This month’s issue of Searchlight (410, August) carries an article about the various nationalist groups which have been holding “anti-Islamic extremist” protests in British cities (a subject I have blogged a number of times). The article adds a bit of backstory, noting that the “United British Alliance” and “March for England” used to protest outside Finsbury Park mosque during the period when it was under the control of the extremist Abu Hamza:
These encounters were overwhelmingly non-violent, except when the National Front (NF) turned up and were driven away by the UBA and MFE.
The UBA and MFE appeared to draw large numbers of young men including some black people and even a couple of Jewish football supporters from Surrey. Many were former soldiers and former football hooligans. They were frighteningly disciplined. Hundreds marched to the Regents Park mosque in that period.
The article also considers the involvement of the far-right in the current protests. The groups have been at pains to distinguish themselves from the far-right and to stress that they reject racism, but at the same time the far-right is doubtless considering how the situation can be used to its advantage. The weak link is anti-Muslim blogger Paul Ray, who has written some positive words on the BNP – he takes the view that BNP is doing God’s work, and that God will guide the party away from racial politics to anti-Muslim nationalism. Ray has played a role in organising protests in Luton, and the report notes that he has been
attracting interest from Chris Renton, a BNP activist from Weston-super-Mare, and several other BNP activists from around the country including Marlene Guest from Rotherham…
Unfortunately we’re not told what that “interest” means in practical terms, although Renton helped Ray to set up a website. Searchlight tells us that some National Front characters took part in the protest in Luton on 13 April (which I blogged here) and there were “familiar faces from the pro-nazi football crews from the time when the nazi terror group Combat 18 was active in the 1990s”. It should, though, be noted that an anti-NF banner featured prominently at this protest. Of course, it is generally the case that organisers of protests cannot prevent unsavory elements from showing up.
Moving on to the recent protest in Birmingham (blogged here), we’re told of the presence of
Mike Heaton, “Wigan Mike”, the violent leader of the small but crazy British Freedom Fighters…
We’re also told that the BNP’s Martyn Page (photographed giving a Nazi salute) is planning to bring “some heavy lads from his area” to Luton on 30 August.
Searchlight also notes that
Separate from the MFE and UBA are the English and Welsh Defence League (EWDL) and Casuals United, run by the Welsh hooligan Jeff Marsh. They all used to work together until recently when Ray turned against Dave Smeeton, leader of the MFE.
I blogged on Marsh’s background here. The background to this split is not explained, although Smeeton has left a comment on this blog encouraging me to “dig a bit futher” on the subject of Ray . The EWDL was present at the second protest in Luton (see here) which saw protestors in masks and some violence.
Writing on his blog on 19 July, Ray has now distanced himself from “Casuals United”:
People following my blog will know that I have recently been working with the English & Welsh Defence League protest groups that have been initially filled with members of ‘Casuals United’.
I have decided that the way the protests are being led is not in line with how I personally, feel they should be, Because of this, I will not be supporting any upcoming ‘Casuals United’ protests, which includes the Birmingham one on 8th August.
…If those groups that would make up the English Defence League want to stand under that banner then please make people aware of your thoughts. The initial ‘start up’ EDL leadership had an important meeting in London yesterday with an influential group of people, so the foundation to create a professional, credible and organised ‘street movement’ for our country is in place.
Ray has registered a new website to replace his blog (edlchronicles.com), although it’s not up yet. The link to the “important meeting” takes us to a post written by a certain Guy Leven-Torres, which includes the following:
Yesterday I met the leaders of the English Defence League who also intend to take to the streets in peaceful protest…
So there is hope after all…it seems?
…Anybody care to join ‘A FEW’………?
This is the only way out! And if and when St Crispin’s Day arrives, where will you be? Abed or with us, The Happy Few- A Band of Brothers! On the streets taking our land and culture back?
Leven-Torres has several rather over-heated and interminable websites (here, here, and here, plus a defunct site here) – he is the member of the English Democrats and is a former academic, specialising in the archaeology of Roman Britain.
Ray has also posted several videos, which he tells us were “first published” in 2008 but which have appeared on YouTube only recently. In these, he cobbles together a mystical nationalism drawing on Crusaders, King Arthur, and a somewhat dubious grasp of British history; this kind of romantic medievalism is widely popular among “anti-jihadi” posters to YouTube and other forums. In one of these videos, he tells us that:
The British Isles is an ancient kingdom with much history and culture because of our peoples toil over the generations, with Royal heirs sitting upon the “Throne of England” throughout. Today is no different!/ Way back in history there were Knights who sat around a round table to defend the Kingdom to which they belonged! For God and Country “Never” shall this Kingdom fall/ God fearing men devoted to the service of their God and their Sovereign Ruler in defence of all they held dear, “The Realm in which they belonged”/ These Knights served under King Arthur who left a legend behind that has spanned the generations upon these shores/ The legend speaks of a time in the future when the Kingdom is in the greatest of perils. “That time is now”/ The legend says that another King anointed by God would arise and lead his Kingdom and people to “Victory”. Prince William has just been anointed the 1000th Royal Knight of the Garter/ Not only that, God has blessed the Kingdom with two anointed leaders, “Prince Harry the humble hero”/ The Realm in which we belong is in great shape for whatever the perils that are befalling it. Islam will never conquer this Christian land/ OUR enemies are also those from amongst us who are seeking to destroy OUR Ancient Realm/ The Liberal Left-Wing facilitators of the Islamic Kingdom of Great Britain are also our enemies. They encourage it, feed it, nurture it and pass laws to protect it/…I would say that the small cabal in Government that controls the State are enemies of the Monarchy and the people…/ OUR Royal Family know the threats that we all face that endangers the Ancient Realms in which we live. Let us “Hope & Pray” that they stand with their people/ Revival & Revolution is in the air. God is calling forth an army of Royalists from throughout the land. Are you one of them?
All this is illustrated with screenshots of Islamic extremists and news stories, a photo of Gordon Brown captioned “Treason”, and pictures of the Queen and Princes William and Harry; Prince Charles does not feature anywhere besides in one group Royal Family picture, and the omission is almost certainly deliberate (see this picture for a clue why).
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