Self-proclaimed Nazi found guilty of stirring antisemitism in UK
Man, 22, convicted at Preston crown court after speeches at two far-right events
The Guardian, UK/January 8, 2018
A self-proclaimed Nazi who claimed Britain took the wrong side in the second world war has been convicted of stirring racial hatred against Jewish people.
A jury at Preston crown court unanimously found that the 22-year-old man from Lancashire, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had breached the Public Order Act 1986 by using “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour” intended to stir up racial hatred.
The man committed the offences in two speeches, the first in March 2016 at a demonstration by a group called North West Infidels in Blackpool and the second at a meeting of the Yorkshire forum for nationalists, attended by people from various far-right groups.
The jury was played a recording of the Blackpool demonstration in which the defendant could be heard describing Jewish people as “parasites” and arguing that Britain should have joined the Nazis to fight the communists in the second world war.
The man added: “Yes, I am a national socialist, I’m not scared of that label. You can call me Nazi. You can call me fascist. That is what I am.”
In the second speech the defendant said he thought Hitler had shown too much mercy towards Jewish people.
Matthew Brook, prosecuting said the man had been using the speech to explain his support for the now banned group National Action, and was “in effect recruiting for them”.
Brook told the court: “He was clearly saying in both speeches that the Jewish race should be killed … He is making both of those speeches to recruit members to his cause and to encourage people who already agree with his racist views to stand firm.”
Giving evidence, the defendant confirmed he was a Nazi but said that did not mean he hated all Jews. He denied intending to stir racial hatred and instead said he was trying to provoke lively debate and to shift people’s views further to the right.
After the verdict, the anti-racism organisation Hope Not Hate said it was pleased to have provided “the impetus and evidence” for the man’s prosecution.
A date for sentencing has yet to be set.
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