[IMC-UK-Features] proposal - BNP Threat

[Genny]

Hi

Some suggestions, corrections etc. below.

Genny


ana wrote:
> hi,
>
> for speed's sake, i am forwarding the text as proposed in legal list
> even though i do not agree with it. however i respect the objections
> to remove any para from this text and if there are no objections in 4
> hours, i will publish it as a feature in front page.
>
> ana
>
>
> BNP Threatens Free Media
>
>
>
> Indymedia is yet again facing legal threats to prevent the free flow of
> communication, this time from a political movement known for its
> hostility to free speech. On the 21
[^]st November Indymedia received an
> email from someone claiming to be a legal representative for the British
> National Party, threatening to take legal action on a number of 
bases [replace bases with 'counts'?  Just think it reads better - no
other reason]
> for publishing information on BNP members.
>
>
> After the hilarity of the “little Fuhrer”, Nick Griffin, running to the
> safety of the Human Rights Act to try to prevent the publication of
> members’ details, Britain’s fascist party has resorted to threats.
>
>
>
> The letter sent to Indymedia by Lee John Barnes LLB (hons), from the
> “BNP Legal Affairs Unit”, threatens to take legal action, on the basis
> of theft, data protection and contempt of court, unless the list of
> members is removed.
>
>
>
> The “lawyer” also attempts to shoehorn his charges into the form of
> anti-terrorism legislation, “The use of this information we feel is
> being hosted on your site for use only to incite acts of harassment,
> incite violence and direct targeted attacks against our members in the
> Leeds area”. He then goes on to explain the sections of the Terrorism
> Act under which Indymedia would be charged.
>
>
>
> Indymedia rejects any accusation that the information could be used to
> incite violence and has strived to remove any comments that may be seen
> as incitement. One volunteer explains that there are many legitimate
> uses for the information, “for individuals to be able to check that
> their doctor, teacher, nurse etc. isn't a member of the BNP”
[add ', for example.' here]
>
>
> Indeed, Merseyside Police has already used the information in such a way
> to dismiss an officer, 
Pc [typo - should be 'PC']  Steve Bettley, who has been exposed as a
> member. A spokesperson for the police said: “Chief Constable Bernard
> Hogan-Howe has reiterated our position that membership of the British
> National Party is totally incompatible with the duties and values of
> Merseyside Police
[”.] [should  be full stop before speech marks.]
>
>
> Most incredibly Mr Barnes then explains, “I will also be issuing a
> request to our internal investigations team to initiate actions to
> collect your home addresses, contact details and financial details
> relating to you personally as persons running or hosting the Indymedia
> website”. Internal Investigations? Once the BNP has this information, it
> “will be used to initiate legal actions upon yourselves, to initiate
> financial sanctions against your company and also will be publicised on
> various websites so that people may contact you and address any legal
> issues they may have”. Pot, kettle, black?
>
>
>
>
> [pic]
>
> Caption: Mr Lee John Barnes, incoherent Legal Director extraordinaire
>
>
>
> Indymedia’s legal volunteers have been somewhat baffled by Mr Barnes’s
> email. One volunteer explains, “the BNP has been terrified by the fact
> that its members are being outed. You might expect these proud
> nationalists to wear their membership with pride, but then again I
> think we are starting to see the truth about the BNP – they are a
> bunch of, scared thugs, and are clearly utterly incoherent and
> amateurish… but then that is what they are all about”.
[I think that if this feature is going to accuse Mr Barnes of
incoherence, which is well-deserved, we need to make sure this article
is very coherent. I'm not sure about the quote above in that context.  I
think we always knew the BNP was a bunch of scared thugs, so maybe it's
not appropriate to say that we are starting to see the truth.  Don't
know whose quote this was, but I'd suggest something along the lines of:

"You might expect these mouthy nationalists to wear their membership
with pride, but this email exposes the BNP yet again as a bunch of
cowardly thugs, utterly incoherent and amateurish."
>
>
>
> Indeed, it seems to Indymedia that the BNP’s “Legal Affairs Unit” is
> about as impressive on law as its Policy Unit is on policy. Mr Barnes
> – now Director of the unit – proudly displays his incompetence in
> noting that the list of ALL members in the country leaves room for
> concern only for “our members in the Leeds area”.
>
>
>
> The references to the Terrorism Act were described by Indymedia Legal
> as “plain stoooopid”, and it is doubtful that any qualified legal
> practitioner would make such claims. The threat may have joined the
> growing list of worrying misapplications of the Terrorism Act had it
> not been so laughable.
>
>
>
> Mr Barnes’s threat to post personal information about Indymedia
> participants may in itself be illegal – it certainly would cause a
> registered legal practitioner to 
[loose] [typo - should read 'lose'] his credentials. Perhaps then,
> it comes as no surprise that the Law Society confirms that Barnes is
> NOT a qualified lawyer at all.
>
>
>
> In fact, Mr Lee John Barnes LLB (hons) is an incoherent, buffoonish
> mystic who could well be charged with incitement himself.
[Not sure on what grounds he's being called a mystic.  How about
'windbag'?  Oh, the mysticism comes in later... I've just read further
down.  I wouldn't call him a mystic before it's been explained why.]
>
>
>
> Believe it or not, the Mr Barnes lists his favourite music as
> Morrisey, Sinatra, Manic Street Preachers, Public Enemy and the Sex
> Pistols! But then fascists have always tended to like
> self-flagellation (for those of you unfamiliar, the bands range from
> the left to the far left!)
[!] [no need for second exclamation mark.  Replace with full stop... I
think.]
>
> http://www.blogger.com/profile/16093052197059748663
>
>
>
> If that weren’t enough, Mr Barnes’s mysticism should impress. In Mr
> Barnes’s fantasy world, he hails from “The Barnes Clan”, which “are of
> the Bjeorn bloodline - Bjorn meaning bear was changed to Barnes - and
> this is the surname of those that were once the Berserkers - the
> bodyguards of Norse kings and the fiercest men in battle”. Yes, indeed.
>
> http://leejohnbarnes.blogspot.com/
>
>
>
> Such is Mr Barnes’s buffoonery, there are now whole web sites
> dedicated to “all things that are John Lee Barnes LLB (hons)”
> http://weloveleebarnes.blogspot.com/ and to particular instances of
> his buffoonery http://www.ministryoftruth.org.uk/2006/10/29/
>
[Perhaps rather too many buffoonerys in above para.  Replace second one
with 'many gaffes' perhaps?]
>
>
> More sinister material can be found elsewhere. Particularly disturbing
> is Barnes’s claim that, “This is not a game we are playing, this is a
> war and in times of war unquestionable obedience and loyalty to the
> commander in the field must come first, The 'First Law Of Nationalism'
> is - If you work with the enemy, then you are the enemy.”
>
> http://www.joechapman.org/thebnp/bnphistory.htm
>
> http://leejohnbarnes.blogspot.com/
>
> http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2008/05/lee-barnes-lays-down-law-to-challengers.html
>
> see also
>
> http://ambientroutmask.livejournal.com/39557.html

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