Social Media giants Facebook yesterday suspended an anti-racist campaigner - for an anti-Nazi post made on the Portsmouth Nazi Watch FB page in June of last year!
The post, made on 18th June 2016, two days after the disgraceful murder of British MP Jo Cox, featured this photograph of her murderer, Thomas Mair, giving a Nazi salute:
The caption of the photograph started, "Here he is, the "quiet, timid and lonely" gardener known as Thomas Mair...giving the Nazi salute."
The caption then went on the detail the murderers links with far-right groups and ideology, after the national media attempted to gloss over Mair's neo-Nazi links.
This post was vindicated in court over the coming months, as his ties with fascist groups and organisations came to light during his trial.
Mair was convicted of Jo Cox MP's murder in November of last year.
It is apparent that someone, quite probably involved in neo-Nazi politics, has trawled through our page attempting to find anything they could report to Facebook for being in breach of their 'Community Standards' - the post was eight months old so wouldn't have suddenly appeared in their newsfeed.
But the larger question if why have Facebook removed it and suspended the author. It was a legitimate news post carrying legitimate and since verified news. It in no way breaches any of Facebooks 'Community Standards'.
We could understand if someone took offence by a post glorifying or glamourising the murderer, defending him in some way or frivolously posting a picture of him giving a Nazi salute - but it was none of these things. It was an anti-racist post on a well-known anti-Nazi page!
Despite two attempts to appeal this erroneous decision 'Jenny' from Facebook's 'Community Operation' department has sent back the same automated message twice, assuring us, " We review reports carefully to make sure we take the correct action. We'll remove something from Facebook if it goes against our Community Standards".
This is clearly not the case.
We urge Facebook to reverse this ludicrous decision and for all anti-racists to contact Facebook in protest (Case #388792672)
info@facebook.com
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Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Nick Griffin Posts Personal Details...
...We Return the Favour!!!
Bigoted leader of the Neo-Nazi British National Party [BNP] Nick Griffin today published the names and address of two gay men who successfully won a case against homophobic prejudice.
On his Twitter account he published four consecutive tweets, not only putting these men's details in the public domain but clearly attaching a threat!
1• If anyone can give us address of the 2 bullying 'gay' activists who've won case v Christian B&B owners, we'll hold demo ...
2• for rights of all home owners, gays included, to rent or not rent rooms to whomsoever they wish.
3• So Messrs Black & Morgan, at ** *********. A British Justice team will come up to Huntington & give you a . . .
4• bit of drama by way of reminding you that an English couple's home is their castle. Say No to heterophobia!
The irony is Griffin himself let slip his own address when he proudly showed the addressed envelope his invite [then withdrawn by The Queen] for a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace came in:
Bigoted leader of the Neo-Nazi British National Party [BNP] Nick Griffin today published the names and address of two gay men who successfully won a case against homophobic prejudice.
On his Twitter account he published four consecutive tweets, not only putting these men's details in the public domain but clearly attaching a threat!
1• If anyone can give us address of the 2 bullying 'gay' activists who've won case v Christian B&B owners, we'll hold demo ...
2• for rights of all home owners, gays included, to rent or not rent rooms to whomsoever they wish.
3• So Messrs Black & Morgan, at ** *********. A British Justice team will come up to Huntington & give you a . . .
4• bit of drama by way of reminding you that an English couple's home is their castle. Say No to heterophobia!
The irony is Griffin himself let slip his own address when he proudly showed the addressed envelope his invite [then withdrawn by The Queen] for a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace came in:
Not that we would advocate using this information for any anti-fascist
justice.
The address in full:
Nick Griffin Esq MEP
Y Gribin,
Llanerfyl,
Y Trallwng
Welshpool
SY21 0JQ
This address is confirmed from the BNP Membership list that was leaked in 2009:
Mr
Nick
Griffin
Y Gribin, Llanerfyl
Y Trallwng
Welshpool
Powys
SY21 0JQ
01938 820560
Party chairman
Thursday, 4 October 2012
THEY SHALL NOT PASS: The Battle of Cable Street
The Battle of Cable Street
By Steve Silver, Hope Not HateThe announcement that Sir Oswald Mosley planned to march his uniformed BUF fascists through the East End of London, on Sunday 4 October 1936, sent shockwaves through the Jewish community that lived there.
Newsfootage:
Mosley’s plan was to assemble his Blackshirts at Tower Hill and have them march in four separate contingents to four points in the East End for meetings in celebration of the movement’s fourth birthday.
Exactly what routes they would take was unclear, what was clear though was that they would have to pass through the main junction of Aldgate, Gardiner’s Corner.In the run up to 4 October there were numerous fascist incursions into Stepney. Feelings ran high and the Jewish People’s Council (JPC), an initiative of the Workers’ Circle, led opposition to the proposed march by organising a 100,000 strong petition urging the Home Secretary to ban the march.
On Thursday 1 October five East London mayors met with Home Office officials and told them that there would be serious trouble in the East End if they allowed the march to go ahead. The following day a delegation delivered the petition.
But the government refused to ban the march and it was left to local people to defend their community from the fascists.
The JPC issued the call to “Bar the Roads to Fascism”. Other slogans of the day were “Remember Olympia” (after a meeting in 1934 where anti-fascist protesters were severely beaten) and, borrowed from their Republican comrades who were fighting the Falangist forces and their fascist allies in Spain, “They Shall Not Pass”.
While the Jewish and non-Jewish establishment organisations called for people to stay off the streets, the JPC, the trade unions, the Independent Labour Party, the Labour League of Youth and others began to mobilise.
The most prominent and influential of the anti-fascist political parties – the Communist Party – initially found itself caught in a dilemma. The Young Communist League had already planned an anti-fascist Aid Spain rally in Trafalgar Square that day.
But the defence of the East End was paramount and the national CP overprinted their thousands of Trafalgar Square leaflets with the words “Alteration: Rally to Aldgate 2pm”.
Crowds at Gardiner’s Corner
Prominent at the head of the organised resistance on 4 October was Phil Piratin, who was later to represent Stepney as a Communist Party MP. As the fascists’ plans were unclear, Piratin sent a number of “spotters” to their assembly point at Tower Hill to obtain the route.The Young Communist League was given the task of occupying Victoria Park from early in the morning, where the fascists intended to hold a rally.
Meanwhile, that morning, the Jewish Ex-Serviceman’s Association, wearing their medals and decorations, assembled near the London Hospital for a march to advertise the counter-demonstration. As these First World War veterans marched along the Whitechapel Road, proudly displaying their medals, they found their route blocked by mounted police.
A senior police officer ordered that the marchers disperse, but they refused. The police then attacked them and beat them severely. The British Legion Union Jack was torn down, ripped apart and thrown in the gutter and the banner poles smashed. It set the tone for the rest of the day.
While news of this atrocity spread, anti-fascists were assembling at Gardiner’s Corner at Aldgate, blocking the gateway to the East End. The crowd, estimated to be at least 250,000, roared “They Shall Not Pass!” and “Down with Fascism”.
Six thousand police, including London’s entire mounted police division, tried to clear the area. Four anti-fascist trams drivers intentionally abandoned their vehicles, forming barricades which were used by the crowd as they were attacked by police on horseback.
Nevertheless the police struck out with batons with extreme brutality causing many injuries. Cafés were turned into first aid units by the Communist Party which used its members who had medical training to treat the wounded.
While Mosley waited impatiently with a few thousand Blackshirt troops, the police decided that with Gardiner’s Corner in the hands of an immovable anti-fascist crowd, they would clear an alternative route, Cable Street, to the south.
Barricades in Cable Street
Cable Street had been ready since early morning. The initial defence was three sets of barricades, one containing an overturned lorry, erected across the narrow street using material from a builders’ yard and from the mainly local Jewish people’s homes and shops that occupied the western end of the street.Dockers came from the eastern end of the long street towards Wapping, and armed with pick axe handles, helped by ripping up the paving stones.
The street was strewn with broken glass and marbles as a defence against mounted police charges. Anti-fascists chanted slogans and gave clenched fist salutes from behind the barricades in defiance. There was fierce fighting as the police attempted to clear the barricades, only to face a further barricade and thousands of regrouped anti-fascists.
From the small three story buildings that lined the street all manner of items rained down on the police. Piratin recalled:
“They met with an
opposition that was even a surprise to us. All we could attempt to do
was organise people who were on the demonstration. Obviously, we made no
attempt, and we didn’t expect to organise people from their homes. It
was along Cable Street that from the roofs and the upper floors, people,
ordinary housewives, and elderly women too, were throwing down milk
bottles and other weapons and all kinds of refuse that they didn’t any
longer want in the house onto the police. The Battle of Cable Street is
known for this reason. It was there that the police really had to fight
for themselves, not for the fascists,” he said.
With no route left for the fascists, Sir Philip Game, the Commissioner of Police, told Mosley to march his troops west from Tower Hill and out of the area.
Meanwhile anti-fascists marched to Victoria Park heralding a victory for the Jewish community, the people of the East End, and anti-fascists everywhere.
The historian Bill Fishman, who was at Gardiner’s Corner that day, recalled:
“There were parties,
there was dancing in the streets. The cafés were full, the pubs were
full. And there was a feeling of elation, a feeling of relief,
particularly amongst the immigrant Jews. I think from that day onward
Mosley never again ventured into the ghetto streets of East London.”
This is an abridged version of an article from a new SET pamphlet, The Battle of Cable Street. You can order copies of the pamphlet here.
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Fareham BNP Gran Issued ASBO for Being a Nasty Unhinged Racist!
Fareham BNP Bigot Margaret Walker sent vile racist abuse to strangers through Royal Mail |
Over a period of FIVE years she sent the vile abuse to politicians, social services, a retirement company, public houses and even Marks & Spencer in Portsmouth's Commercial Road (Co-founder Michael Marks was a Jewish Immigrant).
Sample of Walker's Work - Click to Enlarge |
Sample of Walker's Work - Click to Enlarge |
The case was adjourned to give Walker, of Walnut Drive, Fareham, time to seek legal advice.
Her main obsession seems to be the case of missing Blackpool schoolgirl, Charlene Downes, (Blackpool is famously nowhere near Fareham) who disappeared shortly after her mother, long-term BNP supporter Karen Downes, moved a convicted child sex offender into their family home. Charlene was also said to have received death threats for mixing with "pakis".
Since her disappearance the BNP and EDL have used tragic Charlene as a cause célèbre in their crusade to spead fear and racism against ethnic minorities in the North West. After Karen Downes received overtures from the EDL, the 'street movement' had their nose put out-of-joint by the BNP, who wooed Karen out of their sweaty mits by wading in and splashing cash about in a cynical attempt to use the then 14-year-old Charlene's disappearance as a recruitment tool for the racist gang. The EDL have since acted like an unrequited ex-boyfriend and oddly now rarely mention the schoolgirl. Charlene's mother most recently was planning an evening of sex toys and male strippers to raise money and in "tribute" [sic] to her missing child.
According to Portsmouth Evening News, Grannie Walker also "hit out at the Prime Minister David Cameron, the media and the police" (lol). She was given a month-long interim ASBO and is due back in court next month when magistrates will consider making a full order, which would last between two and five years. At 73-years-of-age this order should be deemed sufficient until she pops her racist clogs.
Even notoriously right-wing Tory leader of Fareham Borough Council Cllr Sean Woodward said, "I've been on the receiving end of this as have many councillors I know.
"As a politician you get hardened to some of the stuff you get sent but having been a councillor for 6 years thats the worst I have seen.
"Its been a very poisonous campaign that the woman has been running for quite some time."
Tolerance does not mean tolerating intolerance |
Cllr Vernon-Jackson has a good record of standing up to bigots locally, having attended the vigil in defence of the local Jami Mosque when it was besieged by a hoard of violent, drunken EDL thugs last year. We at PNW would like to add that freedom of speech does not mean freedom to spread hate. With freedom comes responsibility and that is something those who follow the far-right bigotry of the BNP will never possess. Tolerance does not mean tolerating intolerance. The noticeable rise in incidences of assaults, attacks, violence and physical intimidation against minorites after groups like the BNP and EDL move into an area are a matter of public record.
Acting Fareham and Gosport District Chief Inspector Dave Ockelford explained, "This is in no way an attempt to stop Mrs Walker from expressing her views; this action is being taken to ensure that communication methods used by her are lawful and appropriate.
"Despite a number of requests from police to stop sending the anonymous letters, Mrs Walker has continued. An anti-social behaviour order was applied for to protect the public from further upset.
"The ASBO bans her from posting or delivering anything that contains words or pictures that are foul and abusive or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
"She is also banned from sending anything in the post unless her name, signature and return address are clearly marked."
Racist BNP leader Mr Griffin said, "They're bullying a disabled 73-year-old lady for writing a letter about something she feels strongly about."
What nazi bootboy Griffin failed to mention is that sending anonymous and threatening letters to people that label all Muslims and Jews as child murderers, paedophiles, or supporters thereof, is erroneous and nasty behaviour likely to cause alarm and distress and is simply not fitting of a woman of her age.
Oh, and speak of the devil, here's a recent picture of Nasty Nazi Nick, taken in Liverpool earlier this year whilst he attempted to get the case against a paedophile gang thrown out of court, standing proudly with the psuedo-swatstika Sun Cross*footnote, a nazi symbol representing "the white race". The symbol usually has the slogan "White Pride Worldwide" encircling it, but perhaps these Scouse National Socialists had trouble with the spelling.
BNP leader Nick Griffin proudly stands with Neo-Nazi symbol in Liverpool, Febraury 2012 |
The bald guy to the left, who looks a little like a stupid cousin of comedian Andy Parsons, is none other than his "personal security" guard George Crapper (or as he for some reason prefers to call himself, George Edwards). Crapper, when not acting as a bully boy for Griffin also hires out bouncy castles, is an active Satanist and, erm, is a wannabe male escort (no word of a lie). Crapper was also at the BNP demo outside Fareham magistrates court on 22nd June, travelling all the way from Sheffield. The entire BNP demo consisted of people who had travelled hundreds of miles to support their racist Gran fan, because local people thought she was clearly deranged and smelt of wee and biscuits.
* Footnote: The Norwegian Nazi party Nasjonal Samling used a golden sun cross on a red background as its official symbol from 1933 until 1945. The cross within a circle was ascribed to Saint Olaf. The Bulgarian National Socialist movement Ratnik also used a Sun Cross as its official symbol from 1936 to 1944. Various white nationalist and Neo-Nazi groups use the Sun Cross to represent the white race, i.e., the Western or European branch of the Indo-European peoples; the Knights Party also uses it in their official flag. The symbol can also be found on the banner header of the US fascist website, Stormfront, set up by a grand wizard (just what is it with these people?) of the Ku Klux Klan.
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Monday, 2 July 2012
WWII ARCHIVE: Fascists jailed for conspiring to help enemy
On this day in 1940 two Portsmouth fascists were jailed and another cleared at the Old Bailey.
Marie Ingram, of Marmion Road, Southsea, who had been born in Germany and was married to a sergeant in the RAF, was found guilty of conspiring to assist an enemy by ‘endeavouring to persuade a corporal in the Royal Tank Corps to communicate information useful to an enemy’.
Ingram’s husband was to later claim ‘constructive desertion’, which was reported under the headline: ‘Preferred Führer to husband’.
William Swift, of Copythorn Road, Copnor, was found guilty of attempting to acquire arms and ammunition through the Local Defence Volunteers, or Home Guard, ‘in order to support enemy invaders’, and also of trying to spread disaffection.
They received 10 and 14-year sentences respectively.
Perhaps surprisingly, a third man who was charged, a local leader of the British Union of Fascists and former tram and bus driver Archibald Watts, was found not guilty of any involvement.
Excerpt from John Sadden’s The Portsmouth Book of Days.
Marie Ingram, of Marmion Road, Southsea, who had been born in Germany and was married to a sergeant in the RAF, was found guilty of conspiring to assist an enemy by ‘endeavouring to persuade a corporal in the Royal Tank Corps to communicate information useful to an enemy’.
Ingram’s husband was to later claim ‘constructive desertion’, which was reported under the headline: ‘Preferred Führer to husband’.
William Swift, of Copythorn Road, Copnor, was found guilty of attempting to acquire arms and ammunition through the Local Defence Volunteers, or Home Guard, ‘in order to support enemy invaders’, and also of trying to spread disaffection.
They received 10 and 14-year sentences respectively.
Perhaps surprisingly, a third man who was charged, a local leader of the British Union of Fascists and former tram and bus driver Archibald Watts, was found not guilty of any involvement.
Excerpt from John Sadden’s The Portsmouth Book of Days.
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Thursday, 5 April 2012
Portsmouth's Nazi Pub Exposed!
Barry Smith, the Alma Arm's Nazi Landlord |
Rather worryingly these centre around the Landlord of a licensed Public House that has been used on many occasions to host meetings, conferences and film screenings for neo-nazi extremists and football hooligans.
Barry Malcolm Smith is the Landlord and Licensee for the Alma Arms in Highland Road, Southsea. He is also an active member of both the neo-nazi British National Party [BNP] and the racist English Defence League [EDL].
If that isn't quite disgusting and reprehensible enough he is also an open and vocal supporter of the illegal Ulster Volunteer Force [UVF], a designated terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom and United States and a proscribed organisation in the Republic of Ireland.
The Alma Arms cloaks racism behind patriotism |
What may surprise and shock readers even more is that the Alma Arms is actually owned by respectable national pub chain Enterprise Inns Limited, who are no doubt completely unaware that one of their establishments is being used to organise, promote and diseminate vile racist and fascist ideas and propaganda amongst the local community, as well as house a Publican who openly supports a banned terrorist organisation responsible for the murder of hundreds of people.
Since taking over the Alma, Smith has even changed the colour of the pub's frontage from a warm terracotta brown to bright white. We are unsure if he did this purposefully or was oblivious to the poignant reflection of this formerly friendly local boozer in the Eastney community containing a far more sinister, white-supremacist agenda behind it's frontage.
Secret Neo-Nazi Conference at the Alma Arms
We first realised something was going seriously wrong at the Alma Arms when we came across the picture, below, of Gosport British National Party [BNP] activist Patricia Day [aka Sunny Martin] standing next to leader of the fascist organisation, Nick Griffin. Almost immediately we recognised the background of the image to be the décor to rear function room of the Highland Road pub.
BNP leader Nick Griffin with Gosport BNP racist Patricia Day in Alma Arms function room, 11/10/11 |
We were astonished to discover that the leader of the neo-nazi BNP vistied Portsmouth, and a little digging revealed he had actually been the keynote speaker at a top secret conference of far-right extremists on the south coast held at the Alma on Sunday 11th October 2011. Further more, BNP member and Landlord of the Alma Arms, Smith, had given the fascists the venue entirely for free, on the condition it was kept hush-hush.
Of course, intelligence isn't really the calling card of facism and not only couldn't Gosport BNP member Patricia Day [aka Sunny Martin],who oddly has a further three Facebook profiles here, here and here, couldn't resist the urge to publish the picture with Nazi poster boy, white supremacist and holocaust denier Griffin, her son and leading Gosport BNP violent nutjob Gavin Miller [who also has a second Facebook profile] went one better and uploaded video footage of Griffin's entire speech, which was so boring and long-winded it had to be posted in three parts, onto YouTube! If you can sit through part one, below, then you did better than us! You can however clearly see this secret conference of southern nazis taking place in the function room of the Alma:
Regional organisers of Solent BNP, Gosport's Miller and Portsmouth racist Mark Lovelace [Mark Pompey], who also has a second Facebook profile here, also took the opportunity to have a lovely snap at the Alma with their führer:
Portsmouth BNP's Mark Lovelace, BNP führer Nick Griffin and Gosport BNP thug Gavin Miller at the Alma |
The Alma's Nazi Landlord
Barry Smith 'seig heiling' above 6.57 Crew football hooligan flag |
At the beginning of 2012 the Alma's landlord Barry Smith, who can be seen above presenting the Hitler Salute, Seig Heil, posted a deluge of racist and extremist comments to his profile on the Facebook social networking site. Towards the end of January word reached him of Portsmouth Nazi Watch and it's successful campaign in exposing the deranged bigots of the south coast. Overnight his wall was sanitised, with pretty much all of his vile posts disappearing into the ether...or so he thought. For the first time we can now release some of the comments he made, which included:
• Stating that President Barack Obama was a member of "the muslim brotherhood" and should be murdered.
• That black teenager Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered by a gang of white racists, was infact killed by another "nigger" and deserved it.
• Posting a link to a story reporting on London Taxi drivers that refused to pick-up black customers. He commented, "I don't blame them, neither would I."
He also tagged himself in a number of pictures posted by others promoting the extremist far-right EDL:
Alma Arms Landlord tags himself in racist EDL group's propaganda |
MfE Leader and 6.57 football hooligan Pompey Dave Smeeton [from Fareham], left at the Alma Arms |
It's Not What You Know...
Celebrating his birthday at the beginning of December Smith declared his wish list from Santa, posting this image not once, but twice:
Well, where did you lose it, silly?!? |
And then, just in case Santa missed it the first two times, he decided to post it yet again in text:
We are unsure what country it is that he wants back or who on earth could manage to nick an entire nation, but he is very certain that he wants it back. If you have found or seen this missing land mass please contact us in the first instance and we will try and reunite the tubby little racist with this mysterious country.
As the old saying goes, it's not what you know, it's who you know, and Smith knows some of the most unpleasant racists, thugs and hooligans in Portsmouth. His friends list on the Facebook social network alone is crammed full of BNP, EDL and MfE members who don't shy from posting racist trash all over his wall with apparent impunity.
Rather endearingly, head-honcho of Portsmouth BNP, Mark Lovelace, tagged him, as a leading supporter, in his simply divine Happy New Year greeting:
Pompey BNP leader Mark Lovelace wishes Smith a Happy New Year |
And it's always nice to receive a cheery hello from the EDL's Nfs Eva [she is also an admin of the openly Nazi South Coast Infidels FB Group and, astonishingly, has the EDL logo actually tattooed onto the back of her neck] and convicted racist and Nazi Watch regular Jake 'Chubzy' Hyland:
Smith's friend list is almost entirely EDL and BNP members |
In fact Barry Smith very almost came to Chubzy's aid in December when the baby-faces fascist attempted to organise an attack on the Portsmouth Occupy campaigners. As Chubzy could only find four little chums willing to join his disasterous 'crusade' [sic] they were all seen on their mobiles desperately trying to ring round in an attempt to bolster their numbers from the ranks of the local far-right. Shortly afterwards Chubzy then met up with Smith outside Portsmouth & Southsea train station. It seems even Smith wasn't daft enough to waste his time massaging the Chubsters ego and decided against getting involved in this retarded debacle and so he went shopping instead.
Smith's Support for Terrorism
A member of Portsmouth Nazi Watch popped into the Alma one sunny afternoon and was surprised to find Smith sat at the bar all on his lonesome; the pub otherwise completely empty, being about as popular as recent EDL demos. Smith started regaling our colleague with how much he hated the Celtic football team and in fact wouldn't even let a Catholic into his pub! He then bought our investigator, both a Catholic and Celtic supporter, a pint!
Our colleague grew rather alarmed when Barry Smith stood bolt upright and screamed "Fuck Bobby Sands, he's deid" repeatedly as Neil Diamond's crooning rendition of Sweet Caroline drifted from the Juke Box. For those not in the know this has apparently become a tradition amongst the hooligan element of Glasgow Rangers FC.
Smith is so proud of his support for the UVF terrorist organisation, which has murdered 500 people and is very much illegal, that he has gone to the trouble of posting images of the banned paramilitary organisation on his Facebook wall:
Barry Smith AND the Alma Arms tagged in terrorist image |
Barry Smith tags himself in UVF terrorist image |
...and again. |
...and again! |
We would caution all people of sound mind and decent morals to avoid the Alma Arms in Highland Road, Southsea and would suggest that the Enterprise Inn chain considers a little more carefully who it installs to run their establishments.
On a last note, this rather odd little post on Barry Smith's wall attracted our attention. We have no idea what it is about but we surmise Smith's wooing technique is about as popular as his extremist views!!!
How to win friends and influence people... |
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Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Portsmouth EDL Youth Football Coach Charged!
Steve Clarke charged over bigotted comments |
Our report exposing the activities of Clarke, a member of the Portsmouth Division of the racist English Defence League [EDL], and comments calling for all homosexuals to be murdered and "muzzies" [muslims] to be gagged was brought to the attention of Hampshire Football Association, who immediately took action launching an enquiry into our findings.
The story also featured in the local paper, the Portsmouth News, who felt the accusations serious enough to splash it over their front page on 16 March.
Oddly we had received an apology from Clarke, 45, for making the comments shortly after running our initial story, so were somewhat bemused to read the web of dishonesty he presented to the local press as his defence, claiming his account on the Facebook social networking site had been hacked. As we revealed in our previous story, not only had he already apologised for the racist and homophobic comments that he then went on to deny, he also has a long history of activity in the far-right EDL, which he also denied. We published proof that he could not deny, exposing his big fibs.
Following our further revelations about Clarke, he then bombarded us with emails and messages, addressed to "Mohammed" [and he claims he isn't a racist] and making threats to the editorial team at Portsmouth Nazi Watch. Amusingly one such post even stated that "Steve is a good man"...which he then signed Steve Clarke.
Considering he bragged at the time of making the original offensive remarks "charged me and see if I care" he has now been charged...and now does appear to care.
Please be aware that making bigoted comments online is neither big nor clever and can get you into serious hot water. Don't do it!
Clarke [right] with fellow Portsmouth EDL Racist James Reid |
Youth football team manager is charged over Facebook posts
By Clare Semke
Published by Portsmouth News on Wednesday 4 April 2012 11:56
A YOUTH football team manager whose Facebook page had racist and homophobic comments on it has been charged by Hampshire Football Association.
Steve Clarke, who manages the under-15s squad at Havant & Waterlooville Youth FC, faces two charges. He is accused of improper conduct and of making comments deemed to be of a racist nature.
Hampshire FA and the Football Association last month launched an investigation after Havant & Waterlooville Youth FC passed on information regarding allegations made about Mr Clarke on an internet blog.
When he was approached by The News, Mr Clarke, from Havant, strongly denied making any racist or homophobic comments.
Nazi Watch revealed Clarke thinks all homosexuals should be "put down" |
He said the only explanation he could think of for the comments appearing on his page was that his profile on the social networking website had been hacked. He told The News he no longer holds a Facebook account.
Clarke with Youth Team |
A spokesman for Hampshire FA said: ‘He has got the choice of whether to plead guilty or not guilty.
‘He can either have the matter dealt with at a personal hearing or dealt with in his absence. If he requests a personal hearing, we have to give 14 days’ notice of the date of the hearing.
‘It all depends on how quickly he responds as to how quickly the case gets dealt with.
‘There isn’t a maximum penalty set down. It would be at the discretion of the panel that deals with it. It’s not something we deal with very often.’
Should Mr Clarke decide to opt for a personal hearing, it could be held before a four-strong disciplinary panel.
The panel would consist of specially-trained members from across the county who would be charged with considering the allegations made against Mr Clarke. The case could either be dealt with at county level or by the national FA.
The News tried to contact Mr Clarke, but he was unavailable for comment.
A Havant & Waterlooville Youth FC spokeswoman said the club was unable to comment at this stage. The youth football club has no links with Havant & Waterlooville FC – who are also known as the Hawks.
Source: Portsmouth News
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