Oh Tommy Tommy - Don’t Turn Up

When all seems lost, the opposition rides to your rescue. On the question of who contributed the overwhelming percentage of violent incidents in London last Saturday, when far too many media outlets were trying to “both sides” the contribution of the far right and those of almost totally peaceful demonstrators, it has come galloping this morning.

Why that should be is not hard to deduce: the so-called Campaign Against Antisemitism is organising a “National Solidarity March Against Antisemitism”, to be held in London on November 26th. “As antisemitism surges, Britain stands together in solidarity with its Jewish community … March with us to show your support”, they tell. So who is going to rock up there?

As if you need to ask: Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, emboldened by his ability to bring a few hundred of the far right brains trust into town last weekend, and then scarper in a taxi just before the riot Police arrived, has declared his support for the gathering, the news spreading fast as he has also been allowed back onto Twitter.

“Everyone should attend this & let British Jews know they are not alone” he told his adoring followers. Then came the OH WHAT A GIVEAWAY moment, the point where it had to be admitted that almost all Saturday’s violence came from the kind of people that latch on to the likes of Lennon.

While the CAA braced itself at the prospect of an unwelcome presence appearing a week on Sunday, Dave Rich of the Community Security Trust responded “You and your far right racist thugs aren’t welcome. We don’t need or want your ‘support’. Stay home”. The CST was behind the “Engine of Hate” report which demonised many voices on the left who did not have the means to protect their reputations. So they won’t get any sympathy there.

Nor will “Lord” Ian Austin, floor-crosser of no known principle, who appeared horrified at the prospect of Lennon and his pals showing their “support”: “Don’t come. You won’t be made welcome. Decent people don’t want to march with racists and extremists and violent thugs. You’re just using this to sow your usual division and hatred”. Is he calling Lennon a racist?

The Great Man doesn’t like being called a racist. Calling him a racist is what brought him to my doorstep in the dead of night (twice), with him claiming spuriously “You’ve been telling lies about me”. Well, if Lennon rocks up chez Austin, it’ll kill two birds with one stone: it’ll wake up those who have been less than supportive of Lennon’s targets, and he’ll get properly nicked.

Austin was later rebuked by wife-beater, and self-confessed murderer of Palestinians, Avi Yemini: “Sit down, Ian. You don’t speak for all Jews. Tommy Robinson is a better ally to our community than any of your Labour mates. Your boss was Jeremy bloody Corbyn for goodness sake”. Self-confessed murderer not happy about someone who wants an end to conflict.

Lennon then made matters worse by telling Austin “A coward who thinks he can continue to feed the crocodile in the hope that it won’t eat him. You cowards don’t speak for the average Jew in the uk . Your cowardice has been an act of betrayal to your people . The hatred aimed at Jews currently comes from the teachings of Islam”. The bad news was he hadn’t finished.

After Jez Myers called out Lennon, The Great Man could contain himself no longer. “The board of deputies & their attempt to cosy up to Islamic radicals is partly the reason your community is facing such hostility. The time for appeasement is over, the time for being a weak liberal Jew is over. Strength & courage is needed not cowardice”. Would Sir care to offend anyone else?

Don’t ask. “They [BoD] quote tell mama, tell mama have been proven to fake hate statistics & to prevent criticism of Islamic teachings, those teaching [sic] include Jew hatred & the board of deputies work with these frauds out of fear, nothing else but fear”. And he might just turn up, along with his far right pals. Which, for the CAA and its own pals, is going to be very much their problem.

But good to see the admission of where Saturday’s violence came from.

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