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Channel 4 News on ‘Britain First’ – the ‘violent new face of British fascism’

Channel 4 News on ‘Britain First’ – the ‘violent new face of British fascism’

Categories: Latest News

Monday June 23 2014

Channel 4 last week broadcast a news feature on far right social movement and political party, Britain First. The group which fielded candidates in Scotland in the recent European parliamentary elections and carried out mosque ‘invasions’ in the weeks running up to polling day, has been dubbed the ‘violent new face of British fascism’ by politics website, Politics.co.uk.

The news feature sees C4 journalists follow Britain First members as they conduct their ‘Christian patrols’ in east London. The feature also shows party leader and EP candidate, Paul Golding, addressing a private meeting in which men are seen in paramilitary-style coloured masks flanking the stage. The group are also filmed visiting the homes of fringe activists, Anjem Choudary and Abu Izzedeen.

The short feature begins with footage of BF members being led by Golding in the chant “Terrorist scum, off our streets, Taliban scum, off our streets.” It continues with footage of the group’s ‘Christian patrols’, part of its “Operation Fightback”. It goes on to show the group ‘invading’ east London mosque in a repeat of similar ‘invasion’ exercises carried out in Glasgow and Bradford and most recently in Bury Park Mosque and Luton Central Mosque in Luton.

Channel 4 News concludes the group is “intent on dividing society and creating conflict” noting that the patrols are designed to “directly provoke[e] the Muslim community”.

While most people on the street were ambivalent to their antics, one woman is shown saying, “We are your host. You are our guests. You don’t **** on us. We’re the hand that feed you at the end of the day.”

The programme refers to the movement’s founder, Jim Dowson, and his British National Party past. Dowson denies being a member of the BNP saying he merely worked “to make them successful enough to push everybody over to the right.”

Dowson, who now leads BF’s ‘Christian crusade’ campaign against mosques, says his efforts have “resulted in the success UKIP is enjoying. And far better UKIP enjoying it than the BNP to be honest with you. But at least everybody is over to the right a couple of notches.”

Drawing an analogy between his extremist provocations and those of Anjem Choudary, Dowson says, “One thing I agree with Mr Choudry on, there is such a concept as a just war, a holy war. He calls it Jihad. We call it a crusade.

“Without any shadow of a doubt, this is a holy war.”

To C4 journalist, Padraic O’Brien’s question of whether their rhetoric is identical to hate preachers, Dowson asserts “Maybe it is, but we are right and they are wrong.”

Channel 4 further notes Dowson’s efforts to focus recruitment on working class estates urging his followers: “if it’s a high crime area, get the unit to put on visible patrols… after a few months start to encourage people to help put up flags, England or Union Jacks on the lamp posts… if possible paint the kerb stones at the entrances, red/white and blue.

“”To cause a revolution in street politics in the UK we only need ONE estate in each major city converted to our system… Polarization, isolation, conflict and security; that is how it must be done if our people are to resist and survive.”

Channel 4 also draws attention to the prolific use made by the movement of social media to spread it message using visceral content. Videos of the ‘mosque invasions’ are all posted online. Like other far right movements, such as the English Defence League, Britain First has a major online following with almost half a million Facebook likes on its page.

You can watch the C4 feature here.

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