Friday, December 21, 2018

The rise of the far right

The far right is increasingly using the language of human rights of free speech and women's rights. Sunderland-based Justice for Women and Children, founded by Natasha Allan says it raises awareness about rape, sexual assault, grooming and child abuse, and has a helpline number for victims to call. The group deny being racist or fascist.

Matthew Collins, from anti-racism campaign Hope Not Hate, describes Justice For Women and Children as the "first far-right group to come centre stage, led by women."

 Hope Not Hate claims some of those involved in the group have "long term associations with the far right".

Natasha Allan's brother Tommy Allan, who has been a steward at Justice for Woman and Children's demonstrations has been convicted for his part in the Dover Riots in 2016 when groups including the National Front clashed with anti-fascist demonstrators. He's a member of the North East Infidels, a group that the counter-extremism tsar for England and Wales Sara Khan describes as "extreme right wing".

Natasha Allan's group has regularly march and share platforms with the Democratic Football Lads' Alliance - described to BBC's Newsnight by a counter-terrorism source as the UK's biggest grassroots far-right street protest movement.

MP Sarah Champion told Newsnight it was "despicable" that certain groups were using the victims as pawns for "someone else's game".

Sara Khan, said far-right activists will exploit the situation in certain places and recruit people to their cause. She said the UK is at the "beginning of a new wave of far-right extremism".

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46635022

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