Great Britain | 11/30/2021

Great Britain 2021 November

Key Developments

 

One of the topics to dominate public discourse and attract a noteworthy amount of far-right activity in November has been migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. This has led to far-right group Britain First launching a harassment campaign against the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the volunteers who go out to sea to rescue anybody in need, because they have been rescuing migrants. In Hastings, RNLI volunteers heading out to sea were blocked from their boats by a mob angry about migrant rescues. The RNLI website was also taken down after ‘suspicious activity’ was detected.

November also saw several of the far-right YouTubers who have built up large online followings from regularly going to the Dover docks so they could film themselves harassing migrants arriving in the UK, get banned from trespassing on the docks and made to promise not to abuse migrants. The YouTubers have vowed to continue their activities.

National Action (NA) co-founder and former leader Benjamin Raymond, a former administrator of international neo-Nazi forum Ironmarch.org, was jailed for eight years for having been a member of NA after it was proscribed as a terrorist organisation. Raymond was also convicted of possessing a guide to homemade bomb detonators and a manifesto by Anders Breivik. Raymond had extensive international links through Ironmarch.

The ongoing migrant crisis was also the subject of a banner drop by far-right activists connected to the National Housing Party, who unfurled a banner calling for Britain to leave the 1951 UN Refugee Convention over an approach to the Blackwall tunnel in south London. This happened the same weekend that activists from Patriotic Alternative (PA)’s London group were active in south London, supporting Elaine Cheeseman, the English Democrats candidate in the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election. Cheeseman won 271 votes.

PA had another busy month in November and appears to already be the largest fascist organisation in the UK, although they continue to get less press scrutiny than a rapidly-growing fascist organisation would warrant. In their livestreamed monthly update, PA announced they’re threatening the venue of their October conference with legal action because they cancelled their evening meal booking without refunding them.

PA held activities across the country for Remembrance Sunday, the annual militarist memorial event, this included a gathering at a war memorial of over 30 supporters in York, organised by the Yorkshire region, which was addressed by leader Mark Collett as well as a handful of ex-military supporters, according to PA. The East Midlands region laid wreaths at memorials in Derbyshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, the Eastern region claimed to have had dozens of supporters attending various Remembrance Sunday events. London PA did a banner drop and wreath laying at the Cenotaph in central London.

Scotland PA held an event in Glasgow on Remembrance Sunday, with speeches and a wreath laying. Wales PA claim to have laid wreaths across the country. South West PA held an event in Plymouth which was addressed by regional organiser Claire Ellis who claims to have served in the Royal Navy. South East PA held their first event since a hike in October 2020 was attacked by anti-fascists, by holding a hike and laying a wreath in Guildford, Surrey. South East PA is one of several PA regions operating without a regional organiser.

This appears to be as a result of PA adapting to the targeting of regional organisers by anti-fascist researchers and is able to use it’s centralised structure, set up by former British National Party (BNP) head of administration Kenny Smith, to get regions to function. North West​ PA have appointed a media officer and an organiser for Lancashire although PA are claiming there is currently no organiser for the overall region. In November South East PA appointed an events officer, administration officer and a media officer. In their monthly update the leadership revealed that in some places groups of supporters are acting autonomously from PA’s regional structures and communicating directly with the leadership.

One of the big differences between PA and the BNP is the use of street protests. PA have been holding ‘flash mob’ style protests across the country to generate press coverage and content they can share on social media and encrypted messaging apps. This is more reminiscent of the way NA organised prior to it’s ban than anything the BNP did.

In November, PA’s Eastern region held a protest outside an Asian shop in Romford, on the outskirts of London. Eight members of West Midlands PA did an anti-Muslim banner drop in front of an Arabic language sign next to the M6 motorway. Yorkshire and North West PA did a joint protest outside Liverpool Cathedral, related to the attempted terrorist attack in the city. Scotland PA did a banner drop over the M8 motorway to mark the start of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, attended by around a dozen activists.

Across the country PA regional groups held dozens of events, predominantly socialising, fitness training or leafleting. East Midlands PA held a joint Bonfire Night event with West Midlands PA, Eastern PA went leafleting in Norfolk, Sussex and Essex, London PA held a fitness training session. North East PA went leafleting in Sunderland and Newcastle. North West PA went leafleting in Burnley and Southport as well as a hike. Scotland PA held two hikes, had a fitness training session and went on an anti-lockdown protest. South West PA hiked in the Cotswolds. Wales PA went leafleting in Swansea and Bridgend. They also held an event in Llandudno and began collecting camping equipment to give to homeless people.

West Midlands PA’s Shropshire branch held their first event, a hike, the Black Country & Birmingham branch held a training session and went on an anti-vaccine passport protest to distribute leaflets. Yorkshire PA had a static demonstration in Castleford which distributed leaflets. Yorkshire PA has started the process of subdividing into North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and East Yorkshire branches, with contacts appointed for each area.

Also happening in November, Britain First (BF) activist James White was convicted of assaulting a security guard at a hotel housing asylum seekers, after forcing open a door at the Coventry Hill Hotel on 29 August 2020. It was reported that Leicestershire Police had warned BF about slogans used on the side of their branded minibuses.

Data released by the government showed that there were more referrals to the counter-extremist Prevent scheme for far-right extremism than Islamist. A press watchdog ruled that it was fair to describe the Voice of Wales website as far-right. Mason Yates from Widnes pleaded not guilty to having far-right extremist material and will face trial in April. Posters saying “It’s okay to be white” sparked a police investigation in Basingstoke.