Far-right crew are ‘threat to public safety’
Intelligence report reveals police kept tabs on white nationalist group during anti-asylum seeker protests
A FAR-RIGHT group behind anti-asylum seeker protests was trying to recruit “disgruntled locals” and is a “threat and risk” to public safety, says a UK-wide police body.
An intelligence report marked “official sensitive” by the National Police coordination centre (NPcc) reveals protests held in erskine by Patriotic Alternative (PA) were under surveillance and the white nationalist group is viewed as a “national priority”.
last night an MP dubbed the group “a fairly pathetic bunch” and said the vast majority of people rejected their “ignorant bigotry”.
the Ferret website revealed last year that PA was hijacking protests in the renfrewshire town and trying to exploit concerns over asylum seekers being housed in a local hotel.
two members who travelled from england for the demos were later jailed for race hate crimes. one was a white supremacist while the other was linked to the banned neo-Nazi terror group, National Action.
the home office used the Muthu hotel to house asylum seekers from January 2023, a move opposed by PA and a breakaway faction called homeland.
Far-right activists were met with counter-protests by trade unions, anti-racism groups and community members. Asylum seekers were to be removed from the erskine hotel by this month.
the NPcc’s intelligence report said PA gets involved in community issues because these “represent increased recruitment opportunities of disgruntled locals”.
NPcc was set up in 2013 and is a uk-wide unit that brings all forces together, including Police scotland.
Its report on PA documents the group’s presence at antiasylum seeker protests in
erskine and elsewhere in the uk and reveals it is assessed on a “monthly basis”.
NPcc said 12 members of PA were among 30 protesters in erskine on March 5, 2023 and some “conducted speeches”.
there was a counter-protest which included “20 identifiable as members of Young communist league who were all dressed in black with hoods or hats and red face coverings”. At a demo on March 19, 2023, PA activists were joined by “local people voicing concerns about refugees being housed in a hotel”, the NPcc said. It added: “PA was led by their scotland organiser and, at peak, the total numbers in the main demonstration reached 50.” on March 26, there were approximately 35 protesters outside the hotel. the NPcc said PA campaigns around “antimulticulturalism and immigration issues, as well as periodic focus on drag queen story hour events”. last year violence erupted during a PA protest in london outside tate Britain over the gallery’s Drag Queen story hour event for children. online donations to PA are also monitored by police, as well as the group’s “publicity stunts’’ such as “banner drops across the country to raise awareness for white nationalist and anti-immigration causes”.
PA unfurled a “white lives matter” banner at the top of Ben Nevis in 2021.
Groups affiliated to PA such as North east Infidels and Active Patriot are also under surveillance. the NPcc reports to the National Police chiefs’ council which brings police leaders together.
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and renfrewshire North, said: “As we have seen at erskine, the far-right try to latch on to anything they think might help promote their twisted world view.
“these extremists came to our community in an attempt to intimidate and bully asylum seekers and those providing solidarity to them.
Despite attempts to recruit locals to their campaign of hate, the vast majority of the people of erskine rejected their ignorant bigotry wholeheartedly and without equivocation. “clearly, they are a fairly pathetic bunch, as borne out by the police intelligence report stating ‘there was low attendance at most protests’, but their white supremacist ideology of hatred – and the history of violence that permeate such groups – means it is no surprise the authorities are keeping a watchful eye on them.” last month PA was accused of promoting “neo-Nazi” ideology at Westminster by Michael Gove MP. the group will be assessed under the uk Government’s new definition of extremism. PA was asked to comment.
They try to latch on to anything to help promote their twisted world view gavin newLands, mp