrat” or “mus-slime”.

A dehumanising and racist post linking Black communities to disease also appeared, as did numerous examples of Hutchinson using the N-word and sharing pro-slavery memes.

Repeated homages to Enoch Powell appeared on their VK account, with calls for people to “wake up”.

Other content included a “straight white pride” meme alongside misogynistic materials (pornographic or otherwise) and conspiracies about Covid vaccines and lockdowns.

Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter Terrorism Division, said in a statement: “Over a 10-month period David Hutchinson persistently posted these derogatory racist memes on a social media site which he believed consisted of like-minded people.

“His comments went beyond free speech and demonstrated hostility to several racial groups. By his pleas he has accepted they were intended to stir up hatred against those groups.

“Hate crimes have a corrosive effect on society and we will always prosecute where there is sufficient evidence to do so.”

Responding to the verdict, our Director Iman Atta said: “We welcome the conviction of 61-year-old neo-Nazi David Hutchinson. They dreamed of turning their vicious, asinine racist views towards Muslim, Jewish, and Black communities online into violence on our streets.

“Our investigation found extreme racism and homophobia on their VK account.

We cannot stress the importance of flagging such harmful materials to ourselves at Tell MAMA and the police.”

 

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]]> 15991 Barnsley man, 42, charged with terror offence linked to the far-right https://tellmamauk.org/barnsley-man-42-charged-with-terror-offence-linked-to-the-far-right/ Mon, 10 Oct 2022 15:05:16 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15983 A 42-year-old man from Barnsley charged with an offence linked to far-right terrorism was granted...

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]]> A 42-year-old man from Barnsley charged with an offence linked to far-right terrorism was granted conditional bail last Friday (October 7).

The BBC identified him as Neil Sharp of Storr Mill Lane in Cudworth – who stands accused of a Section 2 offence of the Terrorism Act 2000, namely, the alleged distribution of terrorist material online.

The arrest occurred in May following an investigation by South Yorkshire Police into alleged digital far-right terrorism online.

Sharp will appear at The Old Bailey on October 21.

 

 

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]]> 15983 Far-right terror trial: Man extradited from Spain to stand trial next year https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-terror-trial-man-extradited-from-spain-to-appear-at-the-old-bailey/ Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:03:22 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15970 A British national extradited from Spain will appear at the Old Bailey tomorrow (September 30)...

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]]> A British national extradited from Spain will appear at the Old Bailey tomorrow (September 30) on far-right-related terrorism charges.

Kristofer Thomas Kearney, 37, is accused of two counts of allegedly disseminating a terrorist publication, which runs counter to Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Spanish police raided an address in Alicante on March 2, 2022, through a Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TaCA) warrant.

Counter-terror officers arrested Kearney upon returning to the UK on September 8.

A day later, on September 9, Kearney appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and was remanded into custody.

UPDATE: Kearney will return to the Old Bailey on January 27, 2023, for a plea and trial preparation hearing, as the trial will begin on June 5, 2023.

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]]> 15970 Two 59-year-olds from Yorkshire charged with far-right terror offences https://tellmamauk.org/two-59-year-olds-from-yorkshire-charged-with-far-right-terror-offences/ Tue, 30 Aug 2022 12:49:21 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15932 A man and woman, aged 59 from the Yorkshire area, were charged following an intelligence-led...

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]]> A man and woman, aged 59 from the Yorkshire area, were charged following an intelligence-led investigation into far-right terrorism last week.

Counter Terrorism Policing North East led the investigation, arresting Darren Reynolds of Newbould Crescent in Sheffield and Christine Grayson of Boothwood Road in York.

Darren Reynolds is accused of a Section 1 offence under the Terrorism Act 2006, three offences under Section 2 of the same act (dissemination of a Terrorist Publication), and six offences per Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (which concerns the alleged possession of materials contain information that may likely to be useful to an individual committing an act of terrorism). A further charge concerns an alleged conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

Christine Grayson faces one charge – a Section 1 offence under the Terrorism Act 2006 and an alleged offence concerning conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

The arrests occurred on August 22.

Both parties were remanded into custody following a court appearance via video-link before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 27 (Saturday), with the next court hearing scheduled for September 30.

 

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]]> 15932 Nazi swastika graffiti appears on site of old EMD cinema in Walthamstow https://tellmamauk.org/nazi-swastika-graffiti-appears-on-site-of-old-emd-cinema-in-walthamstow/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 10:55:29 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15835 Nazi graffiti, including swastikas and a Celtic cross, was daubed on a site of an...

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]]> Nazi graffiti, including swastikas and a Celtic cross, was daubed on a site of an old cinema in Walthamstow in east London.

A member of the public spotted the racist graffiti on the morning of July 28 at the site of the former cinema, the Mirth, Marvel & Maud on Hoe Street, which is undergoing building work and restructuring to re-open into a theatre.

The graffiti begins with a mathematical equation, asking what 7×4 is, as three Nazi swastikas appear below and present the number 28 – a numerical reference to the infamous violent neo-Nazi group Blood (2) and Honour (8).

Blood and Honour is a proscribed terrorist group in Canada, along with Combat 18. And emerged from the fascist music scene in England in 1987 and is banned in several European countries and Russia.

Blood and Honour chapters have committed racist violence in the UK, Europe, and the United States.

Calls to proscribe Blood and Honour in the UK are not new either.

The Celtic cross appeared above it, though it is unclear when the graffiti appeared.

Several months ago, we reported how upstanders had removed stickers promoting the Polish far-right on the same Walthamstow street.

Tell MAMA can confirm that the Metropolitan Police are now aware and have launched an investigation after our Casework Team made a police report on their behalf, once we had their informed consent.

We will provide further updates where possible.

UPDATE: The council has since removed the graffiti – we thank them for a speedy resolution, as the police continue to look into it. Tell MAMA has also informed Waltham Forest Council members and the local MP Stella Creasey.

 

 

 

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]]> 15835 How Christchurch still influences far-right terror convictions in the UK https://tellmamauk.org/how-christchurch-still-influences-far-right-terror-convictions-in-the-uk/ Thu, 21 Jul 2022 15:28:33 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15823 Three years after the murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, footage of that...

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]]> Three years after the murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, footage of that tragedy, committed by a white supremacist terrorist, continues to influence those convicted of far-right terror offences in the UK, our investigation found.

Our starting point is the conviction of 19-year-old Mason Yates last month – a self-identified “literal Nazi” who took an interest in the Christchurch terrorist, downloaded two terrorist manuals and spread vast amounts of racist and homophobic hate on Telegram. During his teens, Yates received two Prevent referrals, with the second referral coming from his college, aged sixteen. He would boast, “I’m as far right as you can be” and “I haven’t got just an issue with Muslims, it’s the whole of Islam,” and wore a pro-Ukip bracelet. Yates disengaged from Prevent after their father declined assistance.

We shift attention to Keighley in West Yorkshire and Anglesey in Wales, as the Telegram channel used a fascist terror cell, mainly of individuals from Keighley in West Yorkshire, before their convictions, including various racist and terrorist materials, were uploaded, including a copy of the Christchurch live stream. Samuel Whibley, a cell member from Anglesey, admitted to sharing the notorious neo-Nazi terror book Siege and was later found guilty of eight terrorism offences that included the encouragement of terrorism (contrary to Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006).

Following the jailing of the far-right terrorist Connor Burke in February 2022 – a 19-year-old from Bexleyheath, it emerged that he had a copy of the live stream on his PC, along with other white supremacist propaganda and paraphernalia (including a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf and SS-branded daggers. Burke received a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence after disguising bomb-making guides as PDF files for the video game Minecraft. He also used a Telegram channel to spread white supremacist materials and referred to his teaching staff in racist terms – using the P-word.

In October 2021, neo-Nazi Sam Imrie, 24, guilty of various terrorism offences, threatened to burn down Fife Islamic Centre. Police recovered various weapons, possession of child abuse images and violent, necrophilic pornography. He plotted to live stream the attack on the Islamic centre. Nevertheless, it went further still: Imrie saw the Christchurch terrorist like the above – as a hero (indeed, a ‘saint’, mirroring the language of neo-Nazis in other countries). He believed they had done ‘nothing wrong’ and admitted to watching the murders several times as police recovered several copies of the live stream from an iPhone.

Neo-Nazi Thomas Leech, 19, spent innumerable hours online spreading racist material – targeting Muslims, Jews, and other minorities – promoting Holocaust denial and urging the use of racist terror and violence. Other racist conspiracies Leech propagated included the so-called “Great Replacement” and the myth of “Islamification”. He valorised several infamous neo-Nazi terrorists – from Anders Breivik, Robert Bowers, and Dylann Roof to the Christchurch terrorist. Like Sam Imrie, Leech pleaded guilty to the creation and possession of child abuse images.

Weeks earlier, a 14-year-old neo-Nazi avoided prison after creating a Telegram channel to promote racist terrorism towards minorities in Dover. That group, identified as the ‘British Hand’, boasted a core membership of fifteen people aged in their teens to mid-twenties, according to The Times. Members within the chat also glorified Breivik and the Christchurch terrorist.

Those convicted of far-right terror offences where Christchurch appears in news reports (or influenced motives) include Harry Vaughan (top far left), Mason Yates (left), Morgan Seales (right), Vincent Fuller (top far right), Matthew Cronjager (bottom left), Benjamin Hannam (bottom left), Gabriele Longo (centre bottom left), Dean Morrice (bottom far right).

18-year-old Matthew Cronjager, a member of the fascist ‘British Hand’ Telegram channel, called for racist and anti-LGBT+ violence and terror – targeting Muslim, LGBT+, and Jewish communities also possessed a copy of the Christchurch live stream on his mobile phone. Cronjager helped build a library of white supremacist propaganda, expressed a desire to build weapons from a 3D printer, and shared materials that could assist those seeking to commit acts of terrorism – leading to an 11-year prison sentence.

White supremacists in an older age bracket would find themselves jailed in the summer of 2021, including a 53-year-old white supremacist named Nicholas Brock. He received a three-year prison sentence in May 2021 for terrorism-related offences and owned various Nazi-era knives and other fascist propaganda, including a copy of the Christchurch terror footage.

The second example concerns 38-year-old neo-Nazi Michael Nugent, who ran several neo-Nazi Telegram channels to distribute racist propaganda and terrorist materials. On the first anniversary of the terror attacks in Christchurch, Nugent uploaded the live stream and a copy of the infamous screed (‘manifesto’). In addition, he boasted in a private diary that the terrorism inflicted upon Muslims in Christchurch was a “game changer” as his prison sentence increased to five years later that year.

Also, in May 2021, 24-year-old Robert Gregory from Bournemouth received a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence for terrorism offences. Gregory is a violent fantasist who dreamed of assassinating the former prime minister Theresa May and had extensive internet searches about murdering Muslims, buying a gun from his local area, and how to build viable explosives. Gregory divulged other violent fantasies in his diary, including his hope of murdering other MPs, killing a journalist live on-air and blowing himself up inside a mosque or at a Pride rally. He hoped to recruit others to his cause.

Further chilling diary extracts reported in the local press concerned how Gregory wished that the Christchurch terrorist had murdered more Muslims. For example, that entry read: ” ‘Got news of terror attack in New Zealand finally we are taking a stand.

“Why do Muslims continue to condemn attacks on their own people not the ones on us?”

Those convicted of far-right terror offences where Christchurch appears in news reports (or influenced motives) include Paul Dunleavy (top far left), Thomas Leech (top left), Filip Bednarczyk (top right), Luke Hunter (top far right), Sam Imrie (bottom far left), Samuel Whibley (bottom left), Michael Nugent (bottom right), Robert Gregory (bottom far right).

A disgraced former member of the armed forces, neo-Nazi Dean Morrice, 34, was jailed for multiple terrorism offences in June 2021 – including stockpiling explosive materials. Morrice possessed terrorism documents and instructions to make a 3D-printed gun. During the trial, Morrice claimed past affiliation to Ukip and the strong support of Nigel Farage. He also shared an edited version of the terrorism in Christchurch, strumming a guitar to the sound of gunshots. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that Morrice possessed copies of various far-right terrorist screeds.

The previous year included several high-profile far-right-related terrorism convictions where evidence of their possession of the terror attacks in New Zealand appeared in press coverage. For example, in December, 23-year-old Luke Hunter received a prison sentence for several terrorism-related offences, including membership in the proscribed Feuerkrieg Division and a dizzying number of digital platforms to spread neo-Nazi hate, including calls for the genocide of Jewish communities, minority ethnic groups, and LGBT+ communities. On Telegram, Hunter glorified various neo-Nazi terrorists – including David Copeland and the Christchurch terrorist.

Weeks earlier, it emerged that 18-year-old Harry Vaughan, guilty of various far-right-inspired terror offences, possessed a copy of the live stream, violent child abuse images (having admitted creating one such image), and other far-right literature with materials concerning the building of bombs and firearms.

A teenage member of this terror group, named because of the circumstances of the case, pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing terror manuals and a copy of the Christchurch terror video. Paul Dunleavy, 17, received a prison sentence of five years and six months.

By May of that year, two high-profile cases resulted in criminal justice outcomes, including that of 26-year-old Luton-based Filip Golon Bednarczyk – who possessed a copy of the screed and horrific memes mocking the terror of 15 March. Following his conviction, which included admitting possession of a 2kg bag of an explosive substance, identified as sulphur powder under suspicious circumstances, we exclusively revealed his history of anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT hate on Facebook.

Ben Hannam, a probationary police officer at the Metropolitan Police, was found guilty of belonging to the proscribed neo-Nazi terror group National Action (which we have covered extensively) in April 2021. The BBC reported that Hannam, 22, downloaded a fascist propaganda image sanctifying the Christchurch terrorist.

Twenty-year-old George Fowle from the town of Snodland in Kent received a suspended prison sentence after accessing terrorist materials, alongside accessing materials to build plastic explosives at 17. KentOnline reported that Fowle had over 400 photos of neo-Nazi and far-right materials, including pro-Hitler materials. In addition, Fowle owned a copy of the Christchurch terror attack, having received the footage over Snapchat. The BBC revealed that Fowle’s college made a Prevent referral after a classmate raised concerns that he risked becoming a “school shooter”. News of Fowle’s conviction appeared in the local council’s annual Prevent report for 2020.

In October 2019, Morgan Seales (known to the authorities after flyering for National Action), 20, and Gabriele Longo, 26, were guilty of using a white supremacist WhatsApp group chat (with members as young as 14 years old) to call for copycat terror attacks uploading bomb-making instructions to the group. And when another group member posted, “let’s kill some Muslims”, Longo replied, “Or Jews.” Other messages revealed talk of targeting worshippers at a mosque during Jummah (Friday) prayers.

One of the most immediate and abhorrent acts of white supremacist terror domestically was committed by 50-year-old Vincent Fuller, who admitted to stabbing a Bulgarian man, Dimitar Mihaylov, as he searched out a Muslim person to murder a day after the tragedy occurred. Fuller also glorified the Christchurch terrorist on Facebook. As a result, he received a prison sentence spanning 18 years and nine months – with an additional five-year extended sentence.

Distinguished Professor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, Paul Massey, when outlining the globalised influence of the terror in Christchurch (which we also covered), reflected in March 2020 on the necessity of an equivalent version of Tell MAMA in New Zealand.

Chapter 4: Hate crime and hate speech (76) reads: There have been calls for better records to be kept of hate-motivated offending complaints and official acknowledgements that such records are desirable. We note that recently the Foundation Against Islamophobia and Racism has established an online mechanism for recording hate-motivated offending in New Zealand based on the United Kingdom’s Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) model”. Credit: The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019 would confirm that such an organisation now existed – the Foundation Against Islamophobia and Racism.

UPDATE: 25-year-old Elliot Brown was found guilty of two terrorism offences at Bristol Crown Court on January 16, 2023, including for sharing an instructional video of how to create the explosive substance thermite via their Amazon device to a far-right Telegram channel.

For comment or further analysis of this issue, please email info@tellmamauk.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 15823 GUILTY: 18-year-old pleads guilty to various far-right terror offences https://tellmamauk.org/guilty-18-year-old-pleads-guilty-to-various-far-right-terror-offences/ Thu, 14 Jul 2022 10:21:13 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15813 An 18-year-old from Oxfordshire will face sentencing next month after pleading guilty to various far-right...

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]]> An 18-year-old from Oxfordshire will face sentencing next month after pleading guilty to various far-right terror offences.

Oliver Riley pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday (July 11).

The offences included three counts of possessing documents or records that would likely prove useful to an individual preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

A further offence concerned the provision of a service to others which helps them obtain, read, listen or access a publication (intended or recklessly) that would influence (directly or indirectly) encouragement or other inducements to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

In the final offence, Riley had sent grossly offensive content online, a breach of Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Riley uploaded various neo-Nazi videos that breached existing terrorism legislation.

We covered the terrorism charges against Oliver Riley in June.

Detective Chief Superintendent Oliver Wright, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), said: “Riley has recognised that he committed these offences by being in possession of videos which glorify terrorism and which promote white supremacy throughout.

“Some of the harmful content Riley had promotes the separation of races by violent means, along with some particularly hateful content being directed at the LGBTQ+ community.

“These are serious offences and I am glad that he at least acknowledged  these offences by pleading guilty.”

Yesterday, we highlighted key extracts from the wide-ranging Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament report on far-right terrorism and extremism on Twitter, including how digital platforms, both mainstream and non-mainstream, are fertile grounds for recruiting and propaganda purposes.

Riley will appear at the Old Bailey on August 19 for sentencing.

 

 

 

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]]> 15813 Far-right terror arrest in Ipswich https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-terror-arrest-in-ipswich/ Thu, 07 Jul 2022 15:10:40 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15799 Officers from the Met Police’s Counter Terrorism Command made an arrest yesterday concerning an investigation...

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]]> Officers from the Met Police’s Counter Terrorism Command made an arrest yesterday concerning an investigation into far-right terrorism.

A 45-year-old man from Ipswich was arrested on July 6 concerning alleged offences contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 – collecting information of a terrorist nature.

Searches in the Ipswich area have since been complete, a press release from the Met Police confirms, with the man released on bail.

Tell MAMA continues to track and record arrests and convictions of the far-right on its website.

 

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]]> 15799 JAILED: Neo-Nazi terror group from Keighley jailed for over 30 years https://tellmamauk.org/jailed-neo-nazi-terror-group-from-keighley-jailed-for-over-30-years/ Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:26:10 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15793 Four members of a neo-Nazi terror cell who manufactured weapons and advocated racist violence have...

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]]> Four members of a neo-Nazi terror cell who manufactured weapons and advocated racist violence have been jailed for over thirty years today (June 23).

We previously covered how Daniel Wright, Liam Hall, Stacey Salmon and Samuel Whibley were found guilty of eighteen offences in March.

The prosecution described them as an “extreme fascist cell” in early 2021, who used the encrypted messaging app Telegram to share terrorist materials, further their violent, racist ideology, and encourage others to commit violence until an undercover police officer infiltrated the page.

Officers from Counter Terrorism Police North East recovered a partially-built 3D-printed gun from the home of Stacey Salmon and her partner Liam Hall. Specialist analysis of the firearm revealed that whilst incomplete; it would otherwise be lethal if fully assembled.

Officers also recovered other weapons,  practical guides for making explosives, chemicals, and neo-Nazi propaganda, following searches of different addresses.

Samuel Whibley, from Angelsey in Wales,  previously admitted to distributing the terrorist manual of the notorious US-based neo-Nazi James Mason.

The white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, gained reverence from those in the group chat, alongside the livestream of the murders.

Every member of the terror group was 29, aside from 31-year-old Liam Hall – from Hill Top Walk in Keighley, West Yorkshire, who received a six-year prison sentence for the manufacturing of a firearm in breach of Section 5(2A) of the Firearms Act 1968, and possessing a gun, contrary to S5 (1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968.

Stacey Salmon, of the same Hill Top Walk address, was guilty of possessing a firearm contrary to Section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968 and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Daniel Wright of Whinfield Avenue in Keighley, West Yorkshire, found guilty of seven offences, received a 12-year sentence, and will be subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order and a Part 4 Notification Order (which runs for thirty years) upon leaving prison.

For Samuel Whibley, of Derwen Deg, Menai Bridge in the Isle of Anglesey, he was found guilty of eight terrorism offences that included the encouragement of terrorism (contrary to Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006) and the dissemination of a terrorist material to encourage terrorism, in breach of Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Following the ten-year prison sentence, he will receive a Serious Crime Prevention Order and a thirty-year Part 4 Notification Order.

T/ Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Craig, the Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said in a statement: “Today’s outcome highlights the seriousness of the offences committed by these individuals and the verdict reached by the Jury in March.

“We work tirelessly to identify individuals who have an extremist mindset and threaten the safety and unity of our diverse communities.

“Anyone found to be engaging in terrorist activity, or violent extremism in any form, can expect to be identified and put before the courts.”

Tell MAMA welcomes the prison sentences, demonstrating how neo-Nazis and white supremacists online continue to pose a deeply concerning threat to Muslims and other minorities across the UK, with several other recent convictions showing a deeply worrying trend.

 

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]]> 15793 JAILED: Neo-Nazi who called for racist terrorism online given six year prison term https://tellmamauk.org/jailed-neo-nazi-who-called-for-racist-terrorism-online-given-six-year-prison-term/ Tue, 14 Jun 2022 14:35:56 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15787 A neo-Nazi who breached terrorism legislation and posted extreme anti-Black, white supremacist propaganda online was...

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]]> A neo-Nazi who breached terrorism legislation and posted extreme anti-Black, white supremacist propaganda online was jailed for six years last week.

Forty-year-old Anthony Barraclough, of east London, called for terrorist violence towards Black and other minority ethnic groups on a messaging app where they posted videos of Black communities experiencing racism and material about George Floyd, murdered whilst in police custody in Minneapolis.

Counter-terror officers became aware of Barraclough’s racist calls for terror and violence, and upon an internal investigation by the Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU), officers deemed that material had breached existing terrorism legislation.

Officers from the Met Police arrested Barraclough on February 25, 2021, and a search of their property unearthed neo-Nazi paraphernalia – specified in the news release as a Celtic Cross flag.

They appeared at Kingston Crown Court on May 6 after being charged in October last year.

Anthony Barraclough pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing a terrorist publication – in breach of Section 2(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006, six counts of publishing written materials designed to incite racist hate – contrary to Section 19(1) of the Public Order Act 1986 with one further charge under the same act concerning the admission of distributing a recording to incite racist hate.

He returned to Kingston Crown Court and received a six-year prison sentence on June 10.

Detective Chief Superintendent Dominic Murphy of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said in a statement: “Barraclough posted appalling racist material online, with the intention of encouraging others to adopt his extremist views and hatred of black people.

“This kind of online activity is poisonous and dangerous – it is not harmless idle talk, and it often has serious real-world consequences.

“Officers acted quickly to identify the offending content, and investigate and arrest the person posting it.”

 

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]]> 15787 Man jailed for membership of banned neo-Nazi terror group National Action https://tellmamauk.org/man-jailed-for-membership-of-banned-neo-nazi-terror-group-national-action/ Tue, 31 May 2022 11:47:49 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15762 A neo-Nazi was jailed last week for remaining a member of the proscribed terror group...

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]]> A neo-Nazi was jailed last week for remaining a member of the proscribed terror group National Action after being sentenced at the Old Bailey.

Thirty-six-year-old David Musins admitted guilt to belonging to a proscribed group, contrary to section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

At least 25 members of the neo-Nazi terror group have faced prison since the banning order took effect in December 2016.

Our in-depth report, published on May 17, explored the lingering influence of National Action and their aliases – including the System Resistance Network, Scottish Dawn, and NS131.

Officers from the Met Police connected Musins to the infamous fascist online forum Iron March, as posts from him in early 2016 detailed his interest in history before embracing the genocidal ideology of National Socialism.

Within a few short weeks, Musins attended a National Action meeting in Paddington on March 6, 2016, and within the same month, participated in a far-right ‘Legion’ training camp in Derbyshire – (which fuses MMA, boxing and self-defence skills and ideological sessions). And finally, he attended a National Action agitation in Darlington in November of that year (which included other far-right and neo-Nazi groups, like the Scottish Defence League and the North-west Infidels).

The Met made clear that following proscription, Musins continued his activities with NS131 throughout 2017, which included events that included knife survival techniques – believed to have been held in May of that year.

When officers raided the north London address of Musins in late 2017, they found black clothing, spray paint cans, boxing gloves and a groin guard, which they connected to his activity with the banned group. In addition, a USB stick contained a digital journal referencing his time at the far-right Legion training camp. Musins was pictured with others giving a Nazi salute above an NS131 banner in August.

He pleaded guilty on March 14 before receiving a prison sentence of three years, with an extended period on licence for twelve months, at the Old Bailey on May 27.

Judge Anthony Leonard QC said: “That you left the group voluntarily is particularly significant, but it cannot expunge your earlier behaviour, which is abhorrent.”

Commander Richard Smith of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “This was a detailed investigation which led to an admission of guilt and the team should be highly commended.

“Outwardly, Musins was unremarkable but secretly he willingly joined and took part in activities run by an extreme right wing group of individuals, united by confused and hate filled ideologies.”

Nick Price, who leads the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: “David Musins continued to associate with members of a banned right-wing group which perpetrated hateful and racist views. It is right that faced with the evidence against him he admitted this offence and has been sentenced today.

“There is no place in society for these beliefs. Our team at the CPS has prosecuted a number of National Action cases since it became a proscribed organisation, and we will continue to prosecute all cases involving banned organisations where possible.”

 

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]]> 15762 Neo-Nazi Alex Davies guilty of belonging to banned terror group National Action https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-alex-davies-guilty-of-belonging-to-banned-terror-group-national-action/ Tue, 17 May 2022 15:56:18 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15740 The other co-founder of the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action was today (May 17) guilty...

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]]> The other co-founder of the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action was today (May 17) guilty of remaining a member of the proscribed group.

Alex Davies, 27, from Swansea, created the terror group alongside Benjamin Raymond (jailed for eight years in December 2021 for the same offence) in 2013.

Davies formed the National Action offshoot NS131 and had praised the System Resistance Network; both groups, alongside Scottish Dawn, all faced the same fate: proscription.

National Action (proscribed December 2016 – who never hid their desire to rebrand, writing on VK in 2016, “We will fight this in the courts or disband and organise under a new name”)

Scottish Dawn (proscribed September 2017)

NS131 (proscribed September 2017)

System Resistance Network (proscribed as a National Action splinter group in February 2020)

Tell MAMA documented the racist, homophobic tactics of NS131 and the System Resistance Network in the summer of 2017, documenting the links between National Action and the System Resistance Network in September of that year. Unfortunately, as noted above, the proscription took several years to occur.

An offshoot of the System Resistance Network, later proscribed, was the Sonnenkrieg Division; more broadly, other neo-Nazi groups proscribed include The Base (the US-bad neo-Nazi group with links to the infamous Atomwaffen Division).

Alex Davies is the twenty-fifth person convicted of links to the banned group.

Davies received two Prevent referrals (aged 15 and 19) in his teenage years and boasted that ‘nothing’ came of them. Political activities pre-National Action include membership in the youth wing of the neo-fascist British National Party and, later, an active member of Ukip.

He made headlines in 2016 after sharing a photo of himself performing a Nazi salute in the execution chamber at Buchenwald concentration camp – instigating a police and security service investigation in Germany.

A Mirror investigation into National Action in 2016 resulted in Davies leaving Warwick University.

Later jailed, other noted members of National Action include Alice Cutter, Mark Jones, Garry Jack, Connor Scothern, and the paedophile Jack Renshaw who went on to plot the murder of his local Labour MP Rosie Cooper and ex-Met Police probationary officer Benjamin Hannam. In late 2018, six convictions for membership of National Action occurred – those guilty were 27-year-old Daniel Bogunovic, 22-year-old Adam Thomas, Claudia Patatas, 33, 24-year-old Joel Wilmore, Darren Fletcher, 28, and 27-year-old Nathan Pyke. In addition, Christopher Lythgoe and Matthew Hankinson received prison sentences months earlier, with the police arresting Lythgoe as they investigated the plot to murder Rosie Cooper MP and a female police officer.

A leading figure within National Action before prescription, Wayne Bell (aka Wayne Jarvis, who has a history of violence), used Twitter and the Russian platform VK to post hundreds of violently racist, extremist material that included direct calls for the murder of Jewish communities. He also daubed neo-Nazi graffiti in his local area of Castleford before receiving a prison of four years and three months in May 2018.

In 2017, an ITV investigation detailed how former members of National Action were meeting in secret in training camps that fused ideological lectures and ideological violence – with sessions tailored toward boxing, street fights, and dealing with a knife attack. One former member of note cited in the ITV was Garron Helm (jailed in 2014 for sending racist tweets to the then Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger).

The embryonic stages of National Action focused on the West Midlands, aligning closely with the tiny yet enduring neo-Nazi British Movement with one form of street militancy: stickers in public spaces. Taking inspiration from “autonomous national socialist movements” in Europe, National Action took its tactics to universities in 2014, for example, for recruitment purposes directly and via any media exposure it generated. Other racist agitations included an anti-halal demonstration in Coventry and desecrating the Nelson Mandela statue in Trafalgar Square with a banana during a protest.

The racist attempted murder of the Sikh dentist Dr Sarandev Bhambra by the neo-Nazi Zack Davies, who claimed membership of National Action, made headlines in 2015, and whilst they denied his membership, the leadership of National Action used Davies in their memetic propaganda on VK years later.

The racist militant agitations peaked in 2015 with violence in Liverpool (as they worked with Polish neo-fascists) and Dover, with members of National Action aligning with other small fascist groups to attack anti-fascist protesters on both occasions. On Holocaust Memorial Day that year, members held a racist flash demo proclaiming “Hitler was Right” as a different banner read “Refugees not Welcome”.

Members, of course, stockpiled weapons (including knives, crossbows, pump-action shotguns, and baseball bats) according to counter-terror police. A serving British soldier later identified as Mikko Vehvilainen – was jailed for eight years in 2018 for membership in the terror group and possessed “an arsenal of weapons and swastika bunting”. At the time of their conviction, Jack Coulson, aged 19, pleaded guilty to terror offences related to building a viable pipe bomb.

Four members of National Action went to prison in 2018 after vandalising Aston University in the West Midlands with various racist propaganda stickers in the summer of 2016. Alexander Deakin, the Midlands regional organiser, also belonged to a closed Telegram page named after the white supremacist terror group the Ku Klux Klan (named the Triple KKK Mafia) involved 21 members with a secondary group of seven members called Inner. Deakin would boast about how he got “redpilled by forums, spending years arguing online, and then finally deciding to take action when this group [National Action] impressed me”.

From violent training camps to small MMA training sessions, National Action always incorporated the promise of violence – to engineer in recruits (and indeed core members) the thrill of violence to accompany their uncompromising genocidal beliefs. Its leadership carefully cultivated and policed the uniform of it members to foster group image.

National Action used social media sites like VK as a recruiting platform – to promote their fight clubs and encourage new members.

As the academic Graham Macklin noted of their tactics, National Action positioned themselves as an unrelenting “revolutionary national socialist group, they consciously conceived of themselves as a youth-oriented ‘vanguard’ movement whose role, as political and spiritual elites, was to channel ‘hatred and rage’ and to ‘use it to shatter the decaying power of the enemy.”

The security services expressed their concerns about a growing cohort of young people drawn to far-right extremism in March (notably teenagers) – an age demographic National Action recruiters often sought out.

UPDATE 07/06: He received an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence

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]]> 15740 From Buffalo to Christchurch, how online fascism causes real-world terror https://tellmamauk.org/from-buffalo-to-christchurch-how-online-fascism-causes-real-world-terror/ Mon, 16 May 2022 13:53:59 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15733 The racist terror that targeted Black communities in Buffalo, New York, in what the Buffalo...

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]]> The racist terror that targeted Black communities in Buffalo, New York, in what the Buffalo Mayor, Byron Brown said, intended to kill “as many Black lives as possible“, left 10 dead and three injured.

Amongst the dead include 77-year-old Pearl Young, 86-year-old Ruth Whitfield, Roberta Drury, 32, 68-year-old Heyward Patterson, Geraldine Talley, 62, 65-year-old Celeste Chaney, 52-year-old Margus Morrison, Andre Mackneil, 53, 72-year-old Katherine “Kat” Massey, and the retired police officer and the heroic store security guard, Aaron Salter, aged 53.

Police named the three individuals injured: Jennifer Warrington, Zaire Goodman, and Christopher Braden.

Of the thirteen people shot, 11 were Black.

The 18-year-old neo-Nazi, Payton Gendron, stands accused of attempting to murder as many Black people as possible in Buffalo, New York, took inspiration from other far-right and white supremacist terrorists in the United States, Norway, Christchurch, and the UK.

A 180-page screed (referred to as a “manifesto” in news outlets) uploaded online and attributed to Gendron clarifies their fascist, neo-Nazi views and an obsession with the racist “Great Replacement” conspiracy – which draws mainstream credence in the United States despite continued condemnation.

The Amazon-owned platform Twitch removed the live stream video in two minutes (of the attacks occurring) – but the video quickly appeared on Twitter and Facebook. In addition, the N-word and “14” – a reference to the infamous white supremacist “fourteen words” mantra appeared on the rifle. A private Discord server is also under investigation – as Unicorn Riot reported on the chat logs, as they sought advice about tactical armour and weapons.

According to the New York Times, the accused also made threats against their high school, resulting in his arrest and a psychiatric evaluation aged 17, but he was released days later. Nor was Gendron on the red-flag list – a New York law enacted in 2019 where a judge issues an “extreme risk protection order” that prevents the person from owning or buying a gun.

The screed details how their racist views grew in their teenage years before crystalising on the notorious /pol/ (politically incorrect) board of 4Chan to call for accelerationist racist terror and destabilisation tactics in communities to harm Muslims and other minoritised groups.

Like the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, this screed adopts an eco-fascist slant, which echoes traditional fascist calls for the violent rebirth of a mythologised society. However, for the historian Robert Paxton, fascism functions primarily as a “political behaviour marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation, or victimhood”, where emotion drives the violent actions as a tool of recruitment and inspires others to such horrific acts of terror and violence.

It’s crucial that in the age of digital and cyberfascism, such violent appeals to this mythologised nation-state exist beyond traditional borders, much like the internet connections which draw such individuals and groups together. In their paper “Fascism at eye level“, Douglas Holmes argued that cyberfascism today functions as a “disperse” problem that echoes beyond traditional national contexts and geographies. Such emerging technologies present fascism with various faces and reconfigurations.

Before taking selective extracts from the screed, it is essential to consider how digital subcultures can help facilitate the dehumanisation and others of minoritised groups into street-level forms of violence and terrorism. For example, in Cathrine Thorleifsson’s study on cyberfascism on 4chan’s/pol/ board, they argue that the role of echo chambers, when fused with a lack of counternarratives, and the creative process of creating fascist and racist memes, provides a ‘significant’ sense of agency and as a lightning rod for radicalisation through the unquestioning acceptance of the racist conspiracism that underpins white supremacist ideology. Such affective politics of fear grounded in the dehumanisation of minoritised groups, othering them as an existential threat, can inspire such violence and terror offline, as the above also helps build community beyond traditional borders.

Moreover, as Thorleifsson noted, the “gendered reconfiguration of fascist content and promotion of the urgency of the need of a national or racial rebirth” through the creative process which also “reflects a core feature of the fascist phenomena: the perception of an endangered community that need to be reborn through violent means.”

As we return to the screed, Gendron described accessing /pol/ during the covid-19 lockdowns of 2020, where they chanced upon a GIF of the Christchurch live stream. Then, wanting to understand more and be enthralled by the terror, they describe watching the terror attacks, accessing their screed, and how they “mostly agreed with him”. Before sanctifying the racist terror carried out by white supremacists – including Patrick Crusius, Anders Breivik, Dylann Roof, and John T Earnest.

Amongst various links of anti-Black racist pseudo-science and abhorrent memes, the screed links to a Telegraph article published in 2010, in which Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, called “racist claptrap” as “Crime is one of those areas of public policy where it is still respectable to seek explanations for behaviour in the colour of a person’s skin.”

Other racist memes targeting Black and Jewish communities found in the screed first appeared on the neo-Nazi white supremacist hate site, White Aryan Resistance, under the moniker “A Wyatt Man” in 2004 – the identity of whom has been a subject of much curiosity and investigation.

More modern racist memes about Jewish communities in the screed reinforce the historic antisemitic canard of so-called disproportionate influence in public life, blamed for all perceived social problems, as they call for genocide.

Transphobia appears in the screed, writing “LGB (drop the t)” and describing “transgenderism as a mental illness”. In addition, a racist meme blames Jewish communities for trans identities, reinforcing the above point.

Buried amongst the dizzying volume of racist anti-Black and anti-Jewish memes is a meme that blames the latter for criminal acts of child sexual exploitation in the UK – including a crude collection of headlines that further racialise the crime, which is not reflective of reviews into the backgrounds of such criminals, including from the Home Office.

The racialisation of Islam appears in the screed, othered to justify dehumanisation and violence. Therefore, it is no surprise that the screed also praises the Finsbury Park terrorist Darren Osborne (who they misspelt as Osbourne), the Christchurch terrorist, and the neo-Nazi Norweigan terrorist Philip Manshaus. The latter attempted to murder Muslims at a mosque after murdering his stepsister Johanne Zhangjia Ihle-Hansen in a racist shooting.

Buried towards the end of the screed is the further glorification of Patrick Crusius, John Earnest, Robert Bowers, Anders Breivik (spelt correctly this time), and Dylann Roof. Other notable white supremacist terrorists cited in this paragraph include Anton Lundin Pettersson and Luca Traini – a further example of how the Christchurch manifesto, including the narcissistic and psychotic Q&A section, took inspiration from the tragic events in New Zealand in March 2019.

The screed calls for the murder of the Jewish philanthropist and Holocaust survivor George Soros, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan. Following this, we alerted the Metropolitan Police and Khan’s office. When asked about this, Khan told the press, “It’s been on public record that I receive police protection. “It’s unfortunate but it’s a fact of me being the mayor. “I’ve been incredibly safe because I’m looked after by dedicated, decent, brave police officers.”

President Joe Biden urged unity to address the “hate that remains a stain on the soul of America” in a press conference yesterday.

Authorities are still considering domestic terrorism charges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 15733 Police investigating neo-Nazi “Great Replacement” stickers in Birmingham https://tellmamauk.org/police-investigating-neo-nazi-great-replacement-stickers-in-birmingham/ Thu, 05 May 2022 13:01:22 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15718 West Midlands Police are investigating a series of white supremacist stickers pushing the racist so-called...

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]]> West Midlands Police are investigating a series of white supremacist stickers pushing the racist so-called “Great replacement” conspiracy in parts of Birmingham, Tell MAMA can reveal.

A member of the public contacted us after finding one such sticker near Birmingham Central Mosque before safely removing it.

To not give the neo-Nazi(s) responsible additional propaganda, we are declining to reveal the entire contents of the sticker as the investigation remains ongoing.

But we will, however, state the racist language of the text does indeed push dangerous conspiracies about demographic change and that Islam will “dominate”. Three days ago, a different racist sticker surfaced on Telegram, including the line “national white minority by 2050”, appearing in an undisclosed area of Birmingham.

Our investigation of the social media accounts suggests that those responsible have also targeted areas like Digbeth in recent weeks.

We have, on several occasions, flagged content on Instagram under its Hate Speech guidelines, but so far, the platform has not acted.

Anyone can report graffiti in public areas on bins, benches, and public buildings to their local council, as with flyposting, which stickers constitute. For Birmingham City Council, it states that “If the fly-posting is racist or offensive, we will usually remove it within 1 working day”, – but that may vary based on the local authority in question.

Councils, however, will not remove graffiti or flyposting on private land or property – including cabinets owned by Virgin Media or BT (which means contacting the companies directly).

If you encounter such racist materials, take a photo and inform the police on 101 or online via TrueVision. Tell MAMA welcomes such reports and can report on your behalf or anonymously.

Remove stickers with a household key or similar object if you feel confident and it is safe to do so.

You can get advice from our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Or message us on WhatsApp on 0734 184 6086 or message us on Twitter or Facebook by following @tellmamauk.

 

 

 

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]]> 15718 Neo-Nazi terrorist who called for violence against Muslims and Jews jailed https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-terrorist-who-called-for-violence-against-muslims-and-jews-jailed/ Fri, 08 Apr 2022 16:32:38 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15665 A neo-Nazi terrorist who called for violent white supremacist terror against Muslim and Jewish communities...

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]]> A neo-Nazi terrorist who called for violent white supremacist terror against Muslim and Jewish communities online will spend the next two years locked up in a young offenders institute.

Thomas Leech, 19, from Preston, pleaded guilty to encouraging acts of terrorism and stirring up religious or racial hatred at Manchester Crown Court.

When arrested by counter-terror officers, Leech confessed that he was a Nazi. Following bail, Leech continued posting extremist, racist content online.

Leech also admitted possessing and creating child abuse images, per the Lancashire Post.

The court heard how Leech promoted racist conspiracies about Jewish communities -including historic antisemitic canards about so-called ‘global influence’ and Holocaust denial.

He also promoted the infamous white supremacist conspiracy of the so-called “Great Replacement,” which has inspired various acts of racist terror globally – including the murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Leech glorified various neo-Nazi terrorists – Anders Breivik, Robert Bowers, Dylann Roof and the Christchurch terrorist.

The racist screeds of Thomas Leech on GAB also came to the attention of the antisemitism watchdog and charity that works to support Jewish communities, the Community Security Trust in 2020, whose research includes how extremist platforms like GAB serve as hotbeds for racist conspiracies about Jewish communities – notably when it concerns Covid-19.

In mitigation, Leech’s defence said, “He was doing it because he needed a feeling of belonging and significance and literally had time on his hands.”

Two years prior, police issued Leech with a warning over claims that he planned a shooting at his school in Wetherby, West Yorkshire in early 2017, which they claimed was a mere “prank”.

Leech also engaged with Prevent but  “dropped off the radar” after relocating to Gillingham, Kent, in the summer of 2017.

Detective Superintendent Will Chatterton, head of CTPNW investigations, said: “Leech’s comments and behaviour online was despicable and a thorough investigation was able to identify these posts and evidence them before the courts.

“CTPNW will always take complaints of this nature very seriously and exercise full powers to bring offenders to justice.”

Judge Alan Conrad QC branded Leech’s action as “deeply disturbing”.

Leech is one of several cases of successful convictions of neo-Nazi terrorists in the UK, who overwhelmingly fit an age profile of under thirty.

 

 

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]]> 15665 Neo-Nazi terror cell guilty of various terrorism and firearms offences https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-terror-cell-guilty-of-various-terrorism-and-firearms-offences/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 11:28:34 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15600 Neo-Nazis from the Keighley, West Yorkshire and Anglesey, North Wales, were found guilty of various...

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]]> Neo-Nazis from the Keighley, West Yorkshire and Anglesey, North Wales, were found guilty of various terrorism and firearms offences.

The prosecution described the group as an “extreme fascist cell” in early 2021.

The fascist cell included Samuel Whibley, 29, Daniel Wright, 29, Liam Hall, 31 and their 29-year-old girlfriend Stacey Salmon, who were guilty of committing various offences.

At Sheffield Crown Court last week, it emerged that police recovered homemade explosive substances, an improvised explosive device, and components from a 3D-printed handgun at an address Hall and Salmon shared with their children.

DNA from Hall, Salmon, and Wright appeared on the “unfinished” handgun, according to the Independent.

Tell MAMA covered the initial arrests, and in the months ahead, press coverage from the trial gave us insights into their motivations. For example, Whibley spoke in contradictions: claiming to have embraced fascism to “fit in” yet admitted to reading the infamous white supremacist survivalist screed The Turner Diaries – a text which has influenced various acts of racist violence and terror.

Whibley, who hails from Angelsey in Wales, also admitted that he found the notorious screed Siege by US-based neo-Nazi James Mason “boring” – but still shared a link to it on the Telegram chat. Siege is a text revered by various neo-Nazi terrorist groups and individuals globally.

Siege has influenced a younger, more ideologically hardened and committed cohort of neo-Nazis – with several high-profile individuals later convicted of terrorism offences in the UK – all of whom were under the age of 25 (including teenagers).

Praise of the Oklahoma City white supremacist terrorist Timothy McVeigh also appeared on the Telegram chat – as did devotion of the neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Breivik.

Violent, graphic videos uploaded and revered on their Telegram channel included the livestreamed murder of 51 Muslims by a white supremacist terrorist in Christchurch in March 2019.

The murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch has influenced various far-right terrorists domestically and internationally.

34-year-old, Dean Morrice, convicted of multiple terrorism offences last summer, took this tragedy as a form of debasing, dehumanising mockery – he strummed a guitar in time to the gunshots.

Morrice also possessed instructions on how to build a 3D printed gun.

Daniel Wright also carved Nazi swastikas into trees and took photos of himself performing fascist salutes.

An undercover police officer who infiltrated their Telegram channel monitored their racist discussions, desire for ideological terror, and their hope of avoiding falling foul of existing gun laws by seeking a 3D-printed version.

Daniel Wright, who lived on Winfield Avenue in Keighley, was found guilty of distributing a terrorist publication, possessing articles for terrorist purposes, and collecting information in breach of the Terrorism Act.

The jury also found him guilty of possessing and manufacturing a firearm.

Liam Hall, who resided in the Hill Top Walk area of Keighley, was also found guilty of possessing and manufacturing a firearm – but cleared of terrorism offences.

Stacey Salmon, who lived with Hall, was guilty of firearm offences but cleared of terrorism offences.

Samuel Whibley, however, was guilty of encouraging terrorism and distributing a terrorist publication.

Counter-terror police also recovered chemicals, weapons, guides for building explosives, and far-right propaganda material from the various addresses raided.

Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said in a statement, “The vitriolic hatred expressed by these defendants went far beyond an intolerance of others. They are terrorists, with a deeply entrenched extreme right-wing mindset and a desire to act on those beliefs.”

He added that whilst the group had “no clear target” when arrested, they “pushed relentlessly for violent action in pursuit of their objectives.”

Sentencing will occur at a later date.

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 15600 GUILTY: Far-right terror teen, 16, from Leeds, given Referral Order https://tellmamauk.org/guilty-far-right-terror-teen-16-from-leeds-given-referral-order/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 11:48:45 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15582 Counter-terror police thanked the public for flagging the social media activity of a 16-year-old teen...

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]]> Counter-terror police thanked the public for flagging the social media activity of a 16-year-old teen in Leeds who was later found guilty of far-right related terrorism offences.

A press release details how Counter Terrorism Policing North East investigated and subsequently arrested the teen in May 2021, re-arresting them two months later.

He entered guilty pleas at Westminster Youth Court on February 17, 2022.

The teen, whose identity remains anonymous due to their age, entered guilty pleas for offences related to the dissemination of a terrorist publication and for possession of terrorist material.

On Monday, March 14, it emerged that the young terrorist received a twelve-month referral order for each offence – which will run concurrently.

They will also have to front the costs and face a criminal behavioural order that will run until the day before they turn eighteen.

The counter-terror police press release makes clear that “Referral Orders can include reparation or restitution, as well as undertaking a programme of interventions and activities to address their offending behaviour.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, who leads Counter Terror Policing North East, said: “We are immensely grateful that this was reported to police,” adding that the public should continue to report such content for the police to act.

“Through reports such as these, the work of the CTIRU and the support of online service providers, we can silence those wanting to spread hatred and protect others from the harm that takes place on online platforms,” he concluded.

 

 

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]]> 15582 Far-right terror trial: 20-year-old from Aldershot denies seven charges https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-terror-trial-20-year-old-from-aldershot-denies-seven-charges/ Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:25:46 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15572 A man accused of various far-right terror offences denied the charges against them following their...

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]]> A man accused of various far-right terror offences denied the charges against them following their first court appearance this week.

Charles Cannon, 20, of Highfield Avenue in Aldershot, stands accused of seven counts of possessing documents likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, following charges last month.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East led the investigation, as Cannon appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (March 9).

Cannon entered a not-guilty plea to all charges, including the claim that he allegedly downloaded material about explosives.

HampshireLive reported that Cannon spoke only to confirm their name, address, and date of birth in a hearing which lasted no more than five minutes.

The severity of the case means that a Crown Court trial is needed.

Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring issued Cannon with conditional bail, who will now appear at the Old Bailey on March 25.

UPDATE (25/03/2022): Mr Justice Sweeney set a plea hearing for July 1, with a provisional trial at Winchester Crown Court beginning October 10.

 

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]]> 15572 Far-right terrorist from Lancashire jailed for over four years https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-terrorist-from-lancashire-jailed-for-over-four-years/ Wed, 23 Feb 2022 14:04:17 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15561 Counter-terror police made clear that far-right terrorists, like Conrad Howarth, will face the “consequences” for...

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]]> Counter-terror police made clear that far-right terrorists, like Conrad Howarth, will face the “consequences” for their actions.

41-year-old Howarth of Pinfold Place, Nelson, in Lancashire, received a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence at Manchester Crown Court on February 15.

A press release from Greater Manchester Police confirmed that Howarth proved an ideological obsession with the far-right.

In court, he pleaded guilty to one offence under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which criminalises “collecting, recording, possessing or viewing by way of the internet, information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.”

Howarth first appeared in court in September 2021, after counter-terror police raided their address in May.

Police also charged under section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 for possession of an extreme pornographic image on a laptop.

After pleading guilty to this offence, CourtNewsUK revealed that the extreme pornographic image concerned bestiality.

Detective Chief Inspector Clare Devlin, of Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW), said: “The evidence seized in this investigation was concerning and demonstrated Howarth’s obsession with far right wing ideologies.

“Today’s verdict sends the message that extreme right-wing terrorism will not be tolerated and perpetrators will face the consequences of their actions.”

 

 

 

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]]> 15561 National Action: man accused of belonging to banned neo-Nazi terror group https://tellmamauk.org/national-action-man-accused-of-belonging-to-banned-neo-nazi-terror-group/ Tue, 08 Feb 2022 10:00:39 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15434 A 35-year-old man will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court next week (February 14) accused of...

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]]> A 35-year-old man will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court next week (February 14) accused of belonging to the banned neo-Nazi terror group National Action.

News of the arrest (made in November last year) and subsequent bail emerged when news of the charges broke today (February 7).

David Mullens, of north London, was charged on February 4, with one count of membership of a proscribed organisation – National Action (contrary to Section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000).

The alleged membership of National Action occurred between December 2016 and August 2017.

National Action became the first neo-Nazi group proscribed as a terrorist group in the UK in December 2016.

 

 

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]]> 15434 JAILED: Neo-Nazi terror teen hid bomb-making docs in Minecraft guides https://tellmamauk.org/jailed-neo-nazi-terror-teen-hid-bomb-making-docs-in-minecraft-guides/ Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:44:10 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15430 A neo-Nazi terrorist who disguised bomb-making documents as weapons guide for the popular video game...

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]]> A neo-Nazi terrorist who disguised bomb-making documents as weapons guide for the popular video game Minecraft was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Woolwich Crown Court last Friday (February 4).

Nineteen-year-old Connor Burke, a university student from Bexleyheath in southeast London, had shared the materials on a far-right Telegram channel that boasted over 12,000 users.

Burke also possessed a copy of the banned Anarchist Cookbook, and, following an earlier court appearance last year, the prosecution outlined how the neo-Nazi teen had other bomb-making documents disguised as Minecraft-related texts, with titles like “Minecraft Kitchen Cookbook”. Other terroristic content included the “Minecraft Homemade TNT.pdf” file.

On that notable Telegram channel, Burke made racist statements about other university students, including the use of the P-word, the Evening Standard reported.

Burke also pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of a document likely to be helpful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

When police raided the home address of Burke last year, officers uncovered various regalia (including knives, rings, uniforms) from Nazi Germany and a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

Following charges in March of last year, Burke pleaded guilty in July but argued the distribution of the bomb-making materials online owed instead to sheer “recklessness”.

The prosecution contested this claim with a Newton hearing in December 2021. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, a Newton hearing occurs “if the defence, in mitigation, depart from the facts as opened by the prosecution in a manner which is material to the central issue” and if such a departure is significant enough (and if deemed acceptable) will impact the sentencing.

The judge rejected the claim of recklessness, concluding that Burke wilfully posted the materials knowing that other members of the group may use such documents – to assist in the preparation or assistance of far-right terrorism.

Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Burke had an unhealthy interest in extreme right wing terrorist ideology, and this led to him sharing extremely dangerous material with others online.

“Increasingly, we’re seeing young people being drawn into extremist ideologies, some of whom – like Burke – then go on to commit serious terrorism offences.”

According to the defence, the parents of Connor Burke believed their son went down an online “rabbit hole” during lockdown – a very dark rabbit hole.

After leaving prison, Burke will spend a further twelve months on licence.

 

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]]> 15430 Far-right terror trial: Cardiff teen charged with multiple offences https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-terror-trial-cardiff-teen-charged-with-multiple-offences/ Fri, 04 Feb 2022 11:22:17 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15427 A teenager from the Whitchurch area of the Welsh capital appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court...

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]]> A teenager from the Whitchurch area of the Welsh capital appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court in London yesterday (Thursday), charged with terrorism offences – including alleged membership of a proscribed neo-Nazi group.

According to WalesOnline, nineteen-year-old Luca Benincasa, arrested by counter-terror police on Tuesday, also gave officers two addresses – Carisbrooke Way and The Philog.

The alleged membership of the neo-Nazi terror group in question concerns the Feuerkrieg Division – proscribed by the Home Office in July 2020.

Further charges against Benincasa concern four counts of alleged possession of information likely to be helpful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Benincasa spoke in court yesterday to confirm his age, address, and date of birth.

Mark Pope, Detective Chief Inspector of the Wales Extremism and Counter-Terrorism Unit, said: “At no point was there any danger to the public.” Adding, “We work in close partnership with the public to ensure that we can intervene as early as possible to prevent those vulnerable to radicalisation.”

The judge remanded Benincasa in custody, and he will appear at the Old Baily on February 14.

Update: a provisional trial date of August 30 will occur at Winchester Crown Court

 

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]]> 15427 Far-right terror teen who wanted to attack mosque avoids prison https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-terror-teen-who-wanted-to-attack-mosque-avoids-prison/ Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:12:46 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15374 A far-right terrorist who wanted to indiscriminately murder Muslims at a mosque and kill “10,000...

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]]> A far-right terrorist who wanted to indiscriminately murder Muslims at a mosque and kill “10,000 people” avoided a prison sentence, receiving a 24-month youth rehabilitation order instead.

The 17-year-old from Wiltshire, who maintains legal anonymity due to their age, was given the sentence at Southampton Youth Court.

The sentence mirrors that given to a neo-Nazi terrorist, who came to the attention of authorities aged just thirteen before receiving their rehabilitation order in February 2021.

He pleaded guilty to possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The investigation began when the public contacted the authorities following a slew of racist comments on online message boards – including a desire to murder Muslims with a gun at a mosque, a chilling reminder of the lingering influence of the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019.

On June 18, 2021, an arrest resulted in police finding a handwritten note at their home address called “The Big Plan”.

A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) revealed that in contained information and “details of how to make a bomb,” identifiable locations and individuals they believed to be “aspirational targets” amidst an intention to kill over 10,000 people.

Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, who leads the CTPSE, thanked those who reported the individual to the anti-terrorism hotline. In a statement, she said: “Having read the vile racist abuse online, they chose to ACT; they contacted the Anti-Terrorism Hotline and shared their concerns with us, and as a result, we were able to intervene before the situation escalated any further.”

CTPSE have also documented “an increase in the proportion of our investigations from the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism.”

Deb Smith, Wiltshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, said: “I hope that our communities feel reassured that we acted swiftly, in conjunction with our partners, to ensure that this individual was detained and could no longer pose a risk to the wider public.”

Tell MAMA will be raising our concerns about the lenient nature of the sentencing with the relevant authorities.

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]]> 15374 Neo-Nazi Sam Imrie, guilty of terrorism offences, faces lengthy prison sentence https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-sam-imrie-guilty-of-terrorism-offences-faces-lengthy-prison-sentence/ Thu, 28 Oct 2021 15:40:53 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15243 Sam Imrie, the 24-year-old neo-Nazi, convicted of terrorism charges, including threats to burn down Fife...

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]]> Sam Imrie, the 24-year-old neo-Nazi, convicted of terrorism charges, including threats to burn down Fife Islamic Centre, was told to anticipate a “sentence of some length” when they return to Glasgow Crown Court next month.

The two-week trial concluded with the jury finding Imrie guilty of eight of the nine charges brought against him, including two breaches of the Terrorism Act, wilful fire-raising, drink-driving, and possession of child abuse images and violent, necrophilic pornography.

Imrie was found not guilty of preparing an act of terrorism, despite amassing a collection of weapons (two knives, nunchucks, an axe, a hammer, and a rifle scope) and filming, in a chilling evocation to the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, had filmed his intent to live stream an arson attack on the Islamic centre.

He instead wilfully set fire to the doorway of an empty building and set fire to the foliage around a headstone located within St Drostans Cemetery in Markinch, on July 4, 2019, which they unsuccessfully attempted to pass off as the Islamic centre on the fascist Telegram page. When questioned, fellow Telegram group members expressed scepticism, with statements like “Looks like an abandoned building,” Imrie replied, “That’s the Islamic Centre next to the woods, r****d. I’m going to jail.” Imrie had also uploaded the video along posting various white supremacist materials to that Telegram page. For example, he wrote: “No guns. All I can do is burn them down.” He also wrote: “I will stream. Death to the Invaders!”.

Of the terrorism-related charges, the jury found Imrie guilty of glorifying the white supremacist terrorist responsible for the murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch in March 2019 and Anders Breivik, the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011, on Facebook and Telegram. The second charge concerned how he maintained a “record of information” helpful to somebody committing acts of terrorism – including possession of the individual screeds authored by both terrorists.

The 24-year-old did, however, approach the Islamic centre, as CCTV captured Imrie filming its exterior on his phone and uploaded a photo to the group with a racist caption that read: “Animals have their windows barred like a zoo.”

Imrie would boast online that “All my heroes are mass murderers.” In court, he admitted to regularly consuming far-right and neo-Nazi propaganda, collecting a dizzying amount of racist hate materials on their computer (ten-thousand images, according to news reports), including Holocaust denial. On Snapchat, he used the username “racewarplz”, and his computer password contained the N-word.  On Facebook, Imrie’s cover photo was of Adolf Hitler, with their biographical details having read “Seeing Muslims suffer,” with other neo-Nazi propaganda including 14/88 appearing on their profile. He considered Trump a “God”.

Before the age of sixteen, Sam Imrie appeared at Kirkcaldy police station after being caught writing “F*** Muslims” on a bus shelter, his mother Joyce revealed when giving evidence to the court.

When Police Scotland raided Imrie’s home after a tip-off from the Met Police in London (who had infiltrated the now-removed Telegram page @fashwaveartists), they recovered an iPhone which included a copy of the Christchurch terror attack live stream, which Imrie admitted to watching several times, along with propaganda images declaring the terrorist a “saint” who “did nothing wrong”.

He described an obsession with the white supremacist imageboard 8chan and how he became “red-pilled”. In contrast to “black pill” nihilism, academics argue, which deems it “impossible” to escape the social hierarchies, proponents of which claim face exclusion from the “blue pill/red pill” proponents who seek advantage from “knowing” how society “really works” to escape their difficulties.

Imrie also boasted of writing to Breivik.

We heard further examples of Imrie’s racist beliefs towards Jewish communities during the trial, where he expressed antisemitic canards of disproportionate societal influence and referred to the video-sharing platform YouTube as “JewTube”.

On Telegram, they wrote: “The SNP Party wants millions of Muslims to come in so obviously I want Sturgeon to die.”

Imrie denied all charges against him and argued that his neo-Nazi beliefs were unserious forms of humour, born from his health issues.

Police Scotland welcomed the verdict.

With the trial concluded, various news media headlines draw further attention to the inconsistencies in how far-right terrorism is framed, with some headlines avoiding the term only to use it in the body of the article. Examples included headlines like “Fife terror accused revered right wing mass murderers, trial told,” and “Scots white nationalist who idolised mass killers and spouted race hate convicted of terror offences,” to “Chilling video of Scot convicted of terror offences using bagpipe music to copycat Christchurch mosques mass killer” and “Man who ‘idolised mass murderers’ convicted of terrorism offences“.

In another egregious example, but from the body of a news article, a BBC article referred to the far-right terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch as a “far right activist” who “slaughtered Muslims praying at their mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 2019.”

Lord Mulholland remanded Imrie in custody and said: “Be under no illusion – you have been convicted of very serious offences including gathering information about terrorism and encouraging terrorism, child pornography and extreme pornography.”

Lord Mullholand also placed Imrie on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

We welcome the guilty verdict and hope a stringent and lengthy sentence reflects the harm caused to Muslim communities, given that Sam Imrie is an ideologically-driven racist and neo-Nazi who was guilty of terrorism offences. The personal safety of Muslims and the safety of all Islamic institutions across Scotland and, indeed, the United Kingdom is vital. The threat of far-right terrorism is a threat to Muslims and other minoritised communities, and we thank the diligent work of the police and the courts in a successful prosecution of a complex case.

 

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]]> 15243 Debunked: far-right Twitter falsehoods about Muslims in Rotherham https://tellmamauk.org/debunked-far-right-twitter-falsehoods-about-muslims-in-rotherham/ Mon, 18 Oct 2021 15:00:11 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15214 A racist tweet comparing Rotherham to Islamabad and called for violence against Muslims is now...

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]]> A racist tweet comparing Rotherham to Islamabad and called for violence against Muslims is now the subject of a police investigation, following an investigation by Tell MAMA, after members of the public flagged their concerns.

The racist tweet shared on the evening of October 16 takes a video from a Mawlid (Milad un Nabi) celebration in Rotherham’s town centre in 2010 out of context to push harmful and racialised falsehoods that risk real-world violence to Muslims in Rotherham and beyond.

Circled is the old Alliance & Leicester bank which ceased to exist from 2011 onwards. The former Santander building has been vacant since 2014 in this part of Rotherham.

Another way to verify this falsehood is in its background – namely, the old Alliance & Leicester, which ceased to exist in 2011 after merging with Santander – the storefront has been vacant since 2014.

As of writing, the video accrued over forty-five thousand views, as some tweets in reply called for violence – including statements calling for the army to shoot them, racist conspiracies about ‘trojan horses’, to calls for mass deportations.

The investigation also unearthed a second racialised falsehood posted in reply to the above video and falsely claims to show the “changing face of Rotherham” over forty years, with the second image showing Muslims praying on the street in front of various police officers.

The origin of the historical photo is partly explained once again by YouTube. We traced its origins to a video montage of Rotherham in the 1950s and 1960s, first uploaded in 2014, where the image itself appears at the 2:58 timestamp.

Credit: YouTube/Billy244.

The image would later appear in a 2018 Rotherham Advertiser article about local history from Melvyn Jones and Michael Bentley.

Regarding the second image, that photo, taken on September 5, 2015, by local photographer Luis Arroyo, had captioned it, “Prayer time during the Rotherham Unite Against Fascism’s demo today.” As with 2021, in 2015 also, the image removed from its context became a lightning rod for anti-Muslim and Islamophobic agitators. Arroyo wrote on September 10, 2015, “It is a real shame all those negative comments flying about too.”

The men photographed were part of a broader anti-fascist protest in the town, one month after the racist murder of Muslim pensioner Mushin Ahmed.

That same day, Britain First, the far-right street defence movement arrived in the town, resulting in 800 police officers from forces nationwide attending.

The events of that day also drew attention to injustice and the subsequent acquittal of the Rotherham 12 – Asian men cleared of violent disorder charges for protecting their communities from the far-right in 2016 and 2018, with articles providing further context appearing that year, addressing issues with policing and communities mobilising to support the twelve men.

Its false caption, “College Street, Rotherham, 40 years apart,” appeared on Twitter on the afternoon of October 17, before a day later, appearing with identical language on the social media channels of the far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson).

Tell MAMA has debunked various falsehoods that gained traction on Twitter, notably during the first national lockdown last year.

Update (19/10/2021): Following our investigation, Twitter has since suspended the far-right account holder who published the disinformation and removed a tweet that called on the army to shoot Muslims. It further demonstrates the importance of reporting such violent and harmful content, and we thank those who did.

We will continue to provide updates to this investigation where possible.

 

 

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]]> 15214 Mosque attack suspect had video of New Zealand terror attacks on phone, court told https://tellmamauk.org/mosque-attack-suspect-had-video-of-new-zealand-terror-attacks-on-phone-court-told/ Thu, 14 Oct 2021 01:11:23 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15205 Reporting by the Press Association  A phone recovered from a man on trial for terrorism...

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]]> Reporting by the Press Association 

A phone recovered from a man on trial for terrorism offences contained three copies of a livestream of the 2019 mass shooting in New Zealand, a court has heard.

The attack was carried out on a mosque in Christchurch by Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people and injured 40 others.

An iPhone belonging to Sam Imrie, 24, also contained a number of images glorifying the New Zealand shooter, with the words “Brenton Tarrant did nothing wrong”, “hail Tarrant” and “Saint Tarrant”.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Detective Constable Murray Cairns of the Edinburgh organised crime and counter-terrorism unit described the footage of the attack as “horrific.”

He told the court: “(Tarrant) carried out a filming session of the attack. He livestreamed it at first, which was copied and then went massive on the internet.”

Asked to describe the video, he said: “It’s horrific. It starts with him driving, playing music before arriving at the Islamic centre.

“You see him getting the weapon from his car, going to the Islamic centre, you can see people walking towards him and he starts shooting, murdering them.

“You see him going from room to room, getting back into his vehicle.

“It’s graphic, you see him deciding when to fire and when not to fire.”

Imrie has been charged with posting statements on social media platform Telegram suggesting he was going to carry out an attack on the Fife Islamic Centre in Glenrothes, Fife.

The 24-year-old has also been accused of planning to stream live footage of “an incident”.

DC Cairns told the High Court in Edinburgh he had retrieved the files from the accused’s phone on July 31 2019.

The court was also shown images from the accused’s Facebook page.

The cover photo on the Facebook page was described in court as Adolf Hitler, standing in front of a microphone, addressing a crowd.

His biography read: “Seeing muslims suffer.”

Several symbols associated with “far right Nazism” were also posted on the Facebook page.

DC Cairns said one post which said “1488” could be explained in two parts.

The number 14 related to a sentence in Mein Kampf, a book written by Adolf Hitler, which he told the court said something along the lines of “We must assure a future for our people and a future for white children.”

He said it is associated with “modern neo-Nazi movements.”

The number 88, he said can be read as “HH” or “Heil Hitler”, with the numbers “transposed to letters”.

Later, the court heard a recording of the the accused’s interview with police on July 7 2019.

In it, he denied wanting to kill First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The court previously heard that Imrie had posted on the Telegram app that he wanted Sturgeon “to die”.

Asked if he wanted to kill her, he replied: “No, I just don’t want the SNP to be the most popular party.”

He told police that he was “only pretending” to set fire to a mosque.

Asked if he hated Muslims, Imrie said: “I was just being edgy and drunk. I don’t hate anybody.”

Imrie told police he was a “white nationalist”.

He denied that he wanted to harm people of colour.

DC McCormack, conducting the interview, asked Imrie if he “understood how it looked” to threaten to set fire to a mosque on the Telegram app.

He replied: “I guess so. That’s not how it was. I didn’t do it.”

Among other charges, Imrie is accused of being in possession of neo-Nazi, antisemitic and anti-Muslim material, extreme pornography, including indecent images of children, and an image involving a human corpse.

He is also charged with driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol in July 2019.

He denies all of the nine charges against him, three of which come under the Terrorism Act.

The trial, before Lord Mulholland, continues.

Reporting by the Press Association 

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]]> 15205 Mother gives evidence in trial of man charged over ‘mosque attack plot’ https://tellmamauk.org/mother-gives-evidence-in-trial-of-man-charged-over-mosque-attack-plot/ Mon, 11 Oct 2021 12:36:45 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15197 Reporting by the Press Association  The mother of a man on trial accused of plotting...

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]]> Reporting by the Press Association 

The mother of a man on trial accused of plotting an attack on a mosque told police she believed her son had shaved his head because of his “infatuation” with Adolf Hitler.

Sam Imrie has been charged with posting statements on social media platform Telegram suggesting he was going to carry out an attack on the Fife Islamic Centre in Glenrothes.

The 24-year-old has also been accused of planning to stream live footage of “an incident”.

Joyce Imrie made the assertion in a statement to police on July 6 2019, the day after her son’s arrest.

Giving evidence at the High Court in Edinburgh, Ms Imrie initially told the court she believed her son had shaved his head because of the TV show Jackass, and its star Steve-O.

“They had buzzcuts as kids, they shaved their heads like Steve-O out of Jackass,” she said, referring to Imrie and his brother.

“I never even noticed.”

Asked why she thought he had shaved his head, Ms Imrie replied, “To be a fool really”, and said it had not been something that caused her concern.

But the court also heard that in her statement to police, when asked if she had concerns about her son shaving his head, she replied: “He didn’t say why (he had done it).

“I would say that it was because of his infatuation with Hitler.”

Asked about this statement, Ms Imrie said: “I don’t understand why you would say it was because of Hitler, he didn’t have a bald head.”

Ms Imrie said she was doing a course at the time, in which a class mate had made a “controversial” presentation on Adolf Hitler.

She denied that an “infatuation” inherently meant something positive.

“An interest could be unhealthy as well,” she said.

She said Imrie had being doing “some research” about Hitler at the time.

The court was shown photos of swastikas drawn in a closet in Imrie’s bedroom, along with the number 1488, which is linked to white supremacism.

Ms Imrie said she could not remember seeing them.

Ms Imrie also denied raising concerns with her son about posts he made on Facebook prior to his arrest.

She agreed that she and her son had been friends on Facebook, but that he was “on and off” and had deactivated his account.

Asked had she seen any posts that concerned her, Ms Imrie shook her head and said: “I didn’t see what you’re implying.”

She said her son’s posts were mostly pictures of dogs, sunsets and sunrises.

But in her statement to police, Ms Imrie said: “About two years ago my mum informed me that there were comments relating to Hitler on his Facebook site.

“He had changed his profile picture to a swastika.

“We were concerned about this and spoke to him.

“He tried to justify it.”

Ms Imrie told the court she had no memory of speaking to her son about his Facebook posts, and that she was suffering from “menopause brain-fog”.

In her statement she said: “We just told him it was wrong.

“I don’t think that’s a phrase I would use,” she told the court.

“I’m sure I would have been a bit more horrified.”

Ms Imrie said when she had made the statement to police she had been in a “deep state of shock”.

She said that her son had been arrested at the family home by a Swat team.

“We had guns to our head, we had been made homeless in our underwear.

“I made my statement in my mum’s pyjamas, my boys were arrested in their boxer shorts.

“You don’t expect a Swat team in your home.

“We thought they were homicidal maniacs.”

Ms Imrie agreed that her statement to police was accurate and that she had not lied in it.

The court also heard that Imrie had been in trouble with police as a teenager, after writing racist graffiti that said “f*** Muslims” on a bus stop near his home.

Among other charges, Imrie has been accused of being in possession of neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim material and extreme pornography, including indecent images of children and an image involving a human corpse.

He was also said to have been found in possession of audio files and texts that “glorified terrorism” and works including The Great Replacement by Brenton Tarrant.

Imrie is also charged with driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol in July 2019.

He denies all of the nine charges against him, three of which come under the Terrorism Act.

The trial, before Lord Mulholland, continues.

Reporting by the Press Association 

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]]> 15197 Teenage neo-Nazi who wanted to kill Asian friend found guilty of terror plot https://tellmamauk.org/teenage-neo-nazi-who-wanted-to-kill-asian-friend-found-guilty-of-terror-plot/ Fri, 03 Sep 2021 23:07:58 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15159 A teenage neo-Nazi who wanted to shoot an Asian friend over boasts he slept with...

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]]> A teenage neo-Nazi who wanted to shoot an Asian friend over boasts he slept with “white chicks” has been found guilty of plotting terrorist acts.

Matthew Cronjager, 18, tried to get hold of a 3D printed gun or a sawn-off shotgun to kill his teenage target who he likened to a “cockroach”, the Old Bailey was told.

He set up an online library to share right-wing propaganda and explosives-making manuals with like-minded people he had met on the web.

He also set himself up as the “boss” of a right-wing terror cell, the court was told.

But Cronjager, of Ingatestone in Essex, was sharing his plans with an undercover police officer who had infiltrated a Telegram group called The British Hand.

Cronjager, who is on the autistic spectrum, denied he ever meant to do anything and “renounced” his extremist views, saying they were borne out of loneliness and misery.

His lawyer Tim Forte told jurors that Cronjager fell down the “rabbit hole” of the internet in his bedroom and found a “buffet or loathing” based on misinformation and hatred.

While Cronjager accepted sending “vile” messages, in reality he was nothing more than a “keyboard warrior”, it was claimed on his behalf.

Cronjager created for himself a “superhero fantasy” like a Call Of Duty avatar, but it was all “make believe”, Mr Forte asserted.

A jury deliberated for three and a half hours to find him guilty of preparing for acts of terrorism and disseminating terrorist publications on Telegram.

The jury had been told Cronjager admitted four charges of possessing terror documents on the first day of his trial.

The defendant who made no reaction as the verdicts were delivered was remanded into custody to be sentenced on October 18.

The court had previously heard how the defendant wanted a “revolution” based on his fascist beliefs, including hatred of non-white people, Jews, Muslims and those with a different sexual orientation to his.

He had offered to lead the UK division of an extreme right-wing group calling itself Exiled 393, telling members that his time as an army cadet had given him the necessary skills.

In November last year, Cronjager suggested setting up a collective PayPal account to buy weapons and other items for the group.

In one message, he wrote: “I was thinking more of having it to buy things like big tents or a 3D printer maybe for creating bits of ‘art’”, said to be code for guns.

Another member of the group said “a shipment” of art would be arriving next year, saying: “Whilst printed art is good, art that is actually painted by professionals is always better.”

Cronjager responded: “I don’t want to start anything too soon.”

The court was told that he said he wanted to arm the group but give them a few months before launching an attack to “get over the stress of being illegal and being unable to go back from that point”.

In further messages to the undercover officer on December 13, he and Cronjager discussed arranging a drop off location for 3D printed guns, the court heard, and of the supplier needing more money to pay for materials.

Cronjager replied: “Once we’ve got them we’re illegal.

“There’s no real going back.”

He continued: “We either go full send it or we pussy out and end up like every other British nationalist group believing we are going to fix this legally.”

On the same day, Cronjager formulated his plot to kill his former friend after he boasted to him of sleeping with three white women.

The defendant told the undercover officer: “I’ve found someone I want to execute.”

“I know it’s an overall target and he’s a sand n***** that f***** a white girl.

“In fact I think three of them.

“I figure we could just ‘find’ a double barrel shotgun and saw it down for things like this.

“Two blasts will kill all but the strongest man and (there’s) no rifling.

“So no tracking ballistics.”

Cronjager then added: “They’re like cockroaches”, the court heard.

The defendant continued: “Do you know what’s weird?

“I was friends with him for ages and I can just kill him like that.

“I have no hang ups about doing it.

“He crossed the line.”

When asked if his former friend had raped the girls, he allegedly replied: “Nope, but it’s a violation of nature.

“We’re not supposed to mix race … it’s not rape by legal definition but it’s kind of like rape if that makes sense.

“Violation at least.”

On his arrest at his Essex home on December 29 last year, police seized a large amount of material demonstrating his commitment to an “extreme right-wing cause”, jurors heard.

He attempted to explain his behaviour by claiming to police he was a member of anti-fascist organisation Antifa, that had infiltrated various right-wing groups to disrupt and undermine them.

But giving evidence, he accepted he had held extreme far-right views, saying he now felt “ashamed and disgusted” by them.

The defendant, whose hobbies included computer gaming, karate, football and cricket, described his teenage years as lonely, isolated, quite depressed and anxious, with his negative feelings starting around the age of 16.

His lawyer told jurors that Cronjager was “curious” about guns and weapons and his “fixation” became the “obsession of a loner”, a miserable, isolated young boy in his bedroom.

Mr Forte said: “He was the outsider, he was the other.

“He retreated in his own mind and that took him down the rabbit hole that is the internet.

“Children like him 30/40 years ago unhappy, alone, unwelcome, did not have the internet to lure them and ensnare them with misinformation and hatred but today it is all there laid out on a platter like a buffet of loathing.”

He turned to hate in a “spiral of despair” but not “horrendous acts”, the lawyer said.

But prosecutor Alistair Richardson told jurors: “What you have here, in the defendant’s interview and you may have felt during his evidence, was pretty close to a full admission of the offences, faced with the overwhelming evidence of his own messaging, his own words.

“He accepts setting up the library.

“He accepts that at the time he had neo-Nazi, fascist, far-right views.

“He accepts he was angry and that made him feel violent.

“He accepts that at times he wanted to hurt people.

“He accepts that the guns were to be used for violence.

“For violent change.

“In reality, for terrorist attacks.”

The jury was told that the defendant was on the autism disorder spectrum, with a mild level of severity, and had a high IQ.

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]]> 15159 Derbyshire Teenager Threatened to Plan Attack in Dover Against Muslim Refugees https://tellmamauk.org/derbyshire-teenager-threatened-to-plan-attack-in-dover-against-muslim-refugees/ Mon, 02 Aug 2021 23:01:28 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15100 Credit: PA News A 15-year-old boy set up an extremist right-wing group after spending a...

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]]> Credit: PA News

A 15-year-old boy set up an extremist right-wing group after spending a “concerning amount of time online” during the first national lockdown, a court has heard.

The teenager, from south Derbyshire, ran the openly racist channel, which had 38 subscribers, on the encrypted Telegram app from August 5 last year, when he was 14.

He vetted others into private chat groups where they talked about “doing something” against ethnic minorities, and discussed weapons, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.

The boy downloaded a video of the Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand, in which gunman Brenton Tarrant shot and killed 51 people, and saved an image of a “leader board” of right-wing terrorists, including the number of people they had killed.

In one post, he wrote in capital letters: “I am planning a(n) attack against the Dover coast where every Muslim and refugee has been given safe(t)y if your interested tell me now.”

The youngster, who cannot be identified because of his age, pleaded guilty in June to possessing a terrorist publication called the Anarchy Cookbook Version 2000, disseminating a terrorist publication, and encouraging terrorism, in August and September last year.

A 16-year-old boy, from Kent, who was a member of the Telegram chat group, admitted disseminating a terrorist publication called the White Resistance Manual by sending an electronic link in August which allowed others to access it.

During a sentencing hearing on Monday, prosecutor Alistair Richardson said: “Both defendants’ messaging, and analysis of their devices, demonstrates a deep-rooted, extreme right-wing, racist ideology of an abhorrent, entrenched and concerning nature.”

The 15-year-old received a caution in September 2019 for sending pictures of bombs to a fellow school pupil over Snapchat.

He has previous convictions for hate crimes, after threatening to blow up a mosque on January 20 last year, and assaulting an emergency worker, by headbutting a police officer who came to his home.

The court heard he also made a string of phone calls to mosques across London and was twice referred to the Government’s Prevent de-radicalisation programme.

Mark Luckett, defending, said his client has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, adding: “It is clear at some point he had been manipulated.

“The offences occurred during the first national lockdown. (He) appears to have spent a concerning amount of time online during which has unfortunately led him down a very dark rabbit hole.”

The lawyer said the boy “lacks maturity”, his “primary focus was on computer games”, and he “didn’t understand what he was doing”.

He told the court the boy was “encouraged by the number of responses he has from other members of the group”, who referred to him as “the commander”.

Addressing Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, the 15-year-old said he wants to go to university to study veterinary medicine or zoology.

“I don’t hold those views and I don’t know how I got to hold those views. That’s not the person I am,” he said.

“I spent a lot of time in my bedroom doing nothing. I think I need to be a normal child again.”

The 16-year-old said: “I’m really sorry. I will never touch that aspect of belief in my life and I will stop anyone I can from even trying to touch it.”

Mr Goldspring adjourned sentencing to September 9, remanding the 15-year-old into youth custody and granting the older boy conditional bail.

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]]> 15100 Analysis: Why Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) lost the libel case https://tellmamauk.org/analysis-why-stephen-yaxley-lennon-aka-tommy-robinson-lost-the-libel-case/ Thu, 22 Jul 2021 16:11:55 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15071 Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson), the noted far-right agitator, extremist, and founder of the far-right...

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]]> Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson), the noted far-right agitator, extremist, and founder of the far-right English Defence League (EDL), has lost a libel case against him brought forward by the Syrian teenager Jamal Hijazi.

A video of an assault on Jamal Hijazi in the playground of Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield in October 2018 went viral.

Before Facebook’s long-overdue ban, Yaxley-Lennon posted two videos, “not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school”, attracting almost one million views and twenty-four-thousand shares.

What Yaxley-Lennon said in those videos, including the fabrications that Jamal had “beat a girl black and blue” and “threatened to stab” another boy at the school, were the subject of the libel claims.

However, the judgment from Mr Justice Nicklin made clear that Yaxley-Lennon’s evidence “had fallen woefully short” and granted Jamal £100,000 in damages.

Yaxley Lennon’s choice of language in both videos, the judgment states, were a calculated effort to “inflame the situation” and portray Jamal as the perpetrator. Moreover, as the judgment clarifies, Yaxley-Lennon persisted with the allegations, even adding to them during the proceedings.

Jamal soon became the target of abuse and threats, leading to his family leaving their home and Jamal abandoning his education at a critical juncture. Yaxley-Lennon, the judge said, “is responsible for this harm, some of the scars of which, particularly the impact on the Claimant’s education, are likely last for many years, if not a lifetime.”

Catrin Evans QC, representing Jamal, had described how the comments had resulted in “death threats and extremist agitation” and, therefore, damages should total between £150,000 and £190,000.

Evans characterised Yaxley-Lennon as “a well-known extreme-right advocate” with an “anti-Muslim agenda” who used social media to spread his views.

Jamal described how some bullying referenced the EDL and the far-right. “I remember them saying: ‘The EDL’s talking about you.’ At the time when these incidents happened at school, I did not know what the EDL was, and I did not know what they were referring to when they talked about it,” he said.

Bailey McLaren, filmed pushing Jamal to the ground, denied being a racist or bully in evidence, adding that he had mixed-race sisters, lived in a mixed-race community, and had friends who were Black and Asian. However, records highlighted in the judgment show that staff at Almondbury School had concerns about his support for the EDL, including making a Prevent referral on November 28, 2018. Further questioning revealed from Evans QC that Bailey had stayed in a “safe house” owned by Yaxley-Lennon for four months.

On balance, the judge said, “I consider that the claim to have been told that the Claimant had threatened to stab him – by “Ahmed” or anyone else – was manufactured by Bailey.” Furthermore, he added that Bailey was also a victim and punished for his bullying, which he concluded was not racist in nature, and like Jamal also had to move homes. Mr Justice Nicklin said: “Both were schoolboys when they were catapulted into the maelstrom of a media storm. Neither was remotely equipped to deal with what then happened.” And concluded, “Bailey may yet come to reflect on whether he has actually been helped by the Defendant.”

On other allegations, including the alleged use of a hockey stick, one child identified in the judgment as OTP (to protect their identity) amounted to a “dishonest fabrication that fell apart when he was cross-examined on the details.” Evidence from Charly Matthews (who claimed that Jamal had hit her in the back with a hockey stick resulting in long-term injuries, which she could not prove medically) was also satisfactorily proven false in the eyes of Mr Justice Nicklin.

The judgment also drew attention to Yaxley-Lennon’s use of covert recordings in his evidence submissions. In one such example, the judge declined to name the former teacher, who, before speaking with Yaxley-Lennon, informed him that he was in no position to comment on the matter and it would, therefore, be “highly unlikely” that he would knowingly consent to record such an interview.  Having reviewed, the judge said that it is “quite apparent from the recordings that none of the individuals [including EYW’s mother and MVW] was aware that s/he was being recorded.”

Moreover, the judgment states that Yaxley-Lennon appeared to wear a concealed microphone and camera on the two occasions he attempted to speak with EYW’s mother over the alleged assault, and crucially, such footage had been edited, and therefore, Yaxley-Lennon had failed to substantiate that the group attack had occurred. Nor could the judge give weight to the evidence submitted “in respect of allegations that she has publicly disavowed.” Indeed, one of the answers provided by EYW’s mother in the second interview drips in ambiguity as Yaxley-Lennon combines two leading questions (“Was he there? Was he involved?”)  as their response of “Yeah” gives no clarity to which questions they are addressing.

Francesca Flood from Burlingtons Legal, representing Jamal, said in a statement: “Jamal and his family now wish to put this matter behind them in order that they can get on with their lives.

“They do however wish to extend their gratitude to the Great British public for their support and generosity, without which this legal action would not have been possible.”

A subsequent hearing will follow this judgment to consider the consequences of the ruling, as Mr Justice Nicklin granted Jamal an injunction that prevents Yaxley-Lennon from repeating the allegations.

The search for Yaxley-Lennon’s assets made headlines earlier this year following his bankruptcy declaration on March 2, 2021, and he subsequently represented himself in court.

Mr Justice Nicklin acknowledged that, due to the bankruptcy, “there are limits on what can be enforced against him” but stressed that Yaxley-Lennon must cover Jamal’s legal costs.

As pointed out by the BBC’s Dominic Casciani, total costs may go upwards of £500,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 15071 JAILED: Neo-Nazi student sentenced for terrorism and hate offences https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-student-to-be-sentenced-for-terrorism-and-hate-offences/ Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:39:55 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15062 A neo-Nazi student who carved a swastika into his girlfriend’s buttock is to be sentenced...

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]]> A neo-Nazi student who carved a swastika into his girlfriend’s buttock is to be sentenced for his leading role in an extreme right-wing group.

Andrew Dymock, 24, the middle-class son of academics, told jurors “Thank you for killing me” after he was found guilty in June of 15 charges, including 12 terrorism-related offences.

He will be sentenced by Judge Mark Dennis QC at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.

The court heard that Dymock promoted the now-banned System Resistance Network (SRN) group, which aimed to “stir up a race war”, through a Twitter account and a website.

He used online platforms to raise money for the organisation, which “preached zero-tolerance” to non-whites, Jewish and Muslim communities and described homosexuality as a “disease”.

Dymock, who at the time was studying politics at Aberystwyth University in Wales, denied being behind the accounts, claiming he was set up by an ex-girlfriend, who had failed to recruit him to join banned terrorist group National Action (NA).

Police found a picture on one of Dymock’s devices showing a swastika cut into the woman’s buttock and he told detectives in a January 2019 interview he had used his nail to scratch the symbol.

Dymock’s computer revealed longstanding extremist views dating back to when he was 17, including a Google translation of the words “Kill all of the Jews”.

The court heard that SRN was one of a small number of groups which filled a “dubious gap” left following the proscription of far-right group National Action and was itself banned in 2020.

On October 8 2017, Dymock wrote about the creation of SRN on a right-wing webpage, stating that the group was “focused on building a group of loyal men, true to the cause of National Socialism and establishing the Fascist state through revolution”.

Dymock was expelled from the SRN in late February 2018, four months before he was arrested at Gatwick Airport as he tried to board a flight to America.

Police found in his luggage extreme right-wing literature including Siege, an anthology of pro-Nazi essays written by James Mason, and Mein Kampf, along with clothing bearing neo-Nazi logos.

He also had books, flags, clothes and badges associated with the extreme right-wing in his bedroom at home and university.

Dymock claimed material linking him to content on the SRN website and Twitter account was “planted in his possession without his knowledge”.

He denied being a neo-Nazi and told police: “In fact, I am bisexual but lean towards being homosexual, in direct conflict with Nazism.”

He went on to tell jurors that he had Adolf Hitler’s autobiographical manifesto – along with books on Satanism – for “research” on right-wing populism.

The jury found Dymock guilty of five charges of encouraging terrorism, two of fundraising for terrorism, four counts of disseminating terrorist publications, possessing a terrorist document, stirring up racial hatred and hatred based on sexual orientation, and possessing racially inflammatory material.

Dymock had been supported throughout his trial by his parents, Stella and Dr David Dymock, a professor of dentistry at Bristol University, with whom he lived with in Bath, Somerset.

In previous email chat, Dr Dymock had sought to distance himself from his son’s views, telling him not to send “any of your political stuff to my work email account because I work in a multicultural institution, am proud to do so, and believe in the values of that institution.

“I would hate anyone who might see my emails to think that I sympathised with fascist views in any way.”

Credit: PA

UPDATE (21/07/2021):

Andrew Dymock has received a seven year prison sentence after being convicted of 12 terror offences and three hate crimes last month. He led the groups System Resistance Network (SRN) and Sonnenkrieg Division – both are proscribed terror groups. Tell MAMA has profiled the SRN since its emergence in 2017 – in September that year, we speculated that the SRN would be proscribed (this occurred in 2020).

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]]> 15062 Racist and homophobic letter calls for white supremacist violence in Sheffield https://tellmamauk.org/racist-and-homophobic-letter-calls-for-white-supremacist-violence-in-sheffield/ Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:36:00 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=15024 A racist and homophobic letter calling for white supremacist violence has been spotted in Sheffield,...

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]]> A racist and homophobic letter calling for white supremacist violence has been spotted in Sheffield, causing fear and alarm.

The leaflet, found in the Crookes suburb of the city, contained the racist epithets the N-word and the P-word and used the homophobic slur ‘f****’.

The leaflet calls for a white supremacist summer of violence and calls for a month of hatred and was discovered over the weekend.

Tell MAMA reported the material on behalf of the member of the public who discovered it.

The racist and homophobic calls for violence appeared on a piece of paper torn from a notepad in what appears to be wax crayon or marker pen – with hate written in red with the harmful and hateful slurs written in purple.

Tell MAMA is urging members of the public in Sheffield to report the leaflets to South Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or using True Vision online. Our casework team can also report such materials anonymously or on behalf of those impacted in confidence.

Advice: what to do if you receive or find hate mail:

  • Letters and envelopes must be kept and handled minimally to preserve evidence
  • Place the letter and the envelope in a clean and sealable plastic bag to stop further contamination

Tell MAMA will continue to provide updates to this story where applicable.

Have you come across this racist and homophobic material? Get in touch in confidence.

You can get advice from our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Or contact us via WhatsApp on 0734 184 6086.

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]]> 15024 ‘I am not a racist’, Tommy Robinson tells libel trial https://tellmamauk.org/i-am-not-a-racist-tommy-robinson-tells-libel-trial/ Thu, 22 Apr 2021 15:00:57 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=14879 Credit: PA News Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) has told the High Court he is...

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]]> Credit: PA News

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) has told the High Court he is “not racist” as a libel claim brought against him by a Syrian teenager who was filmed being assaulted continues.

The English Defence League founder – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – is being sued by schoolboy Jamal Hijazi, 17, who was filmed being attacked at his Huddersfield school in October 2018.

Shortly after the video went viral, Robinson claimed in two Facebook videos that Jamal was “not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school”.

Robinson, who is representing himself at the trial, is defending his comments on the basis they are substantially true.

In his written arguments, Robinson claimed to have “uncovered dozens of accounts of aggressive, abusive and deceitful behaviour” by Jamal.

He said that with people donating nearly £160,000 to a GoFundMe page set up for the claimant, he believed it was important for people to be given a “balanced view”.

Starting his case on Thursday, Robinson told the High Court that Jamal’s lawyers had mischaracterised him and the EDL.

Robinson said: “Their opening statement, which was a blatant attack on my character, is boringly predictable.”

The 38-year-old told the court the EDL had been classed as a centrist group and he had worked with an anti-extremism group for five years.

“For what it’s worth, I am not racist, and I am certainly not anti-Muslim,” he said.

Robinson later said the media had been in a “frenzy” over the incident with Jamal and had not reported “the other side”.

He added: “I only reported what I was told. That is all I’m doing here in this court, looking for the truth.”

In the Facebook videos, viewed by nearly a million people, Robinson made claims including that Jamal “beat a girl black and blue”, which the teenager denies.

On Thursday, the High Court heard evidence from Bailey McLaren, the boy shown pushing Jamal to the ground and pouring water over him in the widely shared video.

Mr McLaren, who is now 18 and was a student at Almondbury Community School with Jamal, told the court he had been in trouble at school but was not a bully.

He said: “I would say that if I was physical, I would have to be provoked into it. There would have to be a reason and it would have to a strong reason.”

Robinson asked: “Looking at your school record, were you a bully?”

The teenager replied: “No. I can’t stand bullying – from a young age I was affected by it. The mainstream media painted it out that I was a bully.”

“Are you a racist?” Robinson asked.

Mr McLaren replied: “Not at all. The incident with Jamal had nothing to do with race.”

In his witness statement, Mr McLaren claimed Jamal was “a strange boy”.

He wrote: “Pupils and staff alike were fully aware that Jamal had a real problem with girls and even with female staff and that he was abusive towards them. You would hear from time to time that Jamal was bullying young girls and stuff.”

On the day of the incident in October 2018, Mr McLaren told the court there had been a confrontation between him and Jamal, adding: “He told me to ‘f*** off, you white bastard’.”

Mr McLaren also said he was told by another student that Jamal had threatened to stab him, which is denied.

On Wednesday, Jamal’s barrister Catrin Evans QC described Robinson’s defence as “a cobbled-together mix of generalised smears of Jamal’s character”, saying “there is simply no merit to the defendant’s defence of truth”.

In cross-examination on Thursday afternoon, Ms Evans said Mr McLaren was “regularly in trouble” for serious bullying including intimidation and physical assaults.

Mr McLaren replied: “I’m not trying to claim I’m an angel, I had incidents in school.

“I do agree that I’m quite hot-headed, but I’ve changed.”

The court heard he was permanently excluded and accepted a police caution for assaulting Jamal after the videoed incident.

Ms Evans suggested Mr McLaren was part of a gang of students who often targeted Jamal.

She said: “Jamal was one of your regular victims of bullying and you were the ringleader of the group that bullied him.”

Mr McLaren replied: “I think if anyone was the bully, it was Jamal.”

Credit: PA News

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]]> 14879 Tommy Robinson’s ‘anti-Muslim message’ saw boy facing death threats, court hears https://tellmamauk.org/tommy-robinsons-anti-muslim-message-saw-boy-facing-death-threats-court-hears/ Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:18:50 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=14871 Credit: PA News Tommy Robinson’s “entirely distorted anti-Muslim message” about a Syrian schoolboy who was...

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]]> Credit: PA News

Tommy Robinson’s “entirely distorted anti-Muslim message” about a Syrian schoolboy who was attacked at school led to the boy and his family “facing death threats and extremist agitation”, the High Court has heard.

The English Defence League founder – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – is being sued by Jamal Hijazi, 17, who was filmed being attacked in the playground at Almondbury School in Huddersfield in November 2018.

Shortly after the video went viral, Robinson claimed in two Facebook videos, which were viewed by nearly one million people, that Jamal was “not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school”.

The 38-year-old also claimed Jamal “beat a girl black and blue” and “threatened to stab” another boy at his school, allegations the teenager denies.

On the first day of the libel trial in London on Wednesday, Jamal’s lawyer told the court that Robinson’s comments “turned Jamal into the aggressor, and the bully into a righteous white knight”.

Catrin Evans QC, representing Jamal, said in written submissions that Robinson’s allegations had “a devastating effect on Jamal and his family” and led to them being relocated from the area in early 2019.

She described Robinson as “a well-known extreme-right advocate with convictions for violence, as well as fraud and drug offences”.

Robinson “used his social media platforms, in particular his Facebook account, to spread his extremist views”, Ms Evans added.

She said Robinson “falsely accused Jamal of being part of a gang that participated in a violent assault on a young girl and… also alleged that he had threatened to stab another child”, and did so “without any direct knowledge of the events in question”.

Ms Evans told the court that Jamal was bullied from shortly after he started at the school in October 2016, having come to the UK with his family as refugees from Homs in Syria.

She added: “The bullying, and the failure to do enough about it, culminated in 2018 in a series of incidents in the school, including serious threats made to Jamal.”

Ms Evans said a fellow pupil attacked Jamal in October 2018 and “simulated waterboarding him” by pouring a bottle of water over his face when he was on the ground.

After the video of the incident went viral, it “received mass national media coverage and an outpouring of support for Jamal and his family”, Ms Evans told the court.

Robinson then published the allegations about Jamal “to his million social media followers”, “apparently based only on material posted on, and subsequently deleted from, social media”, Ms Evans added.

She described Robinson’s defence as “a cobbled-together mix of generalised smears of Jamal’s character”, saying that “there is simply no merit to the defendant’s defence of truth”.

Robinson, who is representing himself at the trial, is defending his comments on the basis that they are substantially true.

In written submissions, Robinson said he had “uncovered dozens of accounts of aggressive, abusive and deceitful behaviour by the claimant, including acts which speak the truth to the matters complained of”.

Referring to the alleged “waterboarding” incident, Robinson added: “Not only was the claimant the bully and not the victim in this incident, he has subsequently been shown to be the aggressor on multiple occasions, indulging in violent and abusive behaviour.”

The eight-day trial at the Royal Courts of Justice in London is expected to hear evidence from Jamal and Robinson, as well as pupils and staff at the time of the incident.

The trial before Mr Justice Nicklin is due to conclude next Friday and it is expected that he will give his ruling at a later date.

Credit: PA News

Read more: Tommy Robinson’s Facebook page is shut down

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]]> 14871 12 on trial in Germany over ‘plot to attack Muslims and overthrow government’ https://tellmamauk.org/12-on-trial-in-germany-over-plot-to-attack-muslims-and-overthrow-government/ Tue, 13 Apr 2021 11:01:42 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=14854 Twelve Germans have gone on trial accused of being part of or supporting a far-right...

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]]> Twelve Germans have gone on trial accused of being part of or supporting a far-right group that plotted to carry out deadly attacks on Muslims with the aim of stoking civil unrest and overthrowing the government.

Members of the so-called Group S had allegedly hoarded firearms, axes and swords for the planned attacks, which prosecutors say were foiled by their arrests in February last year.

Federal prosecutors accuse 11 members of the group of seeking to “rock and ultimately overturn the state and social order of the Federal Republic of Germany”.

Their alleged targets included Muslims, political enemies and parliament.

Eight of the men are accused of founding a “terrorist organisation” in September 2019, led by two suspects identified only as Werner S and Tony E.

Their surnames were not released for privacy reasons.

Three others are accused of membership of the terrorist organisation, while the 12th defendant is charged with supporting the group.

The men largely communicated by phone and via messaging apps, but also met in person several times, prosecutors said.

The trial before the regional court in the south-western city of Stuttgart is expected to last several months.

Credit: PA News

Read more: Man Facing Jail After Admitting Planning Bomb Attack on South London Mosque

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]]> 14854 Benjamin Hannam: A Revealing Portrait of a young man turned Nazi https://tellmamauk.org/benjamin-hannam-portrait-of-a-young-man-turned-nazi/ Fri, 02 Apr 2021 17:07:15 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=14805 Credit: PA News Young, white and socially-awkward, Benjamin Hannam was a prime target for neo-Nazi...

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]]>
Credit: PA News

Young, white and socially-awkward, Benjamin Hannam was a prime target for neo-Nazi group National Action (NA).

Frustrated at being rejected by his Muslim girlfriend’s family, Hannam was swallowed up by a dangerous online world.

It led him to join NA’s London branch, seduced by free stickers, outdoor activities and the friendship of a “cool” big brother-type figure.

Even after it was banned in December 2016, Hannam – who has autism – continued to associate with some of the same people.

He was filmed spray painting fascist graffiti just weeks before he applied to join the Metropolitan Police in July 2017.

Hannam, now aged 22, of Enfield in north London, was brought up by his single parent mother along with two sisters and a younger bother.

Since his father left, he referred to himself as having “control of the house”, the Old Bailey heard.

Hannam said his “gay” grandfather tried to provide a “fatherly” role, but he had more recently suffered from cancer.

During the pandemic, it was his Jewish step-grandfather “pops” who was the “pillar” of the family, he said.

Despite purporting to have friends with different ethnic backgrounds, Hannam appeared to foster “intolerant” views at Winchmore School in Enfield.

History teacher Lisa Hughes told the court that during a Brexit debate in 2016, in which he spoke for leaving the European Union, Hannam made “inappropriate” anti-immigration comments and “came across as offensive to students”.

In May 2017, she refused to submit an A-level politics dissertation because of his “intolerant” view of Islam.

Hannam was referred to guidance adviser Hafida Zitouni, who described him as “respectful” and “polite” even though he avoided the issue.

Over the course of around 15 sessions, he spoke instead about his frustrations that his Mauritian Muslim girlfriend’s parents did not accept him.

Ms Zitouni also noted he appeared to lack self-confidence around Valentine’s Day and exams.

Giving evidence, Hannam described the difficulties in his three-and-a-half-year secret relationship, which began in 2014.

He said his girlfriend’s parents were “really strict” and “hated” him, even though he tried to study Islam.

At the time, his interests ranged from Japanese anime, Dungeons and Dragons and languages – including the Lord of the Rings’ Elvish.

From the age of around 16, he also developed a darker fascination with fascism, which he was exposed to online through 4Chan, an anonymous bulletin board.

He said he was drawn into it through the artwork and imagery of fascism, which he likened to Star Wars Stormtroopers.

Hannam told jurors: “It was the look and aesthetic of fascism that started it. The bold look of the images.”

The defendant said he went in search of friends he could talk about politics with, because he “struggled socially”.

He told jurors: “It makes sense now I know I’m autistic. I struggle reading people’s faces.

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve become better at communication skills.

“My interests were always vastly different from everyone else’s. When I was at secondary school, after my dad left I got stuck with a behavioural team.

“At secondary school my interests were fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons. It’s really Big Bang Theory-esque.

“I could not discuss politics with anyone. I felt very lonely.”

In 2014, he said he downloaded mass killer Anders Breivik’s extreme right wing manifesto because it was “free”.

He claimed only to have read the first 20 pages, finding it “boring”, although he kept the copy.

Hannam, who had Nazi-style posters by his bed, said he first became aware of NA through discussions on 4Chan.

He said: “Originally the long-term thing was the social isolation and the short-term thing I was on 4Chan and they were pumping out these good quality pictures and I thought these are really professional.”

He emailed the London branch of NA after watching co-founder Benjamin Raymond saying he wanted “university educated young men” on the television, he said.

During his first meeting at a pub in Paddington, Hannam was impressed by the organiser Ivan, who handed out free stickers and NA badges.

Afterwards, he wrote in his diary they were a “good bunch of lads” and that he “cannot wait to get more involved”.

Hannam said he was instructed to join fascist web forum Iron March, where he found more extremist literature and images.

Hannam said: “I had not heard of Iron March until Ivan told me.

“At the meeting I was really really impressed by Ivan. Handsome, confident, intelligent. He seemed really happy I showed up. He was giving me free stuff.

“He said if you want to come and hang again you have to make a post on Iron March, a right wing website.

“The purpose was to increase the clout. At the time I do things without questioning them and that’s really obvious when you ask my sergeant in the police.

“Ivan just told me to do it. I thought he was really cool. I said OK.

“He said mention (NA co-founder) Alex Davies and mention some Nazi stuff and I thought it was just an introductory post.

“He said after you’ve been approved you have to keep posting otherwise your profile is closed.

“You’ve got to say things in the website that fit in with the ideology.

“I was desperate for his approval. I just felt he was a much cooler older guy.”

Hannam went on to attend the NA conference in Liverpool and went to boxing and graffiti events even after NA was banned.

But he insisted he had never been a member of NA because he did not go to demonstrations or banner drops.

He said: “I stuck to social activities. Most of the time was going to the pub and going for walks.

“Other times camping or going boxing. Often it was just young men meeting up getting some snacks and some food and going for a walk.”

Towards the end of his association with NA, Hannam said he had been beaten up and the last straw was hearing a “Satanist” talk about the rape of women, he claimed.

Describing the alleged incident, he said: “One guy had a machete, literally frothing from the mouth talking about raping women and I said ‘how can you say that, you have a mum, how would you feel if your mum heard you say this’.

“I was sick of hate. I was fed up. They kept giving me things for free. I just wanted to hang out with them. In the end it got too sick. That was it. I left.”

Hannam denied he had ever been a member either before or after NA was proscribed.

He also claimed that NA was “not similar to the BNP” as it was not a political party.

But when he launched the organisation, Mr Davies was quoted as saying: “We are like the BNP but more radical.”

Professor Matthew Feldman, Director of the Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right, was asked for his assessment of how far Hannam had been radicalised.

The expert on post-war right wing extremism said: “The physical and digital items possessed or communicated by Mr Hannam is consistent with engagement with right-wing extremism, in particular adherence to fascist ideology and potentially veiled but none-the-less evident neo-Nazi mindset.”

Credit: PA News

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]]> 14805 Neo-Nazi conviction is a ‘unique’ case https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-conviction-is-a-unique-case/ Thu, 01 Apr 2021 12:25:13 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=14801 Credit: PA News Rookie Ben Hannam’s conviction for belonging to a banned neo-Nazi terror group...

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]]> Credit: PA News

Rookie Ben Hannam’s conviction for belonging to a banned neo-Nazi terror group is a “unique” case, according to Scotland Yard’s counter terrorism chief.

Commander Richard Smith moved to reassure the public after it emerged that Hannam joined the Metropolitan Police after lying about his association with banned neo-Nazi organisation National Action.

Hannam had been working as a probationary officer for nearly two years when a list of users of the extreme right-wing forum Iron March was leaked online.

Once his email was linked to the forum, investigators uncovered his association with National Action up to the same month he applied to join the police in July 2017.

Mr Smith, who is head of the Met’s counter terrorism command, said: “We were investigating individuals linked to the Iron March forum, which carries extreme right-wing material.

“We were shocked to find one of the individuals we were seeking to identify turned out to be a serving probationary police officer.

“Ben Hannam obviously lied on his application form to join the Met.

“He would never have been able to join had we known then of his interest in the extreme right wing and his previous membership of National Action.

“Once we identified his involvement with that organisation, we took immediate steps to arrest him and put him before the court.”

He said there was no evidence that Hannam was part of a “deliberate” attempt by the extreme right to infiltrate the force.

A review of his work has not revealed any sign that he tried to draw others into his extreme ideology.

Mr Smith said: “We found no evidence that he used his position as a police officer to further his extremist views.”

During his time in the force, Hannam had no direct access to the Police National Computer, although he could have asked others to do checks on cases he was dealing with.

The Met’s vetting process for new recruits is “proportionate”, Mr Smith said.

“The processes we have to vet potential members of the police service are proportionate, that’s not to say they cannot be absolutely exhaustive.”

He declined to “speculate” on whether a face-to-face interview, rather than a vetting form, would have exposed Hannam’s views.

The officer said a reference from the university Hannam attended in the autumn of 2017 did not raise any issues.

Mr Smith added: “To the best of my knowledge this is a unique case.

“I’m not aware of any other police officer ever facing prosecution for membership of a terrorist group.

“I would reassure the public by pointing out how swiftly we acted, as soon as he was identified, to arrest and prosecute him.

“Ben Hannam had been in the Metropolitan Police less than two years when we got this information and we acted immediately.

“People join the Met Police Service with the intent of keeping people safe from harm.

“The views Ben Hannam expressed online and was interested in online are totally incompatible with being a police officer.”

The court had heard that Hannam, who has autism, was radicalised online and joined National Action’s London branch before it was banned.

On the threat posed to vulnerable people, Mr Smith said: “Radicalisation can take place through many routes. We have a clear concern about extremist material available online and we act robustly when we find it.

“I would urge anyone with concerns about somebody vulnerable to radicalisation who may be accessing this abhorrent material online to report the matter to the police there is specialist help available.”

The College of Policing’s Vetting Authorised Professional Practice (APP), which is national guidance and sets the standards for police forces in England and Wales on vetting, is being updated but not as a result of any specific case.

The national application form previously contained a question specifically about BNP membership, according to a spokesman for the College of Policing.

It was updated in December last year and now asks candidates whether they are or have been a member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group.

This includes organisations which are “politically, religiously, racially or environmentally disruptive”.

Credit: PA News

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]]> 14801 Gardaí investigate after the far-right target mosque https://tellmamauk.org/gardai-investigate-the-far-right-targeting-of-a-mosque-in-ireland/ Wed, 28 Oct 2020 16:34:57 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=14537 Gardaí (Irish police) are investigating after a far-right group holding a banner targeted Ballyhaunis Mosque...

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]]> Gardaí (Irish police) are investigating after a far-right group holding a banner targeted Ballyhaunis Mosque on October 20, after a member of the public alerted the police, Tell MAMA can reveal.

The group responsible, Siol na hÉireann, is based in Donegal under the leadership of Niall McConnell, which, as revealed in an extensive investigation in the Irish Times, is not a political party but a private, for-profit business.

The so-called “anti-Sharia Law” protest appeared across their social media platforms, with over 5,000 views on YouTube. Throughout the video, worshippers are filmed in the background exiting the mosque. Similar agitations targeted local butchers with conspiratorial claims about halal meat in Ireland.

Ballyhaunis has been described as one of the most diverse towns in Ireland.

A failed politician, having gained just 580 votes in April, Niall McConnell was called a racist in graffiti which appeared in Derry’s Creggan Estate, as the local press reported on his homophobic comments about Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar.

McConnell uses social media to host discussions with neo-fascists from across Europe, including the Noua Dreapta (New Right) of Romania and the German neo-Nazi NDP party. The thumbnail for the YouTube stream with the leader of the New Right includes multiple flags bearing the white supremacist Celtic Cross symbol (which had been on the party’s previous logo as, in 2015, the Romanian government banned Holocaust denial and the promotion of the fascist Legionnaires’ Movement, the New Right revere its founder Corneliu Codreanu).

Gonzalo Martin Garcia of the far-right Democracia Nacional in Spain has appeared on two live streams with McConnell.

Other guests on his YouTube channel include E. Michael Jones, a notorious antisemitic Catholic author, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

In April, he hosted a webchat with Nick Griffin, former leader of the far-right British National Party (BNP) and Jim Dowson, a notorious far-right activist who founded Britain First and a central pillar in the Christian militant group Knights Templar International, and financial backer of the BNP. Dowson, was, himself, involved in the short-lived, far-right, loyalist group the Protestant Coalition which had also targeted refugees in Nothern Ireland after the controversial flag protests in Belfast years earlier. Dowson was given a suspended sentence in 2015 for participating in loyalist flag protests in Belfast.

For Nick Griffin, who has maintained a verified Twitter account since December 2009, appears a long history of posting sectarian,anti-Catholic slurs on Twitter, with one such tweet in 2012 resulting in a police investigation.

McConnell also spoke alongside Griffin in a live stream with the chairman of the Europa Terra Nostra group, Dan Eriksson, “a stalwart of the Swedish Nazi scene,” and the self-identified Italian fascist Roberto Fiore, of Forza Nuova (who sits with Nick Griffin, Gonzalo Martin Garcia and others on the leadership board of the Alliance for Peace and Freedom).

On April 26, McConnell interviewed the independent-listed, but Golden Dawn-affiliated MEP Athanasios Konstantinou. In December 2019, McConnell appeared at an ultranationalist, far-right event hosted in the European Parliament hosted by Konstantinou, featuring notable neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups, including the Alliance for Peace and Freedom which was titled, “Christianity and the Shaping of Europe,” demonstrating how these connections were not just online.

The event logo (L) appears on the screen below Niall McConnell’s speech, and on the right (R), is the image used to promote the event in the EU Parliament on December 11, 2019.

McConnell gave a speech in the session which included inflammatory statements like “war to the death, on top with, the jihadi Islamists the Zionist elites have imported into our cities and towns”.

Siol na hÉireann made headlines for harassing Fr Stephen Farragher in a viral video in August, accusing the priest of ‘heresy’ for involving two Muslim men in the final blessings of Mass on April 3, at St Patrick’s Church in Ballyhaunis.

The video, which gained over 42,000 views on YouTube, included anti-Muslim and Islamophobic statements from Niall McConnell, who called the Muslim men “foreign, satanic cultists”. In response, Fr Farragher told the far-right protesters: “Everyone who acts with integrity and justice is welcome at the mountain of the Lord.”

Siol na hÉireann’s use of online petition also targeted the historic use of Croke Park for an interfaith Eid socially-distanced Eid celebration, gaining thousands of signatures.

The group has attached itself to broader anti-mask protests in Dublin and with older and vulnerable communities shielding or self-isolating during the Covid-19 pandemic, the group uses its branding and propaganda under the auspices of “Irish food aid”. In some examples, stalls related to this food aid include members distributing their far-right newspaper.

Some within the yellow vest movement have since distanced themselves from McConnell’s movement.

After deleting his YouTube account in May, David Icke would later appear on McCconnel’s YouTube channel on August 26.

As part of its investigation, Tell MAMA has also flagged, where appropiate, the content of concern with social media platforms.

 

 

 

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]]> 14537 How Christchurch inspired further acts of far-right terror https://tellmamauk.org/how-christchurch-inspired-further-acts-of-far-right-terror/ Tue, 03 Sep 2019 15:41:12 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=13500 Shortly before a far-right terrorist entered two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and murdered 51...

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]]> Shortly before a far-right terrorist entered two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and murdered 51 Muslims in March, a self-aggrandising racist screed totalling 87-pages appeared on the infamous 8Chan imageboard, a link to the suspect’s Facebook live stream as he went on his killing spree, was also posted, and others were encouraged to view and share.

As the tragedy unfolded, variations of this video would infect the largest social media platforms, as sections of the tabloid press in the UK were criticised and accused of turning terrorism into the shallowest form of clickbait.

In the days which followed, as Muslim communities mourned in New Zealand and abroad, as world leaders condemned the anti-Muslim and Islamophobic violence, some, on the darkest corners of the internet, were busying themselves by translating this racist screed into the major languages of Western and Eastern Europe. Tell MAMA found that individuals had translated copies into French, Dutch, Spanish, Bulgarian, Russian, and Ukrainian.

Reports to Tell MAMA increased by 593 per cent, with 95 reports between March 15, and midnight on March 21.

The manifesto and actions of the Christchurch suspect inspired further acts of racist violence and domestic terrorism in California, El Paso, Texas, in Baerum, Norway, and a village in Surrey, England.

The commission of an investigation of the Christchurch terror attacks, announced on March 25 by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, promised to give Muslim communities much need reassurances and answers. Now, however, many feel marginalised by the secrecy of the commission which appears to favour governmental sources over Muslim voices. Aliya Danzeisen, of the Islamic Women’s Council, said they were being “ignored”. Anjum Rahman described how, for years, Muslims had warned about the rise of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic sentiments and the risks it posed, only to find it overlooked. In July, New Zealand’s Human Rights Commissioner called for the increased inclusion of Muslims in the inquiry. Pete Breidahl warned authorities about the gun club Brenton Tarrant was a member of in 2017 – and it was ignored.

Archives of the Facebook profile of the suspect, Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian national living in New Zealand, revealed a small number of viewers, which grew as 8Chan posters praised the racist terror as it unfolded.

Analytics, provided by Facebook, reveal that the initial live stream had fewer than two-hundred viewers. The peak number of viewers hit around four-thousand before it was removed an hour later from the platform.

Within a day, however, there were 1.5 million attempts to reupload to the video to Facebook, of which, 1.2 million were blocked, meaning that 300,000 uploads slipped through. The company was not without criticism and admitted that due to ‘rarity’ of such events, its artificial intelligence software did not ‘automatically catch’ the video.

Tarrant’s alleged Twitter activity, most active 3 days before the terror attack, was soon removed from the platform.

YouTube, however, refused to disclose any details of how many times the terror video, was uploaded, but it emerged that “as soon as the group took down one, another would appear, as quickly as one per second in the hours after the shooting”. YouTube even disabled, for a brief time, several search functions to limit its reach, but some users had edited the original clips to avoid their automated detection systems.

The virality of the terror attack and the manifesto were boosted by several British tabloids, as BuzzFeed News reported that MailOnline had allowed readers to download the 74-page racist screed.

The Sun and The Mirror ran excerpts of the video. Lloyd Emberly, who edits the latter news title, tweeted on March 15: “For a brief period this morning the Mirror website ran some edited footage filmed by the gunman in Christchurch. We should not have carried this. It is not in line with our policy relating to terrorist propaganda videos”.

Possession of the Christchurch live streams carries a potential prison sentence of up to 14 years in New Zealand, and dozens (if not more), have since been charged.

Sky New Zealand was fined NZ$4,000 (£2,100) for airing “extensive” footage of the Christchurch terror attack live streams. The network had briefly broken association with Sky Australia following its airing of the live stream, in a deleted tweet. Sky Australia later clarified that the decision between the two stations was mutual.

One of the men who watched the live stream of the Christchurch terror attack, outside of New Zealand, was Vincent Fuller, 50, who lived in that Surrey village mentioned above. Mr Fuller spoke of his “agreement” with this terroristic act on Facebook. The following evening, a neighbour recalled Fuller shouting: “All Muslims should die, white supremacists’ rule. I’m going to murder a Muslim”.

Fuller, in possession of a baseball bat, racially abused a South Asian neighbour, before going on a racist rampage, damaging vehicles and threatening drivers, including a Muslim man who works for Uber.

He then returned home and left in possession of a nine-inch blade which he later used to attack a 19-year-old man, Dimitar Mihaylov, on March 16. His victim suffered injuries to their hand and neck, which the police declared to be a terrorist attack a day later.

Fuller admitted guilt at Kingston Crown Court, including to charges of attempted murder, possession of a bladed article, affray and racially aggravated harassment (among other charges). A judge will decide on September 5 if the attack was terroristic, an argument pursued by the prosecution.

The main suspect in an antisemitic mass shooting, which left one person dead and three others injured, at a California synagogue, drew direct inspiration from Christchurch. A manifesto, attributed to John T Earnest, followed a similar pattern: appearing on 8Chan before the attack occurred. It was in this racist screed that Mr Earnest claimed that he attempted to burn down a local mosque days after the deadly terror attack in New Zealand. Local police later confirmed that John T Earnest is a suspect Escondido, California, on March 25. The second source of inspiration for this racist violence was Robert Bowers, the white supremacist, accused of murdering 11 Jewish people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in October last year. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

A white supremacist, intent on killing as many Latinx people as possible, entered a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, singling out those they perceived as Latinx (and avoiding other ethnic groups), in a domestic terror attack which left 22 people dead and 26 others injured, on August 3. A manifesto attributed to the suspect, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, adapted the “great replacement” conspiracy theory, to fit Latinx communities, was uploaded to 8Chan. Crusius was described as “cold” and “lacking remorse” in interviews with police.

To repeat a similar pattern: a white supremacist motivated by racial hatred enacted mass murder to further an ideologically driven conspiracy theory of the “grand” or “great” replacement. In our latest annual report, covering the reporting year of 2018, Tell MAMA outlined the ideological thrusts that connect dehumanising language to group-based violence and genocide in the Balkans and Rwanda to the transnational, pan-European movements that take inspiration from the French and Italian New Right, namely through the works of Renaud Camus. But as our report shows, “This racialised paranoia about Muslims in France is nothing new, however. Charles de Gaulle, who oversaw the end of oppressive and violent French colonial rule in Algeria, confided in 1959, that withdrawal from Algeria was better than offering full citizenship, as it would turn France into an “Islamic country”. The consipracy of Eurabia has dominated thinking in some mainstream circles.

A week later, a white supremacist, inspired by the terroristic shootings in El Paso and Christchurch stormed a mosque in a town near Norway’s capital, Oslo, dressed in a helmet, body armour and armed with various weapons, including “two shotgun-like weapons and a pistol”. The attack resulted in one injury, as 65-year-old Muhammad Shafiq, one of three congregants present at the mosque, disarmed the man.

The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Philip Manshaus, awaits trial on charges of murder and murder. Following the attack, police found the body of Johanne Zhangjia Ihle-Hansen, the stepsister of the suspect.

There was, however, no evidence of a racist screed, nor use of either 4Chan or 8Chan, as misreported by sections of the media. A post attributed to Manshaus appeared on EndChan, which linked to the Facebook profile of Manshaus, and a photo album of him from youth to adulthood on the photo-sharing platform Imgur.

A variant of the enduring “Chad vs Virgin” meme, which began life on 4Chan’s /r9k/ forum, which was said to have been created by Manshaus in praise Brenton Tarrant, put himself and others, like Crusius, were his “disciples”, suggesting how one disciple begets the violent actions of the other. The meme also repeated reference to the “great replacement” conspiracy and antisemitic talking points that reference the terroristic violence of Anders Breivik. A point reiterated by Cathrine Moe Thorleifsson, who researches extremism at Oslo’s Center for Research on Extremism (C-Rex).

An Instagram account, attributed to Manshaus, featured just three photos, two of the suspect, and the other was of Anders Breivik performing a Nazi salute. Norweigan police confirmed that Manshaus supported Vidkun Quisling who headed the puppet regime under Nazi Germany’s control. Following the end of the Second World War, Quisling was arrested and put on trial for treason, and, following his conviction, was executed.

Neo-Nazis in Ukraine who translated the alleged screed of Tarrant, following requests to publish it in paperback on Telegram (in a group we will not disclose), sought to radicalise those far-removed from dark internet cultures. An admin for this group even translated the alleged manifesto of Patrick Crusius. Tarrant’s solicitor had later informed the group’s admin (identified by their pro-Hitler username) that he was unable to deliver letters to him in prison, suggesting instead, that he write to the prison address provided. The admin shared a screenshot of the email with the group which boasts 1,100 members.

Brenton Tarrant, however, is unable to send or receive letters after New Zealand’s Department of Corrections admitted that two letters from Tarrant to supporters escaped censure or vetting. One such letter sent to a supporter based in Russia spoke of his love for the country, his racist ideology, and worryingly, a call to arms for further violence. This supporter uploaded the contents of the letter to 4Chan.

Law enforcement officials thwarted at least seven mass shootings or white supremacist attacks across the United States two weeks after the terror attack in El Paso.

Following the terror in Christchurch, there has been a growing debate about the threat of far-right violence and terror. Some academics have argued that public perceptions about terrorism are obscuring the reality, that in most western democracies (including the United States), deadly far-right terror outweighs other forms of terroristic violence. The issue of framing has been addressed in academic circles, as one study found that a preoccupation with al-Qaeda and ISIS-inspired attacks among terrorism researchers, overlooked state terrorism, far-right terrorism, and militia-based terrorism (in countries like Iraq or Northern Ireland). Other studies point to how terror attacks carried out by those of Muslim backgrounds had, on average, gained 4 ½ times the coverage, despite being responsible for 12.4% of domestic terror attacks in the United States between 2011 and 2015.

The UK government announced in July that the terror threat system will now account for the threat of domestic far-right extremism.

The spectre of ideologically-motivated individuals self-radicalising online has emerged, echoing similar talking points about the far-right terrorist Darren Osborne. A man with a history of violence was consuming propaganda from Britain First (and others) within weeks of watching a BBC dramatisation of the horrors of child sexual exploitation. In Osborne’s own words, committed by hand on a napkin in a pub, he wrote “islams ideology doesn’t belong here & neither does Sharia law”. Of course, the pathway to radicalisation is not linear nor is Osborne an outlier.

More broadly, however, the use and promotion of “leaderless resistance” amongst neo-Nazi groups are most pronounced during the 1970s and 1980s in the United States. A group called The Order, which inspired Combat 18 in the UK, was a notable example of a semi-autonomous terror group which helped finance other white supremacist activities. Infiltration by the FBI stopped The Order but not before the group had firebombed a synagogue (which resulted in no injuries), murdered a Jewish radio host, and armed robberies. Robert Jay Mathew’s who led the group was killed in a shootout with the FBI in 1984. The anniversary of his death has become a yearly rallying point for neo-Nazis, has resulted in racist violence, including in December last year.

An all-white jury cleared 13 white supremacists of seditious treason in 1987 after the Justice Department became convinced that The Order was coordinating with other groups.

The FBI’s infiltration of The Order drew attention to the influence of William Pierce, who authored The Turner Diaries, a white supremacist survivalist novel, which has inspired domestic terrorism in the United States, the UK, and other countries.

Terrorism scholar J.M. Berger outlined how Louis Beam, a high-ranking member of his local Ku Klux Klan chapter and in the Aryan Nations, further popularised the idea of “leaderless resistance” in a racist magazine called The Seditionist. Berger argues that the far-right do not have a monopoly on this concept, but as the terror attacks in 2019 demonstrate, “distributed leadership”, which, for Berger, are “difficult to combat than more ordinary influence patterns, where one or two relatively prominent figures have a disproportionately large influence over a large number of people”. A means to counter this evolving threat, Berger argues, is through deplatforming and countervailing messaging.

The owner of 8Chan, Jim Watkins, has now stated that he has no intention of making the website accessible again. Other studies have looked at the sharp rise in antisemitism on platforms like Gab and 4Chan’s /pol/ forum (which saw exponential growth in usage following the election of Donald Trump).

Tarrant visited Greece, Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, Israel, Romania and Hungary as recently as 2018, with some trips occurring a year or so prior. In 2016, he visited Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, according to Bulgarian Prosecutor-General Sotir Tsatsarov. His interest focused on obscure locations during the Ottoman wars in the nineteenth century. He visited 11 semi-rural locations in Bulgaria, including the town of Plevin, made famous for being the site of a siege during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 and 1878. Prosecutors in Bulgaria launched an investigation into Tarrant’s presence in the country. Tarrant visited Pakistan, parts of South-East Asia, and North Korea. The Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadžić was glorified in the terroristic live streams.

Tarrant also donated €1500 to Martin Sellner’s Identitäre Bewegung Österreichs (IBÖ) organisation last year. Pleasantries between Sellner went beyond mere exchanges of gratitude, as a chain of emails revealed a closer friendship between the two men, including offers to drink beer or coffee together if either man found themselves in Austria, New Zealand, or Australia. Austrian police then launched a terror investigation into Sellner’s connections to Tarrant, including the allegation that Sellner was working with Tarrant in a terrorist and “structurally fascist” organisation.

Investigations of Tarrant’s social media footprint revealed support for the Australian “eco-fascist” Marcus Christensen, who supports the white nationalist Lads Society movement, but denies holding such views, in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, who also revealed that Tarrant had left several positive reviews for his machinist business. Tom Sewell, president of the Lads Society, confirmed to the newspaper that Tarrant rejected the chance to join the group, as he was moving to New Zealand in 2017.

More broadly, Tell MAMA has continued to urge social media platforms and search engine providers to limit those on the far-right who breach hateful conduct policies and who promote hyperpartisan content under the auspices of “news”. As our 2019 report states: “The growth of hyperpartisan alternative news platforms, saturated in pro-Tommy Robinson content, gained notable attention in 2018 and 2019, creating a bivouac of ideological content”.

Tell MAMA made similar recommendations in its 2016 annual report, published in 2017, warning how far-right websites had gamed Google’s algorithm through legal Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) methods.

Brenton Tarrant, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, still faces 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of engaging in a terrorist act. The trial will begin on May 4, 2020.

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]]> 13500 Neo-Nazi graffiti scrubbed off wall in Bradford https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazi-graffiti-scrubbed-off-wall-in-bradford/ Wed, 31 Jul 2019 12:27:08 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=13400 Racist graffiti promoting the violent neo-Nazi group Combat 18 has been scrubbed off a wall...

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]]> Racist graffiti promoting the violent neo-Nazi group Combat 18 has been scrubbed off a wall in the Manningham area of Bradford.

Tell MAMA reported the graffiti to Bradford City Council and West Yorkshire Police on July 30, after a local outreach officer spotted it.

West Yorkshire Police informed Tell MAMA of its removal a day later, adding that it will increase patrols in the local to provide reassurance to communities.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage as part of their ongoing hate crime investigation.

The graffiti included the statement “keep it white” – a popular example of the phraseology within neo-Nazi and extreme nationalist circles which have been used to promote clothing and white power music in Canada and Poland.

Blood & Honour and Combat 18 are proscribed terrorist organisations in Canada.

National Action were the first extreme far-right group to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.

William Pierce, who left the American Nazi Party to take over the leadership of the National Alliance in the 1970s, pledged to: “do whatever is necessary to achieve this white living space and to keep it white.” His death in 2002 split the movement, which had been identified two years earlier, as one of the most dangerous hate groups in the United States, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League.

Combat 18 was born from the stewarding of the British National Party but had always rejected traditional party politics, splitting from the party in the hopes of triggering a ‘race war’. The group took direct inspiration from the neo-Nazi terrorist group The Order, which had bombed a synagogue and murdered radio host Alan Berg in 1984, advocated terroristic violence through the mantra of “leaderless resistance”. The FBI’s infiltration of the movement linked them back to William Pierce, who authored The Turner Diaries, a white supremacist novel which has inspired domestic terrorism in the United States, the UK, and other countries.

Other neo-Nazi terrorists, like David Copeland, the nail-bomber who left three people dead and 139 injured, following a hate-filled campaign against minorities and the LGBT community in Soho, London, in 1999, were linked to Combat 18 via the National Socialist Movement.

The graffiti is alarming for reasons specific to Bradford and concern the spectre of fascist, racist violence in the city and other northern areas in 2001.

Writing in 2002, Larry Ray and David Smith argued that the social unrest and riots were linked “to an increase in racial violence, the long-standing mistrust and disillusionment with the police, the overt and taunting presence of the BNP and other far-right groups and the entrenched poverty and unemployment which existed within the cities”.

Years earlier, in 1995, there were protests and riots in Manningham in response to police conduct, accusation officers had always denied.

As the author Daniel Trilling noted: “In Bradford, then Oldham, then Burnley, then Bradford again, local tensions spilled over into violence between whites and Asians. All three shared the same broad patterns of economic deprivation and racism – and in all three towns the situation was made worse by the BNP and its fellow-travellers on the far right”.

Other academics put the disturbances into a wider context, spanning from the underlying and long-standing fears of neo-fascist mobilisation.

The Observer documented, how, in the summer of 2001, that the National Front and Combat 18 were targeting Oldham and Bradford, intending to provoke violence.

Supporters of the National Front had travelled from London, Essex, Birmingham and Wales and converged on the town of Oldham, intent on provoking violence, in a clear example of a coordinated campaign of race hate. Eleven people were later convicted. And there were fresh calls to stop the National Front from agitating in Bradford a month later. The then Home Secretary, David Blunkett, acquiesced to repeated calls from West Yorkshire Police and local politicians to ban the march, days before it was due to take place. Members of the National Front did, however, turn up in the city, with as many as two hundred supporters flying in from Belgium to attend, with others driving to Bradford. A counter-protest in the Centenary Square drew around 500 people. In the afternoon, supporters of the National Front spilt out of an adjacent pub and racially abused some locals, which resulted in retaliatory violence. Speaking to The Observer newspaper on July 8, 2001, Tahir Hussein said: “The whole thing kicked off with some white lads calling us Pakis. There’s lots of youths running around the streets and the police seem to have lost control”.

During the 12 hours of riots and disturbances, 164 police officers were injured after being targeted with bricks, bottles, petrol bombs and fireworks. More than 80 people required hospitalisation, and there over 110 criminal incidents recorded – ranging from assaults to criminal damage, causing £27m in damages.

The then Chief Superintendent Phil Read had dismissed accusations that the police response to the violence and disturbances were disproportionate. During a press conference, he said: “Troublemakers, both local and from outside Bradford, appear determined to commit criminal acts despite the best efforts of the police, the council and responsible members of the community”.

Locals in Manningham had also blamed outsiders for the violence and property damage.

Academics also researched how media narratives in a post-9/11 climate shifted from discussions of Asians to Muslims.

Two years later, the court of appeal heard that the sentencing judge had disregarded the fears of the Asian community when giving “excessive” sentences to Asian men involved in the riots, compared to sentences given to white men found guilty of public order offences.

Michael Mansfield QC said the Asian community in Bradford felt: “fear, anger and frustration at the presence of the National Front and the perceived failure of the police to protect the Asian community from racist aggression,” adding that the trial judge should not have ignored the “matrix of fear” the National Front had created for Asian communities in the region.

Of the 15 appeals before the court, appeal judges reduced the sentences in only four, citing individual circumstances. In total, the judges ruled that prison terms for more than 100 people, ranging mostly from four to five years, were an appropriate and proportionate response that reflected the seriousness of the events.

A documentary about the riots and disturbances in Bradford was released in 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 13400 Why Tommy Robinson and others on the far-right seek out celebrity ‘endorsements’ https://tellmamauk.org/why-tommy-robinson-and-others-on-the-far-right-seek-out-celebrity-endorsements/ Tue, 07 May 2019 16:02:04 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=13225 Ederson Moraes, the Manchester City goalkeeper, rejection of the views of the far-right extremist Stephen...

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]]> Ederson Moraes, the Manchester City goalkeeper, rejection of the views of the far-right extremist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) points to a wider and odd cultural phenomenon: how far-right figures seek out and exploit the legitimacy from mainstream celebrity figures, in opposition to the “corrupt” political establishment, in the hope of boosting their “authenticity” to an imagined and homogeneous view of working-class communities.

Some academics have diagnosed this phenomenon as a form of “entrepreneurial populism”, which, exists in a paradox: where a person running in opposition to the establishment, does not need to be trustworthy, or even demonstrate a strong moral core, due to the apparent “corruption” of their political opposition.

To “play a system whose institutions one does not trust but whose ideals and intentions are still trusted,” the untrustworthy are granted a degree of trust.

It’s within this framework that Yaxley-Lennon has morphed from a “journalist” into an Independent candidate in the upcoming European Elections.

But the tactic is nothing new.

In the embryonic months of the English Defence League, Yaxley-Lennon posed for a photograph with the media personality, Katie Price in 2010. In October 2010, in response to the photo circulating on social media, Ms Price tweeted: “that’s the trouble when I do pics I don’t know where they end up NO I don’t support such group report it.”

A year later, the disgraced former footballer, Joey Barton, then of Queens Park Rangers, was photographed with Yaxley-Lennon, and the photo soon appeared on the EDL’s Facebook page, with the caption, “Joey Barton joins the EDL”. Barton, like Price, used social media to deny any links to the group.

The EDL did enjoy some broad sympathy and support, but a clear majority were put off by their propensity for street violence. Its appeal, therefore, had hit a glass ceiling, given how many saw it as an innately Islamophobic, racist, and violent movement.

This decline, which owes to the mainstreaming of such ideological talking points, is also a product of what academics argue is the “reputational shields hypothesis.” In a broader sense, within this framework, political parties like the British National Party, could not reject accusations of racism and extremism, since their history provided “no evidence to support such a contention.” It’s why the EDL tried and often failed to appeal to religious minorities, like the Jewish and Sikh communities.

Its leadership, however, had bigger aspirations. Hence Robinson’s “rejection” of the movement he founded via the Quilliam Foundation, to his pivot towards the leadership of Pegida UK, demonstrate how Robinson, who remained unapologetic, never considered himself in need of ‘de-radicalisation’, as he saw himself as “correct” all along.

Yaxley-Lennon has even used his Telegram account to suggest that he has a “Muslim supporter” under the hashtag “#VoteTommy”, which runs counter to his history of Islamophobia and criminal convictions.

Credit: Telegram

In a further example of abstract “authenticity”, Yaxley-Lennon shared a meme of a milkshake with a burnt rasher of bacon inside, captioned with a lyric from the Kelis song “Milkshake”.

Credit: Telegram

A Muslim man who dowsed Yaxley-Lennon with one such milkshake has spoken of the death threats he has been sent since the video of the incident went viral.

Britain First, the street defence movement and far-right political party, has borrowed a similar tactic. In 2016, a photograph of the group’s leadership, Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen with the BBC presenter Evan Davis, with the caption: “Paul and Jayda out campaigning today in London with Evan Davis, Britain First supporter and Dragons’ Den/Newsnight presenter!”.

Davis clarified on Twitter that he was asked to pose for a photograph with the individuals, unaware of their intentions or extreme political views.

The BBC’s former political editor, Nick Robinson, had posed for a photograph with Jayda Fransen, during the Rochester and Strood by-election in 2014, where she had gained just 56 votes, used the photograph to mask this failure and present a false example of mainstream credibility.

Robinson denied any affiliation to the group, writing: “I had no idea who this was. Asked for a selfie by someone I wrongly assumed was a worker at the count. My mistake.”

Robinson was, himself, working to a tight deadline, and didn’t look at the badge worn by Ms Fransen, due to the obvious time constraints, and felt it was more polite of him to accept a photo in response to an innocuous request for a photograph then refuse.

The deliberate targeting of such journalists has real consequences, not just professionally but personally, as Robinson and Evan Davis have since had their political views wrongly questioned on social media.

Britain First gained its biggest endorsement (and free media attention) when Donald Trump retweeted their Twitter accounts in 2017. The group has since imploded as it continues to deal with legal issues in Northern Ireland.

 

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]]> 13225 Poway synagogue shooting: suspect John T Earnest linked to mosque arson last month https://tellmamauk.org/poway-synagogue-shooting-suspect-john-t-earnest-linked-to-mosque-arson-last-month/ Mon, 29 Apr 2019 14:21:04 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=13216 The 19-year-old man detained by police following an antisemitic-inspired mass shooting at a California synagogue...

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]]> The 19-year-old man detained by police following an antisemitic-inspired mass shooting at a California synagogue ‘took inspiration’ from the Islamophobic terror attack in New Zealand last month.

Police named the suspect as John T Earnest and said he entered the synagogue in northern California during Passover celebrations and opened fire with an assault rifle, killing one person and injuring three others, including the rabbi.

An antisemitic and racist manifesto attributed to Mr Earnest was uploaded to 8Chan, a website popular with neo-Nazis and white supremacists before the shootings took place, came a bold claim: that John T Earnest had attempted to burn down a local mosque days after the terroristic mass shootings which left 50 Muslims dead in New Zealand.

Police have confirmed that John T Earnest is a suspect in the attempted arson of a mosque in Escondido, California, on March 25.

CCTV footage from the mosque captured the moment when an individual had poured petrol against a side door and started a fire, which was soon extinguished by worshippers, who were inside the mosque for Fajr (morning) prayers.

Details from the alleged manifesto of John T Earnest reference the mosque arson and take ownership of it – including the praise of Brenton Tarrant, which appeared in the car park. The manifesto states, however, that the message was spray-painted.

The manifesto used the racist epithet “Sandn******” to describe Muslims praying inside of the  Escondido mosque, which furthers how any understanding of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred must factor how racialisation impacts on Muslims. This understanding departs from traditional understandings transcends the “black-white divide” and welds Muslim with a singular racial category, often Asian or Arab, despite the racial diversity of Muslims in the United States (with notable numbers of Muslims identifying as black or Latinx).

Such “othering” works to further the dehumanising idea that Muslims are a cultural menace or securitised threat, which, in turn, helps to pre-empt empathy.

The synagogue shooting came six months after a white supremacist murdered 11 people inside of a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Robert Bowers, the main suspect, faces the prospect of the death penalty if convicted. Bowers’s name appeared in the manifesto attributed to John T Earnest.

Brenton Tarrant, the Christchurch terror suspect, is ‘credited’ with inspiring this latest act of antisemitic violence, which, if true, demonstrates how emboldened white supremacists and white nationalist feel to act upon the violence which underpins their ideologies.

White supremacist attacks on other faith groups remain in the headlines in the United States, as weeks earlier, a 21-year-old man, who once ‘joked’ about white power online, was charged with hate crime offences, following several arson attacks on black churches in Louisiana.

 

 

 

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]]> 13216 Revealed: DFLA Polish Group Provide ‘Security’ for Yellow Vester James Goddard as He Attended Magistrates Court https://tellmamauk.org/revealed-dfla-polish-group-provide-security-for-yellow-vester-james-goddard-as-he-attended-magistrates-court/ Sun, 24 Mar 2019 21:45:16 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=12952 We can today reveal that when James Goddard attended court at Manchester Magistrates Court four...

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]]> We can today reveal that when James Goddard attended court at Manchester Magistrates Court four days ago, he was accompanied by members of the Democratic Football Lads Alliance Polish division.

The DFLA Polish division held its first ‘annual general meeting’ on the 27th of January 2019 and individuals involved with it have included Tomasz Gawdziakowski and Shaun Holt. Here is a picture of Tomasz Gawdziakowski.

Another key figure in the Polish Division of the DFLA is Matthew Bartnik. He stated the following below on the Facebook screen shot. “Gerard Batten spoke to me today about Poles remaining in the UK after Brexit. Don’t believe the media. Vote UKIP”.

Here is Matthew Bartnick with Shaun Holt.

Within this news article, it is clear that Holt and Bartnick are providing the security for Goddard showing that there are inter-relationships between the Yellow Vest movement in the U.K and the DFLA Polish division. The video in this article shows them to be around Goddard.

Journalists were called ‘scum’ by James Goddard at this hearing and what is also troubling is how such individuals in these groups slide into other groups and how they are attempting to enter into settled communities of Polish heritage, (see below).

For example, associations between Husaria Manchester, which our sister organisation Faith Matters has written about, and the DFLA Polish division can be highlighted through such photographs (below) taken in Manchester recently at an event commemorating fallen Polish WWII soldiers. In the picture are Karol Kamil Peruta of Husaria Manchester with Matthew Bartnik, Shaun Holt and Tomasz Gawdziakowski (all three of the DFLA).

 

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]]> 12952 Man in Court Accused of Trying to Kill Bulgarian Teenager – Heard Shouting About ‘White Supremacy’ in Attack https://tellmamauk.org/man-in-court-accused-of-trying-to-kill-bulgarian-teenager-heard-shouting-about-white-supremacy-in-attack/ Sat, 23 Mar 2019 13:52:10 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=12949 A man accused of trying to kill a teenager in an alleged terror attack after...

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]]> A man accused of trying to kill a teenager in an alleged terror attack after being heard ranting about “white supremacy” has appeared in court.

Vincent Fuller, 50, is said to have lunged through a car window at 19-year-old Dimitar Mihaylov’s head and neck with a knife in a Tesco car park on Town Lane, Stanwell, last Saturday night.

The alleged victim, believed to be from Bulgaria, was left with superficial wound to the neck and a 4cm laceration to his left hand which he raised as he tried to defend himself.

Fuller, of Viola Avenue, Stanwell, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’

Court in central London on Saturday charged with attempted murder and possession of a knife over the incident.

Prosecutors are treating it as terrorism because Fuller was allegedly heard shouting “white supremacy” and “I’m going to kill Muslims” in the hours leading up to the attack.

He is also said to have expressed agreement with the Christchurch terror attack the previous day, which left 50 people dead.

Fuller, wearing a grey sweater and grey tracksuit bottoms, appeared in the dock flanked by two police officers – who wore facial coverings to conceal their identities due to the nature of their work.

He spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, address, and that his nationality was British before listening to prosecutor James Cable outline the allegations against him.

Fuller is further charged with causing racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence over an alleged incident with his neighbour, who is of Indian heritage, earlier on the evening of March 16.

Fuller is also charged with affray and possession of an offensive weapon after allegedly using the baseball bat to indiscriminately attack occupied cars.

He was not required to enter pleas to any of the charges and his lawyer, Fadi Daoud, made no application for bail.

District Judge Michael Snow remanded him in custody and sent the case to the Old Bailey, where Fuller will appear on Friday as part of the court’s next terrorism list.

The judge told Fuller: “All charges are now sent to the Central Criminal Court to be heard there.

“You will appear there, almost certainly, by way of videolink on March

29 when the judge will give directions for the smooth running of the case

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]]> 12949 Brenton Tarrant: How the media helped turn the ‘shitposting’ terrorist into a meme https://tellmamauk.org/brenton-tarrant-how-the-media-helped-turn-the-shitposting-terrorist-into-a-meme/ Fri, 15 Mar 2019 18:08:28 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=12876 In the search for answers following the terroristic murder of 49 Muslims at two mosques...

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]]> In the search for answers following the terroristic murder of 49 Muslims at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, we have the manifesto of 28-year-old Australian national Brenton Tarrant.

This manifesto, like the decision to live stream his murderous rampage, were stepped in dark internet culture, a composition of memes drenched in the stench of ‘shitposting’.

Mr Tarrant, for example, did not learn about ethnonationalism through the video game Spyro 3. Nor did he learn to kill by playing the video game Fortnite. It’s possible that this reference is a simple act of ‘shitposting’ but may also reflect how another far-right terrorist, Anders Breivik, cited as an inspiration by Tarrant, claimed that Call of Duty, another popular video game franchise, improved his proficiency with firearms. Tarrant boats of receiving a ‘blessing’ from Breivik to carry out the attack.

Minutes before the massacre began, a post attributed to Brenton Tarrant, on 8chan began: “Well lads, it’s time to stop shitposting and time to make a real life effort post.” He added: “I have provided links to my my writings below, please do your part by spreading my message, making memes and shitposting as you usually do.”

The image choice is no accident either. It references the long-standing meme that Australians are more responsible for shitposting due to the difference in time zone, according to Know Your Meme.

Brenton Tarrant wanted to become a meme, to transcend beyond his own’ shitposting’, and ethnonationalist and Islamophobic views. Sections of the British media, however, helped further this desire by turning sections of his live stream into a GIF, a decision which went against the advice of the New Zealand police. The MailOnline even uploaded Tarrant’s entire manifesto for its readers to access.

Such actions demonstrate a deeper sense of self-awareness, by inserting other examples of ‘shitposting’ in his manifesto, like the Navy Seal Copypasta, Tarrant hopes to catch the media off-guard and to keep himself relevant in the ever-changing news cycle, by alluding to popular culture and individuals like PewDiePie and Candace Owens. With the latter, he adds: “The extreme actions she calls for are too much, even for my tastes.” A clearer example if any of his ‘shitposting’ to keep his actions and manifesto in the public eye.

But his ‘shitposting’ has a deeper and sinister intent: to draw others into the actual propaganda, from his ethnonationalist screeds to outright Islamophobic conspiracies of Islamisation, demographics, and the white supremacist myth of the “Great Removal”. The ideological inconsistencies speak of the neo-fascist ‘ third-way’ positions and heap praise on Anders Breivik and Oswald Mosley.

On Facebook, he uploaded a video of the widely debunked video on Muslim demographics and a clip from the television show Ugly Americans where the koala character Doug sets fire to a building, which has been a popular meme since 2013.

Cyrillic, Armenian and Georgian references to historical figures and events; and the phrase: “Here’s Your Migration Compact” appeared on one of the weapons.

Archives of his social media accounts include a plethora of examples of Tarrant using mainstream news sources to scaremonger over demographics and link Muslims more broadly to crimes like child sexual exploitation, with several references to high-profile trials in the UK and Finland, including the slogan “For Rotherham” which appeared on his gun. On Facebook, an article from the Daily Express concerning ‘Asian grooming gangs’ was shared.

Tell MAMA, has, for years now, documented how the far-right have continued to exploit high-profile criminal CSE convictions to push a divisive narrative about Muslims more broadly. Full Fact, a non-partisan fact-checking charity, reported in September 2017, that the government had not updated data on convictions for sexual offences since 2014, data which found that 81 per cent (where ethnicity data was available) of people convicted for such offences were white, 7 per cent were black and 9 per cent were Asian.

Videos shared on his Facebook included neo-Nazi propaganda which praised Oswald Mosley, with one such video, created by the Youtuber ‘You Kipper’ having almost two-hundred-thousand views.

Tarrant shared memes about the Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh. He also shared a meme which promoted the burning of a mosque. Both appeared on his timeline on March 12.

Like Alexandre Bissonnette, Tarrant swam through similar echo chambers. It’s no accident that Bissonnette’s name appears on one of his weapons.

Consistent with far-right/radical right parties, Islamophobic ideologues/groups, and neo-Nazis is Tarrant’s ideological and selective reading of European history. For example, a meme celebrating the murder of Muslim men, women, and children featuring Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia (aka Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Tepes), was shared on Tarrant’s Facebook. Academics argue that such imagery and language appeals to a chauvinistic form of identity politics which taps into ‘group-specific collective memories’ that are always hinted at and occasionally directly addressed. Anders Breivik, in his 760-page manifesto, envisioned creating a weapon to murder Muslims which was named after Tepes.

Music was also an important part of this terror attack, as the audio which played at the start of the live stream derives from a propaganda tribute to Radovan Karadžić, the Serbian general and convicted war criminal, who was responsible for the genocide of Muslims in Srebrenica in 1998. The ‘Serbia Strong’ video, known colloquially as ‘Stop Kebab’ has circulated on YouTube since at least 2008. A reference to ‘stopping kebabs’ appeared in his manifesto and on his gun. Other songs include the Initial D track ‘Gas Gas Gas’ and the remix “Grün ist Ünser Fallschirm” or Waffen SS Choir, an audiotrack popular among fascists on YouTube and Soundcloud.

He called on others to murder the Muslim Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and even made reference to the Finsbury Park terrorist Darren Osborne, spelt as Darren Osbourne.

As experts on far-right extremism in Australia have pointed out, the Australian Senate almost voted in favour of a bill which echoed far-right narratives about ‘anti-white racism’ last November.

His manifesto ends with the chilling reflection: “Do you feel any remorse for the attack”? the author asks self-referentially in the manifesto. “No. I only wish I could have killed more invaders, and more traitors as well.”

This act of Islamophobic terrorism was pre-planned for months, driven by a racist and hateful ideology, yet sections of the British press referred to him as a “smiling tot” and a “blond little boy”, which further demonstrate the need for such press to reflect on how terrorism against Muslims and other minorities from white perpetrators is framed. As Dr H.A. Hellyer tweeted: “I am losing count of the number of condemnations of this terrorist attack in that fail to mention the words “mosque” and “Muslim”. For goodness sakes: they were killed for being *Muslim*. Name it. Don’t pander to the far-right that led to this outrage.”

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 12876 Amazon removes Tommy Robinson’s book on Islam from sale https://tellmamauk.org/amazon-removes-tommy-robinsons-book-on-islam-from-sale/ Wed, 27 Feb 2019 11:08:11 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=12821 The online retail giant Amazon has removed copies of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon’s (Tommy Robinson) co-authored book...

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]]> The online retail giant Amazon has removed copies of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon’s (Tommy Robinson) co-authored book ‘Mohammed’s Koran: Why Muslims Kill For Islam’.

The book, first published in 2017, was available to purchase on February 25, 2018, but following Facebook’s decision to ban the far-right provocateur from its platform and Instagram yesterday, the book is no longer available.

Credit: Google Cache

To search for the book through Google brings up the notification that the page is ‘no longer functional’ on Amazon.

Nor can you find the book through Robinson’s author page on Amazon, as the listing remains unavailable. His book ‘Enemy of the State’, however, remains on sale.

Amazon states that products “that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views” are prohibited from sale.

Amazon also “reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of listings on its site, and remove any listing at any time.”

Facebook had warned Robinson that if he continued to break Community Guidelines on the platform, he risked having his personal and professional pages removed.

In a blog post, Facebook said: “When ideas and opinions cross the line and amount to hate speech that may create an environment of intimidation and exclusion for certain groups in society – in some cases with potentially dangerous offline implications – we take action. Tommy Robinson’s Facebook page has repeatedly broken these standards, posting material that uses dehumanizing language and calls for violence targeted at Muslims. He has also behaved in ways that violate our policies around organized hate.”

Posts which broke guidelines on hate speech included a post calling Muslims “filthy scum bags”, a post urging people to terrorise and behead those who follow the Qur’an, and a post which urged individuals to “make war” on Muslims.

Nor will Yaxley-Lennon be able to create new profiles or business pages on Facebook in the future.

YouTube remains the only major platform where Robinson remains active, despite the Google-owned video sharing platform de-monetising his channel for breaching advertising rules.

Last November, PayPal banned Yaxley-Lennon from its service, and Twitter banned him in March 2018.

Nor is ‘Mohammed’s Koran: Why Muslims Kill For Islam’ without heavy criticism.

The book is also unavailable from Waterstones.

UPDATE (13/03/2019): Foyles Bookshop has removed copies of the book from its website after Tell MAMA brought it to their attention.

 

 

 

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]]> 12821 Far-right target Lidl store with ‘Ban kosher halal’ and ‘Ban Islam’ graffiti https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-target-lidl-store-with-ban-kosher-halal-and-ban-islam-graffiti/ Wed, 29 Aug 2018 15:28:10 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=12222 An obscure far-right group has claimed responsibility after graffiti which called for the banning of...

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]]> An obscure far-right group has claimed responsibility after graffiti which called for the banning of halal and kosher meat appeared on the outer walls of a Lidl store in the Worcester area over the weekend.

Other graffiti on the store exterior included a call to ‘ban’ Islam which was signed off with ‘BRPI’ – the initialism for the British Renaissance Policy Institute.

BRPI

Credit: Facebook.

The BRPI was founded by the disgraced former UKIP parliamentary candidate Jack Sen in 2014, who then joined the racist, neo-fascist British National Party (BNP) in 2015, before leaving the party several months later. He published a book that year which featured chapters lifted from the notorious neo-Nazi hate site the Daily Stormer, along with a guest chapter from another notorious American neo-Nazi, Matthew Heimbach.

Mr Sen also helped to found British Resistance Party (BRP), which had, for a brief time, sat under the leadership of the Liverpool-based solicitor Joe Chiffers. Mr Chiffers was a parliamentary candidate for UKIP in Liverpool Riverside, gaining 2,500 votes in the 2015 General Election. He also served as chairmen for the BRPI.

Jack Sen also appeared on a Channel 4 documentary about the far-right earlier this year.

A failed Worcester City Council candidate and local organiser for the BNP, Carl Mason, was brought into the BRPI in 2014, and Mason also engaged with the BRP, according to local press in Worcester.

At 13:25 GMT on August 25, Mr Sen shared a post from the official BRPI page to a closed Facebook group called ‘British Politics’ about the graffiti, adding that “LIDL “TOLD” NOT TO SELL HALAL OR KOSHER BY OUR INDEPENDENT ACTIVISTS”.

The post which appeared on the closed Facebook group ‘British Politics’ concerning the graffiti.

Mr Sen also claimed that Lidl continues to stock halal and kosher meats, which is not true, as the official Twitter account @LidlUK has confirmed on multiple occasions that it does not stock these meats.

In July 2016, Lidl confirmed that its meats do not comply with strict halal standards, so, it would, therefore, be ‘misleading’ to label the products as such, since “all processes, production and transport must be regulated throughout the process” to be deemed halal-certified.

The statement from the BRPI ended that Mr Sen had nothing to do with him, as he longer occupies the leadership of the group, and the graffiti was carried out by members acting on their own volition.

Nor is this the first time that individuals linked to the BRPI have carried out Islamophobic stunts. Last year, re-appropriated BNP posters about ‘grooming gangs’ were distributed in Worcester. Other local BRPI activists in the Worcester area have worked with members of extreme far-right groups like the National Front.

Many users in the group condemned Sen’s post, adding, for example, that “If you were genuinely concerned about animal welfare you’d be calling on them to stop selling any meat.”

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> 12222 How the latest Tommy Robinson saga exposed the influence of foreign funding https://tellmamauk.org/how-the-latest-tommy-robinson-saga-exposed-the-influence-of-foreign-fundinghow-the-latest-tommy-robinson-saga-exposed-the-influence-of-foreign-funding/ Thu, 02 Aug 2018 13:37:42 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=12110 Tommy Robinson has been granted bail after a successful appeal quashed a contempt of court...

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]]> Tommy Robinson has been granted bail after a successful appeal quashed a contempt of court finding.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling highlighted various technical flaws by the judge who oversaw in the handling of the Leeds case which, did in part, relate to the speed of events that risked undermining procedural safeguards, noting a critical lack of adjournment in the case and the failure to contact the Attorney General.

The bail conditions placed upon Robinson prevent from going within 400 yards of Leeds Crown Court, and he will appear before the Old Bailey for a retrial for the contempt of court offence.

But as the Secret Barrister noted, the judgment was ‘a victory for the procedural rules, and a sharp reminder to the courts of the need to follow them.’

Robinson, charged under his real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was jailed in May after he admitted to contempt of court after filming trial proceedings outside Leeds Crown Court and streaming it to over 800,000 people on Facebook Live.

His actions could have caused two major trials to collapse.

As Judge Geoffrey Marson told Robinson in May, “I am not sure you appreciate the potential consequence of what you have done.”

Indeed, had Robinson caused a re-trial, it would have meant that witnesses and potential victims would face the ordeal of giving evidence to a new jury. The cost of any such trial would have been in the hundreds of thousands, according to Judge Mason.

His appeal against the contempt of court conviction in Canterbury, however, was dismissed.

Robinson’s interest in the Canterbury trial related more to the ‘ethnicity or religion of the defendants by contrast with the alleged victims’ than actual journalism. As Judge Heather Norton stated in her sentencing remarks, a legitimate journalist would never refer to defendants as “Muslim paedophile rapists” under strict liability rules given how such pejorative language only serves to prejudge such cases.

This continues to demonstrate how the polarising and conspiratorial rhetoric of Robinson and some of his supporters (in the UK and abroad) risks eroding trust in public institutions.

One such supporter of Robinson, who travelled from Wales to support him, told the Guardian that, “They want to silence him because he challenges the status quo.”

But none of this is true.

Robinson admitted breaching reporting restricting in Leeds Crown Court and admitted that he was in contempt of court at Canterbury Crown Court.

And for some in the self-styled ‘#FreeTommy’ movement, such admission of guilt is ignored or downplayed against this drumbeat of conspiracism. The criminally convicted are lionised and held to the same moral standard as Nelson Mandela, a modern-day freedom fighter of sorts, exonerated by history if you follow this logic. This argument was also put forward by Gerard Batten, the leader of UKIP, a man who is no stranger to making inflammatory comments about Islam, which includes an unapologetic belief that the religion is a ‘death cult’ and that Muslims should sign his “proposed charter of Muslim understanding”, first published in 2006. Batten has also spoken at ‘counter-jihad’ event in 2007 which featured a keynote speech from Robert Spencer, a man who remains banned from entering the UK due to his Islamophobic views.

It is rather telling that following his release from Onley Prison, Robinson told reporters: “All the British media do is lie. I have a lot to say but nothing to you.”

The official Facebook page of Robinson doubled-down on such rhetoric in a post which has been shared almost ten-thousand times suggests that the ‘corrupt fake news mainstream media’ had “spent the best part of 2 months writing horrible lies, slander and fake news not only about Tommy but also hard working people who support him.”

Tellingly, this post ends “The establishment tried to break him mentally and physically!”. But the establishment also corrected procedural errors to ensure fairness in the legal system, which is part of the very establishment Robinson rallies against, expressed in the language of the far-right populist politicians who lent Robinson their support.

The concept of ‘entrepreneurial populism’ may help us understand how Robinson and parts of his support base will praise and chastise public institutions when it proves expedient to do so.

Academics used this framework to analyse the rise of political figures like Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. But the paradoxes this form of populism presents can, in some way, help to explain the rise in support for Robinson (more so in Europe, the United States, and Australia as evidence suggests from social media analysis of the ‘#FreeTommy’ hashtag).

A key paradox of ‘entrepreneurial populism’ is that the person does not need to be trustworthy or even have strong moral credentials because the establishment and politicians are viewed as corrupt.

Trust, is, therefore, placed in the untrustworthy in “order to play a system whose institutions one does not trust but whose ideals and intentions are still trusted.” Hence why Robinson is able to portray himself as a journalist.

We have also observed how sections of Robinson’s support base has descended into violence and criminality, as sections of the crowd at a ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ rally in London on June 9 had attacked police officers with bottles, metal barriers and other objects. Violent disorder followed the June 16 protest where supporters of Robinson harassed and intimidated a female Muslim bus driver.

Recent events have also exposed the growing influence of support for Robinson abroad and the use of foreign money to cover his legal costs. But this is nothing new, and merely a question of scale.

Daniel Pipes, the president of the US-based conservative thinktank, the Middle East Forum (MEF), met with Robinson in Luton last year, months before the MEF sponsored two ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ rallies in London in June.

The claim came from Pipes himself during an interview with the website the Savvy Street, which appeared online on June 5, 2017.

When asked about recent Robinson’s imprisonment, Pipes replied: “I spent much of a day with Tommy in December 2017 as he took me around his hometown of Luton,” adding that he considered him a knowledgeable ‘leader’.

The MEF also funded the successful legal defence of Geert Wilders in 2010 and 2011 against Dutch charges of inciting racial hatred.

Raheem Kassam, the one-time editor-in-chief of Breitbart London, failed Ukip leadership candidate, a former advisor to Nigel Farage, and Senior Fellow for the Gatestone Institute, an anti-Muslim think tank, told AFP last month that he was working to make Robinson’s case an international event. He said: “When the left see an injustice, it rallies an international caucus of people together… and we don’t do that enough on our side.”

Kassam characterised Islam as a “fascistic and totalitarian ideology” on the BBC’s flagship Radio 4’s Today programme when defending Robinson on August 2.

Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, defended Robinson on LBC radio, describing him off-mic as “the backbone” of Britain.

Robinson had received upwards of £20,000 in Bitcoin donations following his short stint in prison from supporters abroad.  His official social media accounts also grew in popularity.

Nor is this the first time that American donors, named in multiple reports concerning the ‘Islamophobia network’ in the United States, have solicited donations from their supporters to aid Robinson’s multiple legal issues. In 2011, for example, the Gates of Vienna blog asked readers to donate money to Robinson through the EDL’s official bank account on September 8, 2011.

Following his arrest and subsequent conviction for entering the United States on a false passport in September 2012, it emerged that Robinson had flown back to London under the name of Paul Harris – the legitimate name on his passport.

Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer used their blogs to encourage their supporters to donate to his legal funds. Donations to Robinson’s legal fund came from Stop the Islamization of America and the American Freedom Defense Initiative, both founded by Geller in 2010. Robinson had sat on the President’s Council of Stop Islamization of Nations (SION) in 2012, alongside Geller, Spencer, and others, following their event in Stockholm that year.

Support also came from the anti-Muslim ‘Bare Naked Islam’ blog.

This new-found support offered to Robinson, however,  by the MEF, appears larger in scale, and included fundraising for his legal fees (through the Legal Project), and political support, hence why Geert Wilders of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands, and US Congressman Paul Gosar (Republican of Arizona), both spoke at the June 9 rally.

Gosar tweeted at Donald Trump to raise his concerns about the treatment of Robinson on June 13 and spoke at the ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ rally in London two days later.

Perhaps a larger curiosity, however, was the MEF’s promise of diplomatic support for Robinson, which may help to explain why Sam Brownback, the US Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, is said to have complained to the British ambassador in Washington D.C. following lobbying from Breitbart, according to Reuters, an accusation Brownback denies.

Donald Trump Jr also tweeted about Robinson’s apparent mistreatment in May – demonstrating how the conviction of Tommy Robinson has caused ripples in North America.

Before news of Robinson’s imprisonment had spread in May 2018, there was little to no reference to the ex-EDL leader, on the Twitter accounts of the MEF or Mr Pipes.

Pipes signed a petition calling for the release of Robinson and encouraged others to sign it on May 26 and tweeted a portion of the of the Savvy Street interview concerning his trip to Luton to meet with Robinson.

The MEF Twitter account had tweeted about Robinson on September 11, 2015, with an external link to a Breitbart article concerning Robinson’s departure from the EDL.

Pipes remains a controversial figure. In 1990, he wrote: “West European societies are unprepared for the massive immigration of brown-skinned peoples cooking strange foods and not exactly maintaining Germanic standards of hygiene.” Years later, he attempted to clarify this sentence, suggesting that he was trying to reflect the thinking of European leaders, not his own. A blog published in 1997 included the sentence, “Antisemitism, historically a Christian phenomenon, is now primarily a Muslim phenomenon — and not just in the Middle East, but right here in the United States.”

In 2002, Pipes’ Campus Watch came in for criticism after allegedly publishing ‘dossiers’ on US-based academics and their views on political Islam and Palestine, according to a New York Times article published that year.

Pipes has propagated falsehoods relating to so-called ‘no-go-zones’ and indulged the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was a Muslim in his youth. He wrote in defence of various European far-right political parties in Europe, including Marine Le Pen’s National Front (now rebranded as the French Rassemblement).

The overtures from Steve Bannon towards Robinson may prove part of his wider strategy (however inflated or wishful), to launch a new far-right think tank in Europe.

From the political failures of British Freedom Party to the limited reach of Pegida UK, and his departure from Rebel Media earlier this year, puts Robinson at somewhat of a crossroads with an impending re-trial hanging over him, and the ‘#FreeTommy’ movement may mobilise again.

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]]> 12110 Far-right group targets famous statues in ‘ban the burqa’ protest https://tellmamauk.org/far-right-group-targets-famous-statues-in-ban-the-burqa-protest/ Tue, 26 Jun 2018 14:43:54 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=11797 Activists from the far-right identitarian movement Generation Identity covered various female statues in the UK...

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]]> Activists from the far-right identitarian movement Generation Identity covered various female statues in the UK and Ireland over the weekend, calling for a ban on the burqa.

The group covered statues of women with makeshift niqabs in London, Manchester, Bath, Folkestone, Canterbury, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Dublin. Signs which read ‘Is this the future you want?’ were placed on each statue.

Local Muslims condemned the stunt in Belfast, with Naomi Green of the Belfast Islamic Centre arguing that the ‘dangerous stunt’ was proof of their ‘paranoid nonsense’ about Muslims and Islam. She added that the group sought to cause division where none had existed before.

Deprived of a voice on Facebook, Generation Identity continues to use Twitter without much censure, a tweet about its latest stunt gained hundreds of retweets and ‘likes’.

Generation Identity

Credit: @GID_UKIRE

The platform has been slow to respond to criticism and has, in recent months, suspended the accounts of more high-profile users from the far-right.

Facebook confirmed to the i newspaper that it had permanently banned the group, citing its policy on extremist content but Twitter has not taken a similar stance despite the fact that the @GID_England account tweeted last year, “Islam rears it’s ugly head in Barcelona, many innocents injured or dead. Reconquista now more important than ever. #BarcelonaTerrorAttack.”

The Reconquista (reconquest) reflects a dark period of Spanish history, where the crown sought to violently expand its empire by reclaiming parts of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim hands. This conflict gained religious papacy in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and morphed into a crusade against Islam. As the historian, Joseph Callaghan argues, there was a continuation of ‘territorial aggrandisement’ throughout twelfth-century Spain. Others point out how the ideology of the reconquest united the Iberian Christians against a fragmented Muslim leadership.

The forced expulsion of Jews by the Spanish crown in 1492 was repeated centuries later with the expulsion of 300,000 Moriscos – Muslims who had nominally converted to Christianity after the surrender of Granada in 1492, after more than a century of discrimination and marginalisation which included the banning of the Arabic script by royal decree in 1508. For Dr Elizabeth Drayson, at the University of Cambridge, the completion of the Reconquista had “ended seven centuries in which Christians, Jews and Muslims had, for the most part, lived peacefully and profitably together.”

Some have also questioned the historiography which surrounds the reconquest in Spain. But the radical and far-right are often guilty of creating their own historiography in an effort to reshape public memory by placing certain events in a modern and misleading narrative about Islam and Europe. So, it should come as no surprise that Generation Identity sought to link this historical event and anti-Muslim violence and discrimination to the modern era.

Generation Identity’s use of food banks and stunts aim to occupy a space in a far-right scene where the likes of Tommy Robinson and the leadership of Britain First are in prison. The proscription of National Action (and its affiliates) along with the jailing of its key members for criminal offences has also created a vacuum for neo-Nazi groups like the System Resistance Network to occupy. Ukip, meanwhile, has accepted the membership of individuals linked to the so-called ‘alt-right’ and ‘alt-light’, a marked shift from the outwardly Islamophobic posturing of the party under the leadership of controversial MEP Gerard Batten, who continues to argue that Islam is a ‘death cult’. Some are concerned that the far-right will seek to re-organise around the ‘Free Tommy’ movement

Generation Identity in the UK and Ireland has a small base benefits from slick social media and ease of media coverage about its activities. Others have been critical about the coverage of Generation Identity in the Sunday Times last month, with the print edition wrongly using the headline, ‘Heil Hipsters’.

The Home Office has denied entry to four activists from Generation Identity. One member, however, who remains banned from entering the UK, Tore Rasmussen, has now found a base in Dublin, Ireland, according to a report in the Times. On June 12, Rasmussen tweeted, “You can’t make this sh*t up; Inbreeding is now the number one killer of Pakistanis in London.” He used the hashtag ‘#CulturalEnrichment’ to attack multiculturalism. This ironic use of the hashtag is popular among the broader far-right online to chastise multiculturalism and demean marginalised groups as inherently violent or culturally menacing.

An online petition, made by the Generation Identity, makes the racialised and offensive claim, “Eventually, you would be able to mistake some places In the UK for areas of Saudi Arabia or Iran.”

The ideology of Generation Identity is rooted in ethnopluralism. In short, this old idea rejects multiculturalism and instead favours segregation along ethnic and cultural lines through geographic distance, in the belief that mixing of groups will result in cultural extinction – hence their obsession with the ‘great replacement’. This belief is grounded in the construction of various threats to their group identity, which is reliant upon not just the ‘othering’ of Muslims and refugees, but in its rejection of political elites and institutions like the European Union, believing that such entities hinder their ethnopluralist aspirations.

A key aim of ethnopluralism, as argued by other academics, is one of expulsion, which may explain their obsession with a racialised framing of demographics under the hashtag ‘#StopTheGreatReplacement’. Others argue that ideas around ‘ethno-identity’ are replacing traditional concepts of nationalism.

Again, activists claim the group is not opposed to individual Muslims, citing that it remains hostile to the nebulous concept of ‘Islamification’ or ‘Islamisation’. But again, other activists shatter this claim, with some using social media to blame Muslims for child sexual exploitation.

The concerning restrictions on religious freedoms when it concerns the niqab or burqa have expanded to other parts of Europe in recent months. Denmark, Norway, and now the Netherlands now have some form of public ban.

This provocative series of stunts from Generation Identity aims to reframe an ongoing debate, a debate the current government has always rejected, with Theresa May, who said last year: “what a woman wears is a woman’s choice”. And to boost its media profile despite its small base of support. The nature of the co-ordination, however, in this latest series of stunts is concerning.

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]]> 11797 Neo-Nazis distribute ‘P*ki rape gangs’ poster in Cardiff https://tellmamauk.org/neo-nazis-distribute-pki-rape-gangs-poster-in-cardiff/ Fri, 16 Mar 2018 13:38:17 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=11356 Neo-Nazis from the System Resistance Network, a small and relatively new group, have targeted buildings...

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]]> Neo-Nazis from the System Resistance Network, a small and relatively new group, have targeted buildings in a diverse area of Cardiff, Wales.

Greg Pycroft tweeted photos of the vandalism, adding that it was a “sad, sorry sight”.

One incendiary poster targets Muslims by linking them to ‘rape gangs’ and uses the racial epithet ‘P*ki’.

In a statement to the BBC, Cardiff Council confirmed that it was working with South Wales Police to remove the offending graffiti and posters.

Alex Cutler tweeted that a System Resistance Network poster appeared on a window for an African restaurant.

The group has targeted parts of Cardiff before.

The System Resistance Network has targeted LGBT+, Jewish, and refugees with menacing posters in Southampton, Dundee, and Cambridge in August and December 2017.

It takes inspiration from National Action in its propaganda style, use of graffiti, and in its use of encrypted email services to recruit. It had operated under the previous name Vanguard Britannia which took inspiration from the American neo-Nazi group Vanguard America.

Tell MAMA and Faith Matters have been monitoring their activities since its re-branding.

We are concerned that the group may seek to re-brand itself once again to circumvent any legal or governmental response. Its account on the social-network website Gab have been deleted. The group’s account on Bitchute, a peer-to-peer content sharing platform, have also been removed, as the group’s main website is under redevelopment.

As with other neo-Nazi groups, the System Resistance Network has done propaganda outreach through by giving food to homeless people in an undisclosed location, in a propaganda video published in December 2017, which juxtaposed this outreach work with audio from a speech by Adolf Hitler.

 

 

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]]> 11356 Britain First leader and deputy leader guilty of anti-Muslim hate crimes https://tellmamauk.org/britain-first-leader-deputy-leader-guilty-anti-muslim-hate-crimes/ Wed, 07 Mar 2018 16:49:48 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=11235 The leadership of the far-right group Britain First have been found guilty of religiously aggravated...

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]]> The leadership of the far-right group Britain First have been found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment.

Paul Golding, 36, the leader of Britain First, was convicted of one count of religiously aggravated harassment, as Jayda Fransen, 32, the deputy leader, was convicted of three counts of religiously aggravated harassment.

The verdicts were handed down today (March 7) at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court.

Tell MAMA now calls on Facebook to remove the account of Britain First which boasts more than 2 million ‘likes’ following this verdict.

The court heard how Mr Golding and Ms Fransen confronted people they believed were the defendants in an ongoing rape trial last May. All the people harassed were innocent members of the public.

They filmed the abuse and placed the video footage on the Britain First website and through their social media channels.

One such video featured Ms Fransen confronting one of the rapists, Tamin Rahmani, but misidentified his brother, Faiz, as Shershah Muslimyar, who was later convicted in September 2017 alongside three others.

Faiz Rahmani spoke of his fear in court after wrongly being labelled a ‘Muslim rapist’. According to Mr Rahmani, Ms Fransen said that ‘Muslims rape British kids’.

Mr Rahmani’s partner, Kelli Best, gave evidence in court, attributing the loss of her daughter, who was born stillborn, to the racial abuse Ms Fransen directed at her in her home.

In evidence, Best said that Fransen’s racist remarks included: ‘Dirty Muslim rapist, come out, we’re not going to leave until you’re gone, come out. Dirty scumbags.’

Mr Rahmani told the court that he lost his job as a result of the campaign, having also been shunned by his peers.

Another witness, Elena Viraq, who was in the pizza shop when Fransen and Golding arrived, claimed the incident ruined her family’s life.

The judge said: “This was a campaign not to highlight a terrible rape but a campaign to draw attention to the race, religion and immigrant background of the defendants.”

He added that their words and actions “demonstrated hostility” towards Muslims.

Jaswant Narwal, from the CPS, said: “The prosecution case demonstrated these defendants were not merely exercising their right to free speech but were instead aiming religiously-aggravated abuse at innocent members of the public. The victims suffered the distress of the abuse followed by additional stress when the footage was uploaded to the internet.”

Fransen, who gained added infamy after being retweeted by Donald Trump on November 29,2017, was previously convicted of religiously aggravated harassment in November 2016 after abusing a Muslim woman in Luton during a self-styled ‘Christian Patrol’ in January 2016. She was slated to appear Belfast Magistrates’ Court on April 6 over comments allegedly made during a Britain First rally last summer.

Paul Golding was jailed in December for six weeks after breaching a High Court order preventing him from entering any mosque in England and Wales. Following his release from prison, Golding threatened ‘traitor’ politicians and journalists in a video uploaded to the Britain First website and social media channels.

The group, which has never discarded its ‘street defence’ image, took its members on an ‘activist training camp’ in the Welsh mountains in June 2016. Members were said to have learned self-defence, martial arts, knife defence, and basic survival skills. The group held a similar training camp for self-defence combat sports in April 2014.

 

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]]> 11235 At least 950 attacks on Muslims reported in Germany in 2017 https://tellmamauk.org/least-950-attacks-muslims-reported-germany-2017/ Sat, 03 Mar 2018 22:43:02 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=11194 BERLIN (Reuters) – German authorities registered at least 950 attacks on Muslims and Muslim institutions...

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]]> BERLIN (Reuters) – German authorities registered at least 950 attacks on Muslims and Muslim institutions such as mosques in 2017, the Neue Osnabrueckner Zeitung reported in Saturday editions, citing data provided to lawmakers by the Interior Ministry.

The ministry said 33 people were injured in the attacks, of which 60 were directed against mosques, some involving pig’s blood, the newspaper reported.

No data were available for comparisons since the ministry only began separately collecting data about anti-Islamic attacks – as opposed to anti-migrant attacks – in 2017.

Nearly all those responsible for the attacks were right-wing extremists, the data showed, according to the newspaper.

Aiman Mazyek, who heads the Central Council of Muslims, told the paper the number of attacks on Muslims and Muslim facilities was likely much higher given that many authorities were not yet monitoring anti-Islamic incidents specifically and victims often failed to make police reports.

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]]> 11194 Britain is facing serious far-right terrorism threat, top UK officer https://tellmamauk.org/britain-is-facing-serious-far-right-terrorism-threat-top-uk-officer/ Tue, 27 Feb 2018 03:07:08 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=11155 LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Britain faces a new and significant threat from organised far-right...

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]]> LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Britain faces a new and significant threat from organised far-right terrorism, the UK’s most senior counter-terrorism officer said on Monday as he revealed police had foiled four plots by right-wing extremists in the last year.

“The right-wing terrorist threat is more significant and more challenging than perhaps public debate gives it credit for,” Mark Rowley, London’s Assistant Commissioner, told reporters.

Britain has been a prime target for homegrown and foreign Islamist militants since the 2001 attacks on the United States. But Rowley said until the last two years, far-right activity was limited to unpleasant protests and hate crimes, with serious incidents limited to the actions of isolated individuals.

The full transcript of the speech made by AC Mark Rowley can be read HERE

The MI5 domestic spy agency are now involved in investigating the far-right and he warned that British groups were seeking links with international extremists.

“It’s a significant part of the terrorist threat. Right-wing terrorism wasn’t previously organised here,” Rowley said.

“There are many Western countries that have extreme right-wing challenges and in quite a number of those the groups we are worried about here are making connections with them and networking,” he said, declining to give further details because it was a new, live intelligence phenomenon.

Last year, there were five deadly militants attacks in Britain including one carried out by a man who drove a van into worshippers leaving a London mosque after developing a hatred of Muslims by reading extreme right-wing material online.

The previous year, a Nazi-obsessed loner murdered lawmaker Jo Cox in a frenzied street attack a week before the referendum on the European Union. Since then, Britain has banned National Action and two other spin-off groups, the first extremist right-wing organisations to be outlawed since the 1940s.

“COMMITTED TO VIOLENCE”

“For the best part of 18 months in the UK we have a homegrown, white supremacist, neo-Nazi terrorist organisation that is pursuing all the ambitions of any other terrorist organisation committed to violence,” Rowley said.

“That should be a matter of great concern for all of us.”

Since the first of the 2017 deadly attacks last March, Rowley said police had foiled 10 Islamist conspiracies and four far-right plots, although he said he could not provide details of these as they were subject to ongoing court cases.

To show the overall scale of the threat Britain faced, he said there were 600 terrorism investigations currently ongoing involving more than 3,000 suspects.

Over the last three years, terrorism arrests had doubled while in the same period some 2,000 people have been referred to the government’s counter-radicalisation Prevent programme, with a third of these over far-right concerns, he said.

Rowley, who next month steps down from the role he took on in 2014, said Islamist and far-right extremists were a toxic combination, feeding off each other and pursuing the same agenda of division, fear and hatred.

He reiterated British concern about extremists’ use of the internet and said he expected technology and internet firms would react to a mixture of persuasion and regulation as the banking sector had done.

He also said it was important that an agreement struck with the European Union for when Britain leaves the bloc in 2019 did not damage relations with their European colleagues.

“Whatever the arrangements, we need something that provides at least a good a platform for cooperation as we have today,” he said.

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]]> 11155 Darren Osborne guilty of Finsbury Park terror attack https://tellmamauk.org/darren-osborne-guilty-of-finsbury-park-terror-attack/ Thu, 01 Feb 2018 17:28:01 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=11078 An anti-Muslim terrorist has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder after launching a...

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]]> An anti-Muslim terrorist has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder after launching a terror attack on Muslims in Finsbury Park last June during Ramadan.

It took the jury just 59 minutes to find Darren Osborne, 48, guilty of the murder of Makram Ali, 51, and the attempted murder of nine others.

The 48-year-old had a ‘warped’ hatred of Muslims which was rooted in the ‘material he had watched on TV and online’, according to Jonathan Rees QC for the prosecution. The online materials were from far-right sources which included circulars distributed by Tommy Robinson, the founder and ex-leader of the English Defence League, via the far-right Canadian outlet Rebel Media.

Mr Osborne had used internet searches for Britain First and the English Defence League. He used Twitter to engage with the deputy leader of Britain First, Jayda Fransen, via an automated direct message.

One internet search took him to a misleading article headlined “Proof: Muslims celebrated terror attack in London” on the Infowars website.

Devices used by Mr Osborne, which included two iPhones and an iPad revealed that Osborne searched out various tweets, one such tweet, made by Tommy Robinson two days before the Finsbury Park attack read: “Where was the day of rage after the terrorist attacks. All I saw was lighting candles.”

Following the London Bridge terror attack, Mr Osborne is said to have browsed a tweet which read: “We have to go back to Churchill, Churchill never told us to hold vigils and sing songs, he told us to fight.”

Within hours of that attack, Osborne researched more Britain First materials online, and the murder of Christians in the Philippines.

For his long-term partner of twenty years, Sarah Andrews, however, Osborne was an ‘unpredictable’ man, who she had never considered a racist until he watched the BBC drama Three Girls in May. He then began research far-right materials online. In her mind, the documentary had such an impact on Mr Osborne that she likened it to a form of ‘brainwashing’, according to the judge.

His outward hostility towards Muslims meant that his daughter stopped bringing her Muslims friends home to visit.

But when it came to hiring the large Luton box van in Cardiff on 17 June, he was described as “polite and well-mannered”.

The outward hostility and racial hatred of Muslims Mr Osborne displayed at home would resurface again two days before the attack. At Hollybush Pub in Pentwyn, near Cardiff, Osborne burst into paroxysms of anti-Muslim rhetoric, stating that ‘all’ Muslims ‘were terrorists’ and that he was going to ‘kill all Muslims’, according to Callum Spence.

Mr Spence, a Royal Engineer, told the court that Osborne had mumbled ‘all our families are going to be Muslim. They are all going to be terrorists.’ He then claimed to be a serving soldier but could not disclose to Mr Spence which regiment he belonged to, insisting that he ‘will find out tomorrow’.

Andrew Parker, the landlord of the Hollybush pub, described Osborne’s ‘agitated’ state, adding that he ranted about Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party.

Osborne approached the bar and requested a pen as he ‘wanted to send a letter to Parliament’. CCTV footage presented to the jury showed Osborne writing a note which would later appear in the van following the attack.

The letter included statements about ‘feral’ and ‘inbred raping Muslim men’ who are ‘hunting in packs preying on our children’. He appended this section of the letter with a racist statement about Muslims ‘climbing’ back on ‘ya camels’.

He vented about the child sexual exploitation scandal in Rotherham, directing his rage at Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, whom, like some sections of the UK press, insisted that he was a ‘terrorist sympathiser’. The letter also blamed London Mayor Sadiq Khan for the terror attacks last year.

The ideological curve is most apparent when Osborne wrote: “islams ideology doesn’t belong here & neither does Sharia law.”

He expressed his desire to kill Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan, adding that killing the Mayor of London would be akin to a ‘lottery win’. To kill Jeremy Corbyn in Mr Osborne’s mind would mean ‘one less terrorist on our streets’. Another target was the Rochdale Labour councillor Aftab Hussain.

His original target was the ‘Al-Quds Day’ march, on June 18, expecting that Mr Corbyn would attend. Mr Osborne changed targets after road closures prevented from being close to the march. He then drove to Forest Hill, south London, asking a member of the public where the nearest mosque was at around 20:00 pm.

Learning that no such mosque existed in the area, he settled on Finsbury Park and was able to follow a motorist to the location in under thirty minutes.

When Osborne took the stand, he offered none of the racist bravado or conspiracy theories he spoke of days earlier. Here was a man who attempted to blame the attack on a man named ‘Dave’. The prosecution argued that his contradictory statements were proof of a ‘fabricated’ defence from a man who lacked the ‘courage of his convictions’.

This pattern of calculating behaviour is consistent with his statements given in the immediate aftermath of the terror attack.

Footage from the body camera of PC David Jones, the attending officer who is said to have handcuffed Mr Osborne in the aftermath of the attack, confirmed that Osborne was the sole driver and that Mr Osborne had claimed to have ‘lost control’ of the vehicle. He added that he had drunk a ‘couple of pints’ before the attack.

The loss of control and consumption of alcohol were proven false. Osborne had no trace of alcohol in his system, despite being described as a ‘functioning alcoholic’ who had been out of work for years and had previous convictions for violence. A ‘ticking time-bomb’ to some.

The injuries Makram Ali sustained after collapsing were described as ‘catastrophic’ as the Home Office pathologist Dr Simon Poole believed that Mr Ali was still alive when Osborne struck.

A group of Muslim men, dressed in traditional Islamic clothing, rushed over to assist, when Osborne struck again, injuring nine.

Commander Dean Haydon, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “From our investigation, it was clear that Osborne had planned to come to London with the intention of carrying out an attack against the Muslim community.

“Only he will know, but if Osborne’s aim was to create divisions and hate between communities, then from what I have seen, he has failed in that respect. The way that the local community in Finsbury Park – of all faiths and backgrounds – came together was astounding and this reaction was the same across London and the UK.”

Sue Hemming, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Darren Osborne planned and carried out this attack because of his hatred of Muslims. He must now face the consequences of his actions.”

It would be short-sighted, however, to frame Osborne’s act of murderous terror as a response to terrorism or even child sexual exploitation.

His murderous intent was ideological, believing Islam to be an ideology which is incompatible with the UK, and calling for the banning of Sharia Law, arguments unrelated to either event. Osborne wanted to be a martyr for his ideological beliefs. He tried and failed to flee the scene, shouting: “I want to kill more Muslims”.

In short, Darren Osborne’s ideological conviction to ‘kill all Muslims’ went beyond words and turned into an act of terror which left one man dead and left others injured. The Prime Minister remains correct in her assessment that anti-Muslim hatred is a form of extremism.

The pathway to radicalisation is not linear but Osborne’s trajectory towards such thinking and actions in a few short weeks is alarming but not uncommon. Perhaps owing to how the violent rhetoric of some which trade complexities for binaries of racial division and hatred can overwhelm more vulnerable minds. There is a growing awareness among experts about the role mental health can play in the radicalisation process.

The ease in which Osborne accessed such hateful materials online is not a call for censorship but a call for an honest discussion about how the far-right continues to exploit sections of the internet. For example, Britain First reaped the benefits of a verification badge on Twitter, before its long overdue suspension from the platform. The extremist far-right movement still benefits from a verified Facebook profile.

In our 2016 annual report, titled A Constructed Threat: Identity, Intolerance and the Impact of Anti-Muslim Hatred, we called on social media platforms and search engine providers to do more to tackle the scourge of far-right extremism online. For example, we called on Google to “review how far-right websites are cheating its search algorithm through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve their rankings on stories related to crime, sexual exploitation, and terrorism”.

He will be sentenced tomorrow morning.

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]]> 11078 Generation Identity England tried to intimidate Didsbury Mosque but got mocked instead https://tellmamauk.org/generation-identity-england-didsbury-mosque/ Tue, 16 Jan 2018 12:54:59 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=11027 The latest recruitment efforts from the English branch of the pan-European Generation Identity movement has...

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]]> The latest recruitment efforts from the English branch of the pan-European Generation Identity movement has become a source of social media mockery.

On the morning of January 13, the @GenIdentEngland account tweeted, “Activists from Generation Identity pay a visit to the famed Didsbury mosque,” where an activist is photographed placing a sticker on the perimeter wall which reads, “Constant State of Terror?”.

This tweet, however, while drawing some support, did also encounter derision. One user replied: “What bravery. Instead of knocking on the door and talk to people about their views. You put up a poster.”

The official Twitter account of Didsbury Mosque then replied that “the quality of the poster paper was outstanding,” including a GIF of an animated sheep pointing its thumbs upwards.

Tell MAMA has passed the incident to contacts in Greater Manchester Police to investigate.

Between May 2013 and June 2017, we documented in an infographic, 167 incidents against Islamic institutions in the UK.

Our interactive incident map continues to document incidents against such incidents that have been in the public domain.

The radical right, which includes Generation Identity England, use ethnopluralism in opposition to multiculturalism and pluralism. In short, this old idea argues for segregation along ethnic and cultural lines through geographic distance, in the belief that mixing of groups will result in cultural extinction. This belief is grounded in the construction of various threats to their identity, it requires not just the ‘othering’ of Muslims and refugees, but it rejects political elites and institutions like the European Union, believing such entities are impediments to the realisation of their ethnopluralist aspirations. A key aim of ethnopluralism, as argued by other academics, is one of expulsion. Other research argues that ideas around ‘ethno-identity’ are replacing traditional concepts of nationalism in these political spaces.

Tell MAMA has highlighted other recent examples of Generation Identity stickers in other parts of the UK and Ireland.

It is, therefore, no surprise, that the first major student of Generation Identity England was to unveil a banner which promotes the conspiracy theory of ‘Islamisation’. An ITV investigation has also documented how members of this group have taken part in training camps in Europe.

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