Three ‘Nazis' plotted destruction of synagogues and mosques in preparation for race war
Three 'Nazis' who believed a race war was imminent planned terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues, a court has heard.
Christopher Ringrose, 34, Marco Pitzettu, 25, and Brogan Stewart, 25, were ' Right-wing extremists ' preparing to use firearms, explosives and a range of bladed weapons in their attacks.
They were arrested when security services believed an attack could be imminent after undercover officers infiltrated their group, Sheffield Crown Court was told on Wednesday.
Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, said the defendants had acquired or were trying to acquire a 'wide variety of weapons' including swords, knives, axes, spears and crossbows as well as gathering information on explosives and firearms.
He said the preparations they were making included 'taking steps to complete the manufacture' of a 3D printed semi-automatic firearm.
Mr Sandiford said: 'The prosecution say that these three defendants were Right-wing extremists who regarded themselves as National Socialists, or Nazis, and they supported the National Socialist movement in the UK, such as it is or indeed was.'
He said the defendants followed a cause that embraced an admiration for Adolf Hitler, white supremacy, a 'hatred towards black and other non-white races', and glorification and admiration for mass killers who have targeted the black and Muslim community.
Race war
The jury heard the trio all held a 'belief that there must soon be a race war between the white and other races'.
Mr Sandiford said that at the time of their arrest in February 2024 'all three were involved in making preparations for acts of terrorism in furtherance of their political, racial or ideological causes'.
He said they were gathering equipment such as riot shields, body armour and gas masks in readiness for a race war.
The prosecutor told the jury that the defendants formed a group called Einsatz 14 in January 2024, with 'like-minded extremists' who wanted to 'go to war for their chosen cause'.
Mr Sandiford explained Einsatz 14 included three undercover officers and the police intervened in February 2024 when it became clear the defendants had identified potential targets and there was a threat of an 'imminent attack'.
Mr Ringrose, of Cannock, Staffordshire; Mr Pitzettu, of Mickleover, Derbyshire; and Mr Stewart, of Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, deny a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.
Mr Ringrose also denies manufacturing a prohibited weapon.
The trial continues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Gavin Newsom locks horns with Trump in a politically defining moment
Amid immigration raids, peaceful protests, attacks on law enforcement officers and the threat of his own arrest by federal agents, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is immersed in what could be the most consequential political fight of his career. The battle between the president and the governor of the nation's largest state instantly turned Newsom into the face of resistance to President Donald Trump's expansive interpretation of the authorities of his office and mass-deportation campaign. It comes at a time when Newsom, who is a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, has been taking heavy criticism from within his own party over his efforts — in part through his new podcast — to cast himself in the role of conciliator. 'For someone like Newsom, the balance is: Is he able to be tough enough? Will he stand up to Trump? How does he lead at this moment?' said Democratic strategist Karen Finney. 'This is unprecedented. There's not a right answer. So far, he's doing the right things, being clear, consistent, clear communication.' Newsom could try to turn the situation on Trump by pointing to government overreach, but at the same time, there is real risk of an eruption violence from rogue actors, said Matt Bennett, co-founder of Third Way, a center-left think tank. 'The images of the militarization of this for no reason should be enough for Newsom to win this debate as long as they can keep control of the worst of the violence," he said. 'Trump always goes too far,' Bennett added. 'Last time, he went too far with the Muslim ban. Then he really went too far with child separation — those images really hurt Trump. Here, it's a real question. It's a much closer call this time. We just don't know yet.' As it is, Newsom must balance forces that are both inside and outside of his control. That includes competing with messaging from Trump (who frequently refers to the governor as "Newscum") and the president's top lieutenants, who are ever-present on cable news, social media and political podcasts. And it involves attempting to quell violent actors while pointing to Trump's actions — which have included deploying the U.S. Marines — as an overreach. For its part, the White House maintains it is winning the public relations battle, with officials tapping a refrain this week that it was the fight they wanted replete with made-for-TV images. That included images of billowing black smoke and Waymo vehicles that protesters had set on fire. On Monday, California filed suit against Trump for using emergency powers to deploy National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area over the weekend. Trump, citing a statute that allows the president to activate the guard to repel a foreign invasion or quell a rebellion, accused Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of failing to protect federal agents and property from demonstrators. Newsom has slammed the step as escalatory, and said existing law enforcement could have handled any violence or destruction. He argued that the move was 'purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions' and that there was 'currently no unmet need.' Newsom has also been mounting his own messaging offensive, including on X, where he posted what appeared to be photos of troops crowded on a floor, apparently attempting to rest. "You sent your troops here without fuel, food, water or a place to sleep. Here they are — being forced to sleep on the floor, piled on top of one another. If anyone is treating our troops disrespectfully, it is you @realDonaldTrump," Newsom said on X. On Sunday, Newsom chided Trump border czar Tom Homan, saying in an MSNBC interview: " Tom, arrest me. Let's go." Late Monday, Newsom sat for a "Pod Save America" podcast recording in which he cast Trump's actions as unconstitutional and noted some of those assigned to Los Angeles — in his view, unnecessarily — were pried away from fentanyl investigations, and potentially from border operations, for "this theatrical display of toughness by a president of the United States who is unhinged." By Tuesday morning, Newsom accused Trump and his top White House deportation architect Stephen Miller of sheltering insurrectionists. "The only people defending insurrectionists are you and @realDonaldTrump. Or, are we pretending like you didn't pardon 1500 of them?" On Tuesday afternoon, the two were locked in another public squabble after Trump told reporters he delivered some tough words to Newsom in a phone call Monday. Newsom said the two hadn't spoken since Friday, then posted an interview with NBC News from over the weekend in which Newsom contended he and Trump had a pleasant conversation and that the president barely talked about the issue at hand. The White House had a different take. 'The President called Gavin Newsom to tell him to get his ass in gear," White House spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. "The only liar here is Newsom who continues to fail his state as he prioritizes doing interviews with leftist media to gaslight the public instead of helping his state.' At that, Newsom responded on X: "Donald Trump is a stone cold liar." Since November's presidential election, Newsom seemed content to lay low and get a better measure of Trump's political appeal as he contemplated a run for the Oval Office. He's also taken some heat from his own party for hosting MAGA figures on his podcast and saying he opposes allowing trans athletes on girls' teams in college and youth sports. Trump's move on the protests, however, has forced Newsom to pick sides on an issue that the president and White House officials believe they have the political edge. Now, Democratic leaders say their party is galvanizing behind Newsom — at least for the moment — and it would be difficult for prospective rivals to do anything but fall in line behind him when he is taking a stand on turf that is popular with Democratic voters. Friends of Newsom say it would be an unexpected political boon for the governor if Trump and Homan follow through on their threat to arrest him if they decide he has broken the law. That would be "a Nelson Mandela moment" for Newsom, said one longtime ally, referring to the imprisonment of the anti-apartheid leader and recalling that indictments helped Trump win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. At the same time, that ally and others are careful to depict the governor as focused on the substance of the battle with Trump, rather than the political risks or rewards. "He's not going to stand by idly while President Trump aims to destroy California," said California state Rep. Buffy Wicks, a Democrat who often aligns with Newsom. "I do not think it's a political calculation. It's genuinely how he feels, and he's leading with his heart on it." Another observer had a different take: 'This whole fiasco could make Gavin president,' Anthony Scaramucci, the short-lived White House communications director in Trump's first term, wrote on X Monday. The obvious pitfall for Newsom is that Trump could take credit for restoring order or, if violence escalates, continue to pour blame on him. Democrats in the state say that they believe Trump is intentionally sowing discord and that Newsom's best political move is to do his job well. "The most important thing he can do is show he can manage a crisis," said Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. "Good governance is always the best politics — to just show competence contrasting with Trump's chaos." Trump has deployed 700 Marines to Los Angeles to support the roughly 300 National Guard members already on the ground. The president had already ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops. It remains to be seen how the courts will come down on California's lawsuit. The relevant law allows the president to activate the National Guard domestically in order to quell a foreign invasion or a rebellion against the U.S. government, and Trump, calling protesters "insurrectionists," declared the demonstrations a "rebellion." The California attorney general argues in the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Northern California, that Trump has illegally usurped the authority of the state by fabricating a rebellion and that the presence of guard forces is exacerbating tension between protesters and law enforcement officers. The powers to deploy the National Guard are divided between presidents and governors, with state executives generally controlling when they are activated within their own state — as opposed to being deployed to foreign wars. Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, said in an interview with NBC News that governors routinely work with the White House, regardless of party, to mobilize National Guard forces for a variety of tasks, including the response to natural disasters. At times, governors have asked presidents to deploy guard forces to restore order in their states during riots. But not since the Civil Rights era has a president called up the National guard to enforce the law over the objection of the state's governor. Democrats say that it's up to state and local law enforcement to keep the peace and that there was no need for Trump to federalize troops — especially without the consent of the governor. "Gavin's mad as hell and he should be," McAuliffe said. "This is the governor's responsibility, not the president's." Bennett flagged concerns about introducing the U.S. Marines into the situation, saying they are not trained in controlling crowds of Americans. 'This is a very, very dangerous thing," Bennett said. "God forbid, if they hurt somebody … that's real trouble for Trump. But [we're] not rooting for that.'
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The fake AI-generated Holocaust 'victims' duping thousands on Facebook - as Auschwitz museum slams 'dangerous distortions'
At first glance, it is a heartwarming photo: a little girl feeding the ducks on the canal in pre-war Amsterdam. A lengthy description explains that the girl, 'Hannelore Cohen', would 'skip along the cobblestone paths' each morning' - until 'the ducks never saw her again'. What follows is the claim that she was murdered at Sobibor death camp by the Nazis in the Holocaust - but it is not true. The photo has been generated by artificial intelligence, and the story that accompanies it is equally fictitious. The fake post is among dozens of similar ones featuring AI images of supposed Holocaust victims and details of what allegedly happened to them that are being shared to thousands of people on Facebook. Now, the Auschwitz Memorial museum has hit out at the growing phenomenon. A spokesman said: 'While these posts may seem well-intentioned to the audience, they are in fact dangerous distortions. 'They invent stories of people who never existed and present them as real victims. The lengthy post about alleged Holocaust victim Hannelore Cohen 'They exploit Holocaust memory for clicks, shares, and reach. They contribute to confusion and the erosion of historical accuracy.' 'The photos are AI-generated — eerily perfect, stylized, and not drawn from any historical archive. 'Some of the names do not appear in credible Holocaust victim databases and the entire biographies are fabricated.' The post featuring 'Hannelore Cohen' has been shared in a group called Historical Figures, which has more than 110,000 members. It was written by a page named 'Epic Movies'. The page is followed by more than 5,000 people. The post has used the name of a real Holocaust survivor who is listed on the website Refugee Voices as having come to England as part of the Kindertransport scheme for children in 1939. But the invented girl's life story bears no relation to the real Ms Cohen. The post says: 'On 10 September 1931, in the graceful, water-laced city of Amsterdam, a little girl named Hannelore Cohen was born. The accompanying life story says that she was born in the French city of Marseille, that every day she would 'skip to school, her pigtails swaying behind her like banners' and that she loved to read 'Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and her soul seemed to be stitched from kindness. 'She loved simple pleasures, and few things brought her more joy than walking to the canal near her home, a paper bag of breadcrumbs in hand, ready to feed the ducks. 'Each morning, Hannelore would skip along cobblestone paths, the scent of tulips and fresh bread in the air. She'd stop at the edge of the canal and crumble the bread gently, tossing pieces into the still water. 'Ducks gathered near her like she was their friend. She giggled as they quacked and jostled, and sometimes she named them—"Willem," "Rosa," "Pieter." 'She spoke softly to them as if they understood.' It then adds: 'In 1943, when she was just 12 years old, Hannelore was taken from her home and sent to Sobibor, one of the cruelest death camps. There, her life was stolen. 'Her laughter, her crumbs, her gentle kindness—gone in a moment of merciless inhumanity. 'The ducks never saw her again. The water rippled, but no bread fell. 'And Amsterdam wept in silence. But we do not forget.' Another fake post - this time on a page with more than 14,000 followers called Days Gone By Memories - shows a young, bright-eyed girl named as Nadine Levy. The accompanying life story says that she was born in the French city of Marseille, that every day she would 'skip to school, her pigtails swaying behind her like banners' and that she loved to read. After being rounded up and sent to the notorious Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, the biography says she read stories to lift the spirits of other inmates, and kept a secret diary. On the morning of her death, she is said to have 'whispered a goodbye to the rising sun,' and that after the war her diary was found 'pages worn but full of hope.' In another fake Holocaust post on the Epic Movies page, a girl named as Anja Bakker is seen standing in a field of daisies. According to her biography, before the war she 'ran barefoot in the grass, her laughter mingling with birdsong,' and she loved making daisy chains. The fake post then claims that after being murdered in Sobibor, 'the daisy chains she made' and 'the stories she told, lived on in the memory of survivors.' Established in May 1942, by the time it was closed 17 months later between 170,000 and 250,000 Jews had been murdered in Sobibor. Less than 60 inmates are known to have survived. The Auschwitz Museum spokesman also claimed that Meta, the owner of Facebook, has refused to act to remove the fake posts. They said: 'While some pages simply copy our posts, we can see more and more posts that either add AI-generated photo (sic) or are entirely fabricated. 'Even more troubling, Meta (Facebook) has so far refused to act on this. 'They claim that posts with AI-fabricated images or AI-fabricated information on Holocaust victims do not violate their platform's rules. 'This failure to act sets a dangerous precedent. 'Memory must be protected — not invented.' The accounts featuring the fake images and stories have been approached for comment.
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
Alleged sword attacker ‘smiled' after slashing man in the neck, court hears
Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, is on trial accused of murdering schoolboy Daniel Anjorin and attempting to kill four others during a 20-minute rampage in Hainault, north-east London, on April 30 last year. He denies the charges. On Monday, jurors were shown CCTV of the first alleged attack, which showed Monzo's grey Ford Transit mounting the pavement and hitting Donato Iwule, a Co-op security guard on his way to work. Footage captured Mr Iwule screaming in agony as he was struck by the van before it collided with a house. Monzo is then seen exiting the vehicle and walking after him while brandishing a sword. Giving evidence, Mr Iwule said: 'I thought I was dying.' He told the court he tried to escape into a nearby garden but was struck on his knee, face and shoulder and knocked to the ground. Marcus Arduini Monzo (Elizabeth Cook/PA) He said Monzo got out of the van, pulled a sword from a cover 'right in front of my face' and threw the cover aside. 'I said 'I don't know you'… I said it multiple times,' Mr Iwule told prosecutor Tom Little KC. 'He said 'I don't care – I'm going to kill you'.' Mr Iwule said he tried to defend himself and raised his arms but Monzo swung the sword, catching him on the neck. 'I saw blood coming out of my neck,' he said. 'I pressed my thumb to not bleed out… I shouted 'God is greatest' in Arabic – because I'm Muslim. 'When that happened, he was smiling like it was something that he was happy about.' Mr Iwule said Monzo became distracted and he jumped over a fence to escape, later shouting at a schoolboy, believed to be Daniel, to go back inside. Under cross-examination, Mr Iwule said he was standing upright when he was struck and could clearly hear Monzo say he was going to kill him. Last week jurors heard how Monzo had skinned and deboned his own cat before carrying out the alleged attacks, and was under the influence of cannabis that may have led to drug-induced psychosis. However, the prosecution says this does not amount to diminished responsibility. Mitchell Hayes, a witness who was also on his way to work at the Co-op, said he saw the van 'going faster, slowing down, going faster' before the collision. He said he later heard screaming, saw the driver walk around the van and then get back in and reverse away, appearing to hold what looked like a sword. Mr Hayes said he stayed with Mr Iwule, who was holding his neck and bleeding, for 10 to 15 minutes before becoming aware of another incident nearby. He said another colleague, Nathan Hutchinson, began shouting that the attacker had a sword and they saw a body on the other side of the road. 'He was running around with it like a maniac,' Mr Hayes said of the man he believed to be Monzo. Monzo has admitted possessing two swords but denies murder, attempted murder, wounding with intent, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article. The trial continues.
