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Spectre of Hate An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK

Part of the Cordoba Manuals Series March 2015. ISSN 2048-7711 The Cordoba Foundation is an independent strategic think tank aimed at promoting intercultural dialogue and positive coexistence, through a range of activities including research and publications, training and capacity building, policy briefings and dialogues. The Foundation takes its name from the city of Cordoba. The European metropolis was once a symbol of human excellence and intellectual ingenuity, where cultures, civilisations and ideas thrived. Embodying this spirit, TCF today facilitates the meeting of minds, to advance understanding and respect for one another. Our activities include: Structured consultation and advisory services. Face-to-face interaction with decision-makers and figures of authority. In-house research. Workshops, seminars and debates on pertinent issues. Training and capacity-building. Periodicals and journals. Resourceful website.

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ISSN 2048-7711 © The Cordoba Foundation 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any way or by any means, without the express permission of The Cordoba Foundation. Date of publication: March 2015. Printed in England. Disclaimer Views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the respective authors/ contributors and do not necessarily represent a corporate view of the publishers. Acknowledgements Special thanks to everyone who contributed material or agreed to be interviewed in this guide. Photo credits William Barylo, Salman Farsi, Rehan Jamil and F. Amin.

Cover image: The mural on Cable Street, of depicts the memorable events of 4 October 1936, when a march by ’s British Union of Fascists was stopped by thousands of local people. The ‘’ was a great victory for popular decency over Mosley’s crude politics of hate. About the guide This guide provides an overview of British far-right and populist movements active today. Whilst organised far-right networks are collapsing and fragmenting, the rise of populist movements – with their emphasis on and crude anti- immigrant sentiment – is a worrying new reality. The guide examines the origins of the Far Right today, the history and recent misfortunes of most high-profile far-right groups – including the and the – and covers the growth of a burgeoning number of fringe movements, most of which are the result of splits within larger extremist organisations. As well as examining the common beliefs and ideologies shared by white supremacists (notably ), we look at the rise of the ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement, opposed to Islam entire. In examining the rise of the ‘lone wolf’, we examine the backlash which has taken place against Muslims post - the Woolwich murders of 2013. We also profile the Far Right across Europe and provide positive alternatives to hate, with a series of case studies highlighting the important work undertaken to fight the spread of hate groups.

Foreword In sharp contrast with continental Europe, mass movements of the far right have never taken off in Britain. In the 1930s, with in the ascendancy in Italy and Germany, Oswald Mosley’s black shirts never won a seat in the House of . The National Front briefly emerged as a threat in the economical and political crisis of the 1970s, but fizzled out. Today we are living through an era of economic dislocation comparable to the 1930s. Once again the far right is on the march across Europe. This time round, however, far right or neo- parties are making significant headway in Britain. Furthermore there is a new dimension. Along with anti-Semitism, fear and hatred of Muslims has become a very significant theme of these far right parties. All too often, this translates to violence on the street - a phenomenon which the main British political parties have underplayed or ignored. This excellent, scrupulous work gives an anatomy of the far right in Britain. Never has such a piece of work been more needed. It should be read by academics, journalists and policy-makers to navigate through the more poisonous parts of British life. It is a major contribution to our understanding of a dark and ugly phenomenon as it mutates in ways that are hard to fathom and impossible to predict.

Peter Oborne

Peter Oborne is a British journalist. He is the associate editor of and former chief political commentator of , from which he resigned in early 2015. Spectre of Hate An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK

Preface This guide is an introduction to far-right groups and movements in the UK. It includes within its framework both traditional extreme Right, neo-Nazi, as well as a populist political and street movements. Although the Far Right in the UK seems momentarily fragmented, with the high-profile resignation of English Defence League (EDL) leader ‘Tommy Robinson’, the subsequent fragmentation of the EDL and the spiraling decline of the British National Party, there has been a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim attacks and online hatred (particularly following the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in May 2013, and the Paris attacks of early January 2015, as well as several far-right ‘lone wolves’ active in both this country and on the Continent). The Norwegian killer ’s horrific actions in 2011, murdering 77 people in the name of virulently anti-Islamic beliefs, show just how vigilant we must all remain against the extreme Right threat.

Dr Anas Altikriti Dr Abdullah Faliq CEO Head of Research The Cordoba Foundation The Cordoba Foundation

4 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK 3 About the guide 3 Foreword - Peter Oborne Contents 4 Preface - Dr Anas Altikriti & Dr Abdullah Faliq

Section 1 Section 2 Spectre of Hate Far Right 6 22 movements today • Across Europe, the shadow of the • BNP: What is the British National Party? Far Right is rising • : Profile of (former) BNP leader • Definitions • UKIP – The • The Far Right in the UK and Europe Independence Party • The Battle of Cable Street 1936 • English Defence League (EDL) • Polling Data • The EDL’s backers • White supremacist insignia • EDL Supporters • Timeline: The Modern Far Right • EDL and the Armed Forces in the UK • Main Far Right Groups – UK

Section 3 Section 4 Common Beliefs Far Right movements 42 and Ideologies 52 and violence • Anti-Semitism and • Far Right movements and violence • Notable Holocaust Deniers • Racial Violence in the UK • Counter Jihadism • Lone wolves • Pamela Geller • Leaderless resistance • Robert Spencer • David Copeland – ‘The London nailbomber’ • Mosque-busters and mega-masjids • Norway massacre - Julian Bond • Breivik and the Far Right – Prof. Matthew Feldman • Profile: Professor William Pierce – “Godfather of leaderless resistance” • Woolwich – the Far Right Backlash • For their attackers, mosques are seen as places of “difference” – Dr Chris Allen • The mosque bomber

Section 5 Section 6 The Far Right Combating the 68 Across Europe 82 Far Right • Far Right Across Europe • • Nationalist and Far Right Parties • ‘’ outdated? Around Europe • Facing down the far right threat • • Case study: United East End • The NSU Scandal - Dr Glyn Robbins • • Case study: The UK Government’s • The Far Right and the Internet Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group • , Blood & Honour and • Case study: Importance of the Growth of building a campaign – Nick Lowles • Case study: Enough Coalition Against – Shazia Arshad • Case study: Bradford: Seeing off the EDL – Alyas Karmani • Mobilising the Muslim community 102 Resources against Islamophobia 103 Postscript – Dr Abdullah Faliq 1 Spectre of Across Europe, the shadow of the Far Right Hate is rising

Populist anti-immigrant and anti- Muslim political parties led by powerful • Across Europe, the shadow rhetoricians now regularly poll up to of the Far Right is rising 20% of the vote (sometimes higher) during national European elections. • Definitions From to minaret bans, calls to • The Far Right in the UK “halt the Islamisation of Europe” and a poisoned debate where “Islam = and Europe terrorism”, some of these movements • The Battle of Cable Street are now powerful enough to join coalition governments. 1936 This ‘new’ Right has started replacing • Polling Data and overshadowing some of the more • White supremacist insignia traditional neo-Nazi and violent far- right movements of the past. These • Timeline: The Modern Far newer populist movements are led by Right in the UK ideologues and charismatic politicians such as Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party in Holland; of the Finns Party in Finland; of the Front National in France; Jimmie Åkesson of the ; Christoph Blocher of Switzerland’s Swiss People’s Party; Heinz-Christian Strache of the Austrian Freedom Party; and of the UK Independence Party in the UK, which captured a quarter of the vote at recent local elections. There are similar movements in almost every country in Europe. All support policies limiting immigration; most also espouse anti- Muslim rhetoric. In a few countries openly neo-Nazi movements are now starting to take hold: in Hungary, blackshirted paramilitaries connected to the party have marched on Roma communities and even more virulent movements have arisen in Hungary, a country which once had a Nazi puppet regime during World War Two; in Greece the violently neo-Nazi Golden Dawn rose to become the country’s third largest party, taking 12% of the popular vote during Greece’s economic collapse, whilst members

Spectre of Hate 7 openly assaulted migrant communities 2013. Since Woolwich, bombs have and spoke of ‘clearing’ areas of exploded at three mosques in the West ‘undesirables’: a crackdown is now Midlands and an elderly grandfather underway by lawmakers following the was stabbed to death by a ‘lone wolf’ murder of a prominent anti-fascist DJ Ukrainian neo-Nazi, who was studying by Golden Dawn-linked supporters and for a PhD here. A mosque was burned the unexplained disappearance of up down in north London with the words to 100 migrants. “EDL” scrawled onto its walls; an arson attempt was foiled at a mosque in This all occurs in a continent which, just Liverpool; graves have been desecrated few generations ago, lay under Nazi with and far-right slogans; domination and in several countries and even the Home Secretary has which had historical fascist movements. said she is “shocked and sickened” by Into this mix has been thrown the anti- this turn of events. In total, the TELL Islamic film, the ‘Innocence of Muslims’, MAMA anti-Muslim hatred monitoring alongside follow-up cartoons in French project recorded more than 35 mosque satirical magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’, attacks in the post-Woolwich period. which lampooned Islam’s most revered At the height of the post-Woolwich figures. Notorious US anti-Muslim aftermath, the Metropolitan Police campaigner and blogger, Pamela Geller Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan- and her comrade in arms, Robert Howe, said that there had been an Spencer (who together vehemently eightfold increase in “Islamophobic opposed a new Islamic centre two crimes” in the capital, which led to blocks away from the site of the 9/11 24-hour patrols at key Islamic sites. The attacks in New York), have launched Met’s monthly figures for these crimes a series of anti-Islamic advertisements remain far higher than just a year ago. on the New York subway system, Meanwhile, against this rising tide before being banned from entering this of rhetoric and violence the far-right country following pressure from anti- and anti-Muslim street movement, campaigners . the English Defence League (EDL), In the UK there has also been a violent soared to over 150,000 followers on and vociferous anti-Muslim backlash Facebook, many of them screaming following the murder and near- for revenge (with several of them beheading of a British soldier on the subsequently convicted for inciting streets of Woolwich, south London, mosques to be burned down). by two Islamic extremists in May

8 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK All this has contributed to a sense that Sound fanciful? Such narrative already Muslims are “under threat”; in turn, exists – and it can light the touchpaper some elements in the Muslim world to mass murder. have overreacted to issues such as the The atrocities unleashed by Anders ‘Innocence of Muslims’ – or used the Behring Breivik in Norway during the video controversy as a mask to cover summer of 2011 are still etched on their own actions – leading to the our collective memories: 77 people deaths of nearly 30 people in protests. were killed, many of them youth In the UK, the established Far Right members of the Norwegian Labour remains fragmented, politically Party, and hundreds more wounded, impotent due to its internecine in gun and bomb attacks designed struggles. Even so, in the 2009 to halt the spread of what Breivik European elections, over 3.5m called “cultural Marxism”. He aimed Britons voted for ‘far right’ political to inspire a backlash against liberalism parties. According to an opinion poll and . Thankfully, commissioned by HOPE not hate in Breivik failed: the Norwegians affirmed 2012, nearly half of respondents said their commitment to liberalism even they would support a white, English, more strongly after his killings, led by anti-Muslim political party (as long as the Prime Minister himself defending it did not condone violence). Further Norway’s liberal outlook. But Breivik research studies suggested that a was subsequently linked to hundreds significant minority of supporters of of EDL supporters via his friends on the British National Party (BNP) and social media, and his justifications anti-European, anti-immigrant United (a 1500-page manifesto) were Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) spouted straight from the mouths of condoned violence against minorities. international counter-jihadist authors The BNP has been trying to attract on the internet. further funds from the European Barely days before Breivik was Union, and re-defining itself as a ‘think sentenced to 21 years in jail for tank’, a move which has been blocked his crimes, former US soldier and by the following long-time white supremacist Michael lobbying by UK and other international Wade Page killed six people at a civil rights movements. Sikh temple in Wisconsin, USA, Just as this nation gave birth to before pulling the trigger on himself subculture, so too has it (it is thought he mistook the Sikh spawned a violent street movement, gurdwara for a mosque). Such so- the English Defence League (EDL). The called ‘lone wolf’ incidents are on EDL, with its marches close to mosques the rise worldwide, involving not and attempts to incite violence against only extreme Right but also faith-led Muslims (which it defines as “Islamic and other extremists. extremists”), now lies at the centre Meanwhile, in Germany the security of an international web of so-called services are struggling to keep the ‘counter-jihadists’. This network links lid on the rising number of neo- millionaire Christian fundamentalists in Nazis, particularly in the east of the the USA with revisionist historians and country. Police and security forces politicians on the European continent, have been left deeply embarrassed desperate to prove that Europe is by revelations that three members about to descend into ‘Eurabia’, a of a neo-Nazi group, the National nightmare fantasy/vision of Shari’a- Socialist Underground, had killed 10 domination, complete with hordes of people during the past decade yet Muslim migrants taking over where the the killings had been wrongly blamed Ottoman emperor’s armies once failed on ethnic drug gangs. at the gates of Vienna.

Spectre of Hate 9 Long-regarded as an oddity fit only for talkshows, skinhead gangs are making Common ideologies of the a comeback in both the USA and extreme Right Russia – the land that saw off Far-right politics commonly – buoyed by a burgeoning neo-Nazi includes , anti- music scene and theories of ‘leaderless , and nativism, often resistance’ (small autonomous cells of associated with the notion of a terrorists, seeking to ignite a racial or ‘superior’ people. religious war) which have abounded throughout literature, and now the Far-right politics usually also internet, promising “RAHOWA” or involves anti-immigration and racial holy war for their adherents. anti-integration stances towards groups that are deemed inferior Whilst politicians, media and security and undesirable. services have long-concentrated on the threat from al-Qaeda, the lack Traditional far-right movements of concerted action or research into have often emphasised anti- far-right extremism has worried both Semitic (anti-Jewish) conspiracy academics, campaigners and – finally theories; more recently, they – UK politicians, with a 2012 Home have focused upon anti-Muslim Office Select Committee report narratives. underlining the lack of clarity or effort put into the fight against right- wing extremism. Far Right political parties Now, with economic conditions forcing hundreds of thousands below the Contemporary extreme Right, or radical bread line, and competition for limited Right, parties in western Europe are resources increases, what will the typically either populist, nationalist, (neo-) future hold for immigrant and faith fascist, anti-system/anti-politics, and/or communities in Britain and Europe? Will advocate strong anti-immigrant policies. the rise of the extreme Right remain Far right politics commonly involves a permanent threat, or is it simply a support for social inequality and social transitory phase? And what can be hierarchy, elements of social done to educate ourselves about that and opposition to most forms of threat – and how to avoid it? liberalism and (though ‘national socialism’ .e. Nazi, involves a mix of extreme , authoritarianism, Definitions dictatorship and socialism). These terms are also used to describe Nazi What do we mean by extreme and fascist movements, and other Right, Far Right, etc? groups which hold extreme nationalist, Far-right extremism is a diverse chauvinist, xenophobic, racist, religious phenomenon. It is composed fundamentalist or reactionary views. of movements and parties with The most extreme right-wing different ideological tendencies, movements have pursued oppression mobilising against different and genocide against groups of people conceptions of ‘the enemy’, and on the basis of their alleged inferiority. using different methods to achieve Infamous examples would include The their goals. For some, this involves Holocaust, during which Hitler’s Nazi the use of violence. Unfortunately, Germany systematically murdered six there is no single consensus on what million during the Second World constitutes far-right extremism. War; the 8,000 Muslim men and boys massacred by Bosnian Serb forces

10 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK in Srebrenica in 1995 (‘Srebrenica more mythical time), favour extreme Genocide’); or the nearly one million reduction in the number of foreigners/ Tutsis and their liberal Hutu supporters immigrants, and whilst traditionally killed in ethnic bloodletting by Hutu were often anti-Semitic in nature, many extremists during the Rwandan are now strongly anti-Muslim, too. Genocide of 1994. None of these are essential to the definition of “Far Right”, however. Some of the newer, more politically Whilst the definitions are hotly successful movements on the farther debated, there is broad agreement Right are also termed by pundits as on which type of political parties are “populist”. Usually these movements extreme Right in nature. distinguish themselves from “far right” parties and movements by stressing Major examples include the Freedom their popular mandate, a willingness to Party (Austria), Front National (France), work within the electoral system and Vlaams Belaang (Belgium/Flanders), reflecting broad public moods e.g. such the National Democratic Party as the UK Independence Party (UKIP), (Germany), the Danish and Norwegian which supports withdrawal of the UK Progress parties, Alleanza Nazionale from the , as well as (previously MSI) and Lega Nord (Italy), having strong anti-immigrant policies. and in the UK the British National They tend to strive hard to disassociate Party (BNP) and National Front (NF). themselves from traditional extreme Although anti-Muslim in nature and Right groups, particularly those often violent, the more recent English associated with violence. Defence League (EDL) in the UK is not technically a “far right” political Populist movements generally see party, but a street movement which themselves as siding with “the people” certainly contains many racist, far-right against “the elites”. Whether Left or and anti-Muslim figures within it (its Right, a populist movement seeks founder and former leader was once a to unite what might be termed “the BNP member, for example). little man” (the underdog) against the corrupt dominant elites (usually the Many of these parties saw a marked orthodox politicians) and their followers increase in their vote share in the (typically the rich and the intellectuals, 1980s and 1990s. In recent elections, the ‘biased’ media, etc). It is guided the French, Italian, Austrian, and by the belief that political and social Flemish extreme Right have all goals are best achieved by the direct consistently achieved more than 10% action of the masses. It often comes of the vote. These parties tend to focus into being where mainstream political on economic , a ‘turning institutions fail to deliver (to a whole or back of the clock’ to a better (usually a part of the populace). Some of the successful right-wing, anti-immigrant parties in Europe are populist in nature: France’s Front National, Finland’s Finns Party, Italy’s and Hungary’s Jobbik, for example. Some, like Jobbik, would also be considered close to neo- Nazism whereas others, like the Front National under new leader Marine Le Pen, have made strong attempts to disassociate from the further extremes Photo: Blandine Le Cain of .

Spectre of Hate 11 Fascism Fascist ideology The term “Fascism”, meanwhile, is often thrown around by opponents of the Fascist ideology has been defined by extreme Right in a rather loose way. academic expert Matthew Feldman, of the University of Teesside, as: Fascism is technically: ‘a specifically modern form • A system of government where of secular “millenarianism” authority is centralised under a constructed culturally and dictator and includes stringent socio- politically, not religiously, as a economic controls, suppression of revolutionary movement centring the opposition through terror and upon the “renaissance” of a censorship, and typically a policy of given people (whether perceived belligerent nationalism and racism. nationally, ethnically, culturally, • A political philosophy or movement or religiously) through the total based on or advocating such a reordering of all perceivably system of government. “pure” collective energies towards a realisable utopia; an Neo-Nazi, meanwhile, is even more ideological core implacably hostile specific: to democratic representation and • Those whose political ideal is akin to socialist materialism, equality and that of the German National Socialist individualism, in addition to any (Nazi) party of the 1930s and 1940s. specific enemies viewed as alien or oppositional to such a programme.’ • Neo-Nazism can sometimes be called , although many ‘white nationalists’ in the USA like to claim that they are not ‘Nazi’. The Far Right in the UK • Neo-Nazism usually surfaces in North and Europe American and European countries, as well as in Russia, where there is a resurgent extreme Right political and subcultural movement. Both fascism and the more general far-right are generally • The cornerstone of the ideology is understood to be hostile to liberal the desire for these countries to be democracy, often xenophobic and peopled by ‘whites’ and supporting willing to resort to extra- the exclusion of non-whites (it parliamentary politics (a good also tends to be associated with example of the latter is the present- violence and violent movements, day English Defence League, still such as the ‘skinhead’ movement of considered a ‘protest group’ despite and eastern Europe, or the significant evidence to the contrary)” ‘kameradschaft’ comradeships in former east Germany). Matthew Feldman, University of Teesside

White supremacy, white supremacist: Traditionally, the Far Right in Britain has A white supremacist believes that been associated with failure. Compared are racially superior to their more successful continental to others and should therefore neighbours, both the inter-war British dominate society. Often associated Union of Fascists (BUF) and later with violence and with more extreme National Front (NF) have been seen right-wing organisations. as the poor relations of the far-right movement in Europe.

12 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Despite alarmist reactions from the definitions and views) some elements national media and mainstream of the UK Independence Party politicians, the British National Party (UKIP) – have struggled to break into (BNP) seems on the wane, despite mainstream politics. More recently the some electoral success at local level street politics of the anti-Muslim EDL and the election of two MEPs (ex-party captured the headlines, though its leader Nick Griffin, and former National violence failed to translate into political Socialist Movement and National Front success (despite an attempt to create a member, ). Compared party of its own and efforts by one of to Continental far-right parties – such its leaders to link to another far-right as the Freedom Party in Austria, which party, the British Freedom Party). At the attracted over 26% of the national vote time of writing its leaders have publicly and more than 50 parliamentary seats staged a high-profile defection from in 1999 – the BNP and its ex-leader the movement, ostensibly to create Nick Griffin has, for the most part, another less visibly violent anti-Muslim been confined to the margins. organisation (many commentators have remained unconvinced by this apparent The resurgence of extreme Right change of heart and former leader, parties in Europe gained sudden and Stephen Lennon, has recently been dramatic momentum when the Front jailed for mortgage fraud). National (FN) in France, led at the time by former paratrooper (and noted Historical anti-Semite) Jean-Marie Le Pen and inspired in part by the 1970s NF in the The BNP, EDL and NF are only the UK, scored 11.2% of the vote in the latest movements in a century-wide 1984 European elections. Politicians attempt by fascist and extreme Right and political scientists were shocked: political movements to establish a until the mid-1980s the extreme toehold in Britain. Right had remained completely The interwar period (1918-1939) saw a marginalised in Europe and performed rise in true “fascist” ideology. The first poorly in elections. There have been fascist political party (created in 1923) three stages in its anti-immigrant was called the British Fascisti, a fringe rationale, according to Professor Pascal organisation named after Mussolini’s Perrineau, one of France’s leading Italian Fascists (there was an earlier political scientists and an expert on anti-Semitic, anti-immigration society the rise of the FN. The first focused on called ). Another early unemployment, the second on crime British fascist movement was called and the most recent on Islam. the (IFL), set up Le Pen’s breakthrough was not just a in 1929 by the biological anti-Semite single incident, however. It heralded a . The IFL was more radical lasting upsurge of the extreme Right than the British Fascisti and far more all over the continent. This reached its openly anti-Semitic; however, like most first peak in dramatic electoral gains other fascist groups in the 1920s, its in the early 1990s, accompanied by a impact on British society was miniscule. wave of anti-immigrant violence. Since By far the most credible and successful then (and despite some notable ‘ups fascist party of the interwar period was and downs’) the extreme Right has the British Union of Fascists (BUF), led re-established itself as a significant by former Labour and Conservative political actor in several parts of the MP, Oswald Mosley. The BUF was European continent. launched in 1932 after the short-lived Yet in the UK the main far-right New Party the year before. It was political parties – the BNP and National immediately successful, at one point Front (NF), with (depending on your gaining the support of The

Spectre of Hate 13 The Battle of Cable Street 1936

In 1936, fascism was gaining the contents of their chamber pots ground across Europe. In Britain, from houses. Other demonstrators Sir Oswald Mosley’s blackshirted rolled marbles under the police horses’ British Union of Fascists (BUF) hooves. The most famous rallying call portrayed Jewish people as the of the day, still repeated by many anti- cause of the country’s problems. fascists even now, was: “They shall not East London had the largest pass!” The march could not proceed Jewish population in Britain and and Mosley was ordered to abandon the announcement that Mosley his plans. It was a famous blow against and his planned a fascism and that night there was provocative march through the dancing in the streets. The march is area on 4th October was greeted remembered in a large mural in Cable with anger and a determination Street today and has become part of that it should be stopped. A East End, as well as anti-fascist, folklore. petition was signed and local The historian Bill Fishman, who was at politicians tried to have the march Gardiner’s Corner that day, recalled: called off, but to no avail. “There were parties, there was dancing On the day, up to 250,000 people in the streets. The cafés were full, gathered to defend the East End. There the were full. And there was a was a fierce battle with the police as feeling of elation, a feeling of relief, they attempted to clear a path for particularly amongst the immigrant the march; a barricade was thrown Jews. I think from that day onward up to block the Cable Street route. Mosley never again ventured into the People threw eggs, milk bottles and ghetto streets of East London.”

14 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK (whose owner, Lord Rothmere, was a Beackon won in the Isle of Dogs, in strong supporter of Hitler) and growing London’s East End, with a ‘Rights for to around 40,000 members. The BUF Whites’ campaign in 1993. When his became synonymous with violence former protégé Nick Griffin ousted after a particularly violent response Tyndall in a leadership contest in to protests at a fascist rally held at 1999, the BNP started heading on the Olympia in 1934, but its support path towards outwards respectability, went into sizeable decline thereafter. dropping its policy on forcible When Britain did declare war, the repatriation of immigrants and aiming Government feared that fascists would for electoral respectability. be disloyal and it therefore interned the Many saw the BNP under Griffin as a vast majority of BUF leaders (including wolf in sheep’s clothing. Griffin was Oswald Mosley). a long-time Holocaust denier with After the Second World War and the convictions for stirring up racial hatred. immediacy of , when He had once spoken of the need for six million Jews were murdered by the “well-directed and fists” and Nazis, fascism was a dirty word. The said: “When the crunch comes, power biggest issue for those on the further is the product of force and will, not of Right in the UK was the influx of rational debate”. Not only that, but he migrants from Commonwealth nations maintained close connections with an or, as they became known, the so- international network of anti-Semitic called ‘Windrush generation’ (named extremists, such as former after one of the boats bringing them (KKK) leader in the USA, as to Britain). The 1960s and early 1970s well as courting the ex-Red Army Faction saw the rise of the National Front (NF), (‘Baader Meinhof Gang’) left-wing led by ideologue John Tyndall, who lawyer, turned neo-Nazi, , was an unreconstructed believer in in Germany. In America his supporters Hitler’s fascism and would later found attempted to infiltrate the Presidential the British National Party. The NF campaign of arch-conservative pundit capitalised on mass strikes, recession, Pat Buchanan in 2000. inflation as well as the end of the Despite his unreconstructed views, , peaking in the 1970s. Its under Griffin’s changes the BNP candidate won 16 per cent of the vote won 44 council seats in 2006 (most in a by-election in West Bromwich. In strikingly in the old Ford-producing 1977, the group provoked a riot with suburb of Barking and Dagenham) and a march through Lewisham in south in 2009, when Griffin and his one-time London, accusing black residents of NF comrade Andrew Brons won two being responsible for crime. Once seats in the European Parliament in the adopted a tougher north of England. The BNP’s success stance on immigration, the NF was has been attributed to a number swept away and did poorly at the of factors, linked to a backdrop of 1979 General Election which elected increasing immigration, a sense of ‘loss’ Thatcher to power. Once counting of identity and certainty among white 17,000 members, it soon collapsed into working class whites as Tony Blair’s fratricidal splits. It was one of these Britain hit the Noughties, a growing fringe groups which future BNP leader, resentment of the European Union Nick Griffin, was to lead. and most notably, the perceived rise of Following the NF’s disintegration, the immigration as well as militant Islam. British National Party was formed in More recently, the BNP’s decline has 1982 by John Tyndall. Under Tyndall it been swifter than its ascent, with deep remained a group, but gained unhappiness at Griffin’s leadership, the Far Right’s first ever council seat financial problems and no in the UK when BNP member Derek left at the time of writing.

Spectre of Hate 15 The violently anti-Muslim (“Islamic the EDL founder, Stephen Lennon, is a extremism”) English Defence League former BNP member and Nick Griffin (EDL) exploded onto the scene in 2009, has quite clearly seen the EDL as a following protests by Muslim extremists threat to his dwindling membership – in Luton against British soldiers producing several attacks on the rival returning from Afghanistan. The organisation). Lennon, who uses the EDL’s protests across cities in the UK name of a Luton football hooligan frequently turned into drunken brawls Tommy Robinson, has a rough, working and many members issued frequent class street charm and confidence that and vile attacks on Muslims and the Griffin lacks. However, as of October Islamic faith on social media. Dozens 2013 he announced his resignation of members were arrested for violence from the EDL and pledged to work and a further number were imprisoned with the discredited counter-extremist for weapons, drugs, paedophilia, group, the Quilliam Foundation. Shortly robbery and other offences. After the thereafter Lennon was jailed for 18 murder of a British soldier in Woolwich months for mortgage fraud. by two Muslim extremists in May 2013, The recent success of UKIP has EDL followers took in force to social underlined the rise of a new form of media, boosting the flagging fortunes populist, anti-immigrant movement of the group – which had been linked that (though it denies it) also seems to the Norwegian mass murderer, to harbour a great deal of fear and Anders Breivik in 2011 – leading to a resentment towards Muslims: it’s large spike in anti-Muslim incidents spokesperson on immigration, Gerard both on- and offline. Batten, has said that Muslims – and This arrival of a new far right group Muslims only – should sign a special has led many to view it as a direct charter rejecting violence. In 2013 local competitor to the BNP; however as council elections the party averaged the EDL had no coherent political 26% of the vote, running on a strong programme or ideology and was only anti-immigration ticket. a street movement it is difficult to compare it on the same terms (though

Polling Data

2010 British Social Attitudes survey • 55% bothered by large mosque • 77% see Islam as threat to British life • almost half expect violent clash of civilisations • Fewer than one in four people believe that following Islam is compatible with a British way of life, Britain’s most senior Muslim minister, Baroness Warsi, revealed in 2013 • In 2011 Searchlight Educational Trust published original research (Fear & HOPE survey) looking at the attitudes of voters towards far-right political parties in the UK. It concluded that nearly half of those polled by a Populus survey supported the creation of an English nationalist, anti-Muslim political party • 34% Muslim men and 26% women have experienced anti-Muslim in the past year (up to 8 times) across Europe

16 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK From Voting to Violence “The Security Minister, James Brokenshire, earlier this year stated that The report ‘From Voting to Violence’ the threat from far right extremism is by academic expert on the Far Right, ‘real’ and that the Government has Matthew Goodman (published by been “urgently reconsidering the threat Chatham House in 2013) noted: from Far Right terrorism in the UK.” “The Home Affairs Select Committee Goodwin’s report highlighted the report noted that there were currently role of sections of the media whose 17 far right activists in British prisons “framing [of] Muslims as problematic for terror-related offences. We are and threatening” provides succor to also witnessing an increase in violence counter-jihad groups and their anti- from supporters of the EDL around Muslim agenda. the country.

The Fear and HOPE survey the opinion polls for next year’s European elections in France, beating Source: Searchlight Educational Trust/ even the ruling party of Francois HOPE not hate (2011) Hollande. The Dutch anti-Islam Huge numbers of Britons would party led by Geert Wilders attracted support an anti-immigration English 15.5% of the vote at the height of nationalist party if it was not its popularity; its share of the vote associated with violence and fascist collapsed back down following 2012 imagery, according to the largest elections, but it is widely expected to survey into identity and extremism do well again under its new leader, conducted in the UK. Marine Le Pen, who has set about modernising its image. A Populus poll of nearly 6,000 people found that 48% of the According to the Populus survey, population would consider 39% of Asian Britons, 34% of white supporting a new anti-immigration Britons and 21% of black Britons party committed to challenging wanted all immigration into the UK Islamist extremism, and would to be stopped permanently, or at support policies to make it statutory least until the economy improved. for all public buildings to fly the flag And 43% of Asian Britons, 63% of St George or the union flag. of white Britons and 17% of black Britons agreed with the statement The poll suggests that the level that “immigration into Britain has of backing for a far-right party been a bad thing for the country”. could equal or even outstrip that Just over half of respondents – 52% in countries such as France, the – agreed with the proposition that Netherlands and Austria. France’s “Muslims create problems in the UK”. National Front party has just topped

Percentage of Britons wanting all immigration into the UK to be stopped permanently, or at least until the economy improved.

39% 34% 21% Asian Britons White Britons Black Britons

Spectre of Hate 17 Warning Signs Ahead Far Right & New Media Matthew Feldman, researcher at the The Internet has radically altered the University of Teesside’s Centre for landscape for the expression of far- Fascist, Anti-Fascist and Post-Fascist right views. Studies Centre, warns that the Far Whereas once there were poorly- Right’s current disarray does not mean produced, photocopied newsletters that it is without influence. distributed by the National Front on He said: “Conservative MP Jacob east London’s Brick Lane, these days Rees-Mogg gave a speech at a numerous forums, feeds, dinner held by the esoteric far-right Facebook groups and other forms of organisation, the Traditional Britain social media allow the development Group, in May 2013. Rees-Mogg of extremist thought via online immediately distanced himself communities. Research has shown that from the group and its members’ far from challenging or changing our extreme views, particularly those on views, Internet communities tend to Doreen Lawrence’s recent peerage, attract like-minded ‘tribes’ and act to immigration and on ‘repatriation’ self-reinforce collective views of the of non-Brits. What the incident outside world. As any regular browser demonstrated however was another knows, conspiracy theories – including type of far-right group, one that is anti- those talking of a “Muslim takeover”, populist (unlike the EDL) and has its of Islam being a monolithic and violent ideological roots in conservatism.” religion – proliferate. “Despite the BNP’s decline,” he added, Not only are terror manuals and “it still continually tries to recruit young bomb-making guides available to members in schools. More threatening, al-Qaeda wannabes, but far-right there are a number of secretive and extremists can meet on the EDL violent groups, such as the Aryan Facebook page (at one stage carrying Strike Force and , which are 158,000 ‘likes’, rising from a mere prepared to perpetrate terrorist atrocities. 20,000 before Woolwich), among one Anders Breivik’s massacre in July 2011 of its many offshoots, or inside the showed the carnage these ‘lone-wolf’ communities of , the web’s far-right individuals can inflict. Britain is oldest white supremacist community, not immune from such action. run by Nick Griffin’s friend and long- time and former KKK “In addition to the extensive list of activist, Don Black. Similarly, Anders convictions for low-level violence and Breivik’s 775,000 word manifesto on intimidation,” he said, “the British the Islamification of Europe is also Far Right has a number of supporters widely available online for distribution prepared to carry out widespread and amongst far-right extremists. extensive violence. These include neo- Nazis such as David Copeland, who Perhaps the greatest danger from the received a life sentence for killing three Internet is not just the downloadable people [during a series of nailbombings guides, the videos and the forums, against minority communities] in but the capability of such tools to help 1999, and Martyn Gilleard, who in ‘self-radicalise’ young men and women 2008 received a 16 year sentence for to carry out terror attacks: whether terrorism offences.” that be in support of “white Europe” or a deluded al-Qaeda fantasy.

18 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK White supremacist insignia

One feature of the far-right which of the alphabet). Some neo-Nazi has remained a constant since its groups, such as the British neo-Nazi inception in the early 20th century organisation , used this is its use of symbolism and insignia. directly in their name. The number 18 is another symbol, and is code for the Displaying these logos, which are more initials A and H (‘’) in the often than not coded, adds to a sense alphabet. Violent neo-Nazis Combat 18 of ‘community’ among the wearers, took their inspiration from this code. with many sharing similar tattoos and clothing displaying related symbols 14 is another number associated with and numbers. Understanding the white supremacist organisations: it is a imagery and slogans of the Far Right is code for the 14-word phrase (‘the 14 important in identifying groups which words’) coined by imprisoned American may be operating under secrecy; it white supremacist, David Lane: ‘We is also important in indicating their must secure the existence of our people ideological preferences. and a future for White Children’. Many of the first fascist groups in Other symbols and logos used are Britain drew on symbols inspired by often related to Norse or Celtic German Nazis (the same is still true mythology. The Celtic Cross is used of certain groups on the Continent frequently by neo-Nazis and is the logo today, such as Greece’s Golden for the Stormfront website, most likely Dawn): the was often used in to invoke the imagery of the Swastika movements such as the Imperial Fascist as well as the Klu Klux Klan cross League’s logo which demonstrated without actually using them. Displaying their commitment to National Socialist the Celtic Cross has been banned ideology. The British Union of Fascists in both Germany and Italy. Norse did not directly use the Swastika, symbolism is also used to romanticise however their lightning bolt logo was Norse peoples as the ‘true Aryans’ and clearly influenced by it. thus the height of racial purity. In the post-war period, far-right, With the rise of more specifically neo-Nazi and white supremacist anti-Muslim organisations such as groups continued this trend of using the EDL, other acronyms have been Nazi symbolism and subtle tributes to adopted and can be frequently seen Adolf Hitler. Apart from the swastika, on social media: for example ‘NFSE’ other examples include the number (No F******* Surrender Ever) and ‘PAI’ 88, in many cases in tattoo form, as (Patriots Against Islam) – often calling a codified way of saying HH (‘Heil cards of virulent anti-Muslim haters. Hitler!’) (H being the eighth letter

Spectre of Hate 19 Timeline: The Modern Far Right in the UK

1967 June 2008 National Front formed by A.K. Martyn Gilleard, a British Nazi Chesterton sympathiser is jailed after police find nail bombs, bullets, swords, 1982 axes and knives in his flat British National Party formed by John Tyndall 2009 BNP wins two European April 1999 Parliament seats, including for Ex-BNP member David boss Nick Griffin Copeland kills three and injures 139 people in a 13-day nail 2009 bombing campaign against Ian Davison, head of white minority communities in supremacist group Aryan Strike Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho Force, jailed for 10 years for producing ricin and planning June 2001 terrorist attacks BNP wins <0.1% of national vote (approximately 47,000 27 June 2009 votes) in the General Election Emergence of the EDL May 2005 5 September 2009 BNP wins 0.7% of national vote 90 activists arrested at EDL (approximately 193,000 votes) march in Birmingham in the General Election 22 October 2009 2006 Nick Griffin makes a disastrous BNP wins 44 council seats in appearance on BBC Question local elections Time, amid protests July 2007 20 March 2010 Robert Cottage, a former 74 activists arrested at EDL BNP member, is convicted for march in Bolton possessing what police describe as the largest ever amount of May 2010 chemical explosives of its type BNP wins 1.9% of national vote in the UK (approximately 560,000 votes) in General Election but fails to May 2008 win a single seat BNP polls just over 18,000 votes in elections Spring 2010 and its candidate, Richard Political wing of the EDL formed Barnbrook, is elected to the as ‘British Freedom Party’ (BFP) Greater London Assembly (GLA)

20 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK May 2011 22 May 2013 BNP MEP Andrew Brons challenges British soldier, Drummer Lee Nick Griffin in leadership contest Rigby, run down then near- but loses. Subsequently leaves the decapitated by two British party to form British Democratic Islamist terrorists in Woolwich, Party (BDP) leading to spike in Islamophobic attacks and EDL activity across July 2011 the country (EDL surges to over Anders Behring Breivik 150,000 Facebook followers) slaughters 77 people, mainly teenagers, in bomb attack and June 2013 mass-shooting in Norway Yaxley-Lennon arrested again for obstructing police after December 2011 attempting a ‘charity walk’ EDL activist Simon Beech one through London dedicated to of two people jailed for arson the death of Drummer Lee Rigby attack on a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent 7 September 2013 Yaxley-Lennon arrested for September 2012 range of public order offences EDL suffers humiliation after after leading EDL march being prevented by locals from through Tower Hamlets, which marching in Walthamstow, led to over 300 arrests east London 8 October 2013 November 2012 Yaxley-Lennon and cousin Kevin EDL deputy leader Kevin Carroll Carroll announce defection fails in attempt to be elected from EDL to press conference Police and Crime Commissioner hosted by the Quilliam for Bedfordshire, coming in Foundation fourth place with nearly 11% of the vote January 2014 Yaxley-Lennon is subsequently November 2012 jailed for mortgage fraud BNP’s Marlene Guest comes (18 months)n third in by-election, marking the highest ever 1 October 2014 position in a parliamentary Nick Griffin, who led the BNP constituency election for 15 years, was expelled from the party. January 2013 EDL leader Stephen Yaxley- Lennon (AKA Tommy Robinson) jailed for entering the United States on a false passport

Spectre of Hate 21 2 Far Right BNP: What is the British National Party? Movements Today

• BNP: What is the British The British National Party (BNP) is a National Party? far-right political party that operates throughout the UK. It was formed • Nick Griffin: Profile of in 1982 from the remnants of the (former) BNP leader old National Front (NF). In 2009 the BNP’s membership stood at more • UKIP – The United Kingdom than 12,000. This has been dwindling Independence Party rapidly. The last available figures showed it below 5,000, with fewer • English Defence League (EDL) than 2,000 likely to be active members. • The EDL’s backers Under its founder John Tyndall • EDL Supporters (1982-1999) the BNP was a clear neo-Nazi organisation, given over • EDL and the Armed Forces to street demonstrations, violence, • Main Far Right Groups – UK and with Tyndall an associate of groups such as the American and promoting active denial of the Holocaust. One former member remembers feet stomping and cries of “Fuhrer! Fuhrer!” as Tyndall took to the stage at one party rally. “Its political programme demanded the forcible ‘repatriation’ of non-white Britons, and proposed the restoration of the British Empire along with a series of authoritarian measures derived from Hitler,” said journalist Daniel Trilling, author Bloody Nasty People: The Rise of Britain’s Far Right. “[Under Tyndall] The BNP followed a familiar pattern of holding provocative marches and rallies; its members attacked left-wing meetings and sought to create ethnic divisions by encouraging – or even perpetrating – racist assaults,” he said. After 1992 the party began to abandon its public meetings and take electioneering more seriously (partly as a result of disruption caused by militant anti-fascists).

Far Right Movements Today 23 Tyndall was deposed as chairman in “non-indigenous” or “civic British”, 1999 by a faction of “modernisers” however, and claims to put the led by his former protégé Nick Griffin. interests of “the ” first Ironically Griffin, despite his attempts (by which it means white Britons). In to portray himself as a new and more fact, in a speech he gave to young electable force, had been responsible German neo-Nazis at the end of for some of the more extreme articles March 2014, he said: in BNP publications, including the party “Many of the Africans who’ve swamped magazine Spearhead (which he secretly Britain, hundreds of thousands in edited for a period) and in his own the last five years are perfectly good journal The Rune, content for which Christians. I don’t care. They have no led to his conviction for inciting racial place in my country, they have no place hatred in 1998. in our Europe.” Under Griffin the BNP swiftly So, while the BNP has attempted emulated some of the strategies and to distance itself from its past and tactics of Jean-Marie Le Pen’s much adopted the “boots not ” more successful Front National in approach of many continental far-right France. It dropped the rabble-rousing parties, “it remains a racist party in the demonstrations of the past (ironically, European fascist tradition” claims anti- this mantle was later taken up by the racist campaign group, HOPE not hate. English Defence League), introduced ‘influence circles’ (much as the FN Although experts agree it remains a once did) focusing on green issues, with race (and vegetarianism, the countryside, more recently anti-Muslim hatred) as veterans, even created its own trade a focus, with a strong vein of anti- union. Griffin also dropped the forcible Semitism still at its former leader’s core, repatriation policy. the party has variously tried to describe itself as British nationalist, racial The BNP still rejects integration, nationalist or more recently, ‘ethno- equality and basic human and civil nationalist’. Griffin has also referred to rights for people it describes as the party as a civil rights movement.

24 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK In recent years the BNP has concentrated remains divided and moribund in most on opposing Islam and actively parts of London and Yorkshire. campaigns against the establishment of According to HOPE not hate, “it has mosques, halal meat and what it calls survived financially on pressuring the “Islamification” of the UK. members to leave the BNP property It claimed in January 2011 that white and cash in their wills” whilst generally people were being “exterminated” losing the battle to win hearts and from British cities by means of “ethnic minds for Britain’s far-right supporters cleansing”. It also sought to build to the English Defence League (which support for a populist opposition to has since developed its own problems). the war in Afghanistan, though in this “With the party in both financial and regard its younger upstart rival, the electoral decline, the BNP has had to English Defence League, has probably rely on more controversial means of had far more support among rank and gaining publicity, including the use of file armed forces members. conspiracy theories,” says HOPE not Griffin and his former National Front hate. “A planned march by the BNP in colleague Andrew Brons were elected Woolwich in June 2013 was banned to the European Parliament in 2009. by the police, forcing Griffin into a Since then the party has gone downhill, humiliating public appeal for help from with severe financial problems and the EDL’s leader. This help was refused.” disastrous management by Griffin, Including Griffin, who has recently accused of dictatorial behaviour. staged two high-profile visits to the Andrew Brons quit the party at the end vilified Assad regime in Syria, the party of 2012 to form his own political party now only has three elected officials in in 2013, The the whole of the UK (as of March 2014 (BDP). The BDP has done little since. – Griffin and Brons may lose their only In 2013’s local elections the BNP stood one now). Griffin himself around 300 candidates less than at was declared bankrupt in January elections in 2009 – very few managed 2014. The judgment marked a new low to gain more than 10% of the poll. For for Griffin and the BNP, which a few the first time since 2002 the party is years ago boasted 57 councillors, two without representation in Burnley (once MEPs and a London assembly member. heralded as a BNP breakthrough area, Following its disastrous showing, following race riots in 2001, and where experts predict that the UK could be it once held eight council seats) and “BNP-free”.

Some key BNP policies • an end to immigration from Muslim nations • encouragement for some UK residents to return to “their lands of ethnic origin” • bring back British troops from Afghanistan immediately • leave the European Union • abolish quangos • reallocate funds from the foreign aid budget to increase spending on frontline NHS services.

Far Right Movements Today 25 Nick Griffin: Profile of with two other National Front members, as well as an Italian fascist called Roberto (former) BNP leader Fiore (who at the time was on the run from Italian police, because of his association with a terrorist group which had bombed a Bologna train station in 1980, killing 85 people). Griffin left the NF in 1989 and joined the BNP in 1995, soon editing its magazine, despite being a political rival of its leader and long-time national socialist, John Tyndall. A long-term anti-Semite himself, Griffin once described the Holocaust as “the hoax of the 20th century” and University-educated Nick has associated with a wide variety of Griffin at first sight appears far removed Holocaust Deniers (even criticising the from the skinhead stereotype. notorious Holocaust revisionist historian for being soft on the issue). Born in 1959, in Barnet on the outskirts In 1997 he co-authored a pamphlet of north London, Griffin is the son of a called Who Are the Mindbenders? right-wing Conservative Party activist (his “about Jewish conspiracies to brainwash father, Edgar, met his mother when they people in Britain” and was found guilty turned up to heckle a Communist Party of distributing material likely to incite meeting in the 1950s). By 14, the young racial hatred. He was later given a Griffin had read Adolf Hitler’s Mein two-year suspended prison sentence Kampf. This all took place during the era for inciting racial hatred, for material of and fears over ‘rivers of produced in his magazine, The Rune. blood’ caused by new immigration. In 1999 he ousted Tyndall from the BNP In 1974 Griffin’s father took his son to a leadership and set about his attempts to National Front meeting in , the paint the organisation as a haven for the family having by then moved to Suffolk, disaffected working class. where Griffin attended a private school. The speaker at the NF meeting talked In 2006, along with party activist about why the Conservative and Labour , Griffin was cleared Parties would never stop the flow of of race hate charges relating to immigrants and how the NF was the speeches he made describing Islam as only party to support the complete a “wicked, vicious faith”. In 2008 the repatriation of non-whites. From there BNP asked police to investigate after and that moment, Griffin was hooked its entire party membership list was onto hardline racist politics. published on the internet. An NF activist while studying law at Despite these setbacks, Griffin’s Cambridge (he often boasts of being attempts at remodelling the BNP’s a ‘boxing blue’ whilst at university), image at first proved successful. In Griffin had a long involvement with the 2008 his candidate NF during its most notorious period. was elected to the Greater London In the late 1980s he travelled to Libya Assembly and Griffin himself later to try and meet Colonel Gaddafi on a won one of the party’s first two seats fund-raising mission, while the NF was in the European Parliament in 2009. busy unravelling back in the UK. During Days later, he was pelted with eggs by this period he also ran a heritage tour anti-fascist protesters, forcing him to company in London, before forming an abandon a press conference outside extreme right-wing Catholic organisation the Houses of Parliament. called the International

26 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Changing fortunes Adam Walker Things began to sour after the BNP leader made a disastrous appearance on the BBC’s Question Time in October 2009. Griffin attacked Islam and gays, defended the Ku Klux Klan and was unable to explain his previous comments about the Holocaust. The BBC also faced substantial criticism for allowing his appearance. Amid all the publicity, Griffin’s mother- Adam Walker replaced Griffin as party in-law then said he was a “racist” and leader on 21 July 2014. In 1985, he joined a “work-shy pretender” who put his 15th /19th The King’s Royal Hussars politics ahead of his family and was as a battle tank crewman. After being “living in the Dark Ages.” discharged from his duties, he became In 2010 the BNP’s electoral fortunes went a school teacher, later to be banned into more rapid decline, partly as a result from teaching for life for accessing of comprehensive anti-fascist campaigning extremist literature and engaging in by, among others, HOPE not hate and racially and religiously-intolerant chatter Unite Against Fascism. Griffin suffered a online during school hours. In 2010, crushing defeat in Barking at the General Walker represented the BNP as part of a Elections, which had previously been delegation led by French National Front a party stronghold. Labour’s Margaret leader Jean-Marie Le Pen to Yasukuni Hodge retained her seat with a majority Shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo. of more than 16,000. The BNP failed to Walker received a suspended sentence win a single seat and only increased its and a driving ban last year after chasing overall national vote by 1.83% to 514,819. three boys aged between ten and 12 in There was further controversy when his car, before slashing their bike tyres Griffin was invited to attend a with a knife in 2011. Buckingham Palace garden party, in his Last year, as a BNP organiser, he described capacity as an MEP for the North West, Britain as a ‘multicultural s***hole’. then was denied entry on the grounds that he had “overtly used his personal invitation for party political purposes.” UKIP – The United Meanwhile, the party suffered at the Kingdom Independence hands of the rival English Defence League and its more charismatic street Party leader ‘Tommy Robinson’ (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), whom Griffin attacked in a long series of videos alleging Jewish/ Zionist manipulation of its backers. Griffin led his party with an iron hand, despite many high-profile defections and his bankruptcy in January 2014. In July he was removed as party chairman; in October he was expelled from the party. Following a bad-tempered falling out with The United Kingdom Independence Party its Executive Committee, the BNP finally (UKIP) is not a traditional far-right party: sacked Nick Griffin on 1 October, claiming most people know UKIP for its hostility to he had “deliberately” fabricated a “state the European Union (EU). Its leader, the of crisis” and put all his efforts into trying media (and ) friendly Nigel Farrage, to cause “disunity” within the party. a former City broker, has described

Far Right Movements Today 27 its followers as the “true Europeans”, and multiculturalism. One UKIP leaflet claiming credit for shifting the terms of even carried a picture of a Native the debate on immigration and holding American Indian, with the words: “He a referendum on the UK’s membership used to ignore immigration... now he of the EU. Critics claim that immigration lives on a reservation.” is, in fact, its number one focus and that At the party’s 2013 chaotic annual it is certainly a xenophobic party. conference (at which one of its MEPs According to HOPE not hate: “It combines referred to women as “sluts” and hit a the of Enoch Powell Channel 4 News journalist, before having with the populist anti-immigrant and the party removed), Farage referred Eurosecptic parties of northern and to immigration as the “biggest single western Europe, such as the Finns Party issue facing” the UK, warning of an “even and Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party.” darker side to the opening of the door”. The party was founded in 1993 by Alan He claimed London had been gripped by Sked and other members of the cross- a “Romanian crime wave … This gets to party Anti-Federalist League, a political the heart of immigration,” he said. “We party set up in November 1991 with should not be opening our doors on 1 the aim of fielding candidates opposed January to Romanian criminal gangs.” to the . Sked resigned In a tactic common to many populist from the leadership and left the party right-wing parties, Farage said “The after the 1997 General Election because Establishment” had dismissed anyone he felt “they are racist and have been wanting to debate immigration as infected by the far-right”. The party “bad and racist”. describes itself in its constitution as a “democratic, ”. It has a On the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme membership of 30,000. he also claimed that the UK was already swamped with “Romanian criminals” Under Farage UKIP has reached what and that “we are opening the door to the BBC calls “unprecedented heights more Romanian criminals”. in the opinion polls”, coming second to the Conservatives with 16.5% of the Although Farage has diluted his vote in the European elections in 2009 claims, saying he never expected all (winning 13 MEPs) and winning further 29 million Bulgarians and Romanians hundreds of seats in the 2013 May local to invade (there are only slightly more elections. May 2014 Euro elections: than 27 million people living in the swept the board, gaining 24 MEPs and two countries), he stressed that there 27% of the share of the vote. were up to four million Romanian and Bulgarian Roma who “live like animals” UKIP & race and immigration and were excluded from their society. Despite having a pull-out from the EU At a meeting in July 2013, former UKIP as its core goal, UKIP is increasingly MEP (now expelled from focusing on immigration and the failure the party) was filmed saying: “How we of multiculturalism. Along with elements can possibly be giving a billion pounds of the tabloid press, UKIP placed a lot a month when we’re in this sort of debt of emphasis on the supposed ‘flood’ of to bongo bongo land is completely Bulgarians and Romanians who would beyond me, to buy Ray-Ban sunglasses, enter the UK in January 2014 (with apartments in Paris, Ferraris and all the the relaxation of EU work restrictions), rest of it that goes with most of the with some leaflets claiming that 29 foreign aid.” million people could arrive into Britain. Responding on the BBC Radio4 Today As it was, the so-called flood never programme, Bloom said: “I’m standing happened. Other UKIP leaflets have up for ordinary people at the pub, focused more generally on immigration

28 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK the cricket club, the rugby club, the 2013. Its prospective parliamentary sort of people who remain completely candidate in the marginal West Midlands unrepresented under the political system seat of Halesowen and Rowley Regis that we have. My job is to upset The told a rally that “ law works as a Guardian and the BBC. I love it. I love it.” prevention – and prevention is better than cure”. He added: “If you think you Bloom had also argued that man-made are going to get your hand chopped global warming is a myth, and praised off for pinching something, you won’t the 1985 sinking of Greenpeace’s pinch it.” Nigel Farage defended him. In Rainbow Warrior, in which a man died. addition, one prospective parliamentary In November 2010, he was ejected from candidate was revealed to be a the Europe Parliament after taunting a former NF member. More and more German MEP with the Nazi slogan “Ein embarrassing examples were revealed by Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer”. press and pressure groups in the run-up Numerous other UKIP political candidates to the 2014 European elections. have been recorded and reported for UKIP now has two MPs, both defectors racist and other inflammatory tweets from the Conservative Party: Douglas and Facebook postings, leading to Carswell in Clacton, and the expulsion of the party’s leader on in Rochester and Strood. Country Council in summer

Some key UKIP policies • EUROPE: Nigel Farage says he wants an “amicable divorce” from the European Union. • IMMIGRATION: An end to the age of “mass uncontrolled immigration”. It wants a five year freeze on immigration for permanent settlement. Any future migration must be limited to those who can “clearly be shown to benefit the British people as a whole and our economy”. Immigrants would not be able to apply for public housing or benefits until they had paid tax for five years. • DEFENCE: According to a recent policy paper, UKIP would increase defence spending back to 2010 levels. • ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE: UKIP is sceptical about the existence of man-made climate change and would scrap all subsidies for . • GAY MARRIAGE: UKIP supports the concept of civil partnerships, but opposes the move to legislate for same-sex marriage, which it says risks “the grave harm of undermining the rights of Churches and Faiths to decide for themselves whom they will and will not marry”. • LAW AND ORDER: UKIP would double prison places and protect “frontline” policing to enforce “zero tolerance” of crime. • THE ECONOMY: UKIP is proposing “tens of billions” of tax cuts and has set out £77bn of cuts to public expenditure to deal with the deficit. • SOCIAL ISSUES: UKIP has been vocal in its opposition to what it sees as “political correctness” in public life. It also argues that multiculturalism has “split” British society. • DEMOCRACY: The party wants binding local and national referendums on major issues.

Far Right Movements Today 29 UKIP voters believe that immigrants are the main source of of UKIP voters in the 51% crime (21% disagree). Immigration 2009 European Elections 87% is the most important issue for UKIP believed that “all further immigration supporters. Europe as an issue comes to the UK should be halted” second or even third 2012 YouGov poll of of UKIP voters believe 1,505 UKIP supporters, 51% that white people suffer found that 51% do NOT believe 63% “unfair discrimination”, only 8% think that Britain has benefited from Muslim do immigration (compared to 25% who do) Conversely, 61% of UKIP voters think Muslims think immigrants should 61% “benefit from UNFAIR ADVANTAGES be sent back to their 35% in Britain”, compared to just 5% who ‘home’ country believe that white people do

Misconceptions about UKIP UKIP and Islam Some have suggested that UKIP is the UKIP is strongly opposed to what natural inheritor of the ‘old ’, the aged it calls an “Islamic threat”. The golf club retirees who don’t like change. party has been closely linked to According to Professor Matthew leading figures in the ‘counter-jihad’ Goodwin of the University of Nottingham, movement. UKIP brought Dutch who published a book on UKIP, Revolt anti-Islamic politician Geert Wilders On The Right, in 2014, UKIP has actually to the UK to screen his controversial drawn strong support from white, film Fitna. MEP has working class former Labour voters. spoken at international counter- jihad conferences and is linked to “The claim that UKIP is drawing leading anti-Muslim activists like only from the right is one of the big Sam Solomon and Paul Diamond. misconceptions in British politics,” Batten also favours a charter, in he said. “Our analysis on the party which Muslims have to sign up to reveals that its voters are much more non-violence, and warns that it was likely to be low-income, financially a big mistake for Europe to allow insecure and working class.“They look “an explosion of mosques across like old Labour, and since 2010 the their land”. UKIP surge has been strongest among these low-skilled, older and blue-collar workers, the exact groups that Labour According to a 2012 YouGov poll of is struggling with the most. UKIP supporters: “Since its low point in 2009, we find • 82% are bothered by construction that Labour has made double-digit of a mosque in their neighbourhood advances in its vote share among (2.1% would welcome it) women, the under-35s and graduates, all groups that avoid UKIP. In contrast, • 85% believe that Islam poses a Labour has barely grown among men threat to Western civilisation (7.6% and those with no qualifications, and disagree) the party has actually lost ground • 75% believe violence between racial/ among pensioners. Among these ethnic/religious groups is inevitable groups, the UKIP vote has surged by an (11.6% disagree) average of nine percentage points.”

30 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK English Defence League What began as a loose alliance of people around various social networking (EDL) websites turned into one of the largest social movements in the country, often descending on towns and cities and bringing them to a standstill. In 2011, however, things started to go wrong. The Norwegian racist killer Anders Breivik cited the EDL as well as other counter-jihadists as an inspiration for his murderous rampage. Breivik had 600 EDL Facebook ‘friends’. Several high profile EDL activists were also recorded admitting their support for What is the English Defence League? Breivik’s actions in killing 77 during his of people say they two terror attacks. would consider joining 11% The EDL’s founder and leader Stephen the EDL – YouGov/Extremis Lennon (aka ‘Tommy Robinson’/resigned The English Defence League (EDL) is from the group on 8 October, 2013) an anti-Muslim organisation which was later filmed seemingly admitting his claims to be protesting against “Islamist admiration for the killer, though he has extremism”. It has no formal membership denied making these comments. During as such, though in 2013 it soared to 2011 various exposures in national and around 150,000 Facebook followers international media exposed the EDL following the murder of a British soldier in as part of an international network of Woolwich (though this has now dropped extremists – the so-called ‘counter-jihad’ again) and it is as much a social media as movement – targeting Muslims around a physical or street phenomenon. the world. This movement had a number of small-time English businessmen and Its “anti-extremist not anti-Muslim” women at its heart, as well as the street nuance has been lost on most of its army that was the EDL. supporters, who have frequently turned out for large (often drunken and violent) There was even a short-lived entry demonstrations, chanting offensive into politics that ended in disarray slogans against all Muslims. The cost of and humiliation, after EDL second-in- policing such demonstrations has reached command, and Lennon’s cousin, Kevin more than £10 million since the group Carroll, joined the British Freedom Party was formed by a set of Luton football (formed by an ex-UKIP member, Paul hooligans in 2009, following a protest Weston, who now leads another far- by a handful of al-Muhajiroun extremists right, anti-Muslim party called Liberty at the homecoming parade of the Royal GB). The BFP subsequently collapsed at Anglian Regiment through the town. the end of 2012, having achieved little.

Far Right Movements Today 31 After Breivik and a series of other linked to the EDL and its supporter exposures, ordinary activists drifted base. This includes fire-bombings and away and splits emerged. Some of the even murder. more damaging allegations included EDL demonstrations tailed off during the revelation that one of its other 2013, until the murder of off-duty founding members was a paedophile. soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south EDL supporters were also convicted London, in May 2013. Until Rigby’s for possession of guns, for violence, death, Lennon had shown no real drugs and other crimes. Thousands interest in further EDL activities, but more took to social media to call for found his way to Newcastle on the mosques to be burned, Muslims to 25th of May 2013 to address over 1500 be purged, attacked or deported (for people at an already planned march. which several have been successfully A huge number of people joined prosecuted). The anti-Muslim hate the EDL’s Facebook page following crime project, Tell MAMA, estimates Rigby’s murder, and police forces and that around one-third of all the anti- monitoring projects recorded a large Muslim hate comments it measures spike in anti-Muslim incidents (both on social media can be traced back to online and offline). EDL supporters – a figure verified by analysts at Teesside University. On 8 October 2013 Lennon and Carroll spectacularly announced that they In September 2012 the group were quitting the organisation and suffered a humiliation when it was defecting to the ‘counter extremism’ prevented by locals from marching Quilliam Foundation. While questions in Walthamstow, east London. The remain over their apparent conversion fallout reopened a wound with the and the work that Quilliam (disliked rival BNP, whose former leader Nick among British Muslim circles and Griffin described the EDL’s leader as which lost most of its Government a “big girl’s blouse” in an appeal for funding in 2011) intends to do, the the EDL activist base to move to the future for the EDL without its two BNP. There were further defections leaders looks rather bleak – as of and splits in a movement already now, Lennon has recently completed riven by tensions and breakaways an 18-month prison sentence for (such as the North West Infidels, mortgage fraud. More splits and North East Infidels or the South East violent offshoots are likely to follow. Alliance), often from among more hardcore far-right supporters or those ‘up north’ away from Lennon and Carroll ‘down south’. What the EDL says it wants In January 2013, Lennon pleaded guilty to “possession of a false • Protecting identity document with improper ‘human rights’ intention” at Southwark Crown Court. • Opposing Shari’a He was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, but was released on • Ensuring public electronic tag in February. Lennon had gets ‘balanced picture’ of Islam used a false passport to gain entry into • Promoting traditions of England the United States in late 2012. • Working with others around A career criminal, Lennon has a the world number of other criminal convictions, including for football-related violence. It is estimated that there Source: EDL website are 700 criminal convictions directly

32 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK ‘Tommy Robinson’s’ offensive outbursts

The Islamic community will feel the full force of the English Defence League if we see any of our citizens killed, maimed or hurt on British soil ever again.” Robinson’s remark to an EDL demo in Tower Hamlets, east London, in 2011.

If something was set fire and someone wrote “” on the side of it, does it mean he did it?’ Quarter of young British people ‘do not trust Muslims’ EDL leader defends his organisation after an Islamic Centre in north London Of the 1,000 18-24 year-olds is set on fire, following the murder of questioned by a BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat a British soldier Lee Rigby in May 2013, poll, 28% said Britain would be better and ‘EDL’ is found written at the scene. off with fewer Muslims, while 44% said Muslims did not share the same This is a day of respect for our values as the rest of the population. Armed Forces. They’ve had Some 60% thought the British public their Arab Spring. This is time for had a negative image of Muslims. the English Spring’ Other findings in the Comres survey, Offensive outburst after Fusilier Rigby conducted in June 2013, include: was killed in Woolwich. 1. When asked about religious groups 27% said they didn’t trust Muslims, I class everyone in my 16% said they didn’t trust Hindus community as everyone who or Sikhs, 15% said they didn’t trust is non-Islamic’ Jewish people, that figure was 13% The offensive words of Tommy Robinson for Buddhists and 12% said they who said he is not anti-Muslim. didn’t trust Christians 2. Young people place the blame for Complimentary lunch, Islamophobia in Britain on terror manager’s a top lad, couldn’t groups abroad (26%), the media be more apologetic’ (23%) and UK Muslims who have EDL leader Tweets his delight after committed acts of terror (21%) Selfridges offer him a free lunch after 3. Only three in 10 (29%) think a Muslim shop assistant had previously Muslims are doing enough refused to serve him. to combat extremism in their communities. However, overall Since Woolwich, in a terrible young people are more likely to way, it gave people a platform agree (48%) than disagree (27%) to listen to what we were saying... that Islam is a peaceful religion it’s common sense what we stand for and everyone’s agreeing’ 4. Young people are divided over whether or not immigration is good Stephen Lennon proclaimed to for Britain overall. Two-fifths (42%) Channel 4 News say it is a good thing but more than a third disagree (35%)

Far Right Movements Today 33 The EDL’s backers run by Edward May (‘Baron Bodissey’) who is now a director of CVF. ‘Alan Lake’ or Alan Ayling, a wealthy Another CVF director is Christopher investment fund manager, was the Knowles, who was a key player in the mastermind behind the strategy to EDL although unknown to most of its unite football hooligan firms into supporters. Under his alias, Aeneas, an anti-Muslim street army: what he was in contact with Ray since 2007. was-to-become the English Defence ‘Aeneas’ runs the CVF’s ICLA website League, or EDL. and coordinates its European work According to an investigation by The from his West Yorkshire base. Sunday Times newspaper another Ray names Aeneas/Chris Knowles influential figure was a woman called among the clique who met to set up ‘Gaia’ and ‘Dominque Devaux’, aka the EDL. He remained an important Ann Marchini, who runs a buy-to- behind-the-scenes figure and a link let property empire from Highgate, between the EDL, the moneyed CVF north London. strategists and other racist and far right Other backers of the EDL project groups internationally. included Chris Knowles, known by the The third director of CVF is Christine alias ‘Aeneas’, who ran the EDL’s media Brim, whose day job has been the chief operation and was central to its links operating officer for the right-wing with European and US far-right groups. US think tank, the Center for Security Ayling, who under his ‘Lake’ alias Policy. She is prominent on US anti- described Anders Behring Breivik’s Muslim demonstrations. Norway massacre as ‘chickens coming home to roost’, was once a Counter Jihadists director of Pacific Capital Investment The Gates of Vienna website also Management, a City investment fund. hosts other well known Islamophobic It was at Ayling’s £500,000 Barbican ideologues. They include the former flat that the EDL was established UKIP candidate who in 2009, according to a disaffected launched the British Freedom Party, in founder member, Paul Ray. The conjunction with support of the EDL’s founding meetings brought together Kevin Carroll. Weston has predicted Lake and these other ‘counter-jihadists’ war between ‘native Europeans’ and together with Ray, Stephen Yaxley- Muslims is ‘inevitable’ unless Europe Lennon – aka ‘Tommy Robinson’, the ‘wakes up to the danger it is in and former BNP member who would lead expels all its Muslims’. He now runs the EDL – and his cousin Kevin Carroll. another far-right party, Liberty GB, which has been locked in a bitter war Ann Marchini was also there. She of words with the Tell MAMA anti- coordinated the European wing Muslim hatred monitoring service. of a well-funded US organisation, the Center for Vigilant Freedom The Gates of Vienna site published the (CVF), now part of an Islamophobic outpourings of a blogger known as organisation called the International ‘Fjordman’ – real name Peder Jensen Civil Liberties Alliance (CLA). – who was named by Norwegian killer Breivik 111 times in his manifesto. Alan The CVF/ICLA was formed from a ‘Lake’ Ayling has said: ‘People ought to discussion group – ‘the 910 Group’ – read him, he is good’. centred around a deeply Islamophobic website, the Gates of Vienna, whose The CVF/ICLA has organised name is inspired by the ‘holding back’ counter-jihad conferences and other of the Ottoman Empire’s forces at the international activities that bringing gates of the Vienna in 1683. The site is together supporters of Geert Wilders’

34 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Islamophobic populist PVV party in Goodwin’s research used the survey the Netherlands with activists from the data to explore answers to questions anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats and that arose from the growing popularity far-right Flemish Belgian Vlaams Belang of ‘these movements, such as the – plus the EDL. various ‘defence leagues’ and ‘stop Islamization’ movements which have grown up in recent years. EDL Supporters The research revealed an alarming Source: iEngage (rebranded as MEND, tendency for anti-Muslim prejudice September 2014) among both counter-jihad enthusiasts and the wider public, arguing that such , associate movements have “rallied citizens who professor of Politics at the University of appear united by the belief that both Nottingham, published new research the religion [Islam] and its followers on the English Defence League in 2013, [Muslims] pose a fundamental and via Chatham House (The Roots of pressing threat to their native group Extremism: The English Defence League and nation: 80 per cent of supporters and the Counter-Jihad Challenge). perceive Islam as a danger to Western Goodwin drew on analysis of survey civilisation and consider the growth data by YouGov, involving a random of Muslim communities as a threat to sample of 1,666 respondents in the their native group. They are consistently United Kingdom, and a smaller group more likely to endorse such ideas, and of 298 adults who had both heard often strikingly so: 76 per cent rejected of the EDL and knew what it stood the notion that Muslims are compatible for, and (said they agreed with the with the national way of life, compared values and/or methods of this specific with 49 per cent in the full sample.” counter-jihad group.

Far Right Movements Today 35 Most British EDL supporters, it said, adequately met by politicians across were over 44 years. More than Europe. “Importantly for policy-makers, half (53 per cent) were working in such views sit within a wider circle of routine non-manual, professional or public sympathy for a counter-Jihad managerial occupations; the remainder narrative that is actively framing Islam were skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled and Muslims as a fundamental and workers, or on state benefits. urgent threat,” he said. They were also marginally more “Few mainstream voices in Europe likely to distrust politicians than the appear to be actively challenging these average population. The report said: claims, but doing so will be an integral “Among those who agree openly component of any successful counter- with the counter-Jihad agenda, 85 strategy. This underscores the need per cent distrust political parties and for these strategies to simultaneously the European Union, 79 per cent explore ways of addressing, at one distrust their member of parliament, level, ‘harder’ responses to disrupt the 75 per cent distrust parliament actual pathways into these groups and, itself, 71 per cent distrust journalists at another, ‘softer’ responses aimed at and 69 per cent distrust their local addressing misperceptions and hostility councillors. A clear majority (62 per within the wider public towards cent) also feel dissatisfied with the Islam and the role and perceived way in which democracy is working compatibility of Muslim communities.” more generally, and are significantly The paper also noted the role more likely than the average citizen played by sections of the media in to feel this way.” “framing Muslims as problematic and The data suggested that counter-jihad threatening” and the succour this groups possess an anti-immigrant and provided to counter-jihad groups and anti-Islam tendency, with the target their anti-Muslim agenda. of their antipathies both Muslims and immigrants broadly. EDL and the Armed The survey contained a note of optimism in the difference in attitudes Forces towards Muslims between generations, finding that: “Whereas 84 per cent of After the murder of Drummer Lee respondents from older generations Rigby in Woolwich in May 2013, the (i.e. 60 years and above) supported much-discussed connection between the idea of reducing the number of the EDL and the Armed Forces was Muslims in the country, this fell to brought into focus. 38 per cent among a more recent More than 100 EDL supporters turned generation (i.e. those aged 18–24). up in Woolwich the night of the murder, Whereas 77 per cent of the oldest drunkenly rampaging and attacking respondents saw Islam as a danger police while ‘patriotic’ messages in to the West, this fell to 32 per cent support of the Armed Forces appeared among the youngest respondents. on the group’s rapidly growing Whereas 64 per cent of the oldest Facebook page (alongside many endorsed the ‘clash of civilisations’ incendiary anti-Muslim messages). thesis, this support fell to 37 per cent among the youngest.” “We’re passionate about our armed forces. The EDL was created in While the difference presents a defence of our armed forces, we significant opportunity to reclaim the will continue to defend our armed discourse from ‘clash of civilisation’ forces,” said EDL leader ‘Tommy or ‘Eurabia’ enthusiasts, Goodwin Robinson’ (Stephen Lennon). argued that the challenge is not being

36 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK He went on to claim he receives of the armed forces who have liked messages of support “from every EDL related pages, including the regiment in this country on a weekly organisation’s “Armed Forces Division”. basis” he told Channel 4 News. “The total numbers of soldiers who “Our military are trained to fight have declared their support for the against Sharia and then when they group remains unclear, but it is unlikely come home are they supposed to to be more than a small minority turn that off? They’re trained to of armed forces personnel,” the fight and battle this. We’re the only programme said. ones that dare speak up against A statement from the Ministry of Islamist ideology.” Defence () claimed that Queens The Defence Minister Mark Francois Regulations forbade regular service said that following Lee Rigby’s death personnel in uniform taking “any soldiers were “not to get drawn into active part in the affairs of any political the politics of this incident”. organisation, party or movement and they are not to participate in political One former soldier, who had served marches or demonstrations”. in Iraq and Afghanistan, told Channel 4 News that in the aftermath of “Groups that seek to inflame tension Woolwich he made the decision to and set one part of the community become an EDL supporter. against the other have no place in the Armed Forces and racism of any kind He said he had found the adjustment is completely unacceptable”, an MOD to civilian life difficult, and after statement explained. Woolwich had started taking part in demonstrations. He said that he was “Members of the Armed Forces are surprised at the amount of serving and free to join lawful political parties ex-soldiers at these demonstrations. and are entitled to their beliefs and no restriction is placed upon the Channel 4 News claimed that it attendance at political meetings had seen social networking profiles provided that uniform is not worn.” from hundreds of serving members

Far Right Movements Today 37 Main Far Right Groups – UK

Blood and Honour (B&H) (BF) www.bloodandhonourworldwide.co.uk www.britainfirst.org White power music network, neo-Nazi Anti-Islam/Muslim, Christian evangelical, Leader: Simon Dutton anti-immigration Leaders: (millionaire ex- The main umbrella group for the ‘white BNP fundraiser, strong anti-abortion power’ music scene. Holds regular music Protestant activist from ), and concerts and still produces a regular (ex-BNP media officer) glossy magazine under the same name, but the supporters are ageing. Not a political party as such, but a campaign which has made “Muslim British Democratic Party (BDP) grooming” a feature of a letter writing www.britishdemocraticparty.org effort to mosques up and down the Leader: Kevin Scott country. Paul Golding has led several stunts as a ‘Christian Patrol’ in east Eighteen months in the planning, the London, making Anjem Choudhary BDP was launched in autumn 2012 of al-Muhajiroun his leading target. as a far right alternative to the BNP. Meanwhile Dowson has been active Announced first as True Brit, it was in the Northern Irish ‘flag protests’ in then re-launched a few days later after Belfast. Dowson sensationally quit in a major falling out between the original summer 2014, following disagreements founding members. The highest profile about high-profile “mosque invasions”. member is Andrew Brons, a former National Front member who along British Freedom Party (BFP) with Nick Griffin was elected one of Anti-Islam and anti-immigration the BNP’s two MEPs in 2009 (Brons Leader: was Kevin Carroll and Griffin have since fallen out). With a chaotic launch, the party has been Despite promising much the BFP – the mostly silent and ignored in the shadow political arm of the EDL – did very of the much wider-known BNP. little and has since been de-registered as a political party in late 2012. It stood six candidates in the 2012 local elections but they only polled 308 votes between them. The party did a lot better in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in Bedfordshire where Carroll, former joint leader of the EDL, polled 10.3% of the vote.

British National Party (BNP) www.bnp.org.uk Racial nationalist, anti-Semitic Leader: Adam Walker Stuck in electoral freefall, with Nick Griffin its former leader losing both his European Parliamentary seat as well as declaring himself personally bankrupt. Membership is believed to be well below 2,000.

38 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK (BM) Combined Ex-Forces (CxF) Neo-Nazi Far-right street movement Leader: Steve Frost Leader: James Devine Once one of the leading ‘street’ Formed in 2011 as a network of movements of the Far Right in the former soldiers within the English 1980s. Recently launched a youth wing Defence League, more hardline and called ‘Young Wolf’, but now a mere confrontational it was later expelled. shadow of its former self. A relationship still continues with the EDL rank and file and the CxF has British People’s Party (BPP) organised demonstrations alongside www.bpp.org.uk the EDL and more recently with the National Socialist North West Infidels. Leader: Kevin Watmough English Defence League (EDL) Only exists on the internet. Watmough www.englishdefenceleague.org is a longtime neo-Nazi who also Far Right street movement, anti- publishes the hate site, . Muslim, anti-immigration Leaders: Tim Ablitt www.casualsunited.wordpress.com Now in disarray, following the high- Football hooligans, anti-Muslim profile defection of its two leaders, Leader: Jeff Marsh Stephen Lennon (‘Tommy Robinson’) Mostly online with occasional street and his cousin Kevin Carroll. Riven with activity. Previously would link up internal division and splits offs, was with the EDL at their demos. Casuals revitalised temporarily by the murder of United announced a link up with the Drummer Lee Rigby in May 2013 but National Front after falling out with now dropped back off again. Expected the EDL leadership. to continue splintering into more and more factions, some of which may be Combat 18 drawn to violence and confrontation. Neo-Nazi Still active online, via social media. Leader: Will Browning Ultra-violent neo-Nazi gang, once the BNP’s stewarding force. Collapsed www.englishdemocrats.org.uk under murder trials and allegations English nationalists of links to continental bomb plots Leader: Robin Tilbrook and Steve Uncles in the late 1990s but has limped Attempts to position itself akin to the on since. Was heavily infiltrated (SNP) or Plaid by Special Branch during its earlier Cymru (PC) in , has performed incarnations, revealed in the murder disastrously in elections and has trial surrounding former leader Paul recently absorbed many BNP members ‘Charlie’ Sargent, now released. Is upset at Nick Griffin’s leadership. believed to have expanded its brand to up to 17 countries across Europe, including several terror plots.

Far Right Movements Today 39 England First Party Liberty GB http://efp.org.uk www.libertygb.org.uk White nationalists Far-right political, anti-Muslim Leader: Leader: Paul Weston Created by former Nick Griffin Liberty Great Britain was registered with protégé and ex-head of the American the Electoral Commission on 5 March Friends of the BNP, Mark Cotterill, an 2013 by Paul Weston, failed former reconstructed racial nationalist now leader of the British Freedom Party. based in . Also runs the Claiming it is “working together to Heritage and Destiny magazine, with protect our British culture, heritage and links to US far-right extremists. freedoms” it explains that: “the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Conservatives English Volunteer Force (EVF) manifestly refuse to discuss the most Islamophobic and racist, sympathies important issues of our time, namely to Loyalism mass Third World immigration, the Leader: William Anderson steady rise of fundamentalist Islam and First appeared in Bridgend, Wales, on the hijacking of traditional British culture 3rd October 2012 at a Homecoming and institutions by well-organised left- parade by the Royal Welsh Battalion. wing ‘progressives’.” Has strong links to Belfast. including Weston and his cohorts seem National Culturalist founder Jack increasingly obsessed with Islam. Buckby, now part of Liberty GB March For England (MFE) Infidels www.marchforengland.weebly.com Violent far-right street movement, Far-right street movement, anti-Muslim inspired by leaderless resistance Leader: Dave Smeeton Leaders: John ‘Snowy’ Shaw Founded 18 February 2007 originally Founded on 2 April 2011 as a as March for the Flag by two fans of breakaway from the English Defence Tottenham Hotspur FC. It was renamed League (EDL). The Infidels are a non- March for England (MFE) in November party umbrella coalition of far-right 2007. The Portsmouth-based MFE is nationalists and Loyalists from across anti-immigration and anti-Islamist, the UK, formed into the North East plus had close links with the English Infidels (NEI), North West Infidels (NWI) Defence League (EDL). and the Scottish Defence League (SDL). The Infidels of Ulster affiliated to the National Front (NF) coalition in January 2012. Six of the www.national-front.org.uk group were jailed in September 2013 Neo-Nazi for a vicious attack in Liverpool on Leader: was Ian Edward, now disputed antifascist campaigners. with rival Kevin Bryant Ageing activist base – though Iona Forum some influx of former EDL, and Far-right intellectual EDL splinter groups, into its ranks Leader: Jeremy Bedford-Turner (bringing other difficulties with it, Linked to the National Culturists of Jack including confrontation) – some Buckby and with the BNP, but remains marches, concentrates on Holocaust small. Hosts regular meetings in London denial and scientific racism, still and recently invited notorious Canadian associated with violence. Holocaust denier Paul Fromm to visit.

40 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Natural Culturists RedWatch www.culturisthub.org www.redwatch.org Far Right/young BNP Neo-Nazi Leader: Jack Buckby (recently joined Leader: Kevin Watmough Liberty GB) Anonymously publishes details of According to VICE online magazine, those it considers the ‘enemies’ of “longs for a return to a simpler and the further ends of the extreme entirely imaginary time in Britain’s Right: journalists, union members, past, one in which everyone got along anti-fascists, students, etc. because they were white”. On the group’s website, they claim they are South East Alliance “making anti-egalitarian and socially Anti-Muslim, anti-immigration, conservative politics accessible for sympathies to Loyalism younger people for the first time”. Leader: Paul Prodromou (aka ‘Paul Pitt’) Believes Muslims “cannot mix well in a A declining force based around a splinter country like the UK” and have referred faction from the EDL, involved in small to “Muslim paedo gangs”. Buckby, a marches and counter-demonstrations. university student, is admired by Nick Members have filmed themselves Griffin and has been a BNP member. threatening anti-fascist activists. Northern Patriotic Front (NPF) Traditional Britain Group www.northernpatrioticfront.tumblr.com Extreme Conservative Neo-Nazi Leader: Gregory Lauder-Frost Leader: Robert Batten Hosts social events, dinners. Hit the Street demonstrations against media headlines in 2013 after it was (proposed) mosques, anti-grooming revealed that Conservative MP Jacob pickets and organising confrontations Rees-Mogg was a guest at its annual and pickets against the Left. dinner in May and was pictured sitting at the top table seated next to The New Right Gregory Lauder-Frost. Intellectual ‘far right’ Leader: Holds regular meetings and issues publications. Attempts to bring together the intellectual wing of Britain’s far right, though many of its participants are no longer key figures. Is rivalled by the Iona Forum.

Racial Volunteer Force (RVF) www.rvfonline.com Neo-Nazi Leader: Mark Atkinson (ex-C18) Mostly stagnant, the RVF has almost become an insignificance. Hardline, violent neo-Nazis.

Far Right Movements Today 41 3 Common Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Denial

Beliefs and The ‘glue’ linking many far-right movements and their leaders has Ideologies been a strong, palpable sense of anti-Semitism – a hatred of Jews. Many neo-Nazis have obsessed about Jewish conspiracies over who runs the • Anti-Semitism and world, the media, the entertainment Holocaust Denial industry, the power of the Israeli or , and Zionism (which • Notable Holocaust Deniers they often confuse with simple • Counter Jihadism Jewish identity). Some writers and violent white supremacists have even • Pamela Geller voiced a belief in ‘ZOG’, or the Zionist • Robert Spencer Occupation Government, as the secret rulers of the world. • Mosque-busters and In practice, this anti-Semitism is often mega-masjids expressed in the form of Holocaust Denial or Holocaust Revisionism. The Holocaust is name given to the systematic murder of six million Jews by the Nazis during World War II. The Nazis sought to hide all trace of their attempted extermination of the Jews through the use of euphemistic language referring to their “evacuation” and “special treatment”. Nick Griffin of the BNP has referred to the Holocaust as the “Holohoax” and his friend, and former leader of the Ku Klux Klan in America, David Duke, has presented papers at an Iranian conference which questioned whether the Holocaust had actually happened. He has also promoted Nazi racial theories and often harped on about Jewish conspiracies. Accompanying these outright deniers are the Holocaust Revisionists, those who accept the existence of the camps but either dispute key facts or play down the number of people who were killed. Many Revisionists will argue that there was no German programme to exterminate the Jewish race and will often claim that there was not the systematic killing of Jewish people in gas chambers and say that the accepted belief that six million died is hugely exaggerated.

Common Beliefs and Ideologies 43 In addition to outright Holocaust U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Governor Denial and Holocaust Revisionism of Louisiana and twice for President is Holocaust Relativism. ‘Relativism’ of the United States. In 2002, he denies the unique character of the pled guilty to tax evasion and fraud Nazis’ extermination programme, charges, resulting in a year-long comparing Nazi crimes as relative to prison sentence. other acts of inhumanity. Mark Weber - Weber has been All forms of such denial are used as the director of the Institute for a basis for ‘evidence’ that there is a Historical Review (IHR) since 1995. Jewish conspiracy at work. The IHR is perhaps the leading disseminator of Holocaust Denial Perhaps the most (in)famous material in the Western world. Holocaust Denier to date has been Weber is a former member of the historian David Irving, who lost a neo-Nazi National Alliance. huge libel battle with the author Deborah Lipstadt over his Holocaust Michael Hoffman II - Hoffman Denial, and who has served prison is a leading light in the American time in Austria for these beliefs. Holocaust denial movement noted for his conspiracy theories, which he expounds through his “revisionist Notable Holocaust history” website. Deniers Fredrick Töben - A German-born Australian Holocaust denier who runs Fred Leuchter - One of America’s the as a platform most influential Holocaust deniers, for his activities, Töben was jailed for in 1988 Leuchter produced The seven months in Germany in 1999 , which purported for “offending the memory of the to offer “scientific” proof that there dead”. An attempt by the German were no gas chambers at Auschwitz. authorities to extradite him from In fact Leuchter has no qualifications Britain in 2008 failed. whatsoever. Thoroughly discredited, the report nonetheless had a David Irving - Irving is the doyen of significant impact on the Holocaust “revisionist” literature. His failed libel Denial community. Leuchter was action against Professor Deborah deported from the UK in November Lipstadt and Penguin books in 2000 1991 after David Irving brought him exposed him to the world not as a into the country illegally to address bona fide historian but as a racist, an international Holocaust Denial rally anti-Semitic, far-right polemicist in London. Nick Griffin, now the BNP whose work unduly exonerated Hitler leader, was in charge of his security. for the crimes of his Nazi regime. David Duke - Duke is a self-styled Lady Michèle Renouf - A former white nationalist, though critics often model, born Michèle Mainwaring, label him a white supremacist. He Renouf is David Irving’s chief says he does not think of himself as cheerleader and runs her own Telling a racist, stating that he is a “racial Films outlet as a vehicle for her anti- realist” and that he believes “all Semitism. She is a regular talking people have a basic human right to head on the Iranian-owned Press preserve their own heritage.” He TV. Renouf sits on the International speaks against racial integration and Holocaust Research Committee in favour of white separatism. Duke (IHRC) Interim Committee established made several unsuccessful bids for to perpetuate the work of the Iranian political office, including runs for the Holocaust Denial conference of Louisiana House, Louisiana Senate, December 2006.

44 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Paul Fromm - A veteran Canadian Germar Rudolf - Rudolf is a German far-right activist who lives in Holocaust Denier and chemist whose Ontario, Fromm is a leading light in publication of “revisionist” literature the Canadian Association for Free in the form of the Rudolf Report Expression (CAFÉ), an organisation led to his prosecution in 1995. In he founded in the early 1980s response Rudolf fled Germany to the to publicise the cases of racists United States, where he applied for and Holocaust deniers who face asylum. He was turned down in 2006 prosecution. He has shared platforms and deported to Germany, where he with David Irving. was imprisoned. Robert Faurisson - Considered by Ernst Zündel - One of the world’s many to be the high priest of French leading Holocaust Deniers, Zündel’s Holocaust Denial, Faurisson is a writings include The Hitler We former professor of French literature Loved and Why and UFOs: Nazi at the University of Lyon. His speech Secret Weapon? In 2005 Zündel was in defence of Nick Griffin, now leader deported from to Germany of the British National Party, in 1998 to stand trial for Holocaust denial. at Harrow Crown Court did little to Convicted and imprisoned, he was persuade the jury who found Griffin released in March 2010. Among guilty of inciting racial hatred. He has those waiting for him outside the been convicted for Holocaust Denial prison gates were Lady Renouf and on numerous occasions. of the BNP.

Fred Leuchter

Common Beliefs and Ideologies 45 Counter Jihadism politics of neo-Nazi and traditional far-right parties with the language The ‘counter-jihad’ movement is of cultural and identity wars, they a broad, international alliance of present themselves as mainstream neo-conservatives, hard-line racists, and respectable. In countries such football hooligans, nationalists and as Denmark, the Netherlands and right-wing populists who claim to Switzerland these beliefs have be exposing and opposing “radical abounded among right-wing populist Islam” and “Islamist extremism”. parties, promoting an anti-Muslim and anti-immigration message which However, counter-jihadists often has proven far more popular than stray into wider criticism of the the tired clichés of the traditional entire Islamic faith and of Muslims far-right parties and their strange as a people, such as when former obsession with ‘the Jews’. EDL leader ‘Tommy Robinson’ (a key British counter-jihadist) called The counter-jihad movement is also for all mosques to be regulated and spread among not just political for all Muslims (not just so-called movements, but many media and ‘Islamists’) to feel the full force of social media commentators. the EDL’s might. The core beliefs of counter-jihadism Just as with the right-wing Holocaust are that Islam poses a serious threat Deniers of the extreme Right, so to Western civilisation, based on too are the counter-jihadists the a flawed ‘clash of civilisations’ new face of the political extreme narrative once promoted by Samuel Right in Europe and North America. Huntington. Counter-jihadists fear Replacing the old racial nationalist an Islamisation of Europe, whereby

Counter-Jihad vs organised through social media. The EDL once claimed over According to Matthew Goodwin of 150,000 followers on Facebook, Nottingham University, co-founder while Generation Identity of the Extremis Project, counter- launched itself on YouTube. jihad groups differ from the populist They often reject crude ‘whites- radical right in three ways. only’ , appealing to First, they prioritise minority communities. Recently, 1demonstrations over elections. Stop Islamization of Denmark In France, Generation Identity marched in support of a Jewish occupied a mosque to demand community that had recorded an a referendum on Muslim increase in acts of discrimination. immigration, and compared Third, rather than offer a broad followers with the ‘68’ers’, program, counter-jihad groups claiming to represent a generation 3 focus heavily on the ‘threat’ from saddled with unemployment, debt Islam. While the populist radical and multicultural decline. right has infused its discourse with Second, they have unbounded anti-Muslim prejudice, counter-jihad 2 memberships, whereby activists show little interest in issues activists flow in and out. Some beyond Islam, which is framed as are from far-right circles but threatening the resources, identity others are connected to football and way of life of the native group. hooligan firms, and most are

46 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK the continent will be turned into ‘Eurabia’. Among the most popular Counter Jihad in action blogs pronouncing this theory are In the United States, five state the Gates of Vienna; also Pamela legislatures have already banned Geller’s Atlas Shrugs. Shari’a law from being practised. Many counter-jihadist adherents It is being debated by another 20. completely fail to distinguish In Switzerland, people voted for a between the hardline beliefs of ban on minarets despite the fact those such as Al-Muhajiroun (who that there were only four in the support violence and want a harshly- country. In France, politicians of defined, global Islamic superstate) the centre and right tried to outbid and the overwhelming majority of each other in the 2012 Presidential peaceful Muslims who reject these election to prove how hardline extremist views and want to get on they are on Muslim practices and with their lives. Immigration and extremism. The fear of Islam is multiculturalism are seen by many playing an increasingly important counter-jihadists as a Trojan Horse role in the political discourse in through which Islam is gaining a many countries. foothold in the West. Norwegian killer Anders Breivik was inspired by counter-jihadism Pamela Geller and its proponents. He believed that Islam was a threat to Western Europe and that “cultural Marxism” (a term favoured by the Far Right) had allowed immigration and multiculturalist policies to permit Islam to prosper. In his manifesto he regurgitated many words of prominent counter-jihadists, sometimes word for word. Almost a quarter of Breivik’s 1,518-page Manifesto consisted of quotes from Pamela Geller is the anti-Muslim other people. Half of these 375 movement’s most visible and flamboyant pages of quotes came from just one figurehead. Owner of the Atlas Shrugs man, the blogger Fjordman. blog, this US ‘soccer mom’ came to Breivik feared and hated Islam, but prominence during the heated protests it was the Norwegian establishment over an Islamic centre being built near which was his real enemy. More the site of the 9/11 Twin Towers attacks. specifically it was Geller often makes broad-brush that he and the counter-jihad denunciations of Islam and issues movement blamed for encouraging preposterous claims, such as that and promoting immigration and President Obama is the “love child” multiculturalism. Breivik bombed of Malcolm X. Partnering with the government buildings and shot Catholic deacon, Robert Spencer, young members of the ruling Labour together they run Stop Islamization of Party. Other counter-jihadists were America (SIOA) and have involved the desperate to distance themselves from former EDL leader Stephen Lennon on his actions. Many did so because they the board of another organisation, were genuinely appalled by what he Stop The Islamization of Nations (SION) did. Others were worried about how – though with Lennon’s defection, he it would impact upon them. has now been removed from that body.

Common Beliefs and Ideologies 47 As the US civil rights group, the Southern Poverty Law Center notes: “Geller has mingled comfortably with European racists and fascists, spoken favorably of South African racists, defended Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic and denied the existence of Serbian concentration camps. She has taken a strong pro-Israel stance to the point of being sharply critical of Jewish liberals.” organisations. Spencer’s pivotal role After Breivik’s terrorist attack in Norway, in the multimillion-dollar international Geller wrote an article claiming that anti-Muslim network has the victims (predominantly children) been heavily documented. were not innocent; she also included a Robert Spencer and JihadWatch were photograph with the caption: “Note the the most heavily cited sources of faces which are more Middle Eastern or propaganda in the terrorist Anders mixed than pure Norwegian”. Breivik’s manifesto; in fact, Breivik Both Geller and Spencer were banned explicitly stated: “About Islam, I by the Home Secretary from entering recommend essentially everything the UK in 2013, after they attempted to written by Robert Spencer”. join the EDL in a March on Woolwich. Spencer is not actually a scholar of In Her Own Words: Islam in any credible sense of the term. In fact, Spencer’s own alma mater, the University of North Carolina, has Islam is not a race. This is an publicly described his writings as ideology. This is an extreme “perpetuating a type of bigotry similar ideology, the most radical and to anti-Semitism and racial prejudice. extreme ideology on the face of They are to be viewed with great the earth.” suspicion by anyone who wishes to find reliable and scholarly information Pam Geller on ’ on the subject of Islam.” “Follow the Money,” March 10, 2011 He is on record as claiming that there is I don’t think that many “no distinction in the American Muslim westernized Muslims know community between peaceful Muslims when they pray five times a day and jihadists” as well as denying that they’re cursing Christians and the Srebrenica genocide, explicitly Jews five times a day. ...I believe describing it as “the-genocide-that- in the idea of a moderate Muslim. never-was” and proposing “the I do not believe in the idea of a possibility that Muslims could have moderate Islam.” carried out any deceptive atrocity- manufacturing in the Balkans”. Pam Geller, , Oct. 8, 2010 According to the site Loonwatch.com, Spencer’s anti-Muslim propaganda is identical to the anti-Semitic propaganda of , a Robert Spencer Third Reich-era Nazi whom the US subsequently prosecuted at the Geller’s counter-jihad partner Robert Nuremberg Trials and was convicted on Spencer is the author of the virulently the charge of crimes against humanity; anti-Muslim website JihadWatch; he is even Spencer’s arguments in his own also co-head of SION, SIOA, and the defence are identical to Streicher’s American Freedom Defence Initiative statements at the time.

48 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Mosque-busters and mega-masjids

Strikingly, about 80% of Muslims in this survey said that they were proud to be British. In fact, they were ‘more proud’ than non-Muslims – perhaps they felt that Britain is less British these days - I have come across this view personally and anecdotally; it also describes some of the outlook of far-right and Eurosceptic movements. Julian Bond, director of the Christian Anti-Muslim negativity crystallises Muslim Forum, reflects on the opposition around a few issues: to mosque building in the UK. Reproduced with permission • Shari’a – although, ironically, this is www.christianmuslimforum.org about being a good Muslim, shari’a is @ChrisMusForum another word for the way a Muslim lives their life, not the negative It’s difficult having an image associations attached to it problem. Mud sticks, even undeserved mud. I think most of us • Oppression of women – a cultural would admit that Islam currently has projection and a cultural problem an image problem. But some of us • Terrorism – by a small minority who would say that that ‘tarnished’ image are terrorists, rather than ‘Islamists’ has nothing to do with real Islam. or Muslims Those reflecting on the reception of • Halal meat – possibly ignoring a Muslims in England (and I can’t help host of inhumane animal-rearing and thinking that it is more of an English slaughtering processes issue than a British issue, as things are different in Wales and Scotland) have • Muslim presence – e.g. the compared their recent situation to that of threatening and dominating mega- Irish Catholics in the 19th and early 20th mosque narrative century. The unwelcoming signs of our recent history read ‘No Blacks, No Irish’; it’s a small step to imagine it saying ‘no Muslims’, ‘no Asians’ or ‘no Pakistanis’. Despite the worst efforts of the IRA in my youth in the 1970s and 80s, I don’t recall people saying ‘all Catholics are terrorists’. The level of distrust, fear and sense of threat from Muslims has (sadly) reached far greater heights. Recent survey data, quoted by Communities Minister Baroness Warsi, has indicated that three-quarters of Brits think that Islam is incompatible with being British. Related research gave virtually the same figure for ignorance of Islam.

Common Beliefs and Ideologies 49 Baroness Warsi also had this to say: It is a war against a phantom ‘I don’t need to give you story after story enemy, not rational objections to a about the mosque that’s been attacked development that has no place, relying or the women who have had their on whipping up hatred and intolerance, headscarf ripped from their heads, or so much for ‘British values’! abused for wearing religious dress, or These are some of the ways in which the discrimination in the job market or non-Muslims have responded to the the online abuse.’ prospect of a mosque being built locally: This negativity can extend to • Proposed mosque development Christians. The mosque-friendly or in Bletchley – British National Muslim-friendly Christian can be on Party (BNP) campaign, thankfully the receiving end of abuse and hate unsuccessful mail from fellow-Christians because they have responded positively to a • Leicester – pig’s head left outside mosque development or have been community centre being used for welcoming of Muslims. As I write this, prayers with plans for development and publication may be some time as an Islamic centre. The English later, I have been both encouraged Defence League (EDL) has been and disheartened about news of actively campaigning against this Christian-Muslim relationships in centre. There has also been a visit by Aberdeen. A great good news story Nick Griffin of the BNP. was covered in the mainstream • A disused in Lancashire that media of the minister who allowed was due to be developed into a local Muslims to pray in his church mosque was subject to an arson attack because the neighbouring mosque was too small and worshippers were • Leicester – masjid is based in former having to pray outside in the cold council Portakabin, a non-Muslim and the rain. He was criticised for passerby described it as a ‘bomb being a ‘Good Samaritan’ and called factory’ while I was standing outside a traitor. My article is here. I hope with a local priest that the Christians who have shared • Sunderland – there was a long- their hatred of Muslims and their running campaign against a mosque disapproval with the minister are a development very small minority indeed. This links with reactions to mosque-building, • London – of course there is the including by Christians. infamous ‘mega-mosque’ which is no closer to getting planning Opposition to mosque building permission, let alone being built, in Newham. Christians from an anti- The prospect of a mosque- Muslim network regularly gather development seems to provoke an to pray ‘against’ this development, almost visceral reaction, and opposition surely an irritation to God whenever to mosque-building is getting stronger they meet to ‘pray’! Perhaps one and more organised. The mosque has day I will make my way there become an unwelcome presence and and offer prayers of peace with a a focus, like women, for anti-Muslim Muslim colleague... negativity. The organisation ‘Mosque- busters’, created in 2011 has become increasingly active and successful, ‘winning’ virtually all its campaigns against mosques around the country.

50 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK So what is the problem with spiritual place to be in, removed from a mosque? actual or planned atrocities carried out in the name of ‘Islam’ and with I have been in many masjids around the reality being that ‘the Qur’an says the country – Sunni, Shi’a, Sufi, Salafi no’. I told a friend later I had walked – though as my colleague the imam into a mosque. He was surprised. ‘You says – ‘no need for sectarian labels’. mean you can just go in?’ I later took In some of them very little other than another friend to the mosque across prayer goes on; in many there is an the road. Yet these are just places of attached community centre with prayer, no more threatening than that. community projects. I wonder how Try it – go inside. many of the mosque-haters have been inside a mosque? In closing, I offer the example of the imam at Jamia Masjid. I Reading an account of the lawyer took a group of Christians there and who runs ‘Mosque-busters’ recently he warmly welcomed us into God’s it is clear that he has rather different house, not his. As Christians and ideas about mosques: not as places of Muslims, we need to cool things and prayer and community centres but as not fuel the flames of division and centres of hate, promoters of violent hostility. My vision is of people of jihad, bastions of an Islamic empire. both faiths speaking generously and We need to tell better stories about graciously about each other. As a places of worship – and there are group of Christians and Muslims we plenty of them out there. I deliberately produced this statement together visited a London mosque on 21/7/05 which encourages us to be more open after walking several miles across to each other. London due to transport outage. I did so to show with the Muslim Julian Bond community. It felt like a safe and Director, Christian Muslim Forum

Common Beliefs and Ideologies 51 4 Far Right Far Right movements and violence

Movements Europol’s most recent EU Terrorism Situation and Trend report notes that and Violence the threat of violent far-right extremism has ‘reached new levels in Europe and should not be underestimated’. It defines far-right terrorist groups as • Far Right movements and those that ‘seek to change the entire violence political, social and economic system on an extremist right-wing model’. • Racial Violence in the UK Europol suggests that the threat of • Lone wolves terrorism is most likely to come from • Leaderless resistance so-called ‘lone wolves’, rather than organised groups. • David Copeland – ‘The London nailbomber’ Violent far-right attacks in Europe • Norway massacre Source: Institute for Strategic Dialogue • Breivik and the Far Right • In 2006, 17 members of the movement Blood, Soil, Honour and • Profile: Professor William Loyalty were charged in Belgium Pierce – “Godfather of with planning terror attacks against the National Bank and plotting an leaderless resistance” ‘army-led coup’ to create a fascist • Woolwich – the Far Right Flemish state. That same year, a follower of this movement, Hans Backlash van Themsche, killed two people in • For their attackers, mosques a racially-motivated shooting spree in Antwerp. are seen as places of • In 2007, a former electoral “difference” candidate for the BNP in the UK was • The mosque bomber imprisoned for stockpiling chemical explosives due to his fears about ‘the evils of uncontrolled immigration.’ • In 2009 in Germany, the young neo- Nazi group attacked a group of far-left protesters and police, setting cars on fire and injuring dozens. • In 2010, three members of the violent banned neo-Nazi group Nomad 88 in France went on a shooting spree to ‘purge’ the suburbs of immigrants, and were sentenced to prison in 2010. Nine other members of the group were also sentenced for offences including arms possession.

Far Right Movements and Violence 53 • In July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik of between 100 and 200 hate detonated a bomb in Oslo and carried crimes per year against mosques, out a shooting attack on the island of Islamic institutions and Muslim Utøya, killing a total of 77 people. organisations in the UK since 9/11 as ‘not unreasonable and probably • In November 2011, an arson attack, highly conservative’, according again classified by Europol as a ‘right- to the ISD. wing terror attack’ was carried out in Terrassa (Spain) on the facilities of a publishing company and an Racial Violence in the anti-capitalist cooperative society, with no casualties. UK – the view from IRR • In 2011, five people were arrested in Germany for involvement in far- right terrorism, and all arrests were Violent racism in the UK is linked to the far-right extremist generally seen as something terror group NSU, which carried consigned to history.” out politically- motivated murders Jon Burnett of the Institute for Race between 2001 and 2007 Relations (IRR) • In 2011, two Senegalese street vendors were murdered in Italy by “Racial violence, however, remains a member of the far-right group an every-day experience for some,” Casa Pound. he suggests in his February 2013 Europol confirms that many members IRR report, ‘Racial Violence: Facing of the extreme right-wing scene have Reality’. According to this research, access to or harbour ambitions to racial violence is no longer confined to acquire weapons, ammunition, or major urban centres but is spreading explosives. “Though most groups outwards to suburban and other areas. with a far-right orientation do not “As measures begin to openly endorse violence, research bite and welfare changes and has drawn out the ‘motivational benefit caps take their toll, it is likely vocabularies’ that inspire far-right that such violence will intensify,” commitment and that tend to amplify Burnett believes. “Already, cities are feelings of threat, urgency and experiencing internal migrations, with survivalism: a struggle for racial and welfare recipients – many of whom cultural survival,” says the Institute are from BME communities – being for Strategic Dialogue (ISD). relocated outside richer boroughs The ISD adds that, according to the and people being decanted out of EU-Midis European Union Minorities the capital. They arrive in towns and and Discrimination Survey (2012), the cities which are already suffering 10 most targeted groups for crime cuts, where unemployment may be with a perceived ‘racist motive’ are: high and which are unprepared in Roma in the Czech Republic; Somalis any way for their arrival.” in Finland; Somalis in Denmark; Violent racism can range from Africans in Malta; Roma in Greece; persistent name-calling, graffiti, Roma in Poland; Sub-Saharan damage to cars and homes, Africans in Ireland, North Africans in harassment of shop-keepers to Italy, Roma in Hungary; and Roma in extreme, lethal attacks. Since the the Slovak Republic. murder of Stephen Lawrence, at In many countries, anti-Muslim least 105 people – about five people, violence in particular has been on the on average, per year – have been rise. One report places an estimate murdered in racist attacks.

54 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Racial violence is spreading now to smaller cities as well as towns across Racial violence in UK the UK. In part, this is related to • 37,000 racially or religiously demographic changes. Whereas less aggravated crimes in 2011/12 than six percent of the population of (England & Wales) England and Wales were from a BME background in 1991, this had risen to • More than 100 per day 13% in 2001 and about 20% in 2011. • Since the murder of Stephen “The UK’s ‘new’ migrants often find Lawrence, at least 105 people – themselves in localities which have about five people, on average, until fairly recently had a majority white per year – have been murdered British population ...accommodation in racist attacks is given on a ‘no-choice’ basis and • Crime Survey for England and is frequently based in hard-to-let Wales suggests this is a fraction properties,” says Burnett. Recent of the total number changes have compounded this, with private companies re-dispersing asylum seekers into more remote towns where properties are cheaper. Lone wolves “Migrant workers, meanwhile, have been targeted in racist attacks as they have found employment in areas where local economies A recent report on so-called have been transformed. And ‘lone wolves’ notes that those international students have found involved in apparent one-person themselves at risk in localities where actions have in most cases had colleges and universities have long-standing involvement with encouraged their presence as part of organised extremist groups.” internationalisation strategies.” Matthew Feldman, University of Teesside Political narratives which attack multiculturalism and diversity, Lone wolf terrorism is political or sensationalised media coverage have – religious violence conducted by arguably, says the IRR – helped individuals (as opposed to an organised, a far-right narrative. hierarchical group). It is not a new “In Stoke-on-Trent – a city reeling phenomenon, despite an increase in from decades of industrial decline attacks in recent years, particularly from and marred by significant inequalities right-wing extremists. – by 2008 the BNP had become the There are obvious connections to the second largest political party, with ideas of leaderless resistance. According nine councillors and a party-line which to the US-based Anti-Defamation described the city as the ‘jewel in the League, the term “lone wolf” was crown’. Whilst the Far Right has since popularised by the white supremacists fallen into electoral disarray, there Alex Curtis and Tom Metzger in the has been the emergence of a range 1990s. Metzger advocated individual of other far-right groups, some of or small-cell underground activity, as which have attempted to form political opposed to above-ground membership parties, whilst others have become organisations, envisaging “warriors acting established as street movements alone or in small groups who attacked against ‘Islamification’. There are the government or other targets in indications that this fracturing of the ‘daily, anonymous acts.’” He referred to far-right has been accompanied by an these people as “lone wolves”. intensification of racial violence.”

Far Right Movements and Violence 55 The term is not confined to the Page, a supposed ‘lone-wolf’ neo-Nazi extreme Right, either. President activist who fatally shot six people at Barack Obama recently referred to the a Sikh Gurdwara in Wisconsin, USA Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan on August 2012, had a long lineage Tsarnaev as a self-radicalised “lone of militant far-right activism. He had wolf” terrorist. The nature of lone belonged to two white power music wolf attacks often makes them hard groups, End Apathy and Definite to predict and track, particularly with Hate, and was also affiliated with the advent of the internet and “self- the Hammerskin Nation, a skinhead radicalisation”. movement operating across the United States. ‘So the shooter was one of us… Lone Wolves ‘This is not looking good!’ muttered a Timothy McVeigh is an infamous user on the neo-Nazi site, Stormfront. example of a white supremacist and This emerging body of evidence anti-government lone wolf. He killed suggests that ‘lone-wolves’ – like 168 people when he bombed a federal all prospective terrorists – need to office building in Oklahoma City believe they are representing a broader in 1995. Another well-known lone constituency, some sort of self- wolf is Ted Kaczynski, the so-called justification for their sick actions. “Unabomber” who killed three and wounded 23 more in various parts of the United States over a 17-year period, also ending in 1995. McVeigh Leaderless resistance considered the federal government tyrannical, and Kaczynski apparently The term ‘Leaderless Resistance’ felt the same way about just about generally refer to spontaneous, everything in the modern world. autonomous, and unconnected cells seeking to carry out acts of Common traits violence, sabotage, or terrorism Nearly all lone wolves have personal against a government or occupying and/or political grievances, the military force. The concept is often perception that harm has been done attributed to American white to them or to society. One of the most supremacist and former Vietnam notorious examples is Ted Kaczinski, veteran, Louis Beam. the so-called Unabomber, who believed Such cells can carry out action that technology was destroying both in a semi-autonomous fashion the environment and humanity. without fear of compromising Others are frustrated in life, ambition, an entire organisation if they are love, building a sense of grievance that discovered. Many violent, extreme (they feel) can only be overcome with right networks in the USA have violence. Lone wolves may have become been inspired by this concept. “unfrozen”, a psychological term for Many trace the inspiration for the process of disconnecting from loved leaderless resistance to the writings ones, work and daily routines that of Professor William Pierce, a might otherwise anchor them against notorious neo-Nazi who once led radicalisation. They may suffer from the USA’s largest far-right group, depression or other mental disorders. the National Alliance. McVeigh’s truck bombing bore an uncanny Sometimes lone wolves have active similarity to a fictional scenario in or recent connections to larger, one of Pierce’s novels, in which a organised extremist groups (though race war is ignited as a result of a they may be acting without those similar attack. groups’ knowledge). Wade Michael

56 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK David Copeland – ‘The London nailbomber’

David Copeland to women as slaves. In court, it was was given six reported that Copeland had never had life sentences in a girlfriend, and this caused him to fear June 2000 for that people might think he was gay. three counts In May 1997, aged 21, he joined of murder and the British National Party. Copeland three counts acted as a steward at some BNP of causing explosions in London in meetings, coming into contact with order to endanger life. Copeland the BNP leadership, and infamously admitted killing three and injuring photographed next to John Tyndall, 139 people. the-then leader (which was reproduced During 13 days in April 1999 Copeland in a tabloid cover image). It was during caused explosions in Brixton, south this period that Copeland read William London Brick Lane in east London and Pierce’s (also read Soho, central London. The final blast at by Timothy McVeigh), and first learned the gay pub the Admiral Duncan killed how to make bombs using fireworks Andrea Dykes, 27, who was pregnant, with alarm clocks as timers after and friends John Light, 32, and Nik downloading a so-called terrorists’ Moore, 31, from . handbook from the internet. Copeland intended his bombing In 1998, Copeland left the BNP as it campaign to ignite a race war across rejected political violence. He then Britain. He was tried for murder after joined the smaller, violent and openly the prosecution refused to accept his neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement, plea of guilty to manslaughter on the becoming its regional leader for grounds that he was suffering a mental just weeks before the illness (paranoid schizophrenia). Although start of his bombing campaign. It was a Broadmoor Hospital consultant had around this time that he visited his described him as psychotic and diagnosed family doctor and was prescribed anti- schizophrenia, the trial judge, Michael depressants after telling the doctor he Hyam, concluded that Copeland’s crimes felt he was “losing his mind”. were motivated by his hatred of black and Asian people and homosexuals. Bombings Copeland’s first attack, on Saturday, April Early life 17, 1999, was in Electric Avenue, Brixton. Copeland was born in Isleworth, in He made his bomb using explosives the London Borough of Hounslow, but from fireworks, taping it inside a sports for most of his childhood he lived in bag before priming and planting it Yateley, Hampshire. He resented the outside the Iceland supermarket, on the fact that he was small for his age, and corner of Electric Avenue. The market was given the nickname “Mr Angry”. traders became suspicious and moved After his arrest in 1999, he told it several times before it detonated psychiatrists that he had started having just as the police arrived, at 5:25pm in sadistic dreams when he was about 12, the evening. Fifty people were injured, including fantasies that he had been many of them seriously because of the reincarnated as an SS officer with access four-inch nails Copeland had packed

Far Right Movements and Violence 57 Copeland to bring forward his bombing of the Admiral Duncan to Friday evening. Paul Mifsud, a work colleague of Copeland, recognised him and alerted the police about an hour and 20 minutes before the bombing. Copeland was arrested that night once the police obtained his address, a rented room in Farnborough, Hampshire. He admitted carrying out around the bomb. One victim was a the three bombings as soon as he was 23-month-old toddler who had a nail arrested. His mental state was assessed driven through his skull into his brain. at Broadmoor Hospital, but remained a matter of dispute at his trial. Copeland’s second bomb, on the following Saturday, April 24, was The jury convicted him of three aimed at Brick Lane, the centre of the murders and three offences of planting Bengali area in the East End of London. bombs, and he was sentenced to There was a famous street market on six life sentences on June 30, 2000. Sundays, but Copeland mistakenly tried The trial judge spoke of his doubt to plant the bomb on Saturday, when that it would ever be safe to release the street was less busy. Unwilling to Copeland. Almost seven years later, on change the timer on the bomb, he left 2 March 2007, the High Court decided it instead in Hanbury Street, where that Copeland should remain in prison it exploded. Thirteen people were for at least 50 years, effectively ruling injured, but there were no fatalities. out his release until at least 2049 at the age of 73. He is currently confined in Copeland’s third and final bomb was Broadmoor Hospital. planted and exploded on the evening of April 30, in the crowded Admiral Motivation Duncan pub in Old Compton Street, the centre of London’s gay . Copeland maintained he had worked Andrea Dykes, 27, who was four alone and had not discussed his plans months pregnant with her first child, with anyone. During police interviews, died along with her friends and hosts he admitted holding neo-Nazi views, for the evening, Nick Moore, 31, and and talked of his desire to spread John Light, 32, who was to be the fear and to trigger a race war. He baby’s godfather. Andrea’s husband, told police: “My main intent was to Julian, was seriously injured. The four spread fear, resentment and hatred friends from Essex had met up in the throughout this country, it was to Admiral Duncan to celebrate Andrea’s cause a racial war.” He also stated: pregnancy, when the bomb exploded “There’d be a backlash from the ethnic after being taped inside a sports bag minorities, I’d just be the spark that and left near the bar. Seventy-nine would set fire to this country.” After people were injured, many of them his arrest, Copeland wrote to BBC seriously. Four of the survivors had to correspondent Graeme McLagan: “I have limbs amputated. bomb the blacks, Pakis, degenerates. I would have bombed the Jews as well if Capture and conviction I’d got a chance.” The Anti-Terrorist Branch of the When asked by the police why he Metropolitan Police Service identified had targeted Black and Asian ethnic Copeland from CCTV footage of minorities he replied: “Because I don’t Brixton. The image was given wide like them, I want them out of this publicity on April 29 which caused country, I believe in the master race.”

58 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Norway massacre – Breivik and the Far Right

Anders Breivik By Matthew Feldman, Teesside University On 22 July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik carried out a bombing and Norwegian judges jailed the mass killer mass shooting in Norway that killed Anders Breivik after declaring him sane, 77 mainly young people and wounded yet his extremist ideology and shocking dozens more. He was inspired by violence continue to raise questions. ‘counter-jihadist’ ideology and is widely His murder of 77 unsuspecting people believed to be the “worst” far-right was the worst outrage for Norway lone wolf terrorist in recent years. since World War II. It was also the worst far-right attack in Europe since Italy’s Bologna railway station bombing of 1980, which killed 85 and wounded hundreds. Breivik’s calculated acts of political violence took months, even years, of intricate planning. After bombing the Oslo government district he went on a shooting spree at a Labour Party youth camp on Utøya Island. It was the deadliest mass shooting by a gunman in peacetime.

Timeline the evening Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian Prime Minster, gives 22 July 2011 Day of Attacks a press conference in which he The centre of Oslo is labels the attack upon the youth 14.36 disrupted by a huge camp “especially brutal – an attack explosion, damaging the offices of cowardice.” of the Norwegian Prime Minister 23 July Stoltenberg speaks of Jens Stoltenberg, and the country’s a “national tragedy” as the death largest newspaper VG. toll continues to climb. 77 people Two hours after the are eventually reported as having 16.57 explosion in Oslo lost their lives, 69 from the Utøya an unknown man, dressed as a shootings. Anders Behring Breivik, police officer, arrives on Utøya 32, is identified by Norwegian island outside Oslo and travels to a media as the man arrested by police. youth camp organised by the ruling Stoltenberg indicated that Breivik Norwegian Labour Party. He opens was part of a larger organisation, fire on the group of teenagers, and not acting alone. who have gathered after hearing 24 August 2012 After a trial noises on the shoreline. in which Breivik bizarrely offers Police arrive on the Nazi-style salutes, he admits to the 18.00 island and proceed killings but not “criminal guilt”. The to apprehend the lone gunman, judge finds him sane and sentences who has yet to be identified. The him to 21 years in jail. man does not resist arrest. Late in

Far Right Movements and Violence 59 In a country as famously tolerant, “Lone wolf” terrorism represents a integrated and wealthy as Norway, what tiny - if less detectable - fraction of could have motivated such mass murder? terrorist attacks. It remains difficult to accomplish - Lone ‘crusader’ that is why Breivik’s “manifesto”, His method was that of a “lone wolf” comprising some three-quarters of a right-wing terrorist. But he also saw million words, is so dangerous. himself as part of an international Beyond the incitement to hatred and crusade, a Nordic warrior who could violence, Breivik’s 2083: A Declaration inspire others. of European Independence provides First dubbed “leaderless resistance” a do-it-yourself guide for “lone wolf” by a radical right ideologue in 1982, terrorism, ranging from a daily bomb- the “lone wolf” tactic has remained a making diary to instructions on how signature of far-right violence for three to source materials - both logistical decades - one whereby the “terrorist and material - from the dark corners cycle” of preparation and execution is of the internet. undertaken single-handedly. The manifesto supersedes all previous Since Breivik’s killing spree, “lone wolf” terrorist manuals and concludes, attacks by right-wing extremists have allegedly at 12.51 on the day of continued: from a targeted killing of Breivik’s attacks: “If you want Senegalese traders by a CasaPound something done, then do it yourself.” activist in Florence in December 2011 He did so, chillingly and with cold to the “hate rock” shooting rampage determination. And his manifesto, at a Sikh Temple by a neo-Nazi singer, sent to thousands of fellow far- Wade Michael Page. right “patriots” in the hours before In August 2012, in the Czech Republic, his attacks, is patently intended to police arrested a 29-year-old man inspire copycats. stockpiling explosives and weapons, claiming to be directly inspired by Breivik.

Utøya, the place of the attack on the Norwegian Labour Partys youth camp. Photo: Paal Sørensen

60 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Incitement to violence His activities, of course, were not limited to online hate. He was a dues- Breivik wants his murders on 22 July paying member of Norway’s populist 2011 to be considered a form of right-wing Progress party for some five “terrorist PR” for his manifesto and years until 2004. accompanying online film. During that time he seems to have He claims the “Knights Templar” visited Bradford in clenched fist salute “symbolises shortly after riots there in 2001, strength, honour and defiance against which further convinced him of the the Marxist tyrants of Europe”. allegedly evil and “genocidal” nature of From demonising rhetoric to terrorist multiculturalism. instruction manual, Breivik’s manifesto The online multi-player game World is a call to arms for right-wing of Warcraft also became a big part of extremists that, in work on similar his life - sometimes he played it for as failed plots in the UK, I have elsewhere many as 16 hours a day. Players adopt dubbed “broadband terrorism”. fantasy roles and fight battles to earn The date 2083 refers to the 200th rewards. anniversary of Karl Marx’s death, and By 2009, Breivik was using Facebook the 400th of the Battle of Vienna, when to communicate with members of a Christian army halted the Ottoman the recently formed street movement Empire’s northward advance in Europe. the English Defence League, and later Breivik’s subtitle is lifted from a 2007 claimed to have hundreds of EDL essay by fellow Norwegian blogger Facebook friends. “Fjordman”. Extensive citations - often By 2010, Breivik was apparently in plagiarised - also refer to other anti- contact with at least some of the EDL Muslim ideologues and groups, from leadership, and attended at least one the Dutch politician Geert Wilders and demonstration that year. He also visited Steven Yaxley-Lennon’s English Defence London to welcome fellow “counter- League to the likes of Jihadwatch and jihadist” Geert Wilders. Stop the Islamisation of Nations (SION). While very different, these networks In this sense, Breivik’s Islamophobic continue to agree that - again citing references are less harbingers than 2083 - “multiculturalism is an anti- reformulated, stock canards that have European hate ideology”. been trundling around the far- and radical-right for more than a generation. Breivik offers a clear instance of “Christianism” - the use of Religious overtones travestied Christian doctrines for Literally hundreds of references the advancement of violent and to Breivik’s main enemy, “Cultural revolutionary views. That is no reason Marxism”, derive from the Christian for anyone to demonise more than a Right in the US, while its allegedly billion worshippers of Jesus Christ. By anti-Judeo-Christian offspring, the same token, Islamism remains a “multiculturalism” - for which, read political perversion of a Muslim faith “Islamification of Europe” - appears shared by a billion souls. more than 1,100 times across Breivik’s Such anti-liberal doctrines can be - 1,513-page manifesto. and have been - defeated by robust These and other terms are used to discussion and debate. demonise European Muslims on well- (this piece was first published on BBC networked internet sites; theirs is the News, 27 August 2012) language of civilisational war, not democratic politics.

Far Right Movements and Violence 61 Profile: Professor William Pierce “Godfather of leaderless resistance”

William Pierce West Virginia, where he also dabbled in was America’s quasi-religious movements, founding at most important one time a sect with no god called the neo-Nazi for three Cosmotheist Church. He kept up a wide decades, until his network of fellow extremists in South death in 2002. Africa, Europe and Britain. He was the founder and leader of As well as The Turner Diaries, he the National Alliance, a group whose published a best-seller called The members included terrorists, bank and dedicated it to , robbers and would-be bombers. a serial murderer who numbered among his victims two white women who had Pierce was the movement’s fiercest said they were going out with African anti-Semitic ideologue and he built the Americans. Yet his aides would maintain Alliance into a money-making machine that he was a badly misunderstood, through its hate music business, gentle man who merely wanted to Resistance Records. retain the US for people of European - Pierce was also the author of the race preferably northern - descent. war novel The Turner Diaries. The book In reality, he revelled in violence, as his has been called “the bible of the racist writing shows. After the Day of the right,” is known to have drawn many Rope, his hero comes across a hanged into the movement, and was a key figure in Los Angeles wearing a placard inspiration for Timothy McVeigh’s 1995 saying: “I defiled my race.” Oklahoma City bombing. Pierce wrote: “Above the placard leered He was widely revered by neo-Nazis the horribly bloated, purplish face of a worldwide and even visited former BNP young woman, her eyes wide open and and NF leader, John Tyndall, at his house bulging, her mouth agape.” He added in Hove, on the Sussex seaside. that “many thousands” of women were Groups such as Combat 18 parroted hanged around the city because they Pierce’s writings and ideas for a white had married or lived with blacks, Jews or power uprising, hoping to emulate the “other non-white males”. atrocities contained in his novels and ‘spark’ a race war by launching attacks In His Own Words on minority communities in Britain.

Legacy After the sickness of ‘multiculturalism,’ which is Pierce inspired various hate crimes, destroying America, Britain, and including a wave of violent robberies every other Aryan nation in which and murders during the 1980s carried it is being promoted, has been out by the Order, a white supremacist swept away, we must again have a splinter group, including the machine- racially clean area of the earth for gun murder of the Jewish radio talk the further development of our show host Alan Berg in Denver in 1984. people. ...We will not be deterred Pierce demurred when asked about by the difficulty or temporary his influence, but he was undoubtedly unpleasantness involved, because the movement’s theoretician (although we realize that it is absolutely in sum his theories amounted to little necessary for our racial survival.” more than proposing the expulsion of all blacks and Jews from America). Professor William Pierce, “What is the National Alliance?”, Pierce mostly remained hidden from National Alliance website, undated view on his property, a compound in

62 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Woolwich – the Far Anti-Muslim monitoring project, Tell MAMA (www.tellmamauk. Right Backlash org), recorded 212 anti-Muslim incidents in the week following the There was a large spike in anti-Muslim Woolwich murder, the majority online. incidents following the murder of British Campaigners and academic experts alike soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich on 22 suggest that this online threat should May by two Muslim extremists, Michael not be dismissed. Muslim politician Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale. Salma Yaqoob faced a death threat on The murder was an outrageous Facebook after Woolwich, with a threat act, utterly condemned by all to cut her throat. A Portsmouth woman (including almost every British Muslim was found guilty after writing ‘Feeling organisation). The English Defence like burning down some mosques in League obliged by sending 100 of Portsmouth, anyone want to join me?’ their number to get drunk and hurl post-Woolwich. A Facebook user who beer bottles at police, going on a stirred up “appalling, racist and anti- drunken rampage in Woolwich that religious” hatred about burning down same evening and led by their then- a Grimsby mosque was jailed for eight frontman, Tommy Robinson. weeks, following the Woolwich attacks. Typifying the immediate, post- On the night of Lee Rigby’s murder, Woolwich response on social media, another Grimsby man posted to his one EDL Facebook thread was headed: Facebook account: “Burn the mosque ‘MESSAGE FROM TOMMY ROBINSON down the end of Legsby Avenue. [EDL leader] “GET TO LONDON That will tell the clowns in charge in NOW” IF POSSIBLE’. EDL messages this country that we ain’t taking this ran into their thousands. One wrote: s*** and it will start a nationwide “get as many of the rag-head dogs action going.” He has subsequently as yous can lads!! much support pleaded guilty to sending an offensive and best wishes from ulster.. NO or menacing message. The mosque in SURRENDER!!” Another added: “Kill Grimsby was then attacked with three any muslim u see!!!!” Whilst other petrol bombs on 26 May, after these said: “cause carnage on them mother two messages were posted. Meanwhile fuckers!!!!!!!!!!!” and “Kill the curry in Hastings an EDL supporter received munching bastards”. Others called for a suspended jail sentence, following mosques to be attacked and burned. social media comments that “the mosque needs burning down” (in A mosque in Muswell Hill, north Hastings), calling on fellow EDL London, was burned to the ground, members to congregate in the town. the words “EDL” scrawled on its walls. An Islamic school in Chislehurst was In response, police posted 24-hour subjected to an arson attack whilst its armed guards around key Muslim pupils slept. Two men were arrested sites in the capital. The Metropolitan after an attempt to firebomb a Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard mosque in Grimsby. There were other Hogan-Howe, said that Islamophobic mosque attacks in Braintree, Rhyl, attacks in the city had risen eightfold Bletchley; then more recently swastikas in the days after Woolwich. His force were sprayed on the windows of a recorded a massive +145.7% spike mosque in Worcestershire, whilst a in ‘Islamophobic crime’ (the Met’s homemade bomb exploded against definition) comparing May 2012 with a mosque wall in Walsall. In Newport May 2013 and a +31.1% spike year-on- Muslim graves were desecrated with year for the same period. The figures swastikas and crude signs for UKIP, have fallen now, but are still far higher the BNP and NF. than they were one year ago. ACPO –

Far Right Movements and Violence 63 the Association of Chief Police Officers followed: Tony Parsons in The Mirror, – also recorded 136 anti-Muslim blithely calling two Muslim women incidents reported direct via its True he saw in the street as “batman Vision online service in the week after and batman”; Charles Moore joined the murder. again in The Telegraph; followed by the right-wing Commentator Analysis of Tell MAMA’s data by website; and then the Henry Jackson Teesside University suggested far Society’s , calling any right (mainly EDL) activists were linked attempt to link anti-Semitism with to one-third of all online incidents. anti-Muslim hatred “a terrible trap” Academics such as Chris Allen of and devoting a considerable amount Birmingham University (who advises of time to picking apart the notion the Government on Islamophobia), of “Islamophobia” (he also once pointed to EU-wide studies of suggested the EDL was a “grassroots widespread underreporting of such response from non-Muslims to incidents, suggesting the true picture Islamism”). Former MP and was much graver than reported. executive editor of the Conservative The counter-attack began with two Party blog, ConservativeHome’s Paul articles by Andrew Gilligan in The Goodman, has roundly criticised Telegraph, which claimed that a Murray for his anti-Muslim attitudes. majority of incidents were online The notorious US counter-jihadists, (57%) and those recorded elsewhere Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller, – against mosques, involving hijab also leapt in, calling Tell MAMA “a pulling, etc – were ‘minor’. He hate group” and frequently linking alleged that MAMA’s funding was mainstream Muslims and Islam with being cut by Government due to extremist actions, suggesting they are concern about its methods. The mandated by their religious texts to piece was circulated widely on act in such a manner. social media. Other commentators

Photo: MoD/Crown Copy/PA Wire

64 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK For their attackers, and “our” way of life, against who “we” think “we” are and what “we” stand mosques are seen as for. This is something which resonates places of “difference” loudly with the rhetoric of some far-right groups including the English Defence League (EDL) which claims to “not let our culture and traditions be eroded... [to] preserve English values”. Focusing on Islamophobic incidents the Midlands, my research highlighted how opposition towards mosques was growing. With Birmingham being a notable exception most likely because of Chris Allen’s research has shown that its significant and well established Muslim mosques are rarely just seen by as population, this was most evident in a places of worship. ©Dr Chris Allen, variety of locations on the periphery of reproduced with permission (Source: cities: in Hanley, Nuneaton, Solihull and 07 June 2013) others, and particularly in the “Black It remains to be seen whether the blaze Country”, the former industrialised area which destroyed a community centre to the north west of Birmingham, where and mosque in Muswell Hill, north negotiations to build a new mosque in London this week was a reprisal attack Dudley had been ongoing for a decade. against Muslims in Britain for the murder Having highlighted the failings of many of drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich a stakeholders – the public spats between fortnight ago. If so, it will be another to the local authority and some Muslim add to the dramatically increased number organisations especially – there a vacuum of incidents to have been reported to was created which gave space to the Tell MAMA, the government-funded far right. As one community leader I third party monitoring project which interviewed put it, this vacuum afforded records anti-Muslim attacks. the EDL an opportunity to use “Dudley as its flagship... coming here to use the In this climate however, it is no surprise mosque as an excuse”. that mosques have come under attack. According to Tell MAMA, around 12 In the two year period I focused on have been targeted of late, the most Dudley, the EDL organised two significant worrying incident being in Grimsby protests in the town. On another where three petrol bombs were thrown. occasion, EDL supporters barricaded This is no surprise to me though because themselves into the building currently on as my research over the past decade the site of the proposed mosque with has shown, mosques have become the intention of broadcasting the Islamic convenient targets onto which the fears call to prayer five times a day. Alongside and anxieties about Muslims and Islam this, the British National Party had won that ordinary people have are projected. seats on the local council alongside UKIP, both parties succeeding on the back of From research undertaken in the explicit anti-mosque campaigns. Midlands, mosques are rarely seen by ordinary people as mere places of Of the community leaders in the area – worship. Instead, they are seen as places both Muslim and non – I spoke to, there of “difference”, physically embodying was a direct link: the more active the all that is perceived to be wrong or far right, the more tensions there were problematic about Muslims and Islam. amongst local residents about Muslims Because of this, opposition to mosques and Islam. For them, the mosque offered is regularly voiced on the basis of them the far right a convenient opportunity being seen to go against “our” culture to exploit those fears and anxieties by

Far Right Movements and Violence 65 exaggerating the perceived threat the Pavlo Lapshyn came to the UK on 24 mosque – all mosques in fact – present. April 2013. Five days later the 25-year-old Ukrainian student, described by friends as And this maybe manifested itself in the shy and polite, armed himself with a knife fact that while the far right was at its and wandered the streets of the Small most active in the town, there were a Heath area of Birmingham, which has a number of attacks on nearby mosques. significant and visible Muslim population. So in nearby Cradley Heath, the mosque was subjected to two separate arson Just after 10pm, Lapshyn came across attacks, the second burning the mosque Mohammed Saleem, 82, a grandfather to the ground on Boxing Day 2009. A walking the few hundred yards from a further stone’s throw away in Langley, mosque to his home with the aid of a a building set to be taken over by the stick. Lapshyn approached Saleem from local Muslim organisation was similarly behind and stabbed him three times in destroyed by an arson attack. the back, murdering him. More than 5,000 people attended Saleem’s funeral. From those ordinary people I engaged with, it became clear that they could Pavlo Lapshyn was, at first, an unlikely only speculate about what went on candidate for murder. He had been behind the closed doors of a mosque. a doctoral student at the National This was clear in Dudley where one local Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine, resident opposing the proposed mosque before coming to Britain after winning a told me how mosques are “hotbeds of competition to visit Coventry University extremism”. Another, more worryingly and securing work experience at a spoke about how “the minarets resemble company called Delcam. He stayed in a look out posts...” before adding, “I know flat on an industrial estate by its offices what they say they are but the design in Small Heath. of the buildings seem more fortified After the murder Lapshyn bought castles than spiritual houses to me”. materials from shops, the internet and In the aftermath of the bloody and market stalls to make bombs. These barbaric incident in Woolwich, it will were hydrogen peroxide-based devices: be very easy to exploit the pre-existent Lapshyn used his engineering skills and fears and anxieties that ordinary people bomb-making websites to construct them. have about mosques as also being In late May 2013 Lapshyn added about Muslims and Islam. Given the extremist material to his social media increased activity of those such as the page, which was hosted on a Russian- EDL and BNP in recent weeks, it is language site. He also added material likely that these fears and anxieties will about Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma be heightened and in some instances bomber who had been motivated by exploited. While mosques may be mere the extreme propaganda of neo-Nazi places of worship for Muslims as indeed ideologue, Professor William Pierce, others, it is worth remembering that for founder of the National Alliance. many, they represent something much more threatening and fearful. On Friday 21 June, Lapshyn’s first device exploded outside a mosque in Walsall, in the West Midlands. It had been The mosque bomber packed in a children’s lunchbox. Lapshyn travelled with the bomb on a bus from Pavlo Lapshyn was a young PhD student his flat. Having left the device set on a resident in the UK when he killed an timer made from a mobile phone, he elderly Muslim man and launched a took the bus back to Birmingham, buying bombing campaign against mosques a bottle of wine on his way home. It was in the West Midlands during the early a day before the explosion was reported, summer of 2013. classed as a ‘terrorist incident’.

66 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Lapshyn carefully planned his remaining Midlands police had placed extra officers attacks for Friday lunchtimes, knowing to deal with the expected deluge of that this was the main prayer day for information in response to such specific Muslims. After his arrest he told police that details about a murder and terrorist his next bomb, which he left outside a suspect. But there was nothing. Wolverhampton mosque, had been placed Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, because police had arrested the wrong head of the West Midlands counter- man in connection with his Walsall attack. terrorism unit, remembers it as one of the In fact, police failed to recognise that lowest points of the hunt for Lapshyn. a bomb was the cause of debris on a “I believed we had a serial bomber, I traffic island near the Wolverhampton had a picture, we were in the middle of mosque on Friday 28 June until after Ramadan, and Friday prayers were the Lapshyn’s arrest. next day,” he said in a BBC interview. Detective Chief Inspector Shaun Edwards, That Saturday there was also an English the lead detective for Operation Clockface Defence League protest in Birmingham – the hunt for Lapshyn – told the BBC . Concern was now reaching that: “He was intending to stir racial the highest levels of Whitehall. hatred. We can find no pre-planning Police were in contact with every before he came to the UK. He was very mosque in the region offering security well educated. He had a really dangerous advice. Then on Thursday 18 July, there mindset of hatred for non-white people.” was a breakthrough. Local officers The final bomb attack on 12 July was studied CCTV taken from an Asda the most powerful yet. supermarket in Small Heath. A suspect was seen carrying shopping, including Lapshyn attacked a mosque in Tipton a pineapple, leading police to conclude with a device that would have murdered this was someone going to work in and maimed worshippers had he got his the area. They decided to visit local timings right. businesses with pictures of the suspect, He had studied the mosque’s website as the next Friday prayer approached. and timed his device to explode at 1pm At Delcam employees recognised during Friday prayers, which usually the man in the pictures as their work attracted the biggest crowd of the week. experience student. The device was packed with 600g of Lapshyn was arrested and quickly 25-millimetre nails, spraying the deadly confessed not only to the bombings but contents across a 70-metre radius with also to Saleem’s murder. His motivation such force that nails were left embedded was openly racist and those who in tree trunks. But main prayers were interviewed him said he was “calm, delayed by one hour to 2pm that day, calculating and committed”. meaning the area was empty when the bomb exploded. Lapshyn was by all accounts a shy, polite, normal young man, with no links Even though police and MI5 were to extremist groups in Ukraine, a view searching for the bomber, Lapshyn was confirmed by West Midlands police. so newly arrived in the UK, and not a Part of Ukraine’s Russian linguistic “known” extremist, that they failed to minority, he acted alone and seemed to detect him. CCTV revealed a suspect, but have become ‘self-radicalised’. Before Lapshyn was not on any known databases. Birmingham, there was no evidence of After the Tipton bombing the rightwing material on his website. investigation gained new urgency. Yet Police, and the family of the victim, are the phones failed to ring, despite a call still mystified as to what set Lapshyn on by police for information and assistance his murderous path. from the media and the public. West

Far Right Movements and Violence 67 5

Photo: Blandine Le Cain In the face of continued economic The Far uncertainty, many European voters have increasingly rallied behind Right Across populist and nationalist ideas. From France’s National Front to Finland’s Finns Party, Italy’s Five Star Movement Europe to Hungary’s Jobbik, parties that scorn ‘the Establishment’ have surged in the polls (though the results of the • Far Right Across Europe 2014 European elections suggest a mixed picture across the Continent). • Nationalist and Far Right Most are xenophobic in nature. They Parties Around Europe are riding on a wave of discontent, fuelled by austerity programmes, • Golden Dawn immigration, tension over terrorism • The NSU Scandal and fear of Muslims. • Geert Wilders Although crude racism has made way for emphasis on cultural integration, • The Far Right and the Internet intolerance towards minority groups • Skrewdriver, Blood & Honour often dominates the populists’ increasingly sophisticated message. and the Growth of White Geert Wilders in the Netherlands Power Music and Marine Le Pen in France are among Western Europe’s most widely recognised faces from this political tendency. Profiling Le Pen, the New York Times described her as a “Kinder, Gentler Extremist”. The daughter of the virulently racist Jean-Marie Le Pen – who recently uttered further anti-semitic slurs – now “pretends to defend gays, Jews, women,” the NYT reported, and has re-orientated the Front National to be more economically left-wing. This has not only caught her opponents off-guard but also brought her new support from people who previously would not go near the party. A similar story has unfolded in the Netherlands, as the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim “movement” headed by Geert Wilders has championed gay rights, Judaism and feminism to make its politics more acceptable to Dutch voters. At the height of his popularity Wilders even issued a “10 point plan to save the West” that included calls on ethnic minorities in Western countries to sign a “legally binding contract of assimilation”, and to stop the building of all mosques. He also said the right to religious freedom should not apply to Islam. In Greece, meanwhile, the

The Far Right Across Europe 69 Golden Dawn party has demonstrated also lost seats in the 2014 European a violent streak in the throngs of an elections and has formed a European austerity crisis, even as its MPs entered electoral pact with the Front National. Parliament and it gained its first MEP. Likewise, in Italy, the anti-immigrant, regionalist Northern League saw its There are some exceptions to this vote halved in February’s general success, of course. In the Netherlands, election. But the League’s poor result Wilders and his Freedom party won was less striking than the earthquake only 15 seats in Parliament recently, detonated by Beppe Grillo, the blogger- down from 24, having been punished comedian whose Five Star Movement for bringing down the previous took 25 per cent of the vote and government. In March 2014 Wilders made it impossible for two months for controversially promised his party Italy’s mainstream politicians to form a supporters he would ensure there government. In Greece, too, after up to were fewer ‘Moroccans’ in his country, 100 disappearances of migrants and a something which went too far even for murder linked to one of its supporters, his political supporters and which led to many of Golden Dawn’s leading MPs splits and many high-profile defections are now facing the full force of the law. from his Freedom Party. His party

European elections 2014 of the 28 member states (i.e. 36 percent) elected far right MEPs. According to Dutch academic and expert on the far right, Cas Mudde, While there was a total increase of there were two far right ‘firsts’ in +15 far right MEPs compared to the the 2014 European elections: 2009 election, the FN alone gained an extra 21 seats, helping in part to two far right parties, the explain this rise. 1 Danish People’s Party (DFP) and the French National Front “In many ways, the success of (FN), became the biggest party the European far right is really the in a nationwide election in an EU success of the FN (and to a lesser country – although this has been extent the DF),” Mudde argues. the case in Switzerland (since 1999) Overall, far right parties gained more or less openly neo- additional seats in just six countries, 2 Nazi parties – the National while they lost seats in seven others. Democratic Party of Germany According to Mudde, while two (NPD) and the Greek Golden Dawn “new” far right parties entered (XA) – for the first time entered the the EP for the first time (Golden European Parliament Dawn and Sweden Democrats), In total, far right parties significantly five lost their representation in increased their representation in Brussels – Ataka in Bulgaria, the the Parliament, gaining a record British National Party in the UK, the 52 MEPs, up by +15 seats since the Popular Orthodox Rally in Greece, 2009 election. the Greater Romania Party in Romania and the Slovak National Yet Mudde says that: “All this Party in Slovakia. notwithstanding, it is clear that Europe as a whole wasn’t hit by a You can see a breakdown of far right earthquake.” European Parliamentary “far right” results at: www.hopenothate.org. In an article for the Washington uk/2014/europe Post, Mudde explains that only 10

70 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK The French president, François other major parties. Its photogenic Hollande, has warned that Europe young leader, Heinz-Christian risks “regression and paralysis” if Strache, notoriously called women Eurosceptics and nationalists gain the in “female ninjas” in 2008 upper hand in European parliamentary and has promised to cut off funds elections. His warning was born out for “bankrupt E.U. countries” if he is when the FN topped the 2014 European elected chancellor. Following elections election results in France recently. in September 2013, it now has 21.4% of the national vote.

All the ingredients are coming Belgium together for the Front National Party: Vlaams Belang (Flemish to achieve a higher score than ever Interest) before in both the municipal and the Leader: Bruno Valkeniers European elections. The European Key issues: Flemish independence, elections will be a chance for people multiculturalism, traditional values to express their discontent with Seats in Parliament: 3.67% (2014, everything associated with Europe, Parliament) / 7.6% (2014, Senate) / globalisation, outsourcing and so on. 4.26% (2014 European election) Jean-Yves Camus, who is based at the The party seeks full independence for Institute of International and Strategic Flanders (northern, Dutch-speaking Relations, in Paris, and is an expert on Belgium) and wants strict immigration the European Far Right standards. Any immigrants allowed in would need to assimilate to Flemish language and culture. The party is also In the UK, UKIP became the biggest Eurosceptic and supports zero tolerance British party in the European policing. The party won 12% of the parliament, winning 23 seats. vote in Flanders as recently as 2007, but support has waned recently with the emergence of the more moderate Nationalist and Far Right New Flemish Alliance. In the June 2010 Parties Around Europe elections, Party Vlaams Belang won 7.8% of the Flemish vote. It has one Austria seat in the European Parliament. Party: Freedom Party Leader: Heinz-Christian Strache Denmark Key issues: Eurosceptic, immigration, Party: Dansk Folkeparti (Danish cultural identity People’s Party) Seats in Parliament: 29% (2011) / Leader: Pia Kjaersgaard 12.7% (2014 European Election) Key issues: Immigration, Eurosceptic, traditional values The Freedom Party joined Austria’s Seats in Parliament: 26.6% (2014, coalition government in 2000 and European Election) has become a powerful force in the country. Since 2006 it has focused It has fought against Denmark becoming on anti-immigration, anti-Islam and a multicultural country, pushing caps on Eurosceptic issues. In the 2010 state new immigration, opposing refugees, elections, the party garnered 25.77% promoting assimilation of immigrants of the vote, coming in second to and advocating better services for elderly the Social Democratic Party and Danes. With a leader who is often voted doubling its seats in parliament. By Denmark’s most powerful woman, the March 2011, the Freedom Party had party secured 13.8% of the vote in the an approval rating of 29%, putting it 2007 parliamentary election, making it neck-and-neck with the country’s two the third-largest party in Denmark.

The Far Right Across Europe 71 Finland sixteen states. In 2003, the German Party: Finns Party government attempted to ban the Leader: Timo Soini NPD, but the country’s Supreme Key issues: E.U. and euro bail-outs, Court blocked the initiative after it immigration was revealed that the party members Seats in Parliament: 19% (2011) / 13% whose actions formed the bulk of (2014 European Election) the government’s case were in fact agents of the German intelligence The Finns Party (previously the True services. The NPD now holds a single Finns) emerged from obscurity to seat in the European Parliament. capture 19% of the votes in the April 2011 election, finishing just behind the Greece conservative National Coalition Party Party: Golden Dawn and the Social Democrats. Sharing Leader: Nikolaos Michaloliakos populist rhetoric with other Nordic Key issues: Virulently anti-immigrant, parties, its supporters are opposed to neo-Nazi the European Union and globalism. Seats in Parliament: Golden Dawn 6.92% When the two top parties came to (2012, Parliament) / 9.4% (2014, EU) form the current six-party coalition government, the Finns were excluded. Support for the ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn, which has been linked France to a rise in attacks against migrants Party: Front National (National in recent months, rose to 14% (which Front) would make the group Greece’s Leader: Marine Le Pen third-largest party) then dropped Key issues: Protectionism, immigration dramatically following the murder of Seats in Parliament: 24.86% (2014, EU) a left-wing rapper by man allegedly linked to the party. The party Led by the daughter of its controversial leader and other leading members former head Jean-Marie Le Pen, the of Golden Dawn have also been party won 11% of the vote in the arrested. The party has been linked local elections in March 2011. Since in recent months to violent attacks the younger Le Pen took the reins in on immigrants from racial minorities January, the Front National’s popularity and its youth wing has distributed has surged. Le Pen won 18% of the racist messages in Greek schools and vote in the first round of France’s organised concerts. It has also now 2012 presidential election, making her entered the European Parliament for the third most-popular candidate. FN the first time. also holds 21 seats in the European Parliament and has recently said it was Hungary forming a European alliance with Dutch Party: Jobbik politician, Geert Wilders. Leader: Gabor Vona Key issues: Roma minority, anti- Germany Semitism, Party: Nationaldemokratische Seats in Parliament: 20.3% (2014) Partei Deutschlands (National Democratic Party of Germany) Jobbik blames Hungary’s Roma Leader: Holger Apfel population for everything from petty Key issues: Capitalism, globalisation, Islam crime to trash on the streets, Gained Seats in Parliament: 1.5% (2013) entry into parliament for the first time in April 2010, after securing 16.71% of While Germany’s oldest nationalist the vote in general elections. The party party has no seats in the Bundestag, also secured three seats in the last the German parliament, it does European Parliament elections. hold seats in two of the country’s

72 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Far Right Party performance around Europe

13% Finland 16.3% Norway 12.9% Sweden

26.6% Denmark

13.3% Netherlands 1.5% Germany 4.26% Belgium

12.7% Austria 20.3% 26.6% Hungary 24.86% Switzerland France

4% Italy

9.4% Greece

Austria France Italy Freedom Party 29% (2011) / Front National (National Front) Lega Nord (Northern League) 12.7% (2014 European Election) 24.86% (2014, EU) 4% (2013) / 6.2% (2014, EU) Belgium Germany Netherlands Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) National-demokratische Freedom Party (PVV) 13.3% 3.67% (2014, Parliament) / Partei Deutschlands (National (2014, EU) 7.6% (2014, Senate) / Democratic Party of Germany) 4.26% (2014 European election) 1.5% (2013) Norway Progress Party 16.3% (2013) Denmark Greece Dansk Folkeparti (Danish Golden Dawn 6.92% (2012, Sweden People’s Party) 26.6% Parliament) / 9.4% (2014, EU) Sweden Democrats 12.9% (2014, European Election) (2014, Parliament) Hungary Finland Jobbik 20.3% (2014) Switzerland Finns Party 19% (2011) / Swiss Peoples Party 26.6% (2014) 13% (2014 European Election) Italy said he would continue to fight “to Party: Lega Nord (Northern League) protect the Netherlands against Leader: Umberto Bossi Europe, against mass immigration, Key issues: Immigration, devolution against the [European] super-state.” It Seats in Parliament (Senate and dropped from five seats to four in the Chamber of Deputies): 4% (2013) / European Parliament. 6.2% (2014, EU) Norway The party has called for the Party: Progress Party secession of northern Italy as a new Leader: Siv Jensen autonomous state called “Padania” Key issues: Immigration, , and come out against the construction law and order of mosques. It takes a firm stance on Seats in Parliament: 16.3% (2013) immigration from Muslim countries, and also emphasises the fight against The Progress Party, which accused terrorism and other types of crime. attacker Anders Behring Breivik once The League was a controversial and supported, won 22.9% of the vote sometimes troublesome partner in in the 2009 election, the best result Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s in the party’s 38-year history. The governing coalition. In 1994, the second-largest party in parliament League abandoned the partnership since 2005, it has historically been after less than a year in power, shunned by other parties. As the first collapsing Berlusconi’s government to emphasise “integration politics” and driving him from office in 1995 in Norway, the party seeks to ban – it took until 2001 for him to make the hijab in schools, and deport it back into the president’s seat. The parents of children who wear the party holds governorships in Piedmont hijab. In recent years, its growing and the Veneto region, and five seats popularity has moved the opposition in the European Parliament (losing four Conservative Party to say it would in the recent elections). consider working with the Progress Party in a coalition government. Netherlands Party: Freedom Party (PVV) Sweden Leader: Geert Wilders Party: Sweden Democrats Key issues: Anti-establishment, anti-EU, Leader: Jimmie Akesson Islam, law enforcement Key issues: Immigration, crime, Islam Seats in Parliament: 13.3% (2014, EU) Seats in Parliament: 12.9% (2014, Parliament) Geert Wilders single-handedly founded the Freedom Party in 2005. The main party tenet is that Swedish Despite its youth and the flamboyance immigration and integration policies of its leader – Wilders declared that have been a failure. SD also supports juvenile offenders should be relegated the traditional nuclear family and to a “village for scum” – the party opposes any policies that promote has achieved high popularity. In the agenda of the Swedish “Homosex March 2011, polls showed the party Lobby”. With 5.7% of the votes with 17.6% approval, second only to in the 2010 elections, the Sweden the Liberal Party, which governs in a Democrats won seats in parliament minority coalition with the Christian for the first time. The party was once Democrats. Wilders has called for more extreme, but in 2001 shed its a ban on the Koran – which he Nazi trappings – including uniforms likens to “” – the burka and swastikas – to gain mainstream and Halal food. However, Wilders’ appeal. It now has two seats in the party lost 11 parliamentary seats European Parliament. in recent Dutch elections, but he

74 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Switzerland . SVP rejects Party: Swiss Peoples Party the idea of Switzerland joining the Leader: Christoch Blocher European Union and any increases Key issues: , in government spending on welfare. right-wing populist, immigration Much of the party’s emphasis is on Seats in Parliament: 26.6% (2014) immigration and homeland security policy. It has led a drive for “minaret Also known as Democratic Union bans”. Controls 26.6% of the vote of the Centre, the party aims to in Switzerland (2011). preserve Swiss sovereignty and

Golden Dawn (Greece)

The Golden Dawn party has become notorious for its blatant anti-Semitic and xenophobic rhetoric and has been responsible for perpetrating attacks on Jews and foreigners. It openly displays copies of “Mein Kampf,” as well as other works on Greek racial superiority at party headquarters. Party leader Nikos Michaloliakos has claimed that Nazi concentration camps did not use ovens and gas chambers to exterminate Jews during the Holocaust. “All the bottles of blood we collect “There were no ovens – it’s a lie. I will be handed over to patients we believe it’s a lie. There were no gas choose and to no one else. This right chambers either,” Michaloliakos said. to choose belongs not just to Golden Dawn members, but to all volunteer The firebrand leader captured the blood donors.” fury of an exhausted constituency and won his party seven percent of A report by Human Rights Watch the vote in the last Greek elections. warned that xenophobic violence has reached “alarming proportions” Now he is in jail after being accused in parts of Greece, and accuses of running a criminal organisation authorities of failing to take the following the violent death of a left- necessary steps to stop the trend. wing hip-hop artist, being connected to a Golden Dawn member. Greece, the weakest member of the eurozone, has suffered harsh austerity The party campaigned under the measures, a grinding recession and slogan “So we can rid the land of unemployment levels which are now filth” and holds frequent rallies, near 30%. It is also the favoured chanting “Foreigners out of Greece!” gateway for illegal immigrants into Furthermore, the group recently held Europe, given its long coastlines and an all-Greek blood drive and released geographical position. a statement at the time saying:

The Far Right Across Europe 75 The NSU Scandal It transpired that they had been living ‘underground’ since 1998. The group (Germany) to which they formerly belonged had long been under surveillance: On 4 November 2011, two men shot yet despite this, the three remained themselves in their mobile home after undetected for nearly 14 years. While a bank raid in Thuringia. Some hours there was considerable tracking later, in Zwickau in neighbouring and extensive use of hi-tech secret Saxony, a house divided into flats service investigations and telephone exploded, then burst into flames. tapping which obtained, for example, Within hours, it turned out that these the address lists of German Blood & two events belonged to what has Honour (B&H) activists – who played become one of the biggest scandals in a key role in supporting the gang’s post-war German history: the existence underground life with accommodation, of a neo-Nazi terror gang that had, health insurance cards and rented cars somehow undetected by police – the data had not been collated, or or the security services, murdered was simply ignored. nine immigrant shopkeepers and a A major problem appears to have been policewoman, robbed 15 banks and that the police and other authorities set off two bombs. After the existence never imagined that racism could be of the gang and the identity of its the leading motive for killing nine leading members – Uwe Böhnhardt, immigrants. Even a nail bomb blast Uwe Mundlos and Beate Zschäpe – in a Cologne street where mainly was uncovered, video-clips and DVDs immigrants lived – and which showed salvaged from the mobile home and obvious parallels to the acts of British the house in Zwickau confirmed that neo-Nazi nailbomber David Copeland – the trio who had called themselves the did not lead to serious investigation. ‘National Socialist Underground’ had committed a wave of crimes.

Photo: Johannes Simon Getty Images

76 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Instead, again and again, the victims No TV company in the Netherlands and their families were treated as would broadcast the 17-minute film suspects, the police arguing that the and some Dutch politicians tried to murder must be somehow related to impose a ban before Wilders posted it organised crime, Turkish-Kurdish rivalry on the internet in March 2008. or drug dealing. Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Incredibly, an officer of the Hessian Verhagen complained the furor over secret service was actually inside an Fitna could endanger Dutch companies, internet cafe in Kassel when its Turkish soldiers and residents abroad. owner was shot in the head by the NSU Asked about the impact of his film, terrorists in 2006. The agent, Andreas Wilders said: “It’s not the aim of the T, openly voiced right-wing views, and movie but people might be offended, I in his home village was nicknamed know that. So, what the hell? It’s their ‘Little Adolf’. (He has since been problem, not my problem.” removed from the security service.) Attempts by the Freedom Party leader The NSU scandal is now part of the to carry his anti-Islam message abroad largest neo-Nazi trial in Germany. have brought him into conflict with other Western states. Geert Wilders The British Government tried to ban (Netherlands) him from the UK on the grounds that he posed a threat to public security, Geert Wilders is a deeply divisive figure. though the move was later overruled He has antagonised the Muslim world by the courts. by calling for a ban on the Qu’ran, Unlike other figures on the fringes which he has likened to Adolf Hitler’s of European politics, he has never Mein Kampf. Yet he was also voted been accused of anti-Semitism. On politician of the year in 2007 by the the contrary, he is a strong admirer of Dutch political press. Israel, visiting the country frequently. His Freedom Party went from winning “My allies are not Le Pen or Haider...” he nine seats in the 2006 election to 24 told newspaper, referring in 2010, taking a bigger share of the to other European far-right leaders. vote than the Christian Democrats – the main party in the outgoing government. It has now dropped back to 15, though predictions suggest it will do well in the 2014 Euro elections. He argues that he is only “intolerant of the intolerant”. In a speech to a 2010 counter-jihad rally against the construction of an Islamic centre near the 9/11 site, he contrasted the “forces of Jihad” with New York’s tradition of tolerance, which he tied also to the Dutch traditions. His speech echoed themes from Fitna (which roughly translates from Arabic as “strife”), his hugely controversial film which juxtaposed the Qu’ran with 9/11 and other atrocities.

The Far Right Across Europe 77 The Far Right and upon the internet as a political tool. The BNP was the first party in the UK the Internet to make significant use of the Net; although today it is in decline, it still The internet is now a significant has over 100,000 Facebook ‘likes’. recruiting ground for extremists, no longer isolated from others who share As well as allowing users to avoid their beliefs. cynical traditional media, it allows such movements the ability to It has provided the far-right fringe with sell merchandise, recruit, bypass formerly inconceivable opportunities. national laws and boundaries, and According to the Simon Wiesenthal most importantly offers the chance Center, there are at least 14,000 social to create an effective sense of networking sites, forums, Twitter ‘community’ – research has shown accounts, blogs, newsgroups, and other that many of us tend to congregate on-demand video sites supporting hate- around self-identifying ‘tribes’ on motivated extremist groups. the internet. The same is true of One example of how the Far Right is extreme Right followers. A virtual adapting to this new social media age community offers a set of shared is the Immortal group in Germany, values, norms, meanings, and a sense which emerged in 2011. Organised of history, free from outside pressure, around Twitter and other social media, examination or ridicule. it stages unregistered rallies at night, at The granddaddy of them all is which its activists wear white masks, Stormfront.org, which was launched in carry torches through urban areas 1995 as the first major hate site on the and chant extremist slogans. Shortly web. Prior to this point, these groups after each gathering, a professionally were only able to reach small audiences produced video appears on YouTube. and were restricted to spreading Intended to demonstrate the group’s messages through books, newspapers, power and support, the imagery harks magazines and newsletters. back to the torchlight processions of inter-war Nazism. Today far-right recruiters roam online chat rooms, post messages, and track “Activists have embraced the internet user demographics. The counter- to such an extent that it’s now virtually jihad networks in North America and impossible to track all the bloggers, Europe increasingly rely on social Twitter accounts and Facebook media to organise their international pages that have, for them, become demonstrations and meetings. indispensable tools of communication,” Matthew Goodwin, an academic says Professor Matthew Goodwin of expert studying the extreme Right, has Nottingham University. complained that far-right supporters In February 2012, populist anti-Muslim have used Twitter to organise a Geert Wilders’s party in the Netherlands hate campaign against him and his launched a website targeting Polish work. The White House has recently immigrants. It invited Dutch citizens argued that popular social media sites to report Eastern Europeans for doing like Facebook and Twitter play an anything from “taking your parking important role in “advancing violent spaces” to “taking your jobs.” extremist narratives”. Yet the appearance of the internet These groups have also developed in extreme Right communities is not child-friendly websites with jokes, new. White racist groups started to use cartoons, colouring books, and computer networks in the mid-1980s “assistance” with homework. and by the mid-1990s they had seized Teenagers are sometimes attracted through sophisticated video games

78 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK and aggressive white power music. The White Power Music Scene The internet is also important in ‘self- ‘White Power’ music is an important radicalisation’ of lone extremists (lone part of the glue for a violent sub- wolves), who can access the theories, culture of neo-Nazis across the UK, communities and ideologues that eastern Europe, Russia and the USA. support their world views without any physical interaction at all. According to Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a prominent US civil rights organisation: Stormfront.org ‘The white power music industry is a leading source of money and young Created by former Alabama recruits for many of the Western world’s KKK boss and long-time white most dynamic racist revolutionaries. supremacist Don Black in 1995, Since the early 1990s, it has grown from Stormfront was the first major hate a cottage industry into a multimillion- site on the Internet. dollar, worldwide enterprise.’ Claiming more than 130,000 Wade Michael Page, a committed registered members, the site has white supremacist who shot and been a very popular online forum killed six people at a Sikh template for white nationalists and other in Wisconsin, USA, in August 2012 racial extremists. One activist (mistaking them for Muslims), was described the forum as “like a a member of the , a second home”. Black’s son, whom hardcore racist skinhead group. He he used to take to all his white had been heavily involved in the nationalist meetings, has recently white power music scene, playing and very publicly disowned the in a number of white power bands beliefs espoused by his father. over the previous 12 years, most prominently groups called ‘Definite In Its Own Words Hate’ and ‘End Apathy’. “Our mission is to provide Page was just one of hundreds of information not available in the white supremacist musicians listened controlled news media and to build to by thousands of white supremacists a community of White activists across the world, sometimes at working for the survival of our underground gigs (with many bands people.” and their networks banned in several From “Guidelines for Posting,” European countries), but more often Stormfont.org enabled by the internet and music- sharing networks. “White Pride Worldwide” ‘For listeners, white power music is not Stormfront.org motto simply entertainment,’ says the Anti- Defamation League in America. ‘It is music with a message, a medium used to express an ideology suffused with anger, hatred and violence.’ The bands’ own names defiantly express feelings of hate or violence: Aggravated Assault, Angry Aryans, Attack, Definite Hate, Final Solution, Force Fed Hate, Fueled by Hate, Hate Crime, Jew Slaughter and White Terror, among others.

The Far Right Across Europe 79 Behind them are small record labels version of . A white or distributors that specialise in white supremacist form of death metal power music: Label 56, Tightrope music, known as National Socialist Records, Final Stand Records, and Black Metal Music or NSBM, has others. Many bands are associated become popular. There are other with a racist skinhead group such as small sub-genres of hate music; even , the Vinlanders Social Club a few white power hip hop artists, or, especially, the Hammerskins. though most white supremacists dislike hip hop. The Hammerskins dominate much of the white power music scene. Many White power music conveys many bands are Hammerskins-affiliated, messages – hatred towards Jews, while the group itself organises hate immigrants, nonwhites, Muslims, music concerts, including Hammerfest, gays and left-wingers. But songs its largest annual event. can convey other messages, too. Some white power songs may glorify The music comes in many flavours. heroes or martyrs of the white The oldest is a racist form of Oi!, supremacist movement. Others are associated with the original skinhead essentially self-promotional, praising subculture from Britain. Also popular a group or leader. is hatecore, a white supremacist

80 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Skrewdriver, Blood & Honour and the Growth of White Power Music

The classic skinhead look – Doc During the same period, in the late Martens boots, red suspenders 1980s and early 1990s, US and shaved heads – first appeared left a trail of ruthless beatings and on British streets in the late 1960s. stabbings – and some 40 murders. Early skinhead music was a spinoff Said Heidi Beirich: ‘The culture that of black music such as (Caribbean) accompanied the lucrative racist music and . business was violent. In internecine That began to change in 1982, when disputes, neo-Nazis in the industry Skrewdriver, a legendary band led by have stomped each other with boots, , held the first beaten each other with baseball bats of a series of white power concerts and tortured each other with hammers. under the banner of “Rock Against They have hired hit men and burned Communism” (this was a response to down buildings. Racist music fans have “” concerts held bombed children and bludgeoned by bands). Earlier, in the late people with iron pipes; they have 1970s, Donaldson had begun publishing drowned LGBT people and executed the magazine Blood & Honour, named police officers.’ after the inscription on the daggers of ‘In Europe, where such music is generally Hitler’s SS youth corps. Donaldson, who illegal, governments in recent years died in a 1993 car crash, would go on have deported racist aliens, raided white to inspire racist skins all over the world, power CD caches and banned some neo- including America. Nazi music organisations. Such pressure During Skrewdriver’s heyday in the has driven racist music underground 1980s, several European labels sold white even as profit margins have shot up power music, often alongside anti-racist for what is seen as illegal contraband. punk albums. But racist music didn’t really Increasingly, this crackdown has made the take off internationally until after the United States, with its First Amendment fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Between protections for even extremely violent 1992 and 1997, the international racist hate speech, a haven for the racist music music industry mushroomed. In Sweden business. Now, with the rise of digital there was one white power concert music, Internet-based “radio” shows held in 1992. In 1995, there were 20. stream racist music around the world White power labels, including Sweden’s at all hours of the day. In the United Ragnarock Records and Nordland States, racist music from more than 100 Records, started selling their wares in domestic bands, plus hundreds more many European nations. Michigan- foreign ones, is available on line.’ based Resistance Records, formed by Canadian and others, became the largest American label and Racist music is big business, even produced its own glossy magazine. almost certainly the main source of income for many radical groups. The first groupings in what would later become Hammerskin Nation, one of Heidi Beirich, the most violent skinhead groups in the Southern Poverty Law Center world today, emerged in Dallas by 1989.

The Far Right Across Europe 81 6 Combatting Unite Against Fascism www.uaf.org.uk the Far Right @uaf Source: 15 October 2013 After English Defence League • Unite Against Fascism leader quits - is racism in retreat? • ‘No Platform’ outdated? Following the resignation of EDL leader Tommy Robinson, Weyman Bennett • Facing down the far right of Unite Against Fascism looks at how threat fascist groups build – and how anti- fascist movements can push them back • Case study – United East End The resignation of Tommy Robinson • Case study – The UK and Kevin Carroll, the two leaders Government’s Anti-Muslim of the English Defence League (EDL), is good news for the anti-fascist Hatred Working Group movement. The two announced their • Case study – Importance of resignation from the group at a press conference last week. building a campaign Robinson said that the EDL had • Case study – Enough become increasingly influenced by Coalition Against neo-Nazis and claimed they did not represent what he stood for. Islamophobia It’s true that the EDL is riddled with • Case study – Bradford: fascists. Unite Against Fascism (UAF) Seeing off the EDL has argued this since the EDL was set up in March 2009. • Interview with Dr Abdullah It was formed in the £500,000 Faliq – Mobilising the Barbican flat of businessman and Islamophobe Alan Ayling, also known Muslim community against as Alan Lake, to organise street Islamophobia confrontations targeting Muslims. It was built and maintained by fascists. Chris Renton, who ran the EDL website, was a member of the Nazi British National Party (BNP). Another BNP member, David Cooling, did admin work on the Luton EDL Facebook site. But it is laughable for Robinson to claim that this is not what he stood for. Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley- Lennon – is an ex-member of the BNP. He has led countless demonstrations terrorising Muslims and boasted in 2011 that he was prepared to break up the student protests. In Robinson’s resignation statement he tellingly described street demonstrations not as wrong but as

Combatting the Far Right 83 “no longer productive”. By this he But it’s vital that anti-fascists oppose means that, at every turn, mass anti- them however they choose to organise. fascist demonstrations confronted The EDL has at times managed to pull the EDL. Their hate-filled invective off some big protests. Over 1,200 EDL was challenged. supporters ran amok in an anti-Muslim Robinson has not experienced a “sudden riot in Stoke in January 2010. Around conversion on the road to Damascus”. 2,000 protested in Blackburn in April Instead his resignation represents a 2011. Five mosques were vandalised retreat from an attempt to build a mass after the protest, with the initials “BNP” organisation that could control the streets. and “EDL” spray painted on them. Such shifts and turns are common in But several high profile mass anti-fascist fascist organisations. Fascists ultimately mobilisations damaged the racists’ morale. aim to seize power and smash all forms The EDL’s first rampage took place of democracy. in Luton in April and May 2009. But They are marked out from racist and when they returned in May 2012 only far right movements in general because a few hundred supporters showed up. they pursue a dual strategy. They want Some 2,000 UAF protesters marched to build up gangs of street thugs that against them. can attack minorities and the left while Some in the anti-fascist movement also fighting to win political legitimacy. failed to recognise the danger that Opposition, along with tensions in this the EDL posed when it launched. The dual strategy, can force fascist groups Hope Not Hate group argued that anti- to alter their emphasis. fascists should ignore the EDL and it would go away. For instance, attempts by fascists to organise openly were often met with This idea has now been shown to be revulsion in the decades following completely wrong. UAF was right to the Second World War. So fascists in oppose the EDL every time it took to France, led by Le Pen, stopped openly the streets. We have played a major praising Hitler to try and win influence role in splitting this racist movement. through legitimate channels. It was right to create a broad based Instead they claimed to be nationalists campaign. From the start UAF was concerned about immigration. backed by the likes of MP, Glyn Ford MEP, Muslim groups and Shattered national trade unions. In Britain the BNP was, until recently, This broad campaign helped to create relatively successful in winning a crisis for the EDL that it hasn’t elections. It broke through when it managed to recover from. won three council seats in Burnley, Lancashire, in 2002. Mass campaigning Reorganise against the Nazis has since shattered Robinson’s resignation is a blow to the their electoral strategy. EDL, but it doesn’t mean the EDL is But its initial success meant party finished. Just two days after Robinson’s leaders had to rein in hardcore elements departure, the regional organisers of and retreat from building on the streets the EDL met to reorganise. to protect the party’s image. The EDL They elected Tim Ablitt, a south grew to fill the vacuum this created. west EDL organiser, as chair and Fascists don’t stop being fascists when agreed to go ahead with planned EDL they put on suits and stand in elections. demonstrations in Bradford and . They try and hide their politics in order Around 250 racists turned out for the to win votes and build up influence. EDL protest in Bradford last Saturday.

84 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK And it certainly doesn’t mean that never giving extremism a platform had fascists won’t form new organisations become old-fashioned. in the future. Helen Gower, Tommy “Of course I still would not give a Robinson’s “personal assistant”, claimed platform to Nick Griffin or the BNP,” he last week that, “A new group, that isn’t said, “but others do and enforcing it is street-based, is going to be formed. no longer a central plank of our work. “Tommy is definitely going to be in the “There’s been a long history in the anti- new group, and Kevin will be in it too.” fascist movement of “no platform”, but Mainstream politicians have created a a lot of those principles have become political climate that helps groups such outdated, because of new technology, as the EDL to flourish. David Cameron people have a platform online.” and his Tory government have attacked He said that groups such as the BNP multiculturalism, scapegoated migrants had won elections, and so they had a and pushed an Islamophobic agenda. platform regardless of whether anti- Home secretary fascists agreed or not. declared yet another clampdown on Twitter and other forms of social media immigration just last week. All of this had also circumvented the restrictions boosts the fascists and makes every of a no-platform policy. That in turn racist more confident. has also led to more calls for freedom Depressingly many in the Labour Party of expression and challenging views in leadership have either ignored these (online) debate, rather than out-and- attacks or at worst aped them. out censorship. Fascism will remain a threat as long as “I’m not going to sign up to a Twitter we live in a system wracked by crisis debate with Griffin, that’s beyond the and racism is used to divide us. pale. But at the same time we need to do more to take on their ideas in But anti-fascists have shown, once the blogosphere, there are ideas are again, how it is possible to drive back out there in swathes. Or we sit on the fascist groups. Everyone who wants sidelines, condemn them, and refuse to to stop the growth of fascism should engage, that’s when we look like the learn these lessons for the future. pro-censorship group,” Lowles said. In Lowles’ view, hate groups were Sharia legalises paedophilia” changing and not all fell within an and that Islam was “fuelling” a easily definable “fascist” description. “global war/Holocaust on Christians”. “This is especially the case with the Stephen Lennon, comments on Twitter, emerging anti-Muslim extremists, following his resignation from the EDL those in the self-defined counter-jihad movement. And it is these groups and individuals who are a far more dangerous threat to local communities ‘No Platform’ outdated? than the tiny neo-Nazi parties like the British People’s Party or the Racial For many years, the standard response Volunteer Force. from anti-fascists was to refuse to share a speaking platform with anyone “The more controversial things they deemed to be “fascist” or from a far- say, the more attention they get. It’s right movement. actually easier with people like Nick Griffin and David Irving. But there’s In 2012, HOPE not hate’s director Nick mainstream hatred of Muslims all Lowles reversed that decision. He over Twitter. We have to be in the said that the anti-fascist tradition of argument, expose their ideas.”

Combatting the Far Right 85 Facing down the when they tried to divide us, we stood together. Every section of the far right threat community stood together when the fascists threatened to march. This Magnificent Mobilisation Against was another good day in the struggle EDL in Tower Hamlets against the racists. Source: UAF, September 2013 “In the past weeks, mosques and More than five thousand people joined Islamic community centres have been a Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and attacked. Today we sent a message United East End (UEE) demonstration to that this must stop. We must recreate stop the racist English Defence League this success everywhere the EDL plans (EDL) entering Tower Hamlets. to go. In local areas we need to build the broadest possible alliances to block The EDL, who had initially promised them from marching. We will stand to mobilise thousands, were left with an community threatened by embarrassed when only 750 racists turned racism and fascism.” out on the day. Their demonstration was disrupted by drunkenness and Tower Hamlets Mayor, Lutfur Rahman, violence as they targeted each other said: “Tower Hamlets is a vibrant and when it became clear their racist march diverse borough which I am proud to would not make it to Tower Hamlets. call home. Like many other areas of our country, there are problems such In contrast, local mosques, trade unions, as unemployment and poverty but the and community organisations mobilised EDL blame ‘others’ for our country’s thousands of people onto Whitechapel problems in an attempt to divide us.” Road to protect the East London Mosque which had been threatened by the EDL. , writer and journalist, told The UAF rally highlighted the strength of the crowds: “Wherever the menace of multiculturalism in the borough, people Islamophobia emerges, we must drive from different cultural, religious and it back. Today this is our message to political backgrounds were determined the EDL; we are one community. We to stand together in the face of racism. will not rest until we drive this poison off the streets of this community.” UAF groups from across the country, including the South East coast, the What they said (UEE press Midlands, and as far afield as Wales, conference) also joined the counter-demonstration. But the majority of the mobilisation At a press conference in Tower were themselves local residents angry Hamlets before the EDL March, Dr Glyn at EDL attempts to divide them. Robbins, representing United East End, said that his family had lived in the area When news reached Altab Ali that for over 200 years. Tommy Robinson had been arrested, and that the EDL had turned away early from “But that doesn’t give me more rights their rally, cheers went up throughout than anyone else in this area. This area the demonstration. Protestors carried a is changing and it always has but the banner saying, “Tower Hamlets United EDL have a problem with change. The Against Racism” and led a victory march people who live here do not. along Whitechapel Road to the East “The Mosques here are open to local London Mosque. Marchers made it clear, people to visit and they do a lot to build if the EDL were to return, they would too. relations with the wider community. Weyman Bennett, Joint Secretary of “The EDL intends to come into this area Unite Against Fascism, said: “Today – and it seems they are going to be highlighted the strength of unity, coming – they are a clear and present

86 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK danger to our community. They come What was said about Jews then they with a message of not just hatred and are saying about Muslims now. bigotry but also violence. “Every wave of immigrants into the “Our organisation, United East End, East End has in time integrated into includes community and faith groups and the local community. But they have not trade unions and Rainbow Hamlets, the assimilated; they have kept their culture Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender and identity and added it to the local group, who are not here today but they mix, which becomes ever richer for it. are very much part of our community.” “Outsiders like the EDL just don’t get it. Cllr Rachel Saunders, deputy leader “In the 1930s Oswald Mosley tried Tower Hamlets Labour Group, said: “They to come into the East End to spread won’t march through our community,” division and hate and to attack the she said. “We will make sure the police Jewish immigrant population. But the take responsibility to make sure they do whole population came out to stop not. Our MP Jim Fitzpatrick is fighting him, including the Irish dockers. for a ban on the EDL.” “And when the EDL come in to attack Dr Abdullah Faliq, former Deputy our Muslim brothers and sisters we will Secretary of all come out to defend them.” said, “the EDL threat is real but our united response as a community is crucial Dilowar Khan, representing the East to defeating the EDL. Tower Hamlets has London Mosque spoke on the history of a rich history of thwarting the racists and the Islamic community in east London, fascists, I confident we will stop them which has existed for over a century from entering this borough, where we now. “We are no longer immigrants, we are proud of our diversity and unity.” are part of the community and we don’t have another home to go to, so we are Weyman Bennett, joint leader of Unite staying. We are part and parcel of the Against Fascism, said the UAF has been community here. opposing the EDL since 2010: “The EDL say they are opposed to Islam but they “The Mosques in this country play attack everybody and they are trying to a very positive role in turning young divide communities.” people into good citizens.” He spoke about the community centre The Reverend Alan Green, chair of in Muswell Hill that was burnt out and Tower Hamlets Inter-Faith Forum, said he had just visited the Harlow Muslim he had been a Church of England vicar Centre the night before, which had in Tower Hamlets for 15 years. suffered an arson attack – where the “The EDL claim to speak for me,” he attackers had tried to drill into the gas said, “when they say they are getting supply to set their charges. rid of Muslim oppression. But I am “These people used to attack privileged to live here among the synagogues; now they attack Mosques,” biggest Muslim community in London. he said. “If they are allowed they will I do not feel oppressed at all by the end up attacking everyone.” Muslim community in the east end but I do feel oppressed by the EDL Leon Silver, of East London Central threatening to divide my community Synagogue, said that Tower Hamlets, or and sow hatred. Stepney as it used to be known, has been home to wave after wave of immigrants “They are all outsiders and they just for centuries; it is the first port of call don’t understand what it is to live here. for those coming into London. They are very dangerous and they should not be allowed in this borough “In 1905 they passed the Aliens Act, or anywhere near Tower Hamlets.” which was aimed at Jewish communities.

Combatting the Far Right 87 Case study United East End

from a wide range of backgrounds. We have succeeded in ensuring that Islamophobia and related prejudice are seen as an issue - and a threat - to the whole community. In so doing, we have confounded some of the lazy, often media-driven, stereotypes about Islam in general and the East London Mosque in particular, for example, local LGBT and Jewish groups have been a vital component of UEE’s work and have always been warmly welcomed at the ELM/LMC.

If UEE did not march, would that make any difference to the outcome – surely the police would prevent the EDL entering Tower Hamlets? Why is it necessary to have a physical Interview with Dr Glyn Robbins, presence on the streets? co-ordinator I have started each of the three rallies What is United East End and how by saying ‘If we weren’t here - they did it come to be set up? would be’ and I absolutely believe that. Experience from around the UK is United East End (UEE) is an informal that the police do not prevent the EDL umbrella group comprising community from marching, even in places that are and campaign groups, faith similar to Tower Hamlets in terms of organisations and trade unions from their ethnic diversity. There are complex Tower Hamlets. UEE was set up in May legal arguments about what can and 2010 in response to a threatened EDL cannot be legally prohibited and of march through the borough. course, there is an over-arching issue of freedom of speech, assembly etc. How effective has it been, in your UEE can and has taken a view on some view, and what has it achieved? of these questions, but it is very easy The EDL has planned marches through to be distracted by them, allow them Tower Hamlets in 2010, 2011 and 2013. to become divisive issues within our On each occasion they were prevented ranks and demobilise/demoralise. In the from doing so and UEE has been at the end, the police would be the first to forefront of campaigns that challenged agree that it’s not their job to challenge the EDL’s message of division and what the EDL represents – that’s our asserted that Tower Hamlets is ‘No job and when we’re faced with the Place for Hate’. prospect of them marching through our streets, spouting a message of UEE, in conjunction with Unite Against hate and threatening violence, it is our Fascism, Islamic Forum of Europe and responsibility to stand against them and other community groups, organised in defence of our friends, neighbours large, peaceful counter-demonstrations and places of worship. that attracted thousands of people

88 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK What lessons have you learned In your view, what role do faith about building a coalition to groups have in preventing the rise of ‘defend’ an area? And is this physical extremism and hatred? defence we are talking about, or Very important. I’m an atheist myself more an issue of ‘togetherness’ and and never make any secret of this, but it moral support between differing is one of the greatest strengths of UEE elements of a community? that we welcome all faiths and none. I More the latter than the former. think this idea is best summarised by the UEE has always said that our aim is a Rev’d Alan Green who coined the slogan peaceful demonstration of community ‘Whose mosques? - Our mosques!’ It is unity. We have learned many lessons, essential that we do not allow the threat but I think the main one is to be of Islamophobia to be only an issue for resolute about our ‘core values’, so we Muslims, any more than anti-Semitism demand the right to directly oppose should only be an issue for Jews, or the EDL and in so doing, we reject homophobia should only be a concern any attempt to portray what we do as for gay people. equivalent to what the EDL do. It is the EDL who should be marginalised and Why do far-right groups have such a heavily policed because that reflects (particularly) negative view of Islam the nature of their organisation and and Muslims, and especially the East what it stands for. In building a united London Mosque? front against the far-right it is essential Three main answerers, at a global, that people are prepared to leave their national and local level, but there are lots other differences aside and focus on the of complex issues that relate to them. common enemy of bigotry and racism. First, since 9/11 anti-Islamic sentiment has become legitimised by the dishonest, What problems come with running manipulative and ignorant policies such a coalition of groups and how do pursued by ‘western’ governments and you overcome them – any examples? the media that supports them. Second, Many, but over time I’ve found that the there is a fear of the stranger that is as problems reduce as trust and mutual old as time, but has been pronounced respect increase. Certainly in the first in the UK, again with succour from year we had some very sharp differences politicians and journalists who exploit of opinion about the correct tactics to fear and ignorance for their own adopt, but in the end there has been ends, particularly at times of economic a clear consensus within UEE that recession. The ELM/LMC, because of the encouraging physical confrontation place it occupies, has been a particular could cause lasting damage to our target for some of these sentiments, community and be counter-productive. but this is aggravated by the complex Similarly, UEE absolutely rejects the character of Tower Hamlets politics. ‘stay at home’ message that has been advanced by some in the past. Another difficult issue has been differing perspectives on the question of legal bans of EDL activities, but particularly in 2013, we have decided not to allow this to become a divisive issue.

Combatting the Far Right 89 Case study The UK Government’s Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group

The cross-government Anti- • Srebrenica: commemorating the Muslim Hatred Working Group genocide in Srebrenica to ensure met for the first time in January lessons are learned for the future 2012. The group brings together • Woolwich: the Group has been asked leading representatives from the to refocus their priorities in light of the Muslim community, academics Woolwich attack and the aftermath and government departments and makes recommendations on Membership what more can be done to reduce The group comprises: anti-Muslim hatred. • A secretariat provided by the DCLG The working group’s objectives • Officials from other relevant include focusing on the role of the Government departments media and tackling hate crime on the • Independent members acting Internet, and, from an international in a personal capacity, including perspective, highlighting the role academics and members of the Muslims played in World War I and Muslim community exploring ways of commemorating the massacre at Srebrenica. Government members include: The group is modelled on the hugely • Department of Culture Media & Sport influential cross-government working • Foreign and Commonwealth Office group on anti-Semitism, set up by • Research, Information and the previous Labour government for Communications Unit, Home Office the Jewish community, and chaired • Crown Prosecution Service by the Department for Communities • Home Office and Local Government (DCLG). • Ministry of Justice • Office of Security and Counter- Responsibilities Terrorism, Home Office • Government Equalities Office members of the • Department for Transport group have decided to focus initially on • Department for Education six areas of work: • Attorney General’s Office • Media: promoting more fair, • Business, Innovation and Skills accurate and balanced reporting on Muslims within the British media Independent members are: • Evidence: improving our understanding of anti-Muslim hatred • Akeela Ahmed • Outreach: improving the reporting • Dr Chris Allen of hatred through community • Imam Qari Asim engagement • Iftikhar Awan • Internet: exploring solutions for • Iqbal Bhana addressing anti-Muslim hatred on • Dr Matthew Goodwin the internet • Sarah Joseph • World War One: using the • Nick Lowles commemoration of the centenary to • Fiyaz Mughal highlight the role played by Muslim • Sarah Joseph soldiers in fighting for Britain • Mudassar Ahmed

90 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK Akeela Ahmed, independent member and ex-chair of the Muslim Youth Helpline, comments: ‘In general I think it is very positive that the group was set up. At times it can feel like progress is slow, however I think this is part of working with government, which I am used to. As an independent member I can put forward my views on what I feel needs addressing, what is positive whist also remaining A lot more work needs to able to be critical if required. be done and it can feel like ‘Baroness Warsi was very good there is an overwhelming when there were a spate of attacks number of issues that need to be of mosques and Muslims post- addressed urgently. However we Woolwich: she listened, took on have to prioritise. For my part, I board concerns and I was impressed am keen for community with how she already had an engagement and work on awareness of what people on the bridging the gap between British ground were saying. Muslims and those who would sympathise with the EDL, as well ‘There have been some key as ensuring anti-Muslim attacks achievements this year, most notably are recorded by the Police the commemorating the genocide correctly, and finally safety for in Srebrenica which is hugely Muslim schools and buildings. important in demonstrating the dire consequences of hatred.

Combatting the Far Right 91 Case study Importance of building a campaign

HnH mobilises thousands of volunteers every election, and has tens of thousands of followers on its Facebook group. Its director Nick Lowles explains: “We had to do everything on a small budget. We started in Barking & Dagenham, Yorkshire, and then Stoke – we picked our target areas quite carefully, knowing where the BNP were likely to be strongest.” “We started with a training seminar Nick Lowles, to give people a basic idea what’s director, HOPE not hate, happening in their community – re. the www.hopenothate.org.uk BNP – and to buy into our campaign. @hopenothate HnH is all about training. The support we give is training, and logistics, but Born out of the Searchlight anti-fascist most of the ‘action’ comes from within organisation, HOPE not hate (HnH) the communities themselves – we’re is a network of local groups – trades not doing that, they are.” unions, community groups, faith groups, and concerned citizens, as Lowles adds: “Doing this then gave us a well as MPs, councillors and noted large numbers (of people) campaigning celebrities – united in opposition to the in the community. Particularly trade far-right British National Party (BNP) unions: we got them to see their and the hooligan-dominated English members on the ground as a resource.” Defence League (EDL).

92 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK There are three key elements to it was true, it also motivated local developing HnH’s strategy: activists to then stand for other political parties themselves, something they Building a community might otherwise not have done. We 1 campaign just provided that little bit extra in the (i) Community campaign – process. The idea was to help rejuvenate organising and mapping out in the the interest in local democracy and community. participating in politics.” “We identify community leaders and then train them, for example local Online campaign church leaders,” says Lowles. “They 2 HOPE not hate is known nationally know who the main people are in for its large online presence. Its their own congregations. The Christian Facebook group alone has more than community was very important in the 66,000 members. battle for Barking and Dagenham, “Doing any online campaign is just for example, where we had a strong like mobilising any opportunities. black African community, from However, you can’t replace traditional countries such as Nigeria, as well as campaigning with online campaigns many recently-arrived east European alone. You still need face-to-face Catholics from countries like Poland. meetings, phoning people up … so “We researched and found the main what we do is use very modern tech community groups, then the local to mobilise people in a very traditional non-governmental organisations, the way (getting one person to call up, via mosques – everyone who was in any phone, 10 people in their area).” way against the BNP. We were getting these people – these leaders of the existing networks and organisations – Targeting campaign to reach out to the rest of the people 3 “This in our experience is also key,” on the estates, the other members of says Lowles, “getting key sections of the local community. the community out in support of your campaign. For example, we know “Our job was to build bonds of through market research that women common interest between everyone. are twice as likely to vote against the We brought the ‘old’ Barking BNP as men. They are much more community together with the trade against violence than men. So we unions and the ‘new’ community from produce literature for women that will Africa and eastern Europe.” appeal and interest them.” (ii) Trade unions – Getting local trade “In addition, we produced specific union members to understand what leaflets for the Muslim community, voting BNP *meant*, what would plus received endorsements from the happen to the area if the BNP got Christian community.” control of the local council. (iii) Showing the inefficiency of the BNP performance on the council Reprinted from the Cordoba Foundation: – “Not only was this important, as Introduction to Lobbying guide

Combatting the Far Right 93 Case study Enough Coalition Against Islamophobia

Do you view the extreme Right here as a threat, or as a failed force? I wouldn’t call them a threat, the reality is that they are a small minority, but neither can they be dismissed as a failed force. The Far Right in the UK seeks to stir up hatred and discord amongst communities across Britain: as long as Interview with Shazia Arshad, they go unchallenged they will continue Secretary. @enoughcoalition to spread their pernicious poison into areas of social deprivation and tension. What is the Enough Coalition? Where do you feel the main threat The Enough Coalition Against lies now: in violent far-right groups Islamophobia (EC) is a broad coalition of (such as the EDL and its splinter organisations which campaign against groups), in political movements Islamophobia in the UK. We range from (BNP, UKIP) or among mainstream anti-racism groups, to mosques, to anti- politicians and/or media? racism campaigners and activists. The Definitely the mainstream, the problem network was established in 2011 as a is that the mainstream discourse direct response to growing Islamophobia has become, almost subconsciously, in the UK. The launch event was held in Islamophobic when talking about Muslims east London, following attempts by the or Islam. The idea that there are negative EDL to march in Tower Hamlets. connotations associated with Islam has As a network, we aim to highlight become so accepted by mainstream issues of Islamophobia in the media, society because of their continuous use in politics and deal with issues around in the media and by politicians. This community security. This has involved then means that when far right groups being part of campaigns against the and political movements use the same far-right English Defence League (EDL) language and the same discourse, which to organising events. they do, it is seen as somehow acceptable. It then encourages the Far Right to be What has the Coalition achieved? accepted by the mainstream and feeds One of our biggest achievements has to the Islamophobic monster even further. be the establishment of the Islamophobia To what extent does Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM), which launched (or anti-Muslim hatred) ‘bleed’ beyond in November 2012. This November (2013) the boundaries of the traditional Far will be our first anniversary. The month Right? Does that make tackling it a is a really important initiative – it gives harder task (if it is widespread)? a host of organisations the opportunity to band together under one banner to It’s as I mentioned before, Islamophobia raise awareness of the issues that we all has become part of the mainstream campaign on. We really hope that within discourse. A study by academics at a short space of time the month will the University of Lancaster looked take off and not only raise awareness, at how many times a negative word but actually tackle a lot of the issues preceded or succeeded the word facing Muslims in the UK today. Muslim in newspaper headlines and

94 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK stories. The results were shocking, yes, What about the role of social media but the actual problem was that the in all of this – material shared in language being used has meant that seconds via Facebook, Twitter, etc? it is now completely acceptable to talk Social media has been a really about Muslims or Islam in a negative or interesting tool in this debate, it’s given discriminatory way. And yes, it makes both the Islamophobes and its anti- tackling it much harder. It means we are campaigners the platform to openly not talking about getting one far-right challenge and debate and air their violent group banned, but actually a views. And whilst it is a useful tool whole culture shift. We need a change for the campaigners it has allowed in the discourse and in the language Islamophobes to, in some cases that the media and politicians use to talk anonymously; attack Muslims and Islam about Muslims. It means that the whole in a vitriolic and dangerous way, stirring discourse around Muslims and Islam in up further tensions. In some cases, the UK has to be completely turned on they haven’t been anonymous, Tommy its head, we need to stop thinking of Robinson the former leader of the EDL, them and us, but about communities used Twitter to spread his viscous brand and society as a whole. of Islamophobia, he had a platform to add fuel to the Islamophobia fire. What role in particular have groups such as the EDL played in spreading How do you view the defection of such fear and hatred – and how can the two EDL leaders recently? it best be stopped? Anything that moves people away from Unfortunately, the EDL has gained far the EDL should be welcomed, but only more publicity than it ever deserved. if it means they have truly changed their The reality is that it is still a small views and in this case it doesn’t seem minority of extremists. However, the that they have. If Tommy Robinson’s other reality is that this small minority recent Twitter feed is anything to go by, has gone into large diverse, harmonious he seems to still be continuing to spout communities and sought to bring about the same views unfortunately. and create problems. Their physical presence on the street and the rise in Anything else...? violent Islamophobic attacks against Muslims has of course spread fear. It I think the campaign the against means that some people may no longer Islamophobia has really taken off in the feel safe on their streets, in their towns last few years, no longer are people and are worried about the EDL’s attacks allowing it to go unchallenged and this on them, their families, their businesses is a really positive sign. It means that and their homes. we are working towards a future that will no longer see Islamophobia as part We do need to ban the EDL, as long as of the struggle against racism, but as they are allowed to exist and march with a campaign that was won against the unfettered access to communities that racists. But at the moment that time don’t want them there they’ll continue seems far off; we have a lot of work to be a problem. But the problem goes to do and a long way to go before we much further than the EDL and we need reach that point. to work to combat the larger problem of Islamophobia as well.

Combatting the Far Right 95 Case study Bradford: Seeing off the EDL

Interview with ex-Respect Karmani said at the time: councillor, and former co-director of STREET anti-radicalisation project, Alyas Karmani. I will put my neck on the line for this. I am going to get In 2013 a group of now-former death threats. This is nothing to do councillors in Bradford, with Muslims, but if we pander to led by Alyas Karmani attempted to these individuals we give them far have the English Defence League too much – they do not represent deemed an illegal organisation, on the mainstream. grounds of terrorism. The motion went before Bradford Council in October 2013, before being rejected. In their motion, entitled Proscription of the EDL, Karmani and Ahmed had The former Respect Party councillors claimed it was “no different to their Alyas Karmani and Ishtiaq Ahmed counter organisation ‘Al Muhajiroun’ had put forward a motion for debate, and its offshoots and reinventions like asking for a petition to the Home ‘Muslims against Crusades’ that were Secretary Theresa May to proscribe proscribed in 2010 under the premise (make illegal) the EDL and offshoot that it contained individuals who organisations “immediately”. glorified terrorism and incited racial violence and was not conducive to the public good and community cohesion”.

96 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK They described the EDL as a “conveyor EDL protest belt for individuals to extreme right In the end, about 600 EDL supporters groups and movements that advocate held a protest in Bradford city centre direct action, terrorism and violence in in early October. It passed off without the pursuance of their objectives” and incident, with police and community wanted it banned under provisions in leaders praising the people of Bradford the Terrorism Act 2000. for ignoring the protesters. Speaking to Cordoba, Karmani denied Council leader David Green (Labour) his motion was a “knee jerk reaction”. said: “I think proscription at this stage “This was a careful collaboration is a step too far.” He also slammed with [former BNP member, turned the EDL as “racist thugs”. undercover mole] Andy Sykes [with Councillor Glen Miller called the EDL whom Karmani has provided training an “abhorrent, racist organisation”, workshops on extremism]. It was but added: “If they were proscribed in response to the EDL planning to tomorrow they would just call themselves come to Bradford [which they did, in something else. Banning them gives October 2013]. them the publicity they need.” “Extremism feeds extremism, they Bradford East MP David Ward gave his are flip sides of the same coin,” said views on proscribing the EDL, claiming Karmani. “The EDL could not have it would not be straightforward. He been created without al-Muhajiroun said: “We would have to be looking and like them, they can be a conduit at brand new legislation.” for certain individuals to move further onto violence. Even Tommy Robinson himself said he couldn’t control his group.” Of his failure to win the council’s support, Karmani said: “Saying ‘Allah is a pedo’ [a favourite EDL chant] – is that freedom of expression or religious hatred? Banning Muslim groups wins votes, not banning the Far Right.

But I say, why allow for one group, not another? We know that far-right individuals have been arrested for firearms and explosives offences, yet they’re often not prosecuted under the Terrorism Act. Even London nail bomber David Copeland’s group, the National Socialist Movement [a split from Combat 18] has not been banned. There’s precedent here for the Home Secretary to react.”

Combatting the Far Right 97 Mobilising the Muslim As the Rushdie Affair in 1988 marked a watershed moment for British Muslims to community against assert their Islamic identity (as opposed Islamophobia to their ethnic roots), so too have racist attacks concentrated on Muslims. This manifested in recent years in violence and provocative street protests by the EDL. Interestingly, whereas the NF took strength from the racist pronouncements of right-wing Government ministers like Enoch Powell, the EDL quoted Prime Minister David Cameron’s Munich speech (delivered on the eve of an EDL rally, and Interview with Dr Abdullah Faliq attacking ‘Islamist extremism’) and the views of his Cabinet colleague Michael Expert on political Islam and Gove, to try to legitimise its brand of radicalization, he is the Head of Research violent anti-Muslim racist hatred. at The Cordoba Foundation; Media and External Relations secretary, Islamic Forum What was your reaction to the of Europe; and founding member of guilty sentence handed down United East End and European Network to Pavlo Lapshyn, the Ukrainian on Religion and Belief respectively. student who carried out mosque bombings and murder of an old When did you first become aware (Muslim) man in Birmingham? of the Far Right in Britain? It was clear from the outset that I came to learn about the Far-Right these attacks were both racist and and their message of hate during the Islamophobic in nature. How so? The 1980s as a child growing-up in Tower attack was on a mosque and the elderly Hamlets. I also experienced first-hand man killed was a practicing Muslim the abuse and hatred from the National returning from prayers. The authorities Front (NF), both verbal and physical. I downplayed the Islamophobic nature of was physically assaulted by two NF thugs the attacks at the beginning. Contrast on Whitechapel Road whilst walking this with attacks by anyone vaguely home. I was only 11 at the time. Ever linked to the Muslim community: labels since, I have been involved in a number of Islamic terrorists, etc are banded of anti-racist campaigns and networks, around straight away. including the Youth Connection which was a borough-wide youth platform that What do you understand by the challenged the racists in the borough. term “far right”? Is that different to historical fascism? And would How have you seen the Far Right we include modern parties such as change? UKIP or continental groups such as They have changed insofar as Geert Wilders’ PVV within such a adapting their strategy and seeking framework? new avenues to further their cause My understanding of the term “far- and message of hate, such as in the right” refers to the relative position political domain, putting forward groups or individuals occupy within candidates in the European Parliament, a . It encompasses for example. Whilst there was mull nationalists, fascists and racists, religious for a few years of physical attacks, extremists, and other such political this resurfaced post-9/11 and 7/7 to expressions. I would consider UKIP part targeting Muslims, especially those in of the “far right” that has deliberately leadership and politically active. packaged itself as a political party to

98 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK be accepted in society when in reality Social anthropologist at Keele University, it is laden with racist and Islamophobic Pnina Werbner, says such fears and tendencies/worldview. Geert Wilder’s concerns are no longer in the domain PVV is much more bold and falls of extremists, racists, the uneducated within the far right framework. working class or the petit bourgeoisie but abound amongst Western liberals, How does Islamophobia cross intellectuals and the elite who pride into the Far Right sphere... and themselves on enlightened tolerance.6 when does it move beyond that Promoting ‘politics of recognition’ fringe, too? the academic Charles Taylor, for example, excludes Muslims from the This is an important question and multicultural consensus by considering deserves a detailed explanation. Islam as a religion incompatible with Holding racist or Islamophobic views Western liberal society.7 Werbner is not a majority position but a fringe goes on to suggest that racism, and position in society. To advance such especially hatred towards Muslims, a position enters into the far right is born out of economic and political sphere, as it entails a pejorative contradictions, scarcities and perception of Muslims. Commonly, uncertainties of modernity and late this emanates from the misreading by Western capitalism. In this sense, Islam the far right of the growing Muslim is projected as the ‘folk devil’ in a demographics across Europe. They form of ‘arbitrary scapegoat[ing] racist conflate the issue of immigration paranoid conviction that only cultural, with a perceived threat from Islam ethnic and racial purity can stem the as an ‘imported religion’. French breakdown of social order and the commentator Gilles Kepel, for example, collapse of society’.8 warned that ‘Europe ha[d] become a battlefield’, between two contending This scapegoating also extends to Jews, value systems – Islam and the liberals and other BME communities European Enlightenment.1 Describing as they all apparently pose a threat to Islam as ‘a wicked, vicious faith’2 and the essence and order of the nation, ‘a cancer eating away at our freedoms known as the ethnos.9 The ethnos is and our democracy’3, the leader of the the moral foundation and purity of the far-right British National Party (BNP), nation, which needs protection from Nick Griffin, warned in 2007 that, due the “Other” – Muslims, Jews and so to the growing Muslim demographics, on. This is to be achieved through the ‘Europe is going to become Islamic, subordination and destruction of the virtually without a fight’.4 “Other”. This is further developed and elevated to the ‘Islamic Grand Inquisitor’ British philosopher Roger Scruton, – a reference to a political Islam that contends that Muslims in European is much larger and more dangerous a countries have ‘rival and inimical threat than the Jew, for example: loyalties’, which are a barrier to respecting demands of the secular The Islamic Inquisitor is not a disguised state. Oliver Roy, like Kepel, believes and assimilated threat as the Jew was; that Muslims in Europe represent ‘a ‘he’ is not subservient and bestial like new age of religiosity’, which is likely the black slave. He is upfront, morally to create social fragmentation (or superior, openly aggressive, denying the ‘recommunitarianism’), leading to the validity of other cultures – in short, a disintegration of secular society.5 different kind of folk devil altogether.10

1Parekh (2009:51). 2‘Nick Griffin, The Secret Agent’, BBC, 15 July 2004. 3Nick Griffin on Channel 4 News, 9 July 2009. 4Nick Griffin, Islamisation of Europe, Clemson University, 24 October 2007 (video, part 1).5 Parekh (2009:51). 6Werbner, Pnina (2005). Islamophobia: Incitement to Religious Hatred – Legislating for a New Fear? Anthropology Today, Vol. 21, No. 1, February, p.8. 7Werbner (2000). Divided Loyalties... p.309. 8Werbner, Pnina (2005). Islamophobia: Incitement to Religious Hatred – Legislating for a New Fear? Anthropology Today, Vol. 21, No. 1, February, p.6. 9Ibid. p.6. 10Werbner (2005), Islamophobia: Incitement to religious hatred, p.8.

Combatting the Far Right 99 By this line of argument, this menace against their message of hate and in the form of the ‘Islamic Grand discord. I also work at the European Inquisitor’ must be confronted and level, to collaborate in mutual areas destroyed in order to protect the of work and share experiences, such nation’s culture and moral foundation. as through the French Consortium This means physically uprooting and Against Islamophobia. At the policy attacking various cultural symbols such and academic level, through The as mosques, the destruction of graves, Cordoba Foundation we engage with property and livelihood11 and even researchers, academics and policy- attacking women wearing the hijab. In makers, producing briefing papers, the post-9/11 climate, many Muslims reports and organise symposia. The are viewed as politically suspect, even foundation has published several as a ‘’. reports on Islamophobia, including Arches, Islamophobia and anti- So in brief, the threat from the far Muslim Hatred: Causes and Remedies right and other racists groups, no (Vol. 4, Edition 7, Winter 2010), and matter how they are packaged, poses the Spinwatch report entitled, The a serious threat to Muslims and the Cold War on British Muslims: An greater cohesion of our society. It is Examination of Policy Exchange and easy for armchair observers to engage the Centre for Social Cohesion, jointly in futile intellectual discourse without authored by David Miller, Tom Mills, properly taking into account the real and Tom Griffin (September 2011). impact on the ground. Far from it This guide ‘Spectre of Hate: Guide to being an abstract intellectual exercise, the Far Right in the UK’, is our latest Islamophobia or ‘anti-Muslimism’ is a input into research and awareness reality today. around the threat of the far right. In what way do the organisations you work with “deal” with the Overall, through working issue of the Far Right: do you run with partners in the anti- initiatives against the extreme racism movement, interfaith Right, campaign, educate, or groups, politician and academics, alternatively do you face “hate” we have built a strong alliance from such sources? against racism and Islamophobia. I work with a number of organisations. But out of desperation, the far In terms of community mobilisation right are resorting to more against the far right, I chair extreme measures such as the Enough Coalition Against attacking mosques, property and Islamophobia (ECAI), which organises individual Muslims. Like other events, workshops, campaigns, and community organisers, I have works to raise general awareness received death threats purporting about racism and Islamophobia. I am to be from the EDL. But these also involved with UAF, One Society threats only increase my resolve Many Cultures, United East End, to challenge them. Today, people amongst others to carry out similar are more able and confident to work. Our most successful record has challenge and confront the racists been stopping the EDL from marching and Islamophobes. through the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The EDL saw the collective response from the community, united

11Werbner (2005). Islamophobia, p.6.

100 Spectre of Hate: An Explanatory Guide to the Far Right in the UK On the grander stage, how can What do you think the future “we” best combat the rise of the holds: the rise of further support Far Right? On the streets? Through for far-right extremes, or greater political means? Via education? harmony between all communities? We need to continue working in all I think it will be a mixed bag: the far these spheres. right will continue to spread their menace whether through organised Should we be reaching out and groups like the EDL or through new talking to “extreme Right” parties offshoots or clandestine operations. and individuals? If so, who is and is At the same time, opposition to not “beyond the pale”? their hate will serve to bolster the relationships built between community, I think talking is fine but I am not faith organisations and anti-racist interested in meetings for meetings’ campaigners. Just like poverty sake. Those associated with the far and disease, society will never be right know they are on the wrong, on completely free from racism and the fringes of British society. The onus Islamophobia, but we can all play our is on them to realise their lopsided part to reduce their impact and keep worldview and embrace society where them at bay. all are equal and respected.

Combatting the Far Right 101 Resources

• Christian Muslim Forum www.christianmuslimforum.org | @chrismusforum • Collective Against Islamophobia in France www.islamophobie.net • EDL News www.edlnews.co.u | @edlnews • Enough Coalition Against Islamophobia www.enoughcoalition.co.uk | @enoughcoalition • European Network on Racism www.enar-eu.org | @ENAREurope • European Network on Religion and Belief www.enorb.eu | @enorb_eu • FEMYSO (Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations) www.femyso.org | @femyso • HOPE not hate www.hopenothate.org.uk | @hopenothate • Institute for Race Relations www.irr.org.uk | @IRR_News • Islamic Forum of Europe www.islamicforumeurope.com | @IFE1970 • Loonwatch www.loonwatch.com | @loonwatchers • Matthew Goodwin www.matthewjgoodwin.com | @goodwinmj • Muslim Engagement and Development www.mend.org.uk | @mendcommunity • One Society Many Cultures www.naar.org.uk • Radicalism and New Media Research Group www.radicalism-new-media.org • Searchlight www.searchlightmagazine.com | @SearchlightMag • Spinwatch www.spinwatch.org | @spinwatch • The Bridge Initiative bridge.georgetown.edu • The Cordoba Foundation www.thecordobafoundation.com | @CordobaFoundati - Arches – Islamophobia in Europe edition - Spinwatch report on Policy Exchange - Spinwatch report: The Henry Jackson Society and the Degeneration of British Neoconservatism. • Unite Against Fascism www.uaf.org.uk | @uaf Postscript

Since this guide was first commissioned, the headlines have been filled with news about intolerance, hate crime, racism and new anti-immigrant movements developing across the European continent. Despite a large number of refugees and migrants now travelling onto the continent, we can take heart that – at least here in the UK – the organised far right remains very weak. Groups such as the British National Party, English Defence League and National Front are a shadow of their former selves. However, there is a worrying rise in both right-wing populist movements, as well as governments kow-towing to pressure from the media and movements such as UKIP, in order to remain ahead in the polls. Yet governments can never do ‘enough’ to satisfy supporters of such xenophobic movements, as they are often linked to a protest against the government itself (which, by default, is not believed by the supporters of these ultra-right parties). In countries such as Hungary, which is building a fence to keep out migrants and has tough policies vs many immigrants and minorities, the government itself stands accused of leaning as far to the right as some far-right parties. Recent polling in the UK shows that public attitudes towards refugees are softening, although there appears to have been a sad rise in Islamophobic incidents against Muslims in London. Yet continent-wide the picture is complex: not every country is facing an upswing in far-right groups, and we should be wary about overusing certain terms if we’re to combat the fear that often leads to prejudice and then outright racism or hate crimes. In order to combat the fear we need to define the problem: we hope that this guide will be just one more tool in your armoury to help you do so.

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The Cordoba Foundation @CordobaFoundati