Bernard Martin Holmes

The Life and Times of an EDL activist

Name: Bernard Martin Holmes

Position: EDL Blackburn Regional Organiser (RO)

Pseudonyms

• Bernard;


• Big B;


• Mr.B.


• Mrr-Bee

Tommy Robinson on Bernard Holmes:

"The legal fund was set up for all the right intentions. Now, there's a couple of things - if people agree - anyone who doesn't agree can contact - I think there was £3000 donated - anyone who doesn't agree can contact and ask for their money back. But I'm just trying to find out. I've heard we've got a lad, Big B, up in Blackburn, Lancashire who's in jail. I heard - just trying to get to the bottom of it - there may be a chance of getting the lad bail for £5,000. Now if there is, then that £3000 will be put towards getting the lad bail. He's one of our top lads. One of our main activists across the country. He's a good lad, and there's no doubt he's in there, he's purely in prison because of his involvement in the English Defence League. I know there's a lot of people getting penalised across the country, so we can't do all of them, but I'd like to put that £3000 from the legal fund plus another £2000 from the EDL fund into that."
September Video Diary, 3:31m - 4:26m

"So once again with regards to the legal fund. [...] There is £3000 there. We'll now discuss what we do with it. If anyone wants the money back [...] you can have a refund. As I said, if Bernard, if Big B, needs it, we'll give the money up for him in bail, if not, we'll look at something we can use it for constructive in the EDL. "
September Video Diary, 10:45m - 11:24m

History

October 2007 - Sword wielding man "purple in the face with anger"

A man who came out of a house wielding a sword was described as "purple in the face with anger." Blackburn magistrates heard that a woman looked out of her window and saw Bernard Martin Holmes remonstrating with some other people.
http://bitly.com/x974zM

January 2010 - Blackburn men left for dead in road with fractured skull after unprovoked attack

A Blackburn man was left lying by the side of the road with a fractured skull after an unprovoked town centre attack.
http://bitly.com/A2BMoE

February 2010 - Blackburn family hits out at 'atrocious' sentence given to attacker

Maggie Garth, sister of Shaun Baxendale who suffered catastrophic injuries LAST month the Lancashire Telegraph launched the Consequences campaign to raise awareness of the devastating effects of spontaneous violence.
http://bitly.com/xp9tqi

October 2010 - Blackburn EDL KFC demo ‘chicken’ man is attack thug

A ‘dangerous' man who left his victim with a permanent brain injury has been released from jail early and is taking part in English Defence League protests.
http://bitly.com/n1Q57p

April 2011 - EDL Blackburn demo; Bernard Holmes make speech on stage at end

Mr.B's Blackburn demo speech:

"[Unintelligible] ... Christopher Fawlkes, a 36 year old Blackburn man who got attacked in Queen's Park, a predominently Asian area of Blackburn almost 2 years ago. He was chased and bullied and kicked like a football. At which event he died. The Police and Telegraph said it was not a racially aggravated assault. Obviously, it was. Christopher had never had a fight in his life. He was placid and had a calm attitude and approach to life. Mohsin Mohammad was called a coward by the judge, who said it was a vicious attack. Mohammad ... to try to wriggle out of it, although there was great evidence against him. The judge was right to call him a coward. People have been asking me why in the English Defence League are you? Because if nobody had stood up to this, who would? These are our streets and we should take them back. [Leads chant] Whose streets? [...] Whose streets? [...]"

July 2011 - Ribble Valley Conservative MEP's home targetted by EDL protestors

CONSERVATIVE North West Euro MP said he was left fearing for his safety after a large group of English Defence League protesters descended on his family home.
http://bitly.com/xK0nca

Jul 2011 - MEP and family 'threatened' over EDL protest outside home

An MEP has said he and his family felt threatened when a group of people carrying English Defence League banners protested outside his Lancashire home. Sajjad Karim, who represents the North West in the European Parliament, said up to 40 demonstrators arrived outside his house on Saturday lunchtime.
http://bbc.in/yIXzGv

Police search Mr.B's flat

December 2011 - Full court listing for Mr. Bernard Holmes from Sep 2011 to March 2012

AntiEDL verdict: A Chicken And A Thug.

Leon McCreery

Name: Leon McCreery

Pseudonyms

• Leon the Brit

May - July 2010 - Anti-Mosque Protest, Dudley

Leon McCreery claims "a regiment supplied all our gear" for the rooftop protest. A quick check showed that no regiment gave EDL, Leon McCreery or John "Snowy" Shaw equipment for their protest. Someone stole and gave the equipment to them.

May 2010 - Men in Court for Dudley Rooftop Protest

"Leon McCreery, aged 28, from Stockport, and 39-year-old John Shaw from Knaresborough, appeared at Dudley Magistrates Court today charged with burglary and public order offences."
Read more: Dudley News: Men in court for EDL rooftop protest

June 2010 - Jewish leaders condemn EDL

"The far right, anti-Islam protest group, whose violent nature was exposed by the Guardian last week (and covered by the NS here), has professed support for Israel in the past and is now urging British Jews to "lead the counter-jihad fight in England". But its advances have been swiftly rebuffed by Jewish leaders. Mark Gardner, communications director for the Community Security Trust, told the Chronicle:

"The EDL intimidate entire Muslim communities, causing tension and fear. Jews ought to remember that we have long experience of being on the receiving end of this kind of bigotry."

Read more: New Statesman: Jewish Leaders condemn the English Defence League.

July 2010 - Charges dropped for EDL rooftop protestors

TWO English Defence League members, who were arrested during a rooftop protest, have had all charges dropped against them. Leon McCreery from Stockport and John Shaw from Knaresborough were arrested during the incident over the May Bank holiday, after being taken down from the roof of a disused factory in Hall Street by riot police.
Read more: Dudley News: Charges Dropped for EDL rooftop protestors

4th June 2010 - Tommy Robinson said:

"In my eyes Leon and Snowy will always be seen as leaders for there bravery and dedication to our cause."

August 2010

Leon the Brit shmoozes some soldiers, and has his arrse handed to him on a plate
Leon the Brit attempt to shmooze soliders to get him to join the EDL Armed Forces Division. He fails abysmally, and is given a good going over by some real patriots. Here are some choice quotes:

Leon the Brit:

"You know a regiment supplied all our gear to that do."

Solider:

"UVF doesn't count."

Soldier:

"... the fact that your organisation has a few ex-soldiers in its ranks counts for nothing. The same is true of CND and the Communist Party. Are you going to support them on the same basis?

Solider:

"Currently sat in a Pub outside Bristol looking over at Someone wearing a Polo Shirt with English Defence League Bristol Division on it Invited him to view this debate on my laptop and asked his views, after listening to his Ranting and Raving he did not appreaciate the irony of the fact he was talking to two ex and one serving servicemen. They are definately not the sharpest knifes in the box."

For more sterling quotes from the boys in green, read: My View of the English Defence League by Leon McCreery

December 2011 - Uppdrag Granskning:

"We're just normal geezers, from working-class estates, who got fired up with the way one government has treated us, and another government doing exactly the same. And we're not going away."

Breivik and the English Defence League

July 2011 - Breivik approached facebook members of the English Defence League's main facebook group with friendship requests

December 2011 - Documentary about Anders Behring Breivik and the Counterjihad Europa Project

A programme in Swedish and English, interviewing EDL's Alan Ayling (aka Alan Lake) on Anders Behring Breivik, the connections between far-right English Defence League, Anders Behring Breivik and Norwegian Defence League, and the Swedish Democrats, with whom Alan Ayling has much contact.

Tycoons back new far-right grouping

Ann Marchini (aka Gaia,

aka Dominique Devaux)

"A property tycoon and a former investment fund manager have been named as the driving forces behind a plan to create a new force on the far-right of British politics.

The Independent revealed last week that the English Defence League plans to run candidates for the first time in local elections, after a deal with another far-right group, the British Freedom Party, formed by former members of the British National Party.

Ann Marchini, who runs a buy-to-let property empire, confirmed to The Sunday Times that she is a member of the British Freedom Party and a friend of its chairman, Paul Weston.

Alan Ayling, also known as Alan Lake, was a director of Pacific Capital Investment Management until earlier this year. In October, he was named by a prosecutor in Oslo as someone Norwegian police wanted to question about the murders of 77 people by Anders Behring Breivik in July. Mr Ayling was thought to have been one of Breivik's sources of inspiration.

Both are said to have been at a "pivotal" meeting of EDL activists held at Mr Ayling's flat in London in 2009."

Read: The Independent | Tycoons back new far-right grouping

EDL Bikers

EDL Bikers Division

Racist biker is leader of the Britain's Ku Klux Klan

Chris Hopgood, aged 51 years old, is a supporter the English Defence League and KKK Grand Dragon.

"A Mirror investigation uncovered the snaps on a German extremist website, set up to lure new recruits to the infamous US-based hate group.

Hopgood, a tattooist living in Co Durham, proudly wears a Klan robe as he stands alongside another KKK Grand Dragon and the European White Knights of the Burning Cross Imperial Wizard.

The same group staged a cross-burning ceremony in a field in Germany this year and posted a video of the disturbing spectacle on the internet.
Hopgood, 51, is also a supporter of Nick Griffin’s far-right British National party and the English Defence League.

He believed he could hide under a Klan hood during secret meetings.

But as our photos show, he fails to cover the word KLAN tattooed across the knuckles of his right hand.

Also on view are his distinctive spider-web tattoos creeping over both his hands.

In photos we took of the bearded, heavy-set biker out walking in the old mining town of Easington Colliery, the same tattoos are clearly showing – proving he is the hooded Klan leader.

The married dad, who has multiple piercings, including a bull-ring through his nose, also sports a Nazi symbol sewn into his leather biker’s vest.

The European White Knights bring together white supremacists in Europe and the US who believe in a racist and anti-Jewish creed called Christian Identity.

Read more: Mirror | We expose vile racist biker as British leader of the Ku Klux Klan

Cradley Heath

Mindless EDL thugs storm Muslim exhibition in Cradley Heath market

Twenty-five EDL members attacked an Ahmadiyya stall in Cradley Heath:

The shocking attack occurred in front of shoppers, many of which were women and children, at the market at 2.30pm on Saturday.

The local Ahmadiyya Muslim book stall and Qur’an exhibition was attacked and volunteers were manhandled and abused by members of the Far Right organisation.

Shocked Ahmadiyya outreach worker Toby Ephram described the scene in the market.

He said: “About 25 of the EDL group stormed our stall in Cradley Heath pushing, shoving and threatening our members.”

“We have the book stall to raise awareness of our work in Britain and in the local community we are proud to be British Muslims and this incident saddened us.

“Our motto is ‘Love for All - Hatred for None’ and we do not meet violence with violence so we just stood there and did not respond to the provocation.”

http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/9309878.Mindless_EDL_thugs_storm_Muslim_exhibition_in_Cradley_Heath_market/

Takeaway targeted by EDL & CxF mob

4th January 2012 - Women to face trial for assault

Left: Hayley Wells, aka Princess Angel. Right: Kelly Watterson

TWO women who have denied a religiously-motivated assault on a Kurdish woman at a city centre takeaway will face trial later this year. Hayley Wells, aged 27, and Kelly Watterson, aged 29 were released on conditional bail to appear before Plymouth Crown Court on June 27. They must not go within 100 metres of the takaway.

Read more: This is Plymouth Women to face trial for assault

3rd November 2011 - Women are accused of race attack

TWO women charged with a racist attack on a Kurdish woman at a city centre takeaway have been sent to Plymouth Crown Court.

Hayley Wells, aged 27, and Kelly Watterson, aged 29, appeared before Plymouth magistrates jointly accused of racially aggravated common assault against a woman in the kebab shop. Wells, of Shell Close, Leigham, and Watterson, of St Peter's Road, Manadon, both deny the attack on Sawda Kurdo at the Istanbul Kebab shop in Exeter Street on August 31. Watterson has also denied a further charge of affray in connection with the same incident.

Magistrates have now formally committed their case for trial at Plymouth Crown Court. Wells and Watterson were released on conditional bail to appear before a judge on January 3.

Read more: This is Plymouth Women are accused of race attack

8th September 2011 - Two deny resisting officers

TWO men have appeared before Plymouth magistrates accused of resisting police officers.

CHARGED: Michael Rafferty and (above right) Ricky Burley

Ricky Burley, aged 43, and 33-year-old Michael Rafferty appeared together charged with offences in Exeter Street on August 31.

Burley, of High Street, Stonehouse, denied threatening behaviour and resisting or obstructing a police officer.

Rafferty, of Queen Street, Devonport, denied obstructing or resisting a second officer.

Plymouth magistrates were told the incident happened outside the Wild Coyote pub, now called the East End bar.

They were released on bail on the same condition until their trial before magistrates on a date to be set in the next few months.

Read more: This is Plymouth Two deny resisting officers

8th September 2011 - Women plead not guilty to racial attack on shop

TWO women have appeared in court accused of a racially-aggravated attack at a city kebab shop.

Hayley Wells, aged 27, and Kelly Watterson, aged 29, faced Plymouth magistrates charged with racially-aggravated assault during an incident in Exeter Street.

Wells, of Shell Close, Leigham, and Watterson, of St Peter's Road, Manadon, both denied a joint charge of racially aggravated common assault against a woman in the kebab shop.

Watterson also denied a further charge of affray.

Magistrates ruled that the charge was so serious the pair must be tried at Plymouth Crown Court.

They were released on bail on condition they do not go within 100 metres of the takeaway while papers are prepared for a judge.

Watterson and Wells must return to face magistrates on November 1.

Read more: This is Plymouth Women plead not guilty to racial assault at kebab shop

27 August 2011 - Four charged after racist attack at Plymouth Takeaway

FOUR people are to appear at court next month on charges relating to an alleged attack on a Kurdish family in their takeaway shop.

Hayley Wells, aged 27, from Shell Close, Leigham has been charged with racially aggravated common assault by beating.

Kelly Watterson, aged 28, from St Peters Road in Manadon, is charged with racially aggravated affray and racially aggravated common assault by beating.

Michael Rafferty, aged 33, from Queen Street, Devonport has been charged with obstructing or resisting a constable in the execution of his duty.

Ricky Burley, aged 43, from High Street, Stonehouse has been charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour and obstructing or resisting a constable in the execution of his duty.

All four have been released on bail to reappear at Plymouth Magistrates Court on September 7.

Read more: This is Plymouth Four charged after racist attack at Plymouth takeaway

31 July 2011 - Takeaway targeted by mob

A TERRIFIED Kurdish family were forced to barricade themselves inside a kebab shop as a mob allegedly shouted racist abuse outside.

One person threw a glass into the Istanbul Kebab shop in Exeter Street as violence spread from a nearby pub yesterday afternoon.

The family said the group, thought to have been in the nearby Wild Coyote pub, were shouting 'EDL, EDL' and vile racist abuse.

The far-right English Defence League (EDL) set off from the same pub for a march through the city centre three weeks ago.

Police were last night questioning four men from Plymouth aged 27, 28, 33 and 43, arrested at the scene – two on suspicion of affray, one for threatening behaviour and one for suspected criminal damage

Read more: This is Plymouth Takeaway targeted by mob

Breivik sent 'manifesto' to EDL supporters

Supporters of the BNP, the English Defence League and Combat 18 were among the recipients of Anders Breivik's 1,500-page manifesto which he emailed to contacts 90 minutes before he began his murderous spree.
The Daily Telegraph has learned at least 250 British-based contacts were sent Breivik's manifesto, in which he explains his extensive links to far-right groups in the UK, less than two hours before he killed 76 people in Norway's worst terrorist atrocity.

Already it has emerged that Breivik had made online contact with members of the English Defence League (EDL), chatting to members on Facebook and posting on the group's official website under an assumed name.

Now the Daily Telegraph has obtained a list of 1,003 email addresses which Breivik sent his manifesto to. The document was sent at 2.08pm Norwegian time on Friday, shortly before the bomb in Oslo was detonated at about 3.30pm.

While many of the addresses do not give away the identity of the recipient, some hint at membership or support of far-Right groups in the UK.

Three addresses include reference to the British National Party, while one is addressed to Combat 18, the neo-Nazi organisation. Individuals linked to the EDL are also included.

Daryl Hobson, the EDL supporter who claimed on Facebook that Breivik had attended an EDL demonstration in the UK in 2010, is on the list.

The document is also emailed to a C Donnellan. Clive Donnellan is an EDL supporter who has also spoken of his support for the BNP.

Many of the addresses contain clear right-wing references. Some include the number 88. Column 88 was a UK-based neo-nazi organisation.

The manifesto is also sent to a group calling itself the East Midlands National Alliance.
The list has been forwarded to the police by Tanguys Veys, a Belgian MP for the far-right, anti-Muslim Vlaams-Belang party. Mr Veys is on the list of recipients as are a numbers of his party activists.

Yesterday he said he was surprised to be on the list, adding: "I was connected with a terrorist act and I didn't want to be connected with a terrorist act."

Scotland Yard is believed to have been handed a copy of the list. It is thought that the force will examine whether any of the recipients had links with Breivik.

There is no suggestion that any of the British-based recipients knew Breivik or had any contact with him prior to receiving his manifesto unsolicited.

But in the document he claimed to have 600 EDL supporters as friends on Facebook.
Recently it emerged that he had posted on the group's official website earlier this year where he was told he would be welcome to attend a demonstration in Britain.

One EDL supporter said that Breivik, 32, had attended a demo in support of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders in London in March 2010. Breivik's solicitor confirmed that he had visited London in the past.

Stephen Lennon, the EDL leader, said the group had no association with Breivik.

Read more: Breivik sent manifesto to supporters of BNP, English Defence League and Combat 18

Plymouth

9th July 2011

EDL march

Organisers

Hayley Wells, aka Princess Angel

"Around 150 supporters of the English Defence League marched through Plymouth on Saturday. The EDL said the march was in protest against the "Islamification" of Britain.

Devon and Cornwall Police said there had been six arrests. One person was arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence, one for possession of a weapon and one for assault.Three people were also arrested for breach of the peace.

Other EDL marches were held in Cambridge, Middlesbrough and Halifax."

Read more: BBC News | Hundreds march in rival protests in Plymouth

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/story-12914803-detail/story.html