No doubt following a kick up the arse from elsewhere, West Mercia Police are now offering a £1,000 reward for information on the graffiti that has appeared on road signs around the county – including swastikas and the hilarious ‘welcome to Poland’.

Back in August last year however the police decided there was no racist motive and put it down to ‘pranksters’. Oh, hahaha. Yes, how our sides ached!

“When hate slogans appear and stay in place for a long time it gives the impression that nobody in the area cares. This makes racists feel more confident and foreigners more isolated,” said the Three Counties Anti-Fascists blog, reporting on the incident last year. And we agree.

What is undeniable is that when an area like Herefordshire receives a dramatic increase of immigrants locals become concerned that the newcomers will be given unfair access to social housing and jobs. On the whole this is not true, and when it is it’s unscrupulous landlords and bosses that are the problem and not the immigrants. Nonetheless these concerns should be taken seriously.

But what should not be given any time at all are racists who simply don’t like anyone from another country. These people are ignorant scum who enjoy nothing more than stirring up tensions between underprivilaged locals and vulnerable foreigners.

When the government makes cuts to housing and education, and when our bosses ignore calls for pay rises, like cowards these faecal-brained idiots turn on the immigrants and blame them instead.

Racism has no place in Herefordshire or the world beyond. Like the people who perpetrate it, it must be stamped out.

Article from our comrades at Hereford Heckler. Three Counties Anti-Fascists had said that this was racially motivated back in the summer, it’s good to see the local constabulary work at a similar speed…

English Defence League: None of the local ‘divisions’ have done anything notable all year. Following the national trend, the Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire divisions seemingly no longer exist beyond occasionally-updated Facebook pages. There’s no evidence of any of the local halfwits attending any of the national demos.

British National Party: As opposed to their peak a few years ago, there’s only one ‘active’ branch left in the region now. Their organiser/candidate Carl Mason did very poorly in the local elections in Worcester, and also got himself some very cheap publicity for breaking into the office of a local college to deliver the Union Flag for them to fly. Must. Try. Harder!

English Volunteer Force: Formed as one of the dozens of EDL splits in the summer. Started a Facebook page for their Hereford ‘group.’ Managed to achieve a mesmerising 20-odd ‘likes.’ Haven’t done anything else.

General racism and idiocy: Some Swastikas and ‘Welcome to Poland’ graffiti appeared on road signs in Herefordshire. A racist halfwit got jailed for attacking a Cheltenham mosque. Worcester City player, Lee Smith, was let go for his tweet about ‘illegal’ immigrants. A kiddy got in trouble for another racist tweet before the Cheltenham Town FC vs Hereford United FC derby match. Ross-on-Wye huntsman, Lee Peters, was found guilty of racially abusing an anti-hunt protester.

As we go into 2013 we’ll continue to monitor far-right activity in the region, support call-outs from anti-fascists elsewhere in the country as well as support and involve ourselves in the Anti-Fascist Network. If last year was the ‘Year of the Infidel,’ we cannot wait to see what this year will be…

A few days before the ‘rematch’, a ban was put in place prohibiting all marches in four London boroughs for 30 days – in anticipation of ‘serious public disorder’ if the EDL march went ahead.*

Despite the promises to EDL supporters that they would no longer liaise with the police, the remaining ‘leaders’ agreed to a static demonstration outside Parliament instead.

EDL threatening to turn up in numbers in Walthamstow. On the ground they were a no show.

Here’s a report from a local anti-fascist on events in London on Saturday 27th October:

“We joined up with others from a near-by group early in the morning and set about a spotting mission to see what we could see.

“After making the journey up to Walthamstow and having a mooch about it was obvious that the EDL weren’t calling anybodies bluff and definitely hadn’t made an appearance (despite what they were saying in the run up). The Unite Against Fascism/We Are Waltham Forest demonstration was just starting to gather. It attracted over 200 people and defied the march ban put in place days before.

‘We Are Waltham Forest’ protest in Walthamstow

“Heading back down to central London and checking in at a few of their favourite drinking holes, there wasn’t even a whisper. A small group was seen entering the tube tailed by a group of police twice their number. At the same time reports were filtering through that only 50 EDL supporters had gathered in a pen at Westminster, heavily outnumbered by journalists and police. Around 25 anti-fascists made an attempt to get to them, but their advance was stopped by the large numbers of police present. One EDLer was nicked during the scuffle.

EDL’s ‘national’ demonstration at Westminster

“Half expecting some of the rowdier (and more stupid) elements to head east to either have a pop at the East London Mosque or the London Anarchist Bookfair being held in Mile End, we headed that way. Nothing to report, apart from thousands of people having a jolly time at another very successful bookfair.”

The picture is plain for everybody to see; the EDL only managed to muster between 50-80 people (total) to a ‘national’ demonstration, one that had been billed as ‘the come back’ at that. This is in comparison to the estimated 100,000 who marched against cuts in London the weekend previously, and the thousands who attended the London Anarchist Bookfair on the same day.

The EDL are nosediving into insignificance, something that even the remaining die-hards are fast realising. It’s at times like these when anti-fascists need to make a concerted effort to drive them into the ground- for good! Previously far-right groups have faced dwindling opposition as they’ve gotten smaller and smaller, allowing them to re-organise and re-emerge later on.

Whilst Saturday proved to be another major set back for the EDL and their divisive and reactionary ’cause’, anti-fascists could have had a much bigger impact. If 1/10 of the people attending the Anarchist Bookfair had chosen to get out on the streets, the day would have ended very differently for the EDL. Lets not give them room to breath. See you on the streets!

Westminster – another far-right flop

Here are a few other reports from the day: 1, 2, 3

*For the record – we do not believe in banning marches nor do we believe that the state can be used to oppose fascism. The ban equally covers possible marches by anti-fascists, trade unionists or any others wishing to protest or get a message across. Opposition to racist or far-right groups can only come about through a truly democratic and grassroots position. To rely on state repression is to undermine the principles of self-organisation and direct democracy that we believe in, and to put our  faith in an institution far more destructive and divisive to the working-class than the fascists currently are.

3 Counties Anti-Fascists are appealing for any information relating to the graffiti; so if you know who’s responsible or spot any more, then please get in touch.

When hate slogans appear and stay in place for a long time it gives the impression that nobody in the area cares. This makes racists feel more confident and foreigners more isolated. When they get removed quickly the opposite message is sent out.

If you spot any racist or fascist graffiti anywhere in the Three Counties, take a picture, remove it if you can, and send us an email at 3cafa@riseup.net giving the date and location so we can add it to our database.

It’s interesting that Darren should use the word ‘nonces’ so liberally. After all;

• The EDL itself has a very large number of paedophiles and child abusers that have filled it’s ranks.
• He is the same man who uses 14/15 year old lads as his foot soldiers. We hear he’s even taken them along to pre-planned fights, arranged over facebook with ‘the muzzies from London.’
• He is the same man who has threatened and used racist abuse against boys still at school during arguments over racist jokes on facebook.

Behaviour like this is unacceptable, Darren. It really is a game that you shouldn’t play. Anyway, there is more to life than zee failing EDL and facebook – maybe it’s time to spend more time looking after your dog and with your family…

‘No fucking surrender ever!’ – 3 Counties Anti-Fascist Alliance