Police have arrested three people in connection with an investigation into a religiously motivated incident, which happened in Thurnby Lodge on Boxing Day, Wednesday December 26.

Officers were called at approximately 7.30am on Boxing Day, after a pig's head was found outside a door leading into the Community Centre, in Thurncourt Road.

The centre was being used by a local Muslim group the day the head was left.

Three people, a woman age 40-years-old and two men aged 37 and 46, were arrested in connection with the incident today, Friday December 28, and are currently in police custody.

Leicester Police news report, 28 December 2012

See also Daily Mirror, 28 December 2012

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Metropolitan Police statement, 22 January 2013

Officers investigating a series of incidents that took place over the course of the weekend of 12/13 January in east London, whereby a small group of individuals were seen to approach and harass members of the public at various locations, have arrested two men.

Videos of the incidents were uploaded onto YouTube.

A 22-year-old man was arrested in the Acton area on Sunday, 20 January and a 19-year-old man who voluntarily attended an east London police station on Monday, 21 January have been arrested in connection with the investigation.

The pair were arrested on suspicion of GBH and Public Order offences and have been bailed to return to an east London police station on a dates in February and March pending further enquiries.

The Metropolitan Police Service takes these incidents very seriously and is pursuing various lines of enquiry with a view to identifying and prosecuting the individuals concerned.

The investigation is being coordinated by the Community Safety Unit at Tower Hamlets.

Patrols continue across east London to reassure local communities.

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact police at thcsu@met.police.uk for the attention of DI Cliff Jones, DS Chris Bagshaw, DC Stacey Yarker or to report it to police via 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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The joint leader of the far-right English Defence League has been arrested on suspicion of a race hate crime.

Kevin Carroll, cousin of the anti-Islam group's founder Stephen Lennon, was arrested on Saturday morning by officers investigating allegations he posted a message inciting racial hatred on Facebook.

Mr Carroll, who recently stood unsuccessfully for election as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire, is also the joint leader of the nationalist British Freedom Party.

A message posted on Facebook by a group which supports the EDL read: "Kev was arrested in Luton Town Centre for Religious & Racial Hatred, following on from screenshots being provided to the OB of FB comments 'allegedly' made.

"He has now been bailed with conditions and has to sign in at the Police Station twice a week. He was on his way to a meeting in Luton when he noticed he was being followed, Kev says it was something out of the sweeney as they all pulled up around him, pepper spray, flashing lights, well over the top."

The EDL was dealt a blow last week when its founder and leader Stephen Lennon – who also uses the alias Tommy Robinson – was jailed for 10 months for entering the USA illegally.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said: "a 43 year old was arrested on Saturday morning on suspicion of 'Display threatening abusive/insulting written material with intent/likely to stir up racial hatred'."

Independent, 14 January 2013

According to the British Freedom party, of which Carroll is now chairman, he was arrested in connection with a Facebook post from October in which he described Muslims as "all fukin backward savages, a devil spawned death cult worshiping all that is unholy and barbaric, pure evil".

It is of course welcome news that Carroll has been arrested in connection with this blatant incitement of hatred. However, it is difficult to see how a prosecution under the racial hatred law (Part 3 of the Public Order Act) could succeed, as Muslims (unlike Jews and Sikhs) are defined as a multi-ethnic faith community and except under exceptional circumstances are not protected by that legislation.

A charge under the religious hatred law (Part 3A of the Public Order Act) would also fail, as that legislation is completely useless, requiring both proof of intention and that the words should be threatening (which in this case they are not).

What this underlines is the need to amend the religious hatred law so that Muslims have the same protection against incitment to hatred that mono-ethnic faith communities do.

As things stand, the Crown Prosecution Service might be better advised to charge Carroll under Section 127(1) of the Communications Act 2003, which makes it an offence to send over a public electronic communications network a message that is "grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character". The offence carries a possible 6-month prison sentence.

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ORLANDO — A woman is under arrest after carrying a sword onto a school campus.

Just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, Orange County deputies responded to the Leaders Preparatory School on North Goldenrod Road, which includes a mosque, school and day care. They found 47-year-old Dominique Eloi walking out of the mosque carrying the weapon.

A school employee said Eloi exited her vehicle with the 2-foot sword and did not respond to the employee when asked what business she had on the property. Leaders Preparatory was immediately placed on lockdown as the employee called deputies.

Eloi was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds, disrupting a school function and aggravated assault with a weapon.

Central Florida News, 19 December 2012

See also "CAIR-FL urges stepped-up security after woman with sword arrested at mosque, Muslim school", CAIR press release, 19 December 2012

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Two men were arrested yesterday during a protest over a planned Muslim education centre in the North.

Police estimate that around 200 members of the English Defence League turned out to the protest in the former pit village of Shotton Colliery, County Durham.

The arrests were made for breach of bail conditions, a spokesperson for Durham Police said.

Superintendent Helen McMillan said: "Although Durham Constabulary respects the right for people to take part in peaceful protests, we will ensure that law and order is maintained at all times.

"We had effective resources in place to ensure the event proceeded peacefully for the safety of everyone," she said. "The men are currently being held in a local police station where they are helping police with enquiries."

The protest took place between 2pm and 4pm and was supervised by officers from across the force. An onlooker said the protest was "well behaved but not completely peaceful", adding that fireworks were thrown down the street.

He said at one stage a woman emerged from a house near the village green, where the EDL members were based, to confront the protesters.

Businessman Kaiser Choudry applied for permission earlier this year to turn the Melrose Arms, a disused pub in Front Street, into a centre for the local Muslim community.

Durham County Council received a 102-signature petition and 13 letters against the conversion. The majority of the objections were about potential parking and traffic problems rather than the planned purpose of the building.

Mr Choudry had previously made an application to turn the old pub into a prayer hall, but this was withdrawn.

The businessman said earlier this year: "I have been in the village for 25 years and the community has been supporting me. I want to give something back to the community."

Sunday Sun, 3 December 2012

The EDL have hailed the Shotton Colliery protest as proof that their organisation is not on its death bed. You'll see that the EDL were pleased to welcome a contingent from the North East Infidels on the demonstration. Only months ago the EDL were denouncing the North East Infidels (entirely accurately) as Nazis, but now apparently the NEI have been transformed into "great patriots".

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The leader of the English Defence League (EDL) in Bristol has been arrested in connection with graffiti sprayed on mosques and Sikh temples.

Mickey Bayliss, from Upton Cheyney near Bitton, was arrested on Wednesday, along with another man.

The two had their properties searched but were not charged and have been released on bail.

The arrests were made in connection with two incidents of criminal damage on mosques and a Sikh temple on Valley Road, Bedminster, and Church Road, Redfield, between September 21 and September 25. It is believed that the word "EDL" was dubbed in red graffiti on the properties on Church Road and grey graffiti on Valley Road.

Police spokeswoman Catherine Foster said: "A 47-year-old man has been arrested under suspicion of criminal damage. He has been bailed until January 22. There were three incidents of criminal damage, two on Valley Road and one on Church Road."

She added: "A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the same investigation."

Bristol Post, 19 November 2012

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A far right gang which allegedly posted racist abuse online, alongside pictures of them posing with guns, have been targeted by police raids.

Officers arrested a 30-year-old man yesterday in a series of raids in Shadsworth and Whitebirk in Blackburn. Two guns have also been seized.

The police operation came after a series of photos were published on Facebook. The investigation also centres on extremely offensive racist postings on the website.

The 30-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and is also under investigation for using threatening words or behaviour intending to stir up religious hatred.

As part of the raids yesterday two rifles were confiscated and are now being examined by police.

Officers said the gang is suspected of having links to the English Defence League, the far-right organisation which held a violent march through Blackburn town centre last year.

Insp Dave Mangan said: "The investigation began when we were shown some images on Facebook that we were highly concerned about. They showed people posing with what appeared to be guns.

"We executed two warrants at 8am. One male has been arrested and two firearms have been seized. There have been many offensive comments posted on the website and those are also being investigated.

"We are currently working to identify the people who have been posting. There are other people we want to speak to in connection with this website.

"It is important to make it clear that at this stage these people do not appear to be making any direct threat with the weapons. But whenever there is any suggestion of involvement with firearms we take it very seriously."

Hope Not Hate, 1 October 2012

See also "The guns of Blackburn", Hope Not Hate, 9 September 2012

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The English Defence League has been branded a "disorganised rabble" after its Walsall protest descended into violence.

Police arrested 28 people as followers of the far-right group charged officers, who used shields and batons to thwart the attackers in Leicester Street.

Organisers of a rival protest set up outside the town's New Art Gallery to highlight the borough's proud multi-cultural heritage have attacked the EDL for failing to control its supporters.

The peaceful We Are Walsall counter-demonstration, thought to have been attended by around 1,000 people, celebrated the town's wide range of faiths and cultures, with live music and dance. MPs David Winnick and Valerie Vaz were among those turning out, along with speakers from Unite Against Fascism.

We Are Walsall spokesman Andy Summers said: "I spent the day as a steward working amongst groups of young men, particularly from the Muslim sector, negotiating with and talking to people, angry that there were racist insults being traded in their town, aimed at their faith. I was so impressed with their self-control.

"The EDL made speeches about non-violence but lost half their crowd because they weren't organised responsibly. The violent moment was the decision by the EDL to bring a disorganised rabble to Leicester Street. That on its own was an assault on Walsall people."

Birmingham Mail, 1 October 2012

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Mona Eltahawy, the prominent Egyptian-American writer and activist, has been arrested in New York, after spraying paint over a controversial poster on the subway that has been condemned for equating Muslims with "savages".

The posters which have been put up in the city by the anti-Muslim American Freedom Defense Initiative, led by Pam Geller, were approved by a US court, which ruled that they were "political" statements and protected by the first amendment, which guarantees free speech.

The poster states: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man." Between two Stars of David, it adds: "Support Israel. Defeat Jihad."

Eltahawy was arrested after a supporter of Geller's initiative attempted to prevent her defacing the sign with a purple aerosol.

The posters are now displayed in 10 New York stations – including Grand Central and Times Square – after a court ruled that the local transport authority could not refuse the ads.

In a video posted online of the incident by the New York Post, Mona Eltahawy can be seen attempting to paint over the poster before she is tackled by a woman with a camera identified as Pamela Hall. "Mona, do you think you have the right to do this?" Eltahway is asked. "I do actually," Eltahawy replies.

"I think this is freedom of expression, just as [the ad] is freedom of expression." As the scuffle continues two police officers appear to then arrest Eltahawy, who says: "This is what happens in America when you non-violently protest."

Eltahawy, who has written for this paper, was later charged with "criminal mischief" and "graffiti".

Guardian, 26 September 2012

We look forward to Geller denouncing Eltahawy as a Muslim Brotherhood operative.

For further examples of Geller's poster being defaced, see Mondoweiss, 25 September 2012

Update:  This is almost as mad. Geller in fact describes Eltahawy as an "Islamic supremacist"!

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HAYWARD — Four teenagers who police say threw lemons at a local mosque and struck at least one person inside have been arrested on suspicion of vandalism that interferes with civil rights.

It was the fourth time vandals targeted the Hayward mosque during the last eight months, police said.

At about 10 a.m. Friday about 40 congregants had gathered inside the American Muslim Association, at 26320 Gading Road when four male teenagers threw lemons at the building and then ran, said Hayward Police Lt. Roger Keener. At least one person was hit in the arm.

Officers determined four Hayward males, ages 13 to 16 were responsible for the attack, Keener said. The teens were arrested on suspicion of defacing property "interfering with the civil rights of those attending the mosque."

"We've had an ongoing issue of local juveniles harassing some of the mosque's attendees during prayer time," Keener said.

Gading Road is known as Hayward's "church row" because it is home to many places of worship, but the mosque was the only one targeted Friday.

Mercury News, 9 August 2012

See also "4 teens arrested for hate crimes against mosque", ABC, 9 August 2012

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Three men were arrested today on suspicion of committing racially aggravated public order offences at a protest staged by members of the English Defence League.

Around 30 people took part in the demonstration in Chelmsford city centre, a spokesman for Essex Police said.

A 35-year-old man from Rochester in Kent, a 19-year-old man from Dagenham, Essex, and an 18-year-old man from Yateley in Hampshire are currently in custody.

The protest started at around 2.30pm and was contained by police, who had received no prior notification of the demonstration taking place. It was concluded by 4.30pm, the spokesman said.

Press Association, 21 July 2012

Judging by the photo below (from Hope Not Hate) the figure of 30 would appear to be an exaggeration.

The protest was apparently against the plan to build a new Islamic Centre in Chelmsford. The EDL have been promoting an online petition, Stop The Proposed Mega Mosque in Chelmsford Essex UK ("We are asking people to vote NO! We like our community the way it is and do not want a forced influx of any particular demographic").

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A 21-year-old man has been arrested during a demonstration by Far Right campaigners in Swansea.

Police intervened during the demonstration in the city centre on Saturday organised by the South Wales National Front in Union Street.

Officers made the arrest for an alleged racial public order offence. They also confiscated banners and posters to ensure there was no breach of the peace.

The 21-year-old man is believed to be from Swansea and has been released on bail following the arrest.

South Wales Evening Post, 9 July 2012

As the NF's own report makes clear, the demonstration was directed against "Muslim rapists" and involved protestors brandishing placards featuring the popular racist slogan "Our children are not halal meat".

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Protesters hurled bins and metal barriers at a Brussels police station on Thursday night after a Muslim woman was arrested for refusing to remove a face veil, Belgian media reported.

"They tried to enter by force, but they were not able to," a spokesman for Brussels police told broadcaster RTL. "So instead they threw metal barriers and bins." Six protesters were arrested, according to state broadcaster VRT. The woman was released and expected to be questioned later.

Belgium and France both banned people from wearing full face veils in public last year.

Belgian state broadcaster VRT and newspapers said the woman had scuffled with officers trying to arrest her at a bus stop and that a policewoman was injured.

"Finally, the woman's veil was removed and she was taken to hospital with mild concussion," the police spokesman told Le Soir newspaper.

The woman's husband went to the police station later that day to complain, accompanied by about 20 others.

Reuters, 1 June 2012

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A Manassas man accused of being a white supremacist was arrested Wednesday by members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force after allegedly receiving a fully automatic AK-47 from an undercover agent.

Court records show Douglas Howard Story, 48, of the Manassas area, allegedly provided a semi-automatic AK-47, along with $120, to an undercover law enforcement agent with the intent that it be modified to become fully automatic. He then allegedly received the modified weapon from an undercover agent and was subsequently arrested, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride and FBI  Assistant Director for the Washington Field Office announced Story's arrest Wednesday.  He has been charged with a violation of the National Firearms Act – a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Manassas Patch, 30 May 2012

See also Inside NoVa, 31 May 2012

Douglas Story made the news back in 2010 after the license plate on his truck (pictured above) was recalled following a complaint by CAIR. Story laughably claimed that the 14 and 88 on the plate had no Nazi or white supremacist implications but were merely a homage to his favourite stock car drivers. You might think that nobody would be stupid enough to swallow this nonsense, but you'd be wrong. Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch indignantly defended Story in a piece headlined "Hamas-linked CAIR smears anti-jihad Virginia driver as neo-Nazi", before being forced to back off when Story's actual political beliefs were exposed.

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An English Defence League member was arrested last night for assault and being in possession of racially inflammatory material after posts were made on Facebook allegedly threatening the Muslim community with a bomb attack "Oslo style".

In the week where far right extremist, Anders Behring Breivik is on trial for the murder of 77 young people, the English Defence League have been very quiet on the subject.

There is plenty of evidence out there that Breivik was partly inspired by the English Defence League, in fact before he went on his murderous campaign, he emailed his manifesto to a large number of EDL members who he had been in contact with.

Leadership claim time and time again that their far right organisation does not breed extremism.  South Shield's Division member, Kenny Holden, seems to prove the opposite when he states his intention to set a pipe bomb off in Ocean Road, a predominantly Asian area in the City.

Holden, states that he has a pipe bomb ready for Ocean Road and he is going to do it "Oslo style".

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said "a 29 year old man was arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of assault and possessing racially inflammatory material. He is currently in custody and is helping police with their enquiries."

EDL News, 21 April 2012

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A British National Party candidate in Lincoln has been arrested over allegations of racist content his Facebook page.

It was reported that anti-Islamic and other racist images and slogans appeared on the site of Dean Lowther, who is standing in Bracebridge ward in the city council elections.

Lincolnshire Police spokesman James Newall said: "Police have reviewed the material in question and a 45-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of producing material inciting racial hatred in the south of the city this morning. He is currently helping police with their enquiries."

Lincolnshire Echo, 12 April 2012

According to an earlier report in the paper: "Muslim women were pictured with words stating that they are 'heading our way' and will claim benefits for their children from 'our race traitor Government'."

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