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Beware a new coalition of the far-right

June 11, 2015 10:52

The promised demonstration by neo-Nazis in Golders Green brings together a rag-tag group of veteran fascists, united around hatred for Jews.

Most were previously active in groups such as Combat 18, the Racial Volunteer Force, British National Party and the National Front.

Under the flag "New Dawn", the serial neo-Nazi Eddie Stampton and ex-BNP member Bernadette Jagger claim to be demonstrating against "Jewish privilege". Other speakers include Mark Atkinson of the RVF, who was active with Stampton in C18 and was later jailed for inciting racial hatred.

The far-right in the UK is weak and divided, but there has been a concerted rise in antisemitic activity, including by far-right sympathisers - even inside groups such as the supposedly pro-Israel English Defence League.

The exponents of this new antisemitic front are not all old men. Almost all the 80-odd protesters at the "White Man March" in Newcastle earlier this year were under 30.

A Jewish memorial in Birmingham was attacked last week by members of National Action, a group that found infamy for its Twitter threats against Labour MP Luciana Berger.

The picture at Golders Green will be a little more complex than it at first seems. Our research director Matthew Collins believes that these virulent antisemites want to use the attention generated by the rally to forge a wider coalition against the Jewish community - rather as the EDL built its actions against Muslims.

The wider danger we face with Golders Green, though, could be an event with less than 50 demonstrators turning into some kind of "spectacular" - which is exactly what the fascists want.

June 11, 2015 10:52

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