EDL commander who organised intimidating protests against Asian MEP at his home jailed for 18 months

Daily Mail:

  • The group barricaded Tory MEP Sajjad Karim’s house, shouting abuse and holding EDL placards with Mr Karim, his wife and their two children still inside
  • Before police made it to the scene they continued on a ‘flash demonstrations’ rampage around Lancashire
  • Violence later broke out in Brierfield where a 17-year-old Asian man was floored in the street and one man was run over.

By Sara Malm

PUBLISHED: 19:43 GMT, 26 June 2012 | UPDATED: 09:24 GMT, 27 June 2012

Bernard Holmes, an English Defence League commander has been jailed for leading a mob of EDL members to the house of a Muslim MEP Bernard Holmes, an English Defence League commander has been jailed for leading a mob of EDL members to the house of a Muslim MEP

A ‘commander’ in the English Defence League who led a mob of 40 people to barricade the home of Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim has been jailed for 18 months.

Bernard Holmes, 28, was arrested after members of far right group converged on the property of Mr Karim whilst his wife and two young children were at home.

Claiming they wanted to deliver a letter, invaded the politician’s driveway and were said to have behaving in an ‘intimidating, threatening manner’ and shouting abuse whilst holding up placards from the EDL.

Police were called to the house in Burnley but were too late as the mob had already moved on to carry out a string of ‘flash demonstrations’ in Blackburn and nearby towns led by Holmes.

This is not the first time Mr Karim has experienced harassment from far-right groups like the EDL: In 2010, Mr Karim said he was forced to hire a private security firm for round the clock protection due to threats.

Mr Karim, MEP for North West, said he believed he was targeted for religious reasons because the EDL have an ‘anti-Islamic agenda’.

Mr Holmes, who goes under the nickname ‘Mr B’ is the EDL Blackburn division’s ‘commander’ and led the operation on July 2 last year.

 

Holmes, from Blackburn pleaded guilty to racially aggravated public order offences and was also given a five year CRASBO on top of his 18 month prison sentence at Preston Crown Court today.

The court heard how the group gathered outside 41-year old Mr Karim’s house at lunchtime in July last year to stage an anti-Islamic protest allegedly regarding EU proposals on the labelling of Halal meat.

Click to continue:

[Oddly, the EU proposal I have found would be a giant leap forward from what we all suffer from today]

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

16 Replies to “EDL commander who organised intimidating protests against Asian MEP at his home jailed for 18 months”

  1. The EU should make sure that its member states are multicultural to ensure the prosperity of the union, the UN’s special representative for migration has said. Peter Sutherland also suggested the UK government’s immigration policy had no basis in international law. He told the House of Lords committee migration was a ‘crucial dynamic for economic growth’ in some EU nations ‘however difficult it may be to explain this to the citizens of those states’. He said that an ageing or declining native population in countries like Germany or southern EU states was the ‘key argument and, I hesitate to the use word because people have attacked it, for the development of multicultural states’. He criticised the UK’s attempt to cut net migration from its current level to ‘tens of thousands’ a year through visa restrictions.

    Multiculturalism is not about integration but about cultural plurality. It is not about separation but about respect and the deepening awareness of Unity in Diversity. Each culture will maintain its own intrinsic value and at the same time would be expected to contribute to the benefit of the whole society. Multiculturalism can accommodate diversity of all kinds – cultural, philosophical and religious – so that we can create a world without conflict and strife. Britain can assume the role of accommodation and concern for all peoples, for our planet and indeed for our survival. We live in a rapidly changing world. If you attack the burqa, you attack the right of women to choose their own clothing. Respect the right of women how to dress.I respect women’s rights. Nobel Peace Prize winner “Tawakkul Karman,” ‘The mother of Yemen’s revolution,’ when asked about her Hijab by journalists and how it is not proportionate with her level of intellect and education, replied: “Man in early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is a regression back to the ancient times. Veil is a sign of woman liberation from Current Naked liberalism, unethical fashion, social harassment, over consciousness about figure etc and become a sex icon and toy of the troy. In very cold winter people walk about with scarves tightly wrapped around their face. In those cases no security issue arises, but the wearing of burqa raises security concern. Burqa is worn as a matter of choice. Nowadays young women choose to wear full veil seeing it as a powerful statement of identity, The parliaments of various European countries are voting to legislate the banning of the veils, In Switzerland a ban on minarets was imposed. The campaign against Islamic symbols is on the rise because of a sense of insecurity in some Europeans. A ban on the burqa is bound to widen the differences rather than bridging them. It will just encourage discrimination against Muslims in European society.
    IA
    http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

  2. “The EU should make sure that its member states are multicultural to ensure the prosperity of the union, the UN’s special representative for migration has said. ”

    Proof that Islamization is part of the NWO. What about multiculturalism in Pakistan?

  3. I don’t think importing and having to sustain hordes of seditious, criminal parasites, raking in all kinds of welfare benefits, is a guarantee for the prosperity of the union.

  4. Too bad this a-hole was a leader or commander of this one small community of EDL, because stuff like this from one guys fucking ignorance, will paint the whole group …sadly…
    their cause was just, but the way they tried to exercise their frustration deserves consequences….

  5. “Holmes, from Blackburn pleaded guilty to racially aggravated public order offences”

    Stupid stupid stupid. This was motivated by politicics and a legal issue. Bernard Holmes damaged his cause by pleading guilty to this false charge. He should have pleaded innocent no matter what.

  6. This article is yet another example of absolutely foul British jornalism.

    What did the letter say? What has the MEP done to obligate this group to write the letter? What is MEP Sajjad Karim’s stated stance on the issue? What is MEP Sajjad Karim’s history of political behavior and decisions?

    What was the decision process that led up to the protest? Did someone suggest it to this demonsterably dim witted person? Was it his own idea?

    What was the EDL’s official responce? Were they even asked about it? This journalist didn’t bother to ask them.

    What exactly happened in the incident where the 17 yr old was hurt? Was he in a pack of thugs that started a fight with the EDL group, as muslim groups do at many EDL protests? The article is so veague on this it has to be intentional.

    Was exactly happened in the car related incident? Was it attempted manslaughter or an accident (or DWI- it is England after all and they do like their beer). The article doesn’t say at all which it was or describe the incident in any usefull detail.

  7. Don’t believe everything you read . It makes me highly suspicious that a lot of the story is “manipulated” (outright lies) when the video that provides the facts suddenly goes “private’.

  8. The video is here.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swc5bWhaZKE
    What actually happened starts at 1:52
    I tried posting this to the Daily Mail comments, but the section is frozen at 50 posts.
    They wouldn’t post it anyway because I called Karim (and the D.M.) liars.
    This was just citizens trying to deliver a letter to a representative of the people.
    He wouldn’t answer the door, so they went away.
    Holmes should never have pleaded guilty – opportunity lost to expose this liar Karim publicly with a trial.

  9. morticia :

    What did he actually do wrong in your opinion.
    Watch Blind Druid’s video

    Thank you

  10. Thanks “Blind Druid”, it’s as I expected a complete lie. He’s getting 18 months for THAT. The authorities need to be reigned in , this has gone from the ridiculous to the sublime. And it’s another example of a muslim lying through his teeth along with whomever reported this…………..(spits in derision)

  11. @ “Blind Druid”. I agree, this was an opportunity to expose this muslim scumbag that is now lost. What was he thinking?

  12. “And it’s another example of a muslim lying through his teeth along with whomever reported this…………..(spits in derision)”

    Muslims get away with lying, because almost no one knows Urdu.

  13. The costs of defending yourself in court is just to much for one average person

  14. Blind Druid:

    This really saddens me

    It is clear in the video there was no flash’mob’. There was no violence and nothing else that shows any harm against this representative. All I see is slander against this man by the media and even conservatives are buying it.

    This was posted on a few conservative web sites and most of the posts are directed against he EDL and support for the media. really this does surprise me and I am saddened by this fact.

    We are not learning.