Latest news with #neo-Nazi
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Palestine Action co-founder WINS bid to challenge group's ban as terror group
A co-founder of banned group Palestine Action has won a bid to bring a High Court challenge over the group's ban as a terror organisation. The organisation was outlawed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last month, with membership and support punishable by up to 14 years in prison. More than 170 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 since the ban was introduced. Lawyers for co-founder Huda Ammori are seeking an interim order blocking Ms Cooper from proscribing the group. Palestine Action was proscribed alongisde neo-Nazi militias Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement. It came after the group claimed credit for a break-in at RAF Brize Norton which saw two fighter jets sprayed with red paint. Ms Cooper said it had "orchestrated a nationwide campaign of direct criminal action against businesses and institutions". And the Home Secretary said the June 20 vandalism at the RAF base was the latest in a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action". United Nations' human rights chief Volker Turk last week criticised the move, saying it was "disproportionate and unnecessary". He said: "It limits the rights of many people involved with and supportive of Palestine Action who have not themselves engaged in any underlying criminal activity but rather exercised their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association." Announcing the decision to seek an injunction, Ms Ammori said: "I have been left with no choice but to request this urgent hearing and to seek either an injunction or other form of interim relief because of the Home Secretary's decision to try to steamroll this through Parliament immediately, without proper opportunity for MPs and Peers to debate and scrutinise the proposal, or for legal and human rights experts and civil society organisations to make representations, or for those of us who would be denied fundamental rights as a result and criminalised as 'terrorists' overnight, including the many thousands of people who support Palestine Action." Actions taken by the pro-Palestinian network, which has targeted arms companies in the UK, included disrupting supplies to Ukraine, Ms Cooper said last month. She said three attacks - including the vandalism of two warplanes at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire - had caused damage worth millions of pounds. The Home Secretary went on: "In several attacks, Palestine Action has committed acts of serious damage to property with the aim of progressing its political cause and influencing the Government. These include attacks at Thales in Glasgow in 2022; and last year at Instro Precision in Kent and Elbit Systems UK in Bristol. "The seriousness of these attacks includes the extent and nature of damage caused, including to targets affecting UK national security, and the impact on innocent members of the public fleeing for safety and subjected to violence. The extent of damage across these three attacks alone, spreading the length and breadth of the UK, runs into the millions of pounds."
Ottawa Citizen
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Robson: Ottawa's neo-Nazi trial shows legal gaps around terrorism in the digital age
On June 25, an Ottawa courtroom heard final arguments in the sentencing of Patrick Gordon Macdonald, a 27-year-old graphic designer and self-proclaimed neo-Nazi propagandist. Article content Convicted in April on three terrorism charges for creating visual content promoting the Atomwaffen Division — a group designated as a terrorist entity in Canada since 2021 — Macdonald and his actions are a wake-up call for Canadian lawmakers. Article content Article content Article content The Crown is seeking a 14-year sentence. While the severity of the charges is clear, the legislative implications remain largely unexplored. Macdonald didn't plant bombs or stockpile weapons. His weapon was digital design: posters, recruitment videos and stylized neo-Nazi visuals shared on encrypted platforms such as Telegram. And yet, these tools proved dangerously effective at spreading extremist ideologies and recruiting violent actors. Article content Canada's legal framework for counterterrorism has yet to catch up with this new terrain. Unlike the United States — where under 18 U.S. Code 2339B, 'material support' for terrorism explicitly includes 'services,' 'personnel' and 'expert advice or assistance' (even in the form of media production) — Canada's laws lack specificity in this domain. Article content The Macdonald case shows why that must change. Article content We need to expand the Canadian definition of 'material support for terrorism' to clearly encompass digital content creation, visual propaganda and recruitment media. In an era when extremist ideologies are packaged as sleek visuals and distributed through decentralized networks, it's no longer sufficient to target only those who commit physical acts of violence. Article content Article content Visual radicalization is real, and it's accelerating. According to testimony during the hearing, Macdonald's work for Atomwaffen and the Sonnenkrieg Division — another designated terrorist group — was used in active recruitment efforts. His propaganda lives on, recirculated across forums and messaging apps beyond his control. Article content Policymakers must also consider the creation of a dedicated unit within CSIS and the RCMP to counter visual digital extremism. Such a unit would specialize in detecting, interpreting, and dismantling visual propaganda — treating videos and imagery not just as free expression, but as operational tools of radicalization and violence. Article content Patrick Macdonald's trial is more than a legal milestone; it's a policy test. And so far, we are failing it. The courts did their part. Now it's time for Parliament to do the same. Article content
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
‘Radical': Neo-Nazi's next court move
A notorious Australian neo-Nazi who has openly praised Adolf Hitler has indicated he will fight a charge of using a Nazi symbol on constitutional grounds. Joel Davis, a leader in the fascist National Socialist Network, appeared for a pre-trial conference at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday. He is confronting the allegation that he displayed a Nazi symbol on a belt buckle following an Australia Day protest in the Adelaide CBD this year. His defence lawyer, Matthew Hopkins, appeared via telephone and told the court that he would serve a notice on the Solicitor-General to argue the charge may have breached his client's constitutional rights. 'Mr Hopkins has just advised he has filed with the court a notice pursuant to the Judicature Act with the intention of obtaining a sealed copy, which he will then serve upon the Solicitor-General, as he wishes to argue a constitutional point in relation to the matter,' chief magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal said. Mr Hopkins filed the notice on Tuesday morning. Neo-Nazi Joel Davis has flagged a 'constitutional' fight over the allegation he used a Nazi symbol. NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia South Australian police arrested and charged 16 people with loitering and displaying Nazi symbols after some 40 men dressed in black stormed the CBD on January 26, chanting 'white man fight back' and singing 'Waltzing Matilda'. Charges against some of the men, including NSN leader Thomas Sewell, have since been withdrawn. A charge against Mr Davis from that day was also withdrawn in May. The neo-Nazis have since claimed they are the victims of political persecution. After a court hearing in April, Mr Hopkins said the alleged offences had impinged on Mr Sewell and Mr Davis's implied constitutional rights to political expression. 'They do intend to form a political party and it would be a radical departure in Australian constitutional jurisprudence for an ideology to be outlawed,' he said at the time. 'And that's really where we are going with this.' Mr Hopkins said the NSN had been 'targeted' by the police and suggested the NSN march was a form of political expression comparable to Survival Day rallies. 'There were numerous demonstrations happening in Adelaide,' he said. 'And it seems to be the case where it is this particular organisation that has been targeted as a special group. 'They were carrying the Australian flag, they were at no stage anywhere near those protests. 'One of them was called anti-Australia Day, one was called Invasion Day. 'You have polarising ideologies here that are in conflict and as part of our constitutional representative government we allow for that, and that is part of the reason why the right to political communication is there, so that there is an outlet for legitimate displays of an ideology.' Mr Davis, speaking outside court in May, also said he would go 'all the way' to the High Court to fight the charge. Ms Hribal said a representative from the Solicitor-General would likely attend Mr Davis's next appearance and indicate their response to the notice. She listed September 23 for the next hearing. Mr Davis and Thomas Sewell are leaders of the fascist NSN group. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Davis is an avowed fascist and has expressed admiration for Hitler. Hitler led the Nazi war machine in the 1930s and 1940s and orchestrated the extermination of some six millions Jews across Europe. At an earlier court appearance, police alleged the NSN was preparing for a 'race war' and hoped to usher in a white supremacist ethnostate. The court was told the men said they wore black outfits to 'represent the ideal of national socialism' and eliminate their individual identities. South Australia's parliament outlawed the display of Nazi symbols or salutes following a sharp and sudden increase in anti-Semitic expression across the country after the terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The law came into effect in December 2024.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Neo-Nazi who live streamed fake bomb threats to Jewish hospitals in NYC and Long Island learns his fate
A Oregon antisemite has been sentenced to five years in prison for phoning in phony bomb threats to Jewish hospitals on Long Island and livestreaming the chaos as it unfolded, federal prosecutors said. Domagoj Patkovic, 31, terrorized medical workers and patients during a months-long spree in 2021, calling in threats to Jewish health care facilities in Nassau County and across the Big Apple — falsely claiming he had planted C-4 explosives throughout their buildings. Local police responded to the scene in several instances and conducted bomb sweeps. 3 Oregon neo-Nazi Domagoj Patkovic was sentenced to five years in prison for calling in fake bomb threats to Jewish hospitals on Long Island. U.S. Department of Justice 3 Patkovic claimed that he planted C-4 explosives in the Jewish health care facilities. Google Maps Northwell Health's Long Island Jewish Valley Stream hospital was partially evacuated and placed on lockdown that September after his bomb hoax made under the alias 'Abrahimavich,' according to court documents. Patkovic, of Portland, claimed to have hidden explosives in maintenance closets in the hospitals and vowed to blow the building up — all while live on Discord, a social media site popular for real-time voice chats, gaming communities, and increasingly, extremist content and fringe groups. When a 911 operator called the number back, Patkovic — still in front of a live audience on Discord — doubled down on the threats and confirmed his identity. And in at least one case, even flipped the camera to reveal his face. The neo-Nazi eventually confessed to participating in swatting and bomb threat calls with others, according to prosecutors — while also identifying himself making the 'Sieg Heil' Nazi salute over a man's unconscious body in a picture from an unrelated incident. 3 Domagoj Patkovic admitted to recording himself giving a Nazi salute over an unconscious man. U.S. Department of Justice He was arrested last August and hit with a 23-count indictment. '[Patkovic] endangered patients and diverted precious law-enforcement resources to advance his hateful agenda against people of the Jewish faith,' said prosecutor Joseph Nocella Jr. 'His actions fed a rising tide of antisemitism in America.' Patkovic pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to issue bomb threats and conveying false information about explosives. No explosives were ever found in any of the hospitals. He was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in federal prison.
Local Germany
3 days ago
- Local Germany
Five surprising things about Dresden, a gem on the Elbe River
Many people may think of Dresden, a city of about half a million in the eastern state of Saxony, as little more than a right-wing hotspot. That reputation isn't wholly undeserved. In federal elections earlier this year, nearly one-third of votes in Dresden's electoral district went to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Dresden is also the site of one of Germany's most notorious neo-Nazi rallies, held every February in commemoration of the bombing of the city during World War II. But there's more to Dresden than right-wing politics. Here are five things that might surprise you about the city known affectionately as Florence on the Elbe. Dresden has a rich cultural and artistic heritage Dresden, which was once the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony, bears plenty of reminders of its royal history. Visitors to the city's old town can tour palaces and see what remains of the kingdom's treasures, including the crown jewels of Saxony. The Green Vault, where the crown jewels are kept, made international headlines in 2019, when thieves stole jewels from the collection estimated to be worth over €100 million. Most of the jewels have since been recovered, but several remain missing. Dresden was also the birthplace of the influential German Expressionist art movement. The group of Expressionist artists known as Die Brücke , or The Bridge, was founded by a group of architecture students studying in Dresden in 1905. The movement, which was later denigrated by the Nazis as 'degenerate art,' was characterized by its experimental use of color and form. READ ALSO: Eight art galleries you have to visit in Germany this year Another famous painter with strong ties to Dresden is Caspar David Friedrich. His famous painting 'Wanderer above the Sea of Fog' depicts a man gazing out over a mountain landscape in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, near Dresden. Caspar David Friedrich's 'Wanderer Over a Sea of Fog'. Photo: Wiki Commons Nearby Saxon Switzerland National Park offers picturesque hikes Outdoor enthusiasts can easily explore the sandstone peaks of Saxon Switzerland ( Sächsische Schweiz ) National Park from Dresden. Several trailheads are accessible with Dresden's S-Bahn. Advertisement One of the most famous trails is the hike to the Bastei Bridge, a stone bridge built in the mid-1800s across a dramatic rock formation. To reach the Bastei Bridge, hikers can take the S-Bahn from Dresden to Kurort Rathen. From there, they can cross the Elbe on a ferry and hike to the bridge. The hike takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Perhaps the most famous region named after Switzerland, Germany's Saxon Switzerland. By Thomas Wolf, - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wiki Commons Much of Dresden's old town was rebuilt, some parts as late as in the 2000s Many Americans know about the bombing of Dresden from reading 'Slaughterhouse Five' in high school English class. The novel, which is based on author Kurt Vonnegut's experiences as a prisoner of war in Dresden during the bombing, has become an American classic. But far fewer probably know about the decades-long process of reconstructing the city's old town, which had long been famed for its beauty. Dresden was heavily bombed by British and American forces in February 1945. An estimated 25,000 people died during the bombings, and much of the city, including its historic center, was completely decimated. Landmarks including the Zwinger Palace, the city's opera house and the iconic Frauenkirche were heavily damaged or completely destroyed. But when Germany was divided into East and West following World War II, the process of rebuilding stalled. Though parts of the Zwinger and the opera house were restored under communist rule, much of what was once the city center lay virtually untouched for decades. It wasn't until after reunification in 1990 that the process of returning the old town to its former glory truly began. Dresden's citizens pushed to rebuild the old town, rather than to replace it with a modern city center. READ ALSO: How does Germany's 'phantom border' still divide the country? The Frauenkirche, which collapsed during the bombing and remained a pile of rubble for decades, was not reopened until 2005. Today, Dresden's painstakingly restored city center draws tourists from Germany and around the world. Advertisement Milk chocolate was invented in Dresden The earliest version of edible milk chocolate was produced in Dresden. But the way the Dresden chocolate manufacturer Jordan & Timaeus began producing the treat never really caught on. Jordan & Timaeus first advertised their version of milk chocolate, which was produced with steam power and used donkey milk, in 1839. A few years later, in the 1840s Swiss chocolatiers began producing a different – and more commercially successful – type of milk chocolate. Interestingly, the coffee filter was also invented in Dresden, by a woman named Melitta Bentz in 1908. Dresden invests in the future with semiconductor industry Though Dresden may be more well-known for its history, its burgeoning technology sector aims to bring the city into the future. Dresden was an electronics and manufacturing hub during the GDR (East German) era, and it has since become a hotspot for producing semiconductor chips. Most electronics we use every day require semiconductors, and the demand for chips has only grown as AI technology booms. Dresden has emerged as one of the most important hubs for semiconductor production in Europe. Advertisement The local government has strongly encouraged the semiconductor industry to come to Dresden. Chip manufacturers including Global Foundries, TSMC and Infineon have built plants in and around the city in recent years.
