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Police make arrests as neo-Nazi “White Pride” marchers perform Nazi salutes on the streets of Edinburgh

Nazi salutes were performed on the streets of central Edinburgh on Saturday during a neo-Nazi “White Pride” march by the far-right National Front.

Ailean Beaton, a student journalist living in Edinburgh, posted a short video showing at least two men raising their right arms in the air to make a Nazi salute outside the Tron Kirk.

According to local media, police estimated that up to 40 far-right activists participated in the march, with approximately 400 counter-protesters following them shouting “Nazi scum, off our streets.”

Police made ten arrests at the demonstrations at Hunters Square and the Royal Mile. Three of the arrests were for religiously-aggravated offences and the remainder for minor public order offences.

Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the overwhelming response from the Edinburgh community to counter the march and to send a strong message against racism. We also welcome the intervention by Police Scotland and will follow the matter with interest.

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Palestine Solidarity Campaign speaker calls on Jews to “overcome” suffering of the Holocaust

A speaker at Monday’s demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Downing Street told Palestine Solidarity Campaign supporters that Jews should “overcome” the trauma of the Holocaust. Calling on Jews to abandon Zionism, Bruce Kent, a former priest who is now Honorary Vice President of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, told protesters that a “guilt complex” over the Holocaust is something that “inspires people in the wrong direction” when it comes to Israel.

A video captured by a JC reporter showed him saying: “The trouble is that many of us suffer from a guilt complex, certainly at my age. My wife’s great-aunt was cooped up a Berlin suburb in 1942, put in a railway carriage and taken for five days and five nights without any food or water of any sort, then put in a gas chamber. The memory is something that inspires people in the wrong direction. We have all had terrible sufferings in history – all of us. But we actually have to overcome that and start to live like human beings together. I believe it is perfectly possible. And I think there are many many Jewish people — Jews for Justice [for Palestine] for one — who know this perfectly well. To be a Jew is not to be a Zionist. That’s a different qualification.”

We are appalled that Bruce Kent expects Jews or anyone else to “overcome” the trauma of the Holocaust. It cannot be overcome, and one of its principal lessons is that Jews absolutely must have the right to self-determination, as embodied in the state of Israel. Since its establishment it has been the one country that offers persecuted Jews from around the world unconditional safe haven. Israel is the place from which Judaism originates and where half of the world’s Jewish population lives. It is the religious and cultural heart of Judaism. It is prejudiced to expect Jews to renounce all connection to Israel or be judged to be in some way deficient.

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Demonstrators call for destruction of Israel outside Downing Street, one woman equates Israeli Prime Minister with Nazis

Demonstrators protesting a visit by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to Downing Street have been caught engaging in antisemitism.

One woman protested against Mr Netanyahu’s visit with a placard calling him a “Nazi yob murderer” and was ordered to take it down after she was pointed out to police by members of Sussex Friends of Israel attending a large rally held by the Zionist Federation of Great Britain at the entrance to Downing Street welcoming Mr Netanyahu. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is antisemitic. When a reporter from Jewish News, Justin Cohen, asked her to comment and told her which publication he was from, she allegedly told him to “F*** off”.

The protesters could also be heard chanting “From the River [Jordan] to the [Mediterranean] Sea, Palestine will be free,” which only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the Jewish state and its replacement with a Palestinian state. Under the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” is antisemitic.

At a similar demonstration against a visit by Mr Netanyahu in 2015 a protester waved pennies at Jews telling them that “[Money] is all you know”, another protester called for a new Holocaust, and at least three men were seen flying the flag of genocidal antisemitic terrorist organisation Hizballah.

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UCL investigation into violent antisemitic protest finds faults, now UCL must fix them

University College London (UCL) has today published the report of its investigation into a violent antisemitic protest last October.

The protest against the presence of an Israeli speaker at the university reportedly resulted in three female students being assaulted, whilst protesters surrounded and trapped attendees despite efforts by university security and police to separate them from the protesters. At one point protesters jumped through a window to confront the terrified audience of predominantly Jewish students.

Campaign Against Antisemitism submitted a formal complaint to UCL’s Provost, Professor Michael Arthur, over the protest and the antisemitic tweets of Yahya Abu Seido, President of UCLU Friends of Palestine Society.

Professor Arthur commissioned Professor Geraint Rees, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Life Sciences to investigate, and Campaign Against Antisemitism provided input into the investigation.

The investigation upheld our complaint with the following findings:

  • Those connected with the protest stirred up hatred through the “wide circulation on social media of an inflammatory message”;
  • “Some individuals at UCL and from at least four other institutions…planned to prevent the event taking place; created a hostile, aggressive and intimidatory atmosphere; and conducted their protest noisily and aggressively such that many students, staff and other attendees felt intimidated by their behaviour”;
  • Protesters who jumped through the windows “intentionally disrupted and interfered” with the event;
  • A protester “engaged in physically aggressive behaviour towards attendees that included attempting to block entry…and pushing a female attendee necessitating police intervention”;
  • The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” calls for the destruction of the state of Israel, and as such is antisemitic under the International Definition of Antisemitism;
  • Students were intimidated by shouts of “Shame!” from the protesters as they left the event;
  • UCL failed to “adequately protect freedom of expression on campus”, including “an initial failure to accurately assess and report risk” and failures on the day of the event including that “a perimeter was not secured around the ultimate venue and the windows were not secured prior to use of the venue”; and
  • Statements by UCL and the Students’ Union stated that the protests were peaceful when this was clearly contrary to the evidence.

In our interactions with Professor Rees, we recommended that he propose various measures, some of which he has adopted.

Five students have been referred for disciplinary action. We have stressed the importance of disciplinary action in this area being firm, swift and transparent, recalling the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee findings. Additionally Professor Rees has proposed new rules for visitors to UCL, which are needed to prevent intimidation by outsiders against whom UCL has limited recourse. He also called for loudspeakers to be banned in protests near contentious events.

Whilst Professor Rees has called for various rule changes, they are not specific and we are now writing to UCL to propose that the International Definition be adopted by for disciplinary purposes, that future contentious events be monitored by members of staff with recording equipment, and that those who engage in intimidation be referred to the police whenever crimes are committed.

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CAA reports antisemitic tweets by ringleader of ‘violent’ UCL protest to police and university

Campaign Against Antisemitism has referred the leader of a ‘violent’ protest at UCL last week to the Metropolitan Police Service and UCL over antisemitic tweets which have come to light.

The protest last Thursday against the presence of an Israeli speaker at the university reportedly resulted in three female students being assaulted, whilst protesters surrounded and trapped attendees despite efforts by university security and police to separate them from the protesters. At one point protesters jumped through a window to confront the terrified audience of predominantly Jewish students.

Now, Campaign Against Antisemitism has contacted the police and the university regarding security at the event, the conduct of the protesters, and in particular their leader, UCLU Friends of Palestine Society President Yahya Abu Seido. Though Abu Seido’s Twitter account is protected, CAA has obtained tweets stating that:

  • “ISIS serves Israel”
  • The media is “Zionist”
  • “Zionists own the economy”
  • Israel should be destroyed
  • Israel is pursuing “Nazism”
  • “Little Israeli girls get brave on Twitter”

Several of the tweets are antisemitic according to the International Definition of Antisemitism.

CAA has also seen video footage appearing to show Abu Seido at the protest saying: “I hope you guys will think twice now next time you think about coming here.”

In a letter to UCL’s Provost, Professor Arthur, Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism called on him to take firm disciplinary action, writing: “The nature of the protest was intimidatory from the outset, and there is no question that attendees were terrified by the large mob of protesters seeking to surround and trap them.

“Footage of the protesters shows their leader telling attendees at the event: ‘I hope you guys will think twice now next time you think about coming here.’ Whereas criticism of Israel is not antisemitic, this protest was not criticism but part of a deliberate campaign of harassment and bullying, whose targets are overwhelmingly Jewish students. If reports that three female students were assaulted by the protesters are true, then that is a very serious matter, and the perpetrators must be expelled if they are found to be students.

“Jewish students are currently feeling threatened and isolated, not only at UCL but at universities around the country. UCL has the opportunity and the obligation to show in the firmest possible manner that those who bully, intimidate and harass Jewish students will suffer dire consequences for their actions, and that those who belittle or tolerate antisemitism will similarly be shown no quarter.”

The letter also called on UCL to investigate a statement by UCL Union which appeared to condone the protest.

Earlier this month, the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee released its report into the rise of antisemitism in Britain. In relation to antisemitism at universities, the Committee said that “The unique nature of antisemitism requires a unique response” and that “pro-Palestinian campaigns [must be educated so as to] avoid drawing on antisemitic rhetoric”.

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When campus protests against Israel become violent and overwhelmingly target Jewish students, the motive scarcely matters

This week, students attending an event about Israeli interactions with the Palestinian Authority have reported being surrounded, harassed and even assaulted. The students had to be escorted from the event by police for their own safety. This is the second time that we have received a flood of videos from our supporters of predominantly Jewish students being barricaded inside a room whilst those outside threaten and even attack them.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is concerned with antisemitism, as our name suggests, so when we hear about incidents like this, we look at whether the incident was antisemitic. We use the international definition of antisemitism which states that “criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.”

The fact is that almost half of the world’s Jews live in Israel, which is the physical centre of the Jewish religion. There are very few strands of Judaism which renounce all connection with Israel, yet universities are quite happy for violent bullies to protest anything short of Jewish students in Britain fully severing their ties with Israel.

Criticism of Israel is not antisemitic, but these protests are not criticism, they are a deliberate campaign of harassment and bullying, and their targets are overwhelmingly Jewish students.

A phenomenon that we have come across on social media in particular, is when antisemitism becomes so disguised, that we find people engaging in antisemitism without even realising that what they are doing is antisemitic. In other cases, we find antisemites very deliberately targeting Jews and pretending that they are simply protesting against Israel. The motive is important to us, but more important than the motive is the antisemitic act itself.

When campus protests against Israel repeatedly become violent and overwhelmingly target Jewish students, the motive scarcely matters. We simply do not care what the protesters say they are protesting against, they have become thugs whose targets are Jews.

The perpetrators who committed crimes or breached university rules must be investigated and punished. Additionally, universities must get their act together and provide proper security on campus, seeking the assistance of police forces when necessary. Whilst enforcing penalties for this kind of behaviour is essential, the problem must also be fought through education, which is the very purpose for which universities exist; the rhetoric which leads to expressions of hatred such as we saw this week must be counteracted, and universities should fill that role.

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be in touch with the university and police to satisfy ourselves that they are doing everything possible to bring to justice those who committed criminal acts or breached university rules. This work will be undertaken by the volunteers of our Regulatory Enforcement Unit and our Demonstration and Event Monitoring Unit.

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Hundreds of neo-Nazis rally to calls of “Sieg Heil” but police say no “crime committed”

Cambridgeshire Constabulary has failed to object to a neo-Nazi rally for hundreds of fascists from across Europe because they believed the organisers’ claims that they were holding a ‘charity event’. They have also claimed that there was no “crime committed” as hundreds of men performed Nazi salutes in response to antisemitic songs and calls of “Seig Heil”.

Blood and Honour, a neo-Nazi organisation banned in many European countries and Russia, held the event on 23rd and 24th September in Haddenham to commemorate the death of its founder, Ian Stuart Donaldson, in a car crash in 1993.

Hundreds of ‘skinhead’ Nazis from around Europe gathered to camp for two days and held a rave in a marquee, singing about Jews and performing Nazi salutes in response to the call of “Sieg Heil” from the stage.

One song’s chorus laments: “Once a nation, now we’re run by Jews” before declaring: “It’s time we drove out the traitors” — clear criminal incitement to racial hatred.

Blood and Honour organise a event every one or two months in the UK, but this was a major event at which approximately three quarters of attendees came from Europe. A witness told the BBC that there were “a lot of cars, a big bonfire and a lot of music…The one that I heard was a song about white power and this kept going on and on. It was very loud and distinctive.”

The event required a permit from East Cambridgeshire District Council and during the application process Cambridgeshire Constabulary were asked whether they had objections. They said they had none, as the organiser claimed that the event was in aid of Help for Heroes. Help for Heroes, which assists injured soldiers and their families said that the event had nothing to do with them, and that they would not accept donations from extremist organisations.

Now, a Cambridgeshire Constabulary spokesman has told Cambridge News that “We had been in contact with other forces about similar events and were aware of a possible right wing element” but that there was no “crime committed”, despite the brazen antisemitic slogans and Nazi salutes.

From the footage that has emerged, it is very clear that multiple criminal offences have been committed and Cambridgeshire Constabulary must immediately investigate.

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Shocking double standards after CAA evidence team made to leave Hizballah rally in London

A march in support of genocidal antisemitic terrorist group Hizballah went ahead in London on Sunday, after Campaign Against Antisemitism’s talks with the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service failed.

Hundreds of demonstrators festooned themselves and their children with Hizballah flags, and then marched through the streets of the capital in support of the terrorist group which strives for the annihilation of Jews worldwide and has perpetrated terrorist attacks against Jewish targets around the world for decades.

Members of our evidence team were made to leave for asking demonstrators about Hizballah’s policy of murdering Jews, whilst the demonstrators paraded in front of police officers with printed placards reading “We are all Hizbullah [sic]”, as they have done in previous years.

Section 13 of the Terrorism Act makes it a criminal offence for a person to carry an article “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter of a proscribed [terrorist] organisation”, but the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service both obtusely argue that only the military wing of Hizballah is proscribed, and someone carrying a Hizballah flag could be supporting the political wing which is not proscribed. There is no such thing as a separate “political wing” of Hizballah which is one single organisation, with one flag.

As though to underline the double standards at play, the day after the Hizballah demonstration, Sophie Linden, the Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime issued a statement saying: “We are concerned by the reported increase in racial hate crimes following the referendum result. City Hall and the Metropolitan Police Service are giving these reports our fullest attention. I am receiving daily briefings on hate crimes and I remain in close contact with the police and partners.”

Measures taken against hate crime are utterly meaningless if supporters for genocidal antisemitic terrorists are allowed to brazenly demonstrate in our capital city. You may wish to e-mail Sophie Linden, e-mail your MP and write to your preferred newspaper.

We are reviewing our options.

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Counter-extremism drive in shambles as terrorist flags set to fly over London this weekend

Talks between Campaign Against Antisemitism and the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service have failed to prevent the flying of terrorist flags over London this weekend.

Every year, “Al Quds Day” is marked in cities around the world at the instigation of Ayatollah Khomenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Iran is principal sponsor of proscribed terrorist organisation Hizballah, the events tend to celebrate Hizballah’s terrorism, and this year’s march in London looks like it will be no different.

This year, as in previous years the march is expected to include a parade of Hizballah flags and antisemitic placards and chants. Whereas the flying of the Hizballah flag has been banned at this year’s march in other European countries, Britain ignominiously stands out for its permissive stance towards Hizballah supporters.

Section 13 of the Terrorism Act clearly states that “A person in a public place commits an offence if he (a) wears an item of clothing, or (b) wears, carries or displays an article, in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation.”

However the British authorities, with flagrant disregard for the broad scope of the offence, consider that flying a Hizballah flag is acceptable because only the “military wing” of the terrorist group is proscribed (banned) under legislation. The concept of separate parts of Hizballah is nonsense; they are inseparable and both ‘wings’ believe that Jews should be sought out wherever they are in the world and murdered.

Post Brexit, we have seen the Mayor of London, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service adopt stances of zero tolerance to hate crime, yet a procession of those supporting genocidal antisemitic terrorists appears not to concern them.

A monitoring team from Campaign Against Antisemitism will gather evidence at the event, following which we will evaluate our legal options.

Hundreds of people are expected at a counter-demonstration called for 15:00 on Sunday on North Audley Street.

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Neo-Nazis demonstrate against Jews at war memorial in Golders Green

A group of nine neo-Nazis demonstrated for half an hour against Jews during the Jewish Sabbath at the foot of the war memorial in Golders Green.

Last summer, the same group of neo-Nazis, led by Eddie Stampton, attempted to hold a larger demonstration in Golders Green on 4th July. The Metropolitan Police Service used their powers under the Public Order Act to move the demonstration to a kettling pen in Westminster and limited its duration to one hour. The move by the police was seen as a very public defeat by the neo-Nazis and came as a result of the large counter-demonstration planned by Campaign Against Antisemitism and a month of negotiations with the Metropolitan Police Service’s Public Order Branch.

The neo-Nazis were forced to organise any future demonstrations in total secrecy, to avoid giving us the ability to organise against them. They arranged their demonstration on Saturday by inviting only a small group of committed neo-Nazi individuals and we had no advance warning of their presence. The Metropolitan Police Service received notification the day before the demonstration.

The sole speaker on Saturday was Jeremy Bedford-Turner, whom we reported to the police last July for his antisemitic speech in the kettling pen. He delivered a similar speech to his speech last July, accusing Jews of everything from subverting Roman justice resulting in the crucifixion of Jesus, through to subverting many of the world’s governments in modern times.

Three weeks ago, Campaign Against Antisemitism took measures which we hope will significantly impact this particular neo-Nazi group in the weeks to come. Antisemitism must always be met with zero tolerance, whether it comes from the far left, Islamists, or the far right.

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Just before Holocaust Memorial Day, Nazis parade “Hitler was right” banner in centre of Newcastle

A group of neo-Nazis from “National Action” paraded in the centre of Newcastle at the foot of Grey’s Monument with a “Hitler was right” banner on Saturday. Members of the group performed Nazi salutes in the centre of the square. Some local people remonstrated with them but at least one onlooker returned their Nazi salute (see photo below). When a musician in the square attempted to play saxophone music, one of the neo-Nazis violently attacked him. In addition to the assault, the use of the banner and Nazi salutes constitute offences of racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm and distress under section 4A of the Public Order Act, as well as other possible offences.

The group previously attempted to demonstrate in Liverpool in August and September 2015, causing widespread public disorder and the cancellation of their demonstrations, with the group humiliated in August when they were unable to leave Liverpool Central train station. They then returned unannounced in November 2015 and delivered short speeches outside various public buildings and monuments in Liverpool, including speeches against Jews saying that: “Jews don’t care about me. They don’t care about you. They don’t care about any of us. All they care about is money and power.” Their video of the event contained additional antisemitic graphics and quoted from Adolf Hitler’s antisemitic diatribe, Mein Kampf. There have been no arrests.

In June 2015, “National Action” filmed themselves desecrating a menorah in Birmingham’s Cannon Hill Park by spraying graffiti and hanging a Nazi flag from it. There have been no arrests.

National Action’s blog contains 282 references to the word “Jew”, including accusations that Jews:

  • Use the blood of non-Jews in rituals
  • Usurp power through financial and political conspiracies
  • “Terrorise” the non-Jewish population through usury
  • Dilute Aryan races by operating the slave trade, then campaigning for civil rights in order to weaken Aryan races

It is very clear that “National Action” is an antisemitic neo-Nazi organisation which is trying to propagate fascist ideology and sees as its role models some of the most hideous figures in history. The group’s purpose is incitement to racial and religious hatred and its activities range from vandalism to violence. Unfurling a banner proclaiming “Hitler was right” and performing Nazi salutes for less than ten minutes in a public square is cowardly and a deliberate effort to provoke disorder.

This group is not a dying vestige of British neo-Nazism but a new, young movement and we are pleased that Northumbria Police are taking this incident so seriously. Enough is enough and this brazenly criminal group must be brought to justice.

That young British people are openly idolising Adolf Hitler in Britain in the days before Holocaust Memorial Day is a reminder that for us to say “Never again” with any confidence, we must be vigilant and fight antisemitic racism ruthlessly.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police told Campaign Against Antisemitism: “Northumbria Police is carrying out enquiries into the protest that was held at Monument in Newcastle City centre at 1:55pm on Saturday, January 23. We had no prior warning that the protest was due to take place and city centre officers attended immediately after receiving information that it was happening. Upon officers’ arrival the demonstration had ended and we believe it lasted less than 10 minutes. We have received one report of assault and we are in the process of investigating this along with looking into whether any other offences may have taken place. Detectives are checking CCTV footage from the city centre area and material posted on social media and enquiries are ongoing.”

We would like to thank the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, Vera Baird QC, and Northumbria Police for their efforts to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice. We are following this case with interest.

National Action attack busker in Newcastle, January 2016

National Action corralled in train station in Liverpool, August 2015

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Police charge demonstrators allegedly flying Hizballah flags after discussions with Campaign Against Antisemitism and MP

Following Campaign Against Antisemitism and MP’s discussions with Metropolitan Police Service and Home Office, demonstrators allegedly flying Hizballah flags have been charged. The Metropolitan Police Service has acted to arrest anti-Israel demonstrators who allegedly flew Hizballah flags outside Downing Street on 9th September, following discussions with Campaign Against Antisemitism and also Matthew Offord MP.

On 9th September, anti-Israel protesters and pro-Israel protesters confronted each other outside Downing Street. Several antisemitic incidents took place which CAA is continuing to discuss with the police.

Of major concern, was the failure of the police to take any action against anti-Israel demonstrators flying Hizballah flags. Section 13(1)(b) of the Terrorism Act says that “A person in a public place commits an offence if he wears, carries or displays an article, in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter of a proscribed [terrorist] organisation.”

Protesters from the Zionist Federation, Sussex Friends of Israel and Israel Advocacy Movement, were told however that the Hizballah flags were not exactly faithful to the design of the original Hizballah flag and therefore action would not be taken.

CAA raised this with senior police officers, submitted a Freedom of Information request seeking clarity on the Metropolitan Police Service’s stance on flying terrorist flags and also circulated a video. We also raised this with the Home Office whose official guidance confirms the interpretation of section 13 of the Terrorism Act.

We have long been concerned by policing policy on the flying of terrorist flags, with police having failed to take action on other occasions, such as a man parading an ISIS flag outside Parliament and a vehicle emblazoned with the Hizballah logo and a Syrian flag. In both cases the Metropolitan Police Service is quoted as saying: “Wearing, carrying or displaying of an emblem or flag, by itself, is not an offence unless; the way in which, or the circumstance in which, the emblem is worn, carried or displayed is such as to cause reasonable suspicion that the person is a supporter or member of a proscribed organisation.”

We are therefore pleased to confirm that following our discussions and those of Matthew Offord MP, the Metropolitan Police Service has decided to charge two individuals under section 13 of the Terrorism Act.

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Police fail to act as demonstrators protesting Conservative Party Conference tell Jews to “get back to Auschwitz”

Jewish delegates to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester have reportedly been subjected to antisemitic abuse by anti-Conservative protesters. Stephen Woods, Chairman of the Conservative Sale East and Wythenshawe Association, told the Jewish News: “The abuse we had to endure was despicable, with a number of protestors screaming ‘Jewish Tory scum, get back to Auschwitz.’ I have never heard such vile language. The whole incident left us all shaken up.” Woods told the Times: “This was definitely in the earshot of the police but they did nothing. It was disgusting.”

In response, Greater Manchester Police told the Jewish News that it has “not received any reports in relation to this matter…If anyone has been a victim of any such incident, they are encouraged to please report this to the police and we will investigate.” This is akin to the police saying that they witnessed someone being assaulted but did not intervene because nobody came and reported the assault to them.

We continue to see government ministers including the Prime Minister issue strong calls for firm action against antisemitism, but we are increasingly concerned that the expected firm police stance is not materialising.

Another example of antisemitism amongst protesters outside the conference was an antisemitic banner made by a 13-year-old boy. It seems that no action was taken by the police in that case either.

The Prime Minister has publicly identified antisemitism as a major societal problem and a gateway to extremism. Antisemites must be shown no quarter by the police; the law must be enforced.

https://twitter.com/helenpidd/status/650631944292704256

Thanks to Sussex Friends of Israel for pointing out Helen Pidd’s tweet to us.

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Anti-Israel protesters arrested for antisemitic abuse but no action over Hizballah flags

An anti-Israel demonstration outside Downing Street today predictably degenerated as antisemitic slurs were hurled at a mostly Jewish crowd gathered to honour the Israeli Prime Minister’s visit. Police made at least one arrest and took away a man who reportedly made antisemitic comments about Jews “loving money”.

In an increasingly common sight, anti-Israel demonstrators flew the flag of proscribed terrorist group Hizballah. Hizballah is a genocidal terrorist organisation which calls for the murder of Jews everywhere. Inviting support for a proscribed terrorist group is illegal under section 13(1)(b) of the Terrorism Act. The Home Office has made it completely clear that flying terrorist flags is illegal, but no action seems to have been taken by the police.

It does not appear that the law has been enforced with zero tolerance in this case and we will be making enquiries as to the Metropolitan Police Service’s stance on the flying of terrorist flags.

This week the Metropolitan Police Service released figures showing that antisemitic incidents in London have surged by 93% in the past 12 months.

Photo: Mandy Blumenthal

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Neo-Nazis cancel “White Man March” in Liverpool today after being blockaded in the left luggage room in Lime Street Station

A neo-Nazi march organised by fascist group National Action was cancelled today. The neo-Nazis had planned to march through Liverpool but in the end the 20 neo-Nazis who turned up were unable to leave the train station.

Liverpudlians turned out in force to protest the neo-Nazis’ presence, holding their own anti-Nazi marches through the city. When the National Action contingent arrived at Lime Street Station they were pelted with bananas by a crowd chanting “Master race? You’re having a laugh!” Police moved the neo-Nazis to the left luggage room for their own safety. National Action cancelled the march after the crowds in the station laid siege to the room.

A letter bearing the National Action logo addressed to the Mayor of Liverpool had previously threatened that “your city will go up in flames”, but National Action blamed the letter on an “agent provocateur”.

In June National Action vandalised the menorah in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, posting the video on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and WordPress. Despite our requests, none of these companies have removed National Action’s accounts. We understand that there have been no arrests by West Midlands Police, which is investigating.

National Action has reportedly been viewed by Scotland Yard as a potential threat to National Security. Its ‘official strategy’ documents feature photos of a smiling Adolf Hitler and masked activists performing Nazi salutes. The group has previously described itself as “the fascists your nan warned you about.” An investigation by the Daily Mirror reported that National Action was sending its members to paramilitary bootcamps, featuring knife fighting lessons. Earlier in the week, Terence Miles, who runs National Action’s training, reportedly posted a photo on Instagram of his “not entirely legal” pocket knife.

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Nobody attended the neo-Nazi demonstration against Jews in Finchley today

We have been watching for a month as the two dozen neo-Nazis we stopped from demonstrating in Golders Green in July tried to organise another demonstration against Jews in Finchley.

We have been in contact with the police throughout, but this time we did not have to take action to stop the neo-Nazis. They were defeated by lack of support from other neo-Nazis.

After the last demonstration, the neo-Nazis complained about “massive, negative and wholly untrue publicity” and the way that their “truthful opposition” had been “stifled”. Instead of looking like heroes, they looked like fools.

By standing firm instead of heeding calls to ignore the neo-Nazis we showed them that we are not an easy target, and we also showed the police that we will accept nothing less than zero tolerance.

It is possible that the neo-Nazis will try again. We are working with lawyers on means of crippling future attempts and also pursuing police complaints against two of their leaders.

Meanwhile, we continue our work against Islamist and far-left antisemitism as well as far-right antisemitism.

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Neo-Nazis Banned from Golders Green after Campaign Against Antisemitism Rallies Thousands

Over a month ago, neo-Nazis announced their intention to hold a demonstrate against Jews in Golders Green on 4th July. It is no coincidence that they chose to demonstrate on the Jewish sabbath in the neighbourhood with the highest Jewish population in the country.

On April 18th, they demonstrated in Stamford Hill and were ignored. They identified the Jewish community as a ‘soft’ target and announced plans to demonstrate in Golders Green and elsewhere. Ignoring them made them bolder.

In response, Campaign Against Antisemitism rallied thousands of Jews and non-Jews to stand opposite the neo-Nazis in dignified defiance, unity and pride.

The neo-Nazi demonstration in Golders Green has now been cancelled following our discussions with the police and prospect of us countering in our thousands. We are therefore calling off our counter-protest.

The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed that it was our counter-protest which resulted in this success: “After carefully considering all the facts surrounding this protest and counter protest activity, including the impact on the Jewish and wider community of Golders Green, it is the assessment of the Metropolitan Police Service that the presence of these groups in the same area at the same time is likely to result in serious disorder, serious disruption to the life of the community and intimidation of others.”

The Metropolitan Police Service has therefore imposed conditions on the neo-Nazis under s.14 of the Public Order Act that require them to present themselves on a given central London pavement on Saturday where they will be kettled for 60 minutes, before dispersing on pain of arrest.

We have always said that we expected the authorities to exercise their full powers to cripple this threat to our community. The neo-Nazi demonstration has been crippled and as such we will now not be holding a counter-demonstration.

The issue was that of neo-Nazis being free to intimidate Jewish people in the heart of our community and they are no longer able to do so. The neo-Nazis have threatened to hold “flash mob” demonstrations in Golders Green in the future and we are now discussing the use of injunctions to prevent that with the Council and the Metropolitan Police Service.

Since neo-Nazis announced their plans to demonstrate in Golders Green this Saturday, Campaign Against Antisemitism pursued the twin tracks of intensive discussions with the Metropolitan Police Service and rallying thousands of people to stand opposite them on the day in dignified defiance.

Our approach has been vindicated. “Never again” means firmly standing up for our rights, in the streets if necessary, not ignoring aggressors.

For over a month our volunteers have worked tirelessly. We have held countless discussions and meetings with the various branches of the Metropolitan Police Service, Barnet Council and our government contacts. This has meant dozens of days of work and hours of work for our pro bono lawyers.

Our volunteers have simultaneously prepared for a demonstration for thousands of people in the middle of a busy road on Shabbat with huge logistical and security challenges. We have prepared thousands of placards and procured thousands of flags. We have distributed 7,500 flyers. We have contacted tens of thousands of people via social media and e-mail.

We would like to thank the dozens of volunteers who stepped forward to share this burden, allowing individual members of the community to contribute their considerable talents to the fight against antisemitism.

This neo-Nazi demonstration was an attempt to intimidate the largest Jewish community in the UK on the Jewish Sabbath at the heart of Golders Green, on the very memorial to those who lost their lives fighting Nazis.

We believe that “never again” is a call to action from our history, which is why we called thousands of Jews and non-Jews to stand together against this disgrace in dignified defiance, unity and pride.

Today’s decision by the Metropolitan Police Service is a victory for British values and we applaud their firm defence of our community.

Antisemitism is a societal disease and zero tolerance law enforcement and education are fundamental parts of the cure.

We are seeking to recruit a General Counsel to join our London office

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Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Everything that we do is done by people who volunteer their time, using donations contributed by members of the public. Join the fight against antisemitism by subscribing to our updates, volunteering, or donating.