10/8/00 - Once again the South of England demonstrates that it is a ripe feedin g ground and veritable recruitment centre for the far-right. After the ill-informed and reactionary crap spouted about the 'flood' of asylum seekers into Dover, Portsmouth citizens have taken it upon themselves to get rid of suspected paedophiles in their area. Cars have been torched and bricks and other missiles thrown through windows of suspected paedophiles.
Spurred on by the News of the World's ridiculous name and shame campaign, locals are now parading through the streets of Portsmouth demanding paedophiles be put to death. Many of the protesters are children, who will hold forever the morals that they learn from their peers. The argument of the protesters is that children will do what children do, but with fat old ladies in yellow cardigans leading local youth in the chant "What do we want? Paedophiles killed! When do we want it? Now!" it is hard to see how the children cannot be forever scarred. This makes them targets for those who seek to promote such intolerance. The vigilanties are making their own children potential recruits to nazism.
You can guarantee that the BNP or the NSM will be out in force with their hate-ridden leaflets, valiantly supp orting the anti-paedophile vigilantism that has forced four innocent people out of their homes and led to the suicides of accused paedophiles.
"James White, 54, of greater Manchester, took an overdose at the weekend after he and his wife ha d spent days on the run while millionaire motorbike dealer John Potter of Herne Bay, Kent, shot himself rather than face police questioning over an indecent assault on two 15-year-olds." Reuters
The News of the World has backed down, tail b etween its legs, after a veritable kicking from the media and governmental organisations. Labour MP Robin Corbett is calling for the tabloid to be prosecuted for inciting riots such as those continuing in Portsmouth, which at the time of writing had conti nued for almost a week. The News of the World began the campaign while riding a wave of popular support after the abduction and muder of 8-year-old Sarah Payne. The paper has proceeded to exploit the Payne parents to sell papers, and now a family still re eling from the death of a daughter are being put under media and governmental pressure.
Vivian Parry the editor of the News of the World is unrepentant, calling for the introduction of 'Sarah's Law' that will release the names and addresses of sex offenders to the public. Presumably so they can go round and firebomb it. The paper continues to sell papers by putting 'cut out and send off' forms on the front page asking the public to express their view while spending their money on Ms Parry's paper.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not protecting paedophiles. I am, however, trying to protect society from itself. Social cohesion is a powerful force and can easily be corrupted as demonstrated in Portsmouth. Direct action is only acceptable when you know for certain that you are targetting the right people. Information provided by tabloids is suspect in the extreme. There is a world of difference between Anti Fascist Action co nfronting Neo Nazis marching in Waterloo and tabloid-consuming housewives urging neighbours to attack the homes of people they think have done wrong. This is just the sort of ill-thought-out action that allows fascism to gain a foothold in a democracy. By being seen to support the portsmouth vigilanties, the far-right will aim to win hearts and minds to its agenda.