Latest news with #neo-Nazi
Glasgow Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
'Neo-Nazis' disrupt West Dunbartonshire Council meeting
During the meeting, a motion was presented to elected members by councillor Jim Bollan urging them to condemn the "racist" banners, flyers and posters that had been displayed at the Clydebank Bandstand recently by Patriotic Alliance. Similar banners were also attached to railings in front of the council chambers in Dumbarton on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 18. The organisation has been described as a far-right, fascist, neo-Nazi and white nationalist hate group, and have recently used the bandstand at the Clydebank Shopping Centre to demonstrate their views to the public. Councillor Bollan's motion had asked the council to authorise council officials to remove any such items attached to the council-owned bandstand in Clydebank Shopping Centre, that do not have prior written consent from West Dunbartonshire Council as soon as practical. But as councillor Bollan tried to speak, he was interrupted by chanting from the public gallery from at least three or four protesters who kept repeating 'Scotland is for Scots'. They were asked to sit down and be quiet by Provost Karen Murray Conaghan, who also told them to stop filming and taking pictures of the meeting and if they couldn't they would be told to leave. Provost Murray Conaghan said: 'Excuse me, can I ask you to be quiet in the public gallery. It is a meeting in public, not a meeting for you to contribute to. 'You sit there and be quiet during the meeting or I will ask you to leave. If you can't be quiet, you will have to leave and take your hand off the barrier.' The provost was then made aware that filming was taking place. READ MORE: Council urged to remove 'far-right racist' banners from Clydebank landmark READ MORE: Frankie Boyle backs major demonstration in Glasgow this weekend Councillor Murray Conaghan continued: 'There is no filming permitted. If you continue to film, you will be asked to leave now. Please put your phone away.' Councillor Bollan was able to continue speaking on his motion. He said: 'The overt racist posters being displayed by Patriotic Alternative in Clydebank could be a precursor to the racist violent behaviour we are seeing in Ireland at the moment where non-whites are having their homes fire bombed because of the colour of their skin. 'Groups like Patriotic Alternative are cheerleaders for Reform, which is a racist party and use the fact that the two larger political parties are not delivering for the policies needed by our working-class communities. 'That void is being used by extremists to blame refugees and asylum seekers as a divide and conquer tactic, commonly used by racists. By supporting this motion, West Dunbartonshire Council will be sending a clear message that we are anti racist and inclusive of all races. 'Before I came into this meeting, I noticed some of the banners which are outside which are overtly racist. It is unacceptable in West Dunbartonshire.' As councillors started to discuss the motion, the meeting was interrupted again as protesters continued to cause disruption and were asked to leave as a result. Provost Murray Conaghan told the public gallery: 'If you can't put your phone down and stop filming, I will ask you to leave the gallery. 'The recording is available at home so you can listen to it there. You need to put your phone away. We will pause until we restore a bit of public order in the public gallery – sorry members.' The group was escorted out by security and the meeting resumed.
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
Group of 'neo-Nazis' escorted out from council meeting
During the meeting, a motion was presented to elected members by councillor Jim Bollan urging them to condemn the racist banners, flyers and posters that had been displayed at the Clydebank Bandstand recently by Patriotic Alliance. Similar banners were also attached to railings in front of the council chambers in Dumbarton on Wednesday afternoon. The organisation has been described as a far-right, fascist, neo-Nazi and white nationalist hate group, and have recently used the bandstand at the Clydebank Shopping Centre to demonstrate their views to the public. READ MORE: Anas Sarwar urged to whip Scottish Labour MPs against welfare cuts Councillor Bollan's motion had asked the council to authorise council officials to remove any such items attached to the Council-owned Bandstand in Clydebank Shopping Centre, that do not have prior written consent from West Dunbartonshire Council as soon as practical. But as councillor Bollan tried to speak, he was interrupted by chanting from the public gallery from at least three or four protesters who kept repeating 'Scotland is for Scots'. They were asked to sit down and be quiet by Provost Karen Murray Conaghan , who also told them to stop filming and taking pictures of the meeting, and if they couldn't, they would be told to leave. Provost Murray Conaghan said: 'Excuse me, can I ask you to be quiet in the public gallery. It is a meeting in public, not a meeting for you to contribute to. 'You sit there and be quiet during the meeting or I will ask you to leave. If you can't be quiet you will have to leave and take your hand off the barrier.' The provost was then made aware that filming was taking place. (Image: Newsquest) Councillor Murray Conaghan continued: 'There is no filming permitted. If you continue to film you will be asked to leave now. Please put your phone away.' Councillor Bollan was able to continue speaking on his motion. He said: 'The overt racist posters being displayed by Patriotic Alternative in Clydebank could be a precursor to the racist violent behaviour we are seeing in Ireland at the moment where non-whites are having their homes fire bombed because of the colour of their skin. 'Groups like Patriotic Alternative are cheerleaders for Reform which is a racist party and use the fact that the two larger political parties are not delivering for the policies needed by our working class communities. 'That void is being used by extremists to blame refugees and asylum seekers as a divide and conquer tactic, commonly used by racists. By supporting this motion West Dunbartonshire Council will be sending a clear message that we are anti racist and inclusive of all races. 'Before I came into this meeting I noticed some of the banners which are outside which are overtly racist. It is unacceptable in West Dunbartonshire.' As councillors started to discuss the motion, the meeting was interrupted again as protesters continued to cause disruption and were asked to leave as a result. Provost Murray Conaghan told the public gallery: 'If you can't put your phone down and stop filming I will ask you to leave the gallery. 'The recording is available at home so you can listen to it there. You need to put your phone away. We will pause until we restore a bit of public order in the public gallery – sorry members.' The group was escorted out by security and the meeting resumed.
STV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- STV News
Group of 'neo-Nazis' escorted from council meeting
A group of 'neo-Nazis' had to be escorted from West Dunbartonshire Council's HQ after disrupting their last full council meeting ahead of the summer recess. During the meeting, councillor Jim Bollan presented a motion to elected members urging them to condemn the racist banners, flyers, and posters that the Patriotic Alliance had recently displayed at the Clydebank Bandstand. Similar banners were also attached to railings in front of the council chambers in Dumbarton on Wednesday. The organisation has been described as a far-right, fascist, neo-Nazi and white nationalist hate group, and have recently used the bandstand at the Clydebank Shopping Centre to demonstrate their views to the public. Councillor Bollan's motion had asked the council to authorise council officials to remove any such items attached to the Council-owned Bandstand in Clydebank Shopping Centre that do not have prior written consent from West Dunbartonshire Council as soon as practical. But as councillor Bollan tried to speak, he was interrupted by chanting from the public gallery from at least three or four protesters who kept repeating 'Scotland is for Scots'. They were asked to sit down and be quiet by Provost Karen Murray Conaghan, who also told them to stop filming and taking pictures of the meeting, and if they couldn't, they would be told to leave. Provost Murray Conaghan said: 'Excuse me, can I ask you to be quiet in the public gallery. It is a meeting in public not a meeting for you to contribute to. 'You sit there and be quiet during the meeting or I will ask you to leave. If you can't be quiet you will have to leave and take your hand off the barrier.' The provost was then made aware that filming was taking place. Councillor Murray Conaghan continued: 'There is no filming permitted. If you continue to film you will be asked to leave now. Please put your phone away.' Councillor Bollan was able to continue speaking on his motion. He said: 'The overt racist posters being displayed by Patriotic Alternative in Clydebank could be a precursor to the racist, violent behaviour we are seeing in Ireland at the moment, where non-whites are having their homes fire bombed because of the colour of their skin. 'Groups like Patriotic Alternative are cheerleaders for Reform, which is a racist party, and use the fact that the two larger political parties are not delivering for the policies needed by our working-class communities. 'That void is being used by extremists to blame refugees and asylum seekers as a divide and conquer tactic, commonly used by racists. By supporting this motion West Dunbartonshire Council will be sending a clear message that we are anti racist and inclusive of all races. 'Before I came into this meeting, I noticed some of the banners outside, which are overtly racist. It is unacceptable in West Dunbartonshire.' As councillors started to discuss the motion, the meeting was interrupted again as protesters continued to cause disruption and were asked to leave as a result. Provost Murray Conaghan told the public gallery: 'If you can't put your phone down and stop filming, I will ask you to leave the gallery. 'The recording is available at home, so you can listen to it there. You need to put your phone away. We will pause until we restore a bit of public order in the public gallery – sorry, members.' The group was escorted out by security, and the meeting resumed. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Hate speech rising in Portugal: European monitor
LISBON: Portugal's leaders must do more to fight crimes and hate speech against minorities, including immigrants, Roma, black people and LGBTQ people, the Council of Europe's anti-discrimination body said Wednesday. In a new report, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) highlighted a sharp rise in hate speech in Portugal. It comes as the far-right party Chega has risen to become the main opposition force. ECRI 'calls on Portugal to improve the way law enforcement officials deal with hate crimes and to commit to Roma inclusion,' the Strasbourg-based body said in a statement. 'ECRI expresses concern about the rise of online hate speech and the divisive and inflammatory discourse used by some politicians,' it added, singling out some members of Chega. The party became the country's main opposition force following May's legislative elections. 'Cases of hate-motivated violence have been reported, at times involving neo-Nazi groups,' the statement added. On Tuesday, police in Portugal announced the arrest of six individuals affiliated with a far-right group, suspected of 'terrorist activities, discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence'. Local media reported on Wednesday that one of those arrested was a police officer and that the group he allegedly belonged to was planning, among other things, an attack on the parliament. The ECRI report also noted the persistence of reports about cases of racist abuse, including racial profiling, by the police.
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
R Kelly begged for Trump's help before 'murder plot' that saw him overdose
The lawyers representing disgraced musician R Kelly believe U.S. President Donald Trump is 'the only person with the courage to help us'. The American singer and producer, real name Robert Sylvester Kelly, was once credited as 'the King of R&B'. However, in 2019 his career came to a crashing halt when he was arrested and then sentenced to 31 years behind bars for racketeering and sex trafficking charges involving the sexual abuse of minors. Last week it emerged that Kelly's lawyers had filed an emergency motion calling from his immediate release from federal custody to home detention over concerns his life 'was in danger'. The 58-year-old's attorney Beau B. Brindley claimed they had 'explicit evidence that officials solicited an inmate to murder him while in custody'. It was then reported yesterday that Kelly had been rushed to hospital after overdosing, with his lawyers claiming prison staff intentionally 'gave him an amount of medicine that could have killed him.' Here's everything we know so far. For decades Kelly had faced repeated accusations of sexual abuse, also being tried in multiple civil and criminal trials. In 2019 the documentary Surviving R. Kelly re-investigated his alleged sexual misconduct with minors, which lead to authorities looking into the claims made against him again. In 2023 Kelly was then sentenced to 20 years in prison for child sex crimes in Chicago while already serving a 30-year prison sentence over sex trafficking and racketeering charges in New York. The judge ruled he could serve 19 years at the same time, meaning the child sex crimes only added one year to his existing sentence. His convictions included three counts of coercing minors into sexual activity and three of producing sex tapes involving a minor. Last week Kelly's lawyers claimed they had 'explicit evidence that officials solicited an inmate to murder him while in custody'. They filed a motion to get him out of prison immediately after providing a sworn declaration from Mikeal Glenn Stine, a terminally ill inmate, who said that officials 'offered him freedom in his final days in exchange for Kelly's murder'. Stine, a member of the neo-Nazi prison gang Aryan Brotherhood, claimed officials told him he would be charged with Kelly's murder, but that evidence would be mishandled and there would be no conviction. Although Stine said he changed his mind about carrying out the murder, Kelly's lawyers have claimed another member of the gang was then ordered to kill both Kelly and Stine. 'The threat to Mr. Kelly's life continues each day that no action is taken,' they wrote in the filing. A few days later Kelly was rushed to hospital after the overdose, which his lawyers say was orchestrated by prison officials. 'This was no mistake. It was a dose that jeopardised his life and could have ended it. Speaking to People, Brindley said Kelly was 'not safe in federal custody' and keeping him behind bars was 'cruel and unusual punishment'. The Bureau of Prisons and the White House declined to comment when approached by several publications. Last week Brindley said Kelly's legal team had turned to Trump for assistance, explaining he also understood what it felt like to be 'victimised' by the legal system. They are appealing for Kelly to either be granted a pardon or have his sentence commuted. 'We are in open discussions with people close to President Trump. And those discussions have expanded and intensified since we filed our motion,' Brindley told People. In a statement to USA Today, he also said that Trump was the 'only person with the courage and the power to fight corruption in the prosecution of public figures and stomp it out'. Brindley went on to say the need for a pardon became 'more imminent by the day', claiming that Kelly has now been thrown into solitary confinement and 'cannot make phone calls to his family'. He is also reportedly refusing to eat over concerns his food 'could be poisoned'. Although Kelly does not have a personal relationship with Trump, he was a longtime resident of the Trump Tower in Chicago. The President has not yet commented on Kelly's pleas, but did say last month during an Oval Office press briefing that he would consider pardoning Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who is facing similar criminal charges in the same federal court as Kelly. 'I would certainly look at the facts. If I think someone was mistreated it wouldn't matter whether they like me or don't,' he said. More Trending Prosecutors have opposed the request to release Kelly to home detention, sharing in a statement that he was a 'prolific child molester'. 'He is unapologetic about it. Kelly has never taken responsibility for his years of sexually abusing children, and he probably never will.' They called the claims of a murder plot a 'fanciful conspiracy' and said it 'makes a mockery of the harm suffered by his victims.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: TV chef Anne Burrell who 'touched millions across the world' dies aged 55 MORE: Tyler Perry sued by actor for sexual misconduct in $260,000,000 lawsuit MORE: Scarlett Johansson tells Metro how she tried not to be 'humongous weirdo' to Spielberg
