Far-right nationalists hold Clapton rally against Jewish patrol group Shomrim
Police escorting the group in Upper Clapton. Photograph: Dean Ryan
A group of 28 far-right nationalists held a demonstration in Hackney on Saturday against Jewish safety patrol group Shomrim.
Holding banners reading ‘police impersonation is a crime’ and surrounded by a large police escort, the group of 30 gathered at Lea Bridge Roundabout at 2pm.
The group comprised of members from a number of far-right and fascist groups such as the National Front, the political party New Dawn and members of the neo-fascist Polish party the National Rebirth of Poland (NOP).
Speeches were made by the National Front’s Tony Martin and the party’s former organiser Martin Webster.
A sign tied to the tree in Upper Clapton. Photograph: Dave Hill
They were met by a group of around 80 protesters from Unite Against Fascism (UAF) who loudly heckled the group. Tash Shifrin, 42, a local resident and member of Hackney UAF, said she was “angry” the police let the demonstration go ahead.
Shifrin said: “We are very angry that the police facilitated this. This is a hardcore Nazi group. Their demonstration was mobilised on Hitler-supporting, White Power message boards, it is very serious. For the police to facilitate 28 people bringing a message of racial hatred to our borough, it’s appalling.”
“This was a specifically anti-Semitic protest targeting the Jewish community of Stamford Hill. We don’t need that kind of thing in Hackney at all. We have a right to live in our borough without having people inciting racial hatred and racial violence. Local people showed the Nazis they were not welcome.”
Members of Unite Against Fascism and local residents at Saturday’s demonstration. Photograph @miketwalker
Community leader and co-chair of the Muslim Jewish forum Rabbi Gluck described the protest as “something from a comedy skit”.
“The whole thing was a total waste of time,” he said. “I feel bad for them that they wasted a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon doing something totally useless. But I think that is pretty indicative of fascism.
“I mean, only Mr Bean would hold a demonstration on Clapton roundabout,” he added.
When asked if the police should have stopped the demonstration, Rabbi Gluck said: “They had no choice. We live, thank God, in a country where people can speak freely.”
Rabbi Herschel Gluck, pictured at Madina Mosque earlier this year. Photograph: Ella Jessel
Shomrim (Hebrew for guards) are neighbourhood patrol groups, set up in Hasidic and Haredi neighbourhoods and run by volunteers which assist the London Metropolitan Police in reducing crime.
Hackney MPS tweeted:
Around 30 protestors (and small counter-protest) at Lea Bridge roundabout this afternoon. Now concluded without serious incident.
— Hackney MPS (@MPSHackney) April 18, 2015
A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said they had no further comment.
One fact which your article DOESN’T mention is that the protest appears to have been organised by veteran neo-Nazi Eddie Stampton, who had previously arranged to attend the postponed rally against the Shomrim ‘organised’ by Joshua Bonehill.
It’s very telling that this small demonstration took place a week after the date of the official launch of Bonehill’s new party National Liberation in Yeovil – with Bonehill announcing to the few members of the press gathered at the official meeting point that the rally had in fact taken place an hour earlier than advertised, in a different, secret location – and that on the day of the protest itself, a 22 year old man from Yeovil was taken in for questioning by Avon & Somerset Police regarding abusive tweets sent to food writer Jack Monroe. Also noteworthy is the presence of Martin Webster as a guest speaker at this particular protest; Webster is a relatively obscure figure as far as the general public is concerned, but is still highly regarded by a section of the British far right, and his appearance at the demonstration is likely to have lent it prestige and increased the turnout.
Does this event mark a split between Stampton and Bonehill?
Who cares really, do you know what, silly little fascists hiding behind the police to protect them, they got a pasting at Cable Street in the 30’s, my dad was a commando during WW2 and killed as man SS as possible and the 45 and 62 group in London gave them so many beatings, and my generation has bushwhacked them so many times its silly, carry on hiding behind the police stupid NF, C88 etc, come to London without your police escort we have done you every time.
Ta ta Jew boy ex Golani commando eat you for breakfast arsewipe.
The widespread view of Stampton on the British far right is that he’s a pariah, so this little protest must have been a huge blow to Bonehill’s pride. What are the odds that Bonehill will spend this coming Saturday in Yeovil, and that the Stamford Hill protest he’s been advertising won’t happen?
Guess what? Boney Hill’s done another no-show today. And he’s on the scrounge for a new computer…
http://joshuabonehill.net/2015/05/01/whats-happening-with-liberate-stamford-hill/
Well, well – looks like we’re not going to be hearing from Wurzel Bonehead for a little while:
😉
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/139507/joshua-bonehill-paine-denied-bail-court-hearing