More intimidation tactics by Peter Tierney and Merseyside BNP « Liverpool Antifascists

 

See the report below from local group Liverpool Anti-fascists.  It gives an insight into the desperate intimidation  tactics the BNP, especially on Merseyside, employ as a first resort in the face of organised opposition.

Today, activists from Liverpool Antifascists delivered leaflets in Halewood. The event was an overall success, but once again Merseyside BNP revealed that they rely more on intimidation tactics than on politics to get their point across.

As we set off from the Summerfield on Hillfoot Avenue, there was a brief encounter with a BNP supporter. Mistaking the antifascists for the BNP, he had joined us and asked whether Peter Tierney would be turning up soon. One activist explained to him that he was in the wrong group, whilst grabbing the opportunity to offer him a leaflet and explain why the BNP were not the party for anybody genuinely concerned with the plight of the working class. Events later in the day suggested that an antifascist making a similar mistake would have gotten more than a leaflet.

Despite the gloomy weather, there was a good turnout of activists, who managed to cover a significant area and deliver 500 leaflets in the surrounding working class estates. The event was extremely succesful and, as with a leafleting session around the shops the previous week, the response from the public was an overwhelmingly positive one.

Peter Tierney, owner of the Quiggins AttiQue in Aigburth and "super activist" for the BNP

On the way back to the original meeting point, however, we encountered Peter and Andrew Tierney. The brothers, along with an unidentified third fascist, had been delivering leaflets of their own and were just about to leave in Peter’s Land Rover. When they recognised several of the antifascists, however, they were quick to grab their cameras and start taking pictures.

Within moments, they were circling around the tired group of leafleters, taking photos as close as they could and chasing around those who tried to turn their face away. Their clear aim was to intimidate and provoke a small group of passers-by (at this point, they had distributed all their material and had nothing on them to identify their allegiances) which included two women, one of them elderly. At one point Peter, still awaiting trial for assaulting an antifascist back in April, referred to one man as a “shithouse” for not rising to the provocation. His brother Andrew, whose photographs and videos have emerged on Redwatch and various other neo-Nazi hate sites, suggested instigating a third-party assault. “Let’s get some local lads in, nothing to do with us, of course,” were his exact words, after feigning gangster-status by declaring that the leafleters should leave because “this is our territory.”

However, Liverpool Antifascists held our ground. If we had left, we risked being followed, which left individuals particularly vulnerable once they had to part ways. And if we had arisen to the provocation, it looked as though more BNP supporters would have emerged from the nearby pub to support the Tierney brothers. Instead, we stayed where we were until the two thugs got bored, seeing they weren’t getting a rise, and scuttled off.

To those familiar with the BNP, or indeed the Tierneys, this incident will come as no surprise. It also serves as a timely reminder that the party remain, despite their propaganda line, violent goons willing to threaten and intimidate anybody who dares oppose their fascist politics.

We must make sure, no matter what, that these thugs are not allowed to gain ground in Liverpool, Knowsley, or elsewhere.

¡No Pasarán!

 

More intimidation tactics by Peter Tierney and Merseyside BNP « Liverpool Antifascists

MCARF leafletting in By-election Ward

A group of around eight made our way to Halewood South, where the BNP are standing in a Knowsley council by-election later this month. Having divided the streets amongst ourselves we bumped into the labour party team who had been canvassing the area. They told us that the BNP had been out in the morning and were pretending to be UKIP candidates, presumably so that they the public did not turn on them. This tactic might have worked if UKIP were actually standing a candidate. The leafleting itself went well and we quickly covered a large part of the ward with Hope not Hate's 'Never Forget' Leaflet for Remembrance Sunday. A number of the houses had just had the BNP’s ‘Voice of Freedom’ newspaper pushed through their letter box. It would appear that the party are either extremely desperate to achieve some kind of foothold or that they simply can’t give their material away.

Two hours later, as the rain which had threatened all day began to fall; a man came out shouting after us. Seeing his shaven head we thought it was a BNP supporter ready to shout some abuse, he was followed by another shaven headed man. It turns out they were members of the former Dockers’ party, The United Socialist Party, and offered us a much needed cup of tea and a biscuit. It just goes to show that you can’t judge people by their appearances. Anyway we have now passed the leafleting baton to them and they will be completing the ward in plenty of time for the election.

BNP propagandists upset after their lies are shown up.

If you repeat the same lie enough times it becomes the truth. That was Dr Goebbels mantra as he set about his deceitful stewardship of German media in the 1930s. It seems that despite repeating a number of lies the BNP just can’t make those falsehoods stick.

In the same week that a British Jury throws out Nick Griffins latest lie, news reaches us that than a slightly older lie, which the BNP have used for propaganda purposes has also been shown to be false (Thanks BNP Merseyside blog, you make our job so much easier) . Back in March various news sources reported that a “veteran BNP activist” (lifelong racist) Tony Ward was attacked by a gang of hammer wielding thugs. The news sources including the Sun, BBC and Sky simply repeated the BNP version of events unquestioningly. The British Nazi Party made much of the case, focussing on two claims that the perpetrator was a member of UAF and also that he was black. Nick Griffin even used the case as propaganda referring to the alleged crime in his first speech in the European Parliament,where he called UAF state sponsored thugs.



The BNP faithful were quick to seize on the incident and entered various internet forums claiming they were the victims of violence and seeking to condemn all who oppose them as potential hammer attackers.

At the incident in March one man was arrested and charged for causing actual bodily harm. It appears, however, that there is not enough evidence to take this case to court and all charges have been rejected. Never ones to accept defeat, the broken records at the BNP have used the occasion to claim that there is a conspiracy against them and that the culprit is third world immigrant bent on destroying Britain. As usual the website has pumped out its propaganda claiming that there is a Liberal conspiracy against the BNP and that white people are not treated fairly in court. Merseyside British Nutters Party are currently using the removal of charges to label all who work at the Crown Prosecution Service as scum.

Isn’t it strange that they weren’t claiming that the legal system was prejudiced last week when they reported the case of a white anti-fascist, who had been convicted of a minor public order offence, when he tried to stop the fascists from using their intimidation tactics against anti-fascism? As ever the only double standards appear to be coming from the BNP. I wonder how Tony will received when he tries to woo the electorate of Halewood South. Voters love a handsome candidate.

Merseyside BNP's lies exposed

This is a re-post from the Truth, Reason, Liberty Blog

On April 23rd, Peter Tierney and Steve Greenhalgh of the Merseyside BNP were among the thugs who attacked antifascist leafleters in Liverpool City Centre. Despite their claims of self-defence, assault charges against their chosen anti-fascist fall guy were dropped months ago as utterly untenable. Today, at the antifascist's trial, even the flimst criminal damage charges would not stick.

At the Dale Street Magistrates Court, Steve Greenhalgh and a couple of other fascists were already on site waiting for Peter Tierney when antifascists arrived. Tierney today faced a committal hearing so that his case can go to a jury trial at the Crown Court. More news on that will follow when it is available.

In the meantime, antifascists were not there for Tierney and his ramshackle crew. We were there to show solidarity with one of our own, originally falsely accused by Tierney of assaulting him back in April. According to the lie that appeared on the BNP mailing list in July;

"On St George's Day, Peter was distributing leaflets in Liverpool with an elderly crowd of BNP activists. As they were leaving, a hate-filled mob of Communist UAF thugs turned up and physically attacked Peter and his fellow activists. The police then arrested Peter - for defending himself! Other BNP activists in the group that day were also attacked, including an 80-year-old pensioner."

However, since then the assault charges disappeared, with only a criminal damage charge - against a camera which continued to film after the alleged incident took place - in its stead. Greenhalgh was apparently not aware of this, "taunting" our comrade by saying (in reference to his wearing a suit)
"you didn't look that respectable when you were assaulting someone."

As the antifascist himself pointed out, however,

"last time I saw him, he was trying to attack me with an upturned stall table."

The roadshow of calamity that is organised fascism on Merseyside continued with the appearence of Tierney's brother Andrew, who immediately began taking pictures of those assembled. Of course, with the BNP's new "respectable" image this will have nothing to do with intimidation tactics, one can only wonder why Andrew might need lots of pictures of men.

When one of the crowd objected to having his picture taken and shoved the camera down Andrew, who almost looks like a bruiser, showed his true colours by whining that he had been "touched," "insulted," and "assaulted" by the antifascist in question. The police are, perhaps, lucky that they no longer need to employ fascists as strikebreakers anymore if that's what they're made of.

In court, the criminal damage charge against the accused antifascist was dropped, making all BNP claims to self-defence meaningless. A public order charge was upheld, the crime there being to say "get that fucking camera out of my face" and to cover the lens. In recognition that this was a response to fascist intimidation tactics, the charge of breaching public order under duress came with a small fine and no conditions.

We now await Merseyside BNP's claims of a police conspiracy when a jury trial convicts Peter Tierney of assault. Few beyond the ranks of fascists, I imagine, would see smashing someone's head in with a camera tripod as a justifiable "self-defence" against having your camera lens covered up because you were only filming people as an intimidation tactic.

Against Homophobia

Bulletin from Love Music Hate Racism

CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA Sunday 1st November at 8 pm on Stanley St Liverpool


Everything we said about Nazi Nick Griffin being on Question Time has been proved right in the most horrible way.

Just three days after Griffin ranted about militant homosexuals in schools a gay police officer, James Parkes, is left fighting for his life after a homophobic attack.

We must all stand beside the gay community at this time.

There is a vigil organised this Sunday 1st November at 8pm on Stanley St in Liverpool city centre. We urge all our supporters and friends to attend this event.

BNP membership where you live | News | guardian.co.uk

BNP membership where you live News guardian.co.uk

After the last BNP membership leak Jo Brand provoked a tirade of abuse when she famously said: “Now I know where to send dog shit.” Well it seems that the BNP are not to be trusted with data and cant abide by the Data protection act’s demand that “Appropriate measures should be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of the data.” Yes their membership list has been leaked online again. Jo can keep her own list “accurate and up to date” and thus comply with the Data protection act. The Guardian have published a ward-by-ward breakdown of the numbers and it appears that the membership is slightly down. It should be noted, however, that the list is still out of date. It was a snapshot of membership in April 2009, we do not know whether membership has risen or fallen since then, the run up and success at the Euro elections could have caused it to rise. One thing is for sure though, the videos made in the BNP office in the lead up to the election, did not feature people clambering to join the party as they claimed; more likely it was disaffected members ringing up to resign from the party. We wont publish the list here, a quick search on google should provide the list, if you can differentiate between new and old, and are that inquisitive. But please no dog shit!

QT Drinking Game

All at MCARF are deeply disappointed that the BBC has misinterpreted its brief to provide balanced coverage of political parties in election campaigns, to mean that they have to give openly racist parties, such as the BNP, a seat on Question Time. Barring success for Peter Hain’s belated attempt to stop the invite, or a strike by technicians, it looks as though the broadcast is going to go ahead. Some people are suggesting an armchair boycott of the program, to show mass disgust at the BBC for creating a media spectacle by inviting a holocaust denier to spread lies on nationwide TV. Personally I will be sitting back and getting ready to note down every comment he makes. Then the facts he claims to be talking about can be checked and his myth making blown out of the water. Should he use inflammatory language at any point I will be sending a complaint to a number of institutions, contacts below. So join me sit back with a supply of drink and award yourself the following penalties for each occurrence of the following.

1. Griffin is unable to talk due to excessive audience booing = Drink 2 fingers width of beer (or wine)

2. Random audience member shouts out fascist, and it makes the final cut = Shot of spirits

3. Griffin refers to panel members Bonnie Greer and Baroness Warsai as

immigrants or not ethnically British = 3 fingers of Beer

4. Griffin mentions Black Police Association in justification at BNP’s racist

membership criteria = Shot of spirits

5. Claim that “White’s only” policy has nothing to do with race but is simply

protection of ethnic Britons = 2 Fingers of beer

6. Claim that majority of racist attacks are carried against white people = 2 shots of spirits

7. Griffin claims there is a conspiracy against BNP by the liberal/Marxist elites

especially in the media = 4 fingers of beer

8. Angry technicians disrupt the broadcast for a minute or more = Finish whole drink

9. Griffin makes claim that anti-fascists routinely use violence against his party,

who are always the victim of crime = shot of spirits

10. Use of BNP’s favoured euphemism ‘Voluntary repatriation’ instead the more commonly used term ‘Ethnic cleansing’ = 4 fingers of beer

11. Griffin squirms and looks uncomfortable as Dimmbelby reads out verbatim

quote relating to ‘well directed boots and fists…’; ‘orthodox opinion once holding that

the earth was flat…’; ‘huge influence of a certain ethnic minority over the media….’ or

‘non-whites have no place here at all…’ = 2 Shots of spirits

12. Griffin makes outrageous claim which he says is backed up by statistics, the rest of the

panel or Dimmbelby fail to challenge him on his assertion = 3 fingers of beer

13. Griffin claims he doesn’t want to see Britain ruled from Brussels, despite the fact

that his own party is. = 4 fingers of beer

14. Griffin claims that attempt to stop his appearance on QT were an attack British

Freedom of Speech = Shot of Spirits

15. Poorly aimed egg is thrown from the audience, Griffin ducks and the egg

splatters on Jack Straw's face. = Finish current drink

16.Mash up of Griffins statements put over Downfall Hitler clip appears on

Youtube the next morning = 1 hair of dog

If you’re still sober enough at the end of all that watch the extended footage on the website. Remember to note down every instance of him using racist or inflammatory language. The BBC will realise its error and never invite this neo-nazi onto its show again.

Once you have compiled your list of Griffin gaffes follow the BBC complaints procedure here

Phone them through on: 03700 100 222 or write to: BBC Complaints, PO Box 1922 Glasgow.G2 3WT

Please also send your complaints to Ofcom

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/progs/specific/?itemid=286480

You can telephone them 9am -5pm 020 7981 3040 or 0300 123 3333.