Redwatch
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Redwatch was a British neo-Nazi magazine which published photographs and personal information of perceived opponents. There is now a British website of the same name and with the same subject matter, which is far better known than the original magazine. In addition there have been a number of websites in other countries which appear to be inspired by the British site, most of which are defunct.
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[edit] Magazine
Redwatch was originally published in paper form by the neo-Nazi group Combat 18 in March 1992, when its slogan was "oderint dum metuant": "let them hate as long as they fear". (Searchlight magazine, April 1993.)
[edit] British Website
The website in its current form was set up by Simon Sheppard, a former British National Party (BNP) member who was expelled after circulating a leaflet which the BNP leadership regarded as a prima facie breach of race-discrimination legislation.[1] On May 1, 2005, Sheppard's home in Hull was searched by police investigating incitement to racial hatred. [2]
The information is indexed by cities or regions. Many of the people listed are members of the Anti-Nazi League or other anti-racist/anti-fascist and left-wing groups, although there are some Labour Party and Liberal Democrat members listed. Trade Unionists, in particular teachers and journalists, figure prominently in the listings. There are also dozens of photographs of anarchists and single-issue protestors.
[edit] Relationship to Violence
Anyone listed on Redwatch may be at increased risk of violence from neo-Nazis. According to Searchlight Magazine, a Leeds teacher who complained about a neo-Nazi leafleting his school was listed on Redwatch, allegedly enabling other neo-Nazis to firebomb his car. [3] Another instance, according to Indymedia, is of an anti-fascist reportedly followed and attacked on 16 May 2006 after the recent appearance of his personal data on the Redwatch website. The assailants reportedly shouted "We'll kill you, you leftist motherfucker!" .
Merseyside TUC organiser Alec McFadden received death threats shortly after his details appeared on the site. At precisely the same time Joe Owens, an official Merseyside BNP candidate with several convictions for violent offences (see above) began sending him e-mails gloating that he had photographic details of his house, car, and family. [4]. Since standing as a Respect candidate in the May 2006 elections, McFadden has been physically attacked at his own home. [5]
There have been many reports to the police of people suffering death threats after their details have appeared on the site. These have included Members of Parliament and their families. [6]
[edit] Rationale
Redwatch justifies its content as a tit-for-tat reaction to leftist-oriented websites displaying similar content: Photographs and information about the reds who attempt to harass and assault British Nationalists and their families. The red scum target us, Redwatch plays them at their own game.
However, Redwatch have been unable to provide details of any such websites. One of their few attempts to justify these claims has been to cite a press release published in August 2001 by the Anti-Nazi League, a British anti-fascist organisation, containing the home addresses of both Nick Griffin (leader of the British National Party [BNP]) and his mother who was involved in the organisation of a BNP festival. [7]
[edit] Sites Outside of Britain
In 2005, Australians active on the far right announced that they would be setting up an online version of Redwatch listing their opponents in Australia and New Zealand, to be known as 'Leftywatch'. This seems to have been largely in response to an ongoing campaign against them by the group Fight Dem Back. The site did eventually go up, on an individual's Blogger blog, however it has been something of an anti-climax, with some active racists distancing themselves from it (seemingly for fear of legal reprisals), and with Fight Dem Back managing to pose as sympathisers and give false information which went up on the site. The site is still active, but now largely confines itself to general far-right commentry.
The British site links to Redwatch sites in Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand. However as of January 2007 the links provided for New Zealand, Germany, and the Netherlands lead to a Blogspot blog with no posts, an unrelated 'cybersquatted' site, and a 'dead link' respectively.
The Polish site is, however, active as of January 2007. In May 2006 a Polish activist was attacked and stabbed, requiring surgery. He stated that he believed the attack was linked to his having recently been listed on the site. [1]
[edit] Slogan
The site's slogan is Remember places, traitors' faces, they'll all pay for their crimes, a quote from neo-Nazi musician Ian Stuart.
[edit] Noncewatch
One of the more bizarre sections of the Redwatch Website is "Noncewatch". This section claims to identify child sex offenders at large in the community, but actually consists of conspiracy theories against senior members of the British government, and smears against individuals whom the author, Ian Keith Gomeche, dislikes. Gomeche has himself become a target for Nazis in Britain after he gave out personal information about a fourteen year old girl living near Burton-upon-Trent, and made telephone calls to her house.[citation needed]
Noncewatch has largely backfired, with its mendacity bringing doubts upon the accuracy of information on the rest of Redwatch and spawning its own nemesis Gomechewatch. Gomeche was sectioned last year under mental health legislation and held at Cornhill Psychiatric Hospital in Aberdeen. He has since been released and is awaiting an upcoming court date.[citation needed]
[edit] Trade Union Opposition
In January, 2004, questions concerning the legality of the Redwatch site were raised in the House of Lords. Legal recourse against the website is limited because the site is hosted in the United States.
The site has been heavily criticised by the Trades Union Congress and many of its affiliate unions, which have introduced policies calling for Redwatch to be closed down. Following the TUC's annual Congress in September 2004, where an anti-Redwatch resolution was passed, the TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber wrote to the then Home Secretary David Blunkett requesting a meeting to discuss the issue. Further discussions and correspondence with government members ensued, and in March 2005 a meeting took place with the then Home Secretary, Charles Clarke. The TUC have promised to provide the Home Secretary with examples of experiences which trade unionists and anti-racist campaigners have had as a result of having their details published on Redwatch, whilst the Home Secretary promised to hold discussions with the police about what could be done to stop the activities of the website.
[edit] Alleged Relationship to the British National Party
Allegations have also been made linking Redwatch with the BNP, prompted by prominent member and youth leader of the BNP Tony Wentworth taking photographs of anti-fascist protesters which later appeared on the site. In a BBC documentary, Mark Collett, who is the former leader of the Young BNP openly boasted that people's photographs would appear there.
The BNP leadership published a statement in April 2004 restating their official position that members are prohibited from providing material to the site.[8]
However, BNP members continue to be seen photographing people at events such as Unite Against Fascism leafletting campaigns, and even boasting whilst doing so. One BNP member in York took photos at the local branch of UAF's AGM, claiming that they were going to be placed on a BNP website, but photos of these individuals have appeared on Redwatch[citation needed].
[edit] References
- ^ Details of the Hull BNP branch's activity
- ^ Sunday Mirror article about Sheppard's house being raided
- ^ Searchlight article about a Leeds teacher who was attacked
- ^ Indymedia article about harassment
- ^ Socialist Worker Newspaper Article about attack on Alec McFadden
- ^ The Guardian
- ^ Article based on the ANL press release
- ^ Details of BNP policy
