Far-right terror teen who wanted to attack mosque avoids prison

January 7, 2022 Article

A far-right terrorist who wanted to indiscriminately murder Muslims at a mosque and kill “10,000 people” avoided a prison sentence, receiving a 24-month youth rehabilitation order instead.

The 17-year-old from Wiltshire, who maintains legal anonymity due to their age, was given the sentence at Southampton Youth Court.

The sentence mirrors that given to a neo-Nazi terrorist, who came to the attention of authorities aged just thirteen before receiving their rehabilitation order in February 2021.

He pleaded guilty to possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The investigation began when the public contacted the authorities following a slew of racist comments on online message boards – including a desire to murder Muslims with a gun at a mosque, a chilling reminder of the lingering influence of the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019.

On June 18, 2021, an arrest resulted in police finding a handwritten note at their home address called “The Big Plan”.

A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) revealed that in contained information and “details of how to make a bomb,” identifiable locations and individuals they believed to be “aspirational targets” amidst an intention to kill over 10,000 people.

Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, who leads the CTPSE, thanked those who reported the individual to the anti-terrorism hotline. In a statement, she said: “Having read the vile racist abuse online, they chose to ACT; they contacted the Anti-Terrorism Hotline and shared their concerns with us, and as a result, we were able to intervene before the situation escalated any further.”

CTPSE have also documented “an increase in the proportion of our investigations from the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism.”

Deb Smith, Wiltshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, said: “I hope that our communities feel reassured that we acted swiftly, in conjunction with our partners, to ensure that this individual was detained and could no longer pose a risk to the wider public.”

Tell MAMA will be raising our concerns about the lenient nature of the sentencing with the relevant authorities.

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Categories: Christchurch, Far Right groups, mosque, News, terrorism, Wiltshire

Report highlights racism, discrimination towards Muslim NHS staff

December 21, 2021 Article

A wide-ranging survey of Muslim healthcare professionals (HCP) in the NHS reveals a startling and deeply worrying level of anti-Muslim abuse, discrimination, and Islamophobia, exacerbated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The report, co-authored by Dr Hina J Shahid, a GP who chairs the Muslim Doctors Association and Hira Ali, who co-founded The Grey Area and currently leads on their Diversity & Inclusion, titled the report, “Excluded on the Frontline: Discrimination, Racism and Islamophobia in the NHS.”

Critical findings reveal that almost nine in 10 Muslim HCPs surveyed did not know of any Muslims in leadership roles, as over two-thirds could not identify relatable and supportive mentors and role models to boost their confidence about career progression.

Almost four in 10 surveyed described facing verbal abuse from colleagues about their Islamic faith – compounding the bias they also face from patients.

Bias, however, the authors noted follows Muslim HCPs from medical school and further into their carers.

A vast majority of Muslim HCPs (eight out of 10) surveyed described a “double jeopardy” around their safety when acts of terrorism make headlines.

Microaggressions in the workplace target specific and multiple aspects of their religious identity, with a majority, also reporting how ‘othering’ and stereotype threat harms their ability to be their true, authentic selves at work.

The consequences for Muslim HCPs weigh heavy on them mentally and physically – manifesting as depression, anxiety, imposter syndrome, low self-esteem, a fear of failure – with almost half of respondents described compromising their religious beliefs (associated with moral injury and distress).

As a consequence of the above, two-thirds do not feel comfortable disclosing workplace problems.

Workplace bias extended to the feeling that one in five missed out on promotion due to their Islamic faith, with more than two in five describing bias in the recruitment process with similar levels reported during medical school, and crucially, over half reported feeling that bias impeded their career progression and daily duties.

Regarding the sources of bias, the authors noted that some polled faced multiple biases – from patients, nurses and other doctors to line managers.

Almost half of Muslim HCPs reported facing verbal abuse, with three in 10 reporting hostility directed towards them because of their faith. Issues arose over fasting during the holy month of Ramadan or taking prayer breaks.

Despite the myriad issues the report exposes, over half (six in 10) reported optimism about their futures.

Those surveyed overwhelmingly favoured a mentorship to help them tackle disadvantage and discrimination. A clear majority (7 out of 10) felt a faith network within the workplace would help as just over half believed that self-empowerment and leadership training programmes would aid them.

The report also presents many pathways forward the “The 4As of active support” – identified as authentic allyship, advocacy, action and accountability.

That twelve-point action plan begins on an individual level (with self-reflection and questioning the assumptions each holds) to meaningful changes in leadership. The authors call for authentic leadership and representation in senior roles born not from tokenism but on the competency, capability, and credibility to meet the role requirements, with the resources and agency to perform their roles effectively, adding that “spotlight events” create platforms for personal narratives of organisational success to foster better inclusion.

Other recommendations include spaces for a constructive, inclusive working environment that incorporates bystander training and unconscious bias training for staff and management.

Celebrating differences, including interfaith events and normalising religious practices, helps reduce stigma and othering, with non-Muslim staff fasting during Ramadan as a positive force for building mutuality and compassion. And this extends to creating interfaith buddy schemes and improved peer support networks.

The report calls for the expansion of faith-specific counselling for Muslim staff, the development of faith-based equality standards and accessible training programmes. An intersectional framework is a crucial way forward in helping NHS trusts and organisations move forward when conducting equalities assessments.

Nor are the issues of structural racism new in the health service.

The public is encouraged to download our free tool kit which addresses workplace discrimination issues, workplace rights, and what support is available. You can download it here.

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Categories: discrimination, healthcare, News, NHS

Warrant issued for elder brother of Manchester Arena bomber to attend inquiry

November 28, 2021 Article

The elder brother of Salman Abedi will be arrested and brought to the Manchester Arena Inquiry to give evidence if he comes back to the UK, a judge has ruled.

Ismail Abedi, 28, had been ordered to attend the public inquiry into the May 2017 terror attack but boarded a flight to Istanbul from Manchester Airport at the end of August and has not returned.

Bereaved families of the 22 people killed in the explosion labelled him a “coward” for refusing to attend in October and give an account as to how Salman Abedi, 22, had become radicalised.

They said they were “shocked” how he was allowed to leave a day after he missed a flight when he was stopped and questioned by police and told them he was going on a three-week break.

On Friday, Mr Justice Sweeney sitting at Manchester Civil Justice Centre granted an application from inquiry chair Sir John Saunders to issue a bench warrant against Abedi.

Paul Greaney QC, for the applicant, argued Abedi had “important” evidence to give on his younger brother’s path to extremism.

He said the inquiry heard this week that their father, Ramadan Abedi, was associated with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a militia that had links with terror organisation al-Qaeda.

Another Abedi brother, Hashem, 24, was jailed for life last year for the 22 murders by assisting the bomb plot.

Mr Greaney said: “The question that the inquiry would like to pose is was Ramadan Abedi a violent Islamist extremist and if so did that rub off on his sons.”

He said the inquiry also wants to know if Salman and Hashem had received military training in Libya after photographs of the pair holding weapons were found on Ismail’s phone.

Another area to probe would be to ask Ismail if it was “just a coincidence” that Salman spent increased time with mutual friend Abdalraouf Abdallah, 28 – later jailed for terrorism offences – in 2015 and 2016 when he was said to have eschewed his previous partying lifestyle and become more religious, said Mr Greaney.

Finally, Abedi has potential relevant evidence to give, said Mr Greaney, on the preparation of the bomb given his DNA was found on a hammer in a car used to store the explosives.

Rebecca Filletti, appearing for Abedi under his new name of Ben Romdhan, said he was held in custody for two weeks after the attack in 2017 and he was detained again in August this year when his phone was examined, with neither investigation resulting in any criminal charges.

She also pointed out her client aired caution over the issue of forensics as the court would be aware DNA is transferable and the hammer was a moveable object.

Last month, lawyers for Abedi issued a statement in which they said he was unwilling to give evidence and the questions asked by the inquiry are “essentially the same as he was asked by the police”.

He added requiring him to attend before the inquiry would place him and his family at risk.

It is understood Abedi’s wife and child flew out separately to join him.

At the time of the bombing, Ramadan Abedi was in his homeland of Libya where he remains and has not co-operated with the inquiry. Police still want to question him as a suspect.

Friday’s hearing was told Ismail Abedi could face criminal prosecution if he does not attend the inquiry before it ends.

The post Warrant issued for elder brother of Manchester Arena bomber to attend inquiry appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Abdalraouf Abdallah, Ben Romdhan, Bomber's brother, Ismail Abedi, Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, News

Muslim girls assaulted by group of women who tried to yank their hijabs off

November 22, 2021 Article

South Yorkshire Police are investigating an Islamophobic hate crime in the Attercliffe area of Sheffield following the assaults on two Muslim girls.

A police appeal, published on Friday (November 22), detailed how the two girls, aged 14 and 13, had left the mosque on Staniforth Road when four women of unknown description approached them before assaulting them.

We are appealing for anyone who witnessed a hate crime in Attercliffe in which two girls aged 13 and 14 were assaulted by four women who tried to remove their traditional Muslim dress and hijab. To find our more see our full appeal here https://t.co/Zs4ZNZkmwE pic.twitter.com/jyQRioHkc5

— South Yorkshire Police (@syptweet) November 19, 2021

The anti-Muslim assault occurred on October 14 at 19:40 GMT.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed that the perpetrators had, during the attack, sought to remove their hijabs and other religious clothing, adding that both girls suffered minor injuries.

As protocol, we urge Muslim communities to keep our safety tips in mind, more so when attending and leaving mosques or other Islamic institutions. In addition, our Resources section contain safety advice tailored for children and young people.

The assault made headlines in various newspapers – though it remains somewhat surprising that the BBC coverage excluded the crime reference number, which appears in the police appeal, we hope this is corrected, in line with other news coverage.

Tell MAMA is liaising with the police on this matter further, as we endeavour to provide updates where possible.

In the meantime, however, we urge anyone with information to contact South Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote incident number 988 of October 14. Alternatively, to provide information anonymously, contact the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Categories: hate crime, Hijab, mosque, News, South Yorkshire police

Woman called a “Muslim b****” and told she had “dirty hair” on London bus

November 8, 2021 Article

A Muslim woman travelling on an evening bus towards Clapham described being called a “Muslim b****” by a female passenger who continued to abuse and swear at her throughout their journey.

The perpetrator also told her: “look at you with your dirty hair, you sl*g, you sl*t.”

A Spanish man, disturbed by the ongoing abuse, approached the driver to intervene, who, according to the Muslim woman, dismissively declined to intervene, claiming that the perpetrator had ‘mental health issues’.

The man then approached the Muslim woman to check on her, asking how she was doing, but she did not want to reveal how upset the abuse made her.

The Metropolitan Police continues to investigate the anti-Muslim and Islamophobic incident, which occurred on the evening of October 12.

Transport for London (TfL) provides forms to complain about buses and their bus staff on its website, with TfL aiming to reply within ten days. London Travelwatch is the official watchdog for transport users across London for those seeking to escalate complaints further. If individuals remain unhappy about how the above handled their complaint, they may consider raising a complaint with the Ombudsman.

She described the perpetrator as a Black woman in their mid-to-late fifties.

The growing problem of hate crime on London buses made headlines earlier this year, showcasing that recorded hate crime on London buses during the first Covid-19 lockdown jumped from 43 in May to 115 in June – a startling rise of 167.44 per cent. A spokesperson for Tell MAMA told the press at the time: “These figures are concerning since they show that prejudice against people of colour and of perceived different faiths rose. This underlines the fact that some in our society easily blame others for issues that affect us all and that sadly, prejudice is still alive and well and that it shows its head when we are in crisis collectively as a society.”

You can get advice from our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Or contact us via WhatsApp on 0734 184 6086.

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Categories: bus, hate crime, MET Police, News, TFL, Transport for London

Man in army uniform told family “Palestine isn’t real” during anti-Muslim rant

November 4, 2021 Article

A Muslim family shopping at a branch of the supermarket chain Sainsbury’s in north London described how a man in army uniform abused them in a long anti-Muslim and Islamophobic rant that included falsely accusing the father of ‘oppressing women’ and said that “Palestine isn’t real”.

Speaking to Tell MAMA’s Casework Team, the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, explained that their young child, curious about the man’s uniform, approached them to learn more only to be looked upon with disgust and suspicion, as the uniformed man questioned their identity and background.

The incident took place on the afternoon of October 24.

Having informed the perpetrator that some of the family had a Palestinian background, he turned to the young child and told them, “Palestine isn’t real.” Then, turning to the father, they ranted inchoately about the mistreatment of women and suggested and said to the Muslim man, “I’m sure that makes you happy, doesn’t it?!” falsely accusing him of oppressing and abusing women because of his Islamic faith. As they continued, in the father’s words, to jump from topic to topic, making crude anti-Muslim and Islamophobic remarks.

Feeling further threatened, the family left the store without submitting a complaint to security or management but later agreed for Tell MAMA to raise this with Sainsbury’s whilst protecting their identity.

The family described the perpetrator as a white male in his mid-to-late-fifties.

Having flagged the incident with the supermarket, a spokesperson for Sainsbury’s told Tell MAMA: “Sainsbury’s is an inclusive retailer and does not tolerate any abusive, discriminatory or threatening behaviour in our stores. If a customer experiences anything of this nature we will support them to report the incident to the police and help with investigation in any way that we can.”

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Categories: anti-racism, hate, Muslim, News, Palestine, Sainsbury's

Neo-Nazi Sam Imrie, guilty of terrorism offences, faces lengthy prison sentence

October 28, 2021 Article

Sam Imrie, the 24-year-old neo-Nazi, convicted of terrorism charges, including threats to burn down Fife Islamic Centre, was told to anticipate a “sentence of some length” when they return to Glasgow Crown Court next month.

The two-week trial concluded with the jury finding Imrie guilty of eight of the nine charges brought against him, including two breaches of the Terrorism Act, wilful fire-raising, drink-driving, and possession of child abuse images and violent, necrophilic pornography.

Imrie was found not guilty of preparing an act of terrorism, despite amassing a collection of weapons (two knives, nunchucks, an axe, a hammer, and a rifle scope) and filming, in a chilling evocation to the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, had filmed his intent to live stream an arson attack on the Islamic centre.

He instead wilfully set fire to the doorway of an empty building and set fire to the foliage around a headstone located within St Drostans Cemetery in Markinch, on July 4, 2019, which they unsuccessfully attempted to pass off as the Islamic centre on the fascist Telegram page. When questioned, fellow Telegram group members expressed scepticism, with statements like “Looks like an abandoned building,” Imrie replied, “That’s the Islamic Centre next to the woods, r****d. I’m going to jail.” Imrie had also uploaded the video along posting various white supremacist materials to that Telegram page. For example, he wrote: “No guns. All I can do is burn them down.” He also wrote: “I will stream. Death to the Invaders!”.

Of the terrorism-related charges, the jury found Imrie guilty of glorifying the white supremacist terrorist responsible for the murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch in March 2019 and Anders Breivik, the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011, on Facebook and Telegram. The second charge concerned how he maintained a “record of information” helpful to somebody committing acts of terrorism – including possession of the individual screeds authored by both terrorists.

The 24-year-old did, however, approach the Islamic centre, as CCTV captured Imrie filming its exterior on his phone and uploaded a photo to the group with a racist caption that read: “Animals have their windows barred like a zoo.”

Imrie would boast online that “All my heroes are mass murderers.” In court, he admitted to regularly consuming far-right and neo-Nazi propaganda, collecting a dizzying amount of racist hate materials on their computer (ten-thousand images, according to news reports), including Holocaust denial. On Snapchat, he used the username “racewarplz”, and his computer password contained the N-word. On Facebook, Imrie’s cover photo was of Adolf Hitler, with their biographical details having read “Seeing Muslims suffer,” with other neo-Nazi propaganda including 14/88 appearing on their profile. He considered Trump a “God”.

Before the age of sixteen, Sam Imrie appeared at Kirkcaldy police station after being caught writing “F*** Muslims” on a bus shelter, his mother Joyce revealed when giving evidence to the court.

When Police Scotland raided Imrie’s home after a tip-off from the Met Police in London (who had infiltrated the now-removed Telegram page @fashwaveartists), they recovered an iPhone which included a copy of the Christchurch terror attack live stream, which Imrie admitted to watching several times, along with propaganda images declaring the terrorist a “saint” who “did nothing wrong”.

He described an obsession with the white supremacist imageboard 8chan and how he became “red-pilled”. In contrast to “black pill” nihilism, academics argue, which deems it “impossible” to escape the social hierarchies, proponents of which claim face exclusion from the “blue pill/red pill” proponents who seek advantage from “knowing” how society “really works” to escape their difficulties.

Imrie also boasted of writing to Breivik.

We heard further examples of Imrie’s racist beliefs towards Jewish communities during the trial, where he expressed antisemitic canards of disproportionate societal influence and referred to the video-sharing platform YouTube as “JewTube”.

On Telegram, they wrote: “The SNP Party wants millions of Muslims to come in so obviously I want Sturgeon to die.”

Imrie denied all charges against him and argued that his neo-Nazi beliefs were unserious forms of humour, born from his health issues.

Police Scotland welcomed the verdict.

With the trial concluded, various news media headlines draw further attention to the inconsistencies in how far-right terrorism is framed, with some headlines avoiding the term only to use it in the body of the article. Examples included headlines like “Fife terror accused revered right wing mass murderers, trial told,” and “Scots white nationalist who idolised mass killers and spouted race hate convicted of terror offences,” to “Chilling video of Scot convicted of terror offences using bagpipe music to copycat Christchurch mosques mass killer” and “Man who ‘idolised mass murderers’ convicted of terrorism offences“.

In another egregious example, but from the body of a news article, a BBC article referred to the far-right terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch as a “far right activist” who “slaughtered Muslims praying at their mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 2019.”

It's unbelievable that this BBC article which correctly identifies Breivik as a terrorist would then refer to the white supremacist terrorist who murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch as a mere "far right activist". Language matters.https://t.co/GAlbA18MIb pic.twitter.com/SCecDncYXc

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) October 28, 2021

Lord Mulholland remanded Imrie in custody and said: “Be under no illusion – you have been convicted of very serious offences including gathering information about terrorism and encouraging terrorism, child pornography and extreme pornography.”

Lord Mullholand also placed Imrie on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

We welcome the guilty verdict and hope a stringent and lengthy sentence reflects the harm caused to Muslim communities, given that Sam Imrie is an ideologically-driven racist and neo-Nazi who was guilty of terrorism offences. The personal safety of Muslims and the safety of all Islamic institutions across Scotland and, indeed, the United Kingdom is vital. The threat of far-right terrorism is a threat to Muslims and other minoritised communities, and we thank the diligent work of the police and the courts in a successful prosecution of a complex case.

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Categories: Christchurch, Far Right groups, Neo-Nazi, News, Police Scotland, Scotland, terrorism

“No Islam” graffiti in Sutton Park under investigation

October 26, 2021 Article

West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council have been alerted to anti-Muslim and Islamophobic graffiti scrawled on a sign in Sutton Park.

The graffiti, which reads “No Islam”, appears on a sign warning the public against swimming in a body of water in the park, which a Muslim family spotted when following a trial walk recently.

The Muslim family who spotted the graffiti shared their photo with us to raise awareness.

Tell MAMA has since flagged it with the local council and the police, and the family consented for us to use a photograph of the graffiti to raise awareness whilst protecting their anonymity.

We remind the public that anyone can report racist, harmful, and hateful graffiti – wherever it appears (including lampposts, bins, benches, signs, or public buildings).

The government’s Gov.uk website simplifies the process and locates the appropriate council by inputting the postcode information.

The Birmingham City Council website, in this example, states: “We remove graffiti from subways and recycling sites around Birmingham as quickly as possible. If the graffiti is racist or offensive we aim to remove it within 1 working day.”

In recent years, we have highlighted other examples of such graffiti – including on public buildings, walls, and in one example, a vehicle.

It remains unclear when the graffiti appeared, as the sign also shows signs of recent targeting with anti-vaccine and Covid-19 denial propaganda stickers since removed.

Where possible, we will provide updates on the matter in due course.

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Categories: graffiti, News, West Midlands Police

HYGGE cafe supports Muslim colleague with powerful anti-hate message

October 20, 2021 Article

The HYGGE café in Sheffield had a wonderful message of solidarity and support for its Muslim staff following an anti-Muslim and Islamophobic one-star review from a customer on Google after being served by a Muslim staff member in hijab.

In response, management replied: “Please rest assured that we will be doing everything we can to reassure ALL of our employees that their individuality, their religion, their race, gender, and personality – are what makes them perfect.”

Adding, “HYGGE is a family run business, and our mantra is to be inclusive, to be friendly, and to spread love – not hate. Your opinion has no place in this world, and I hope you learn to love a little more.”

Alex informed “George Cross” that “If you do find yourself visiting HYGGE again, please ask for me by name – as I’d be happy to tell you in person that you will never be welcome at our business, until you change your outrageous and despicable attitude.”

Screenshots of the retort went viral on Instagram, drawing deserved praise and support, with people promising to visit. Others replied, “this is another reason why I would visit HYGGE again!”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HYGGE (@hyggesheffield)

Reflecting on Facebook, HYGGE wrote that “we felt it our duty to do what we can do to spread a message of unity and love, and to raise awareness of archaic and outrageous opinions that have no place in this world.”

Closing their latest statement with this powerful paragraph: “We as a business are so proud of each one of our staff, and we are so grateful to be a part of their lives. We will stand alongside each of them, and every one of our customers. There is no place for hate or discrimination of any sort in our business.”

Many have since flooded the Google reviews of HYGGE with equal levels of positive messaging and support.

Everyone at Tell MAMA warmly extends their deep gratitude to Alex and the staff at HYGGE for their show of solidarity and standing up to hate. Feel free to show them some love.

Thank you dearly to the HYGGE cafe in Sheffield for standing up for their Muslim staff member who wears the hijab.

Show them some love: https://t.co/L9qU4Y6nLp https://t.co/NuzYM0Euc1

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) October 20, 2021

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Categories: Hijab, News, positive stories, Sheffield, workplace

Debunked: far-right Twitter falsehoods about Muslims in Rotherham

October 18, 2021 Article

A racist tweet comparing Rotherham to Islamabad and called for violence against Muslims is now the subject of a police investigation, following an investigation by Tell MAMA, after members of the public flagged their concerns.

The racist tweet shared on the evening of October 16 takes a video from a Mawlid (Milad un Nabi) celebration in Rotherham’s town centre in 2010 out of context to push harmful and racialised falsehoods that risk real-world violence to Muslims in Rotherham and beyond.

Circled is the old Alliance & Leicester bank which ceased to exist from 2011 onwards. The former Santander building has been vacant since 2014 in this part of Rotherham.

Another way to verify this falsehood is in its background – namely, the old Alliance & Leicester, which ceased to exist in 2011 after merging with Santander – the storefront has been vacant since 2014.

As of writing, the video accrued over forty-five thousand views, as some tweets in reply called for violence – including statements calling for the army to shoot them, racist conspiracies about ‘trojan horses’, to calls for mass deportations.

The investigation also unearthed a second racialised falsehood posted in reply to the above video and falsely claims to show the “changing face of Rotherham” over forty years, with the second image showing Muslims praying on the street in front of various police officers.

The origin of the historical photo is partly explained once again by YouTube. We traced its origins to a video montage of Rotherham in the 1950s and 1960s, first uploaded in 2014, where the image itself appears at the 2:58 timestamp.

Credit: YouTube/Billy244.

The image would later appear in a 2018 Rotherham Advertiser article about local history from Melvyn Jones and Michael Bentley.

Regarding the second image, that photo, taken on September 5, 2015, by local photographer Luis Arroyo, had captioned it, “Prayer time during the Rotherham Unite Against Fascism’s demo today.” As with 2021, in 2015 also, the image removed from its context became a lightning rod for anti-Muslim and Islamophobic agitators. Arroyo wrote on September 10, 2015, “It is a real shame all those negative comments flying about too.”

The men photographed were part of a broader anti-fascist protest in the town, one month after the racist murder of Muslim pensioner Mushin Ahmed.

That same day, Britain First, the far-right street defence movement arrived in the town, resulting in 800 police officers from forces nationwide attending.

The events of that day also drew attention to injustice and the subsequent acquittal of the Rotherham 12 – Asian men cleared of violent disorder charges for protecting their communities from the far-right in 2016 and 2018, with articles providing further context appearing that year, addressing issues with policing and communities mobilising to support the twelve men.

Its false caption, “College Street, Rotherham, 40 years apart,” appeared on Twitter on the afternoon of October 17, before a day later, appearing with identical language on the social media channels of the far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson).

Tell MAMA has debunked various falsehoods that gained traction on Twitter, notably during the first national lockdown last year.

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Categories: conspiracies, Fake News, falsehoods, Far Right groups, memes, News, Rotherham, Tommy Robinson