Facebook Likes and Shares come first for Britain First

[Guest post]

Well it seems that the far right group known as Britain First aren’t putting Britain first. Facebook is a bigger priority.

Some of my friends ‘Liked’ photos of theirs, and when I asked them why, they said they didn’t even know what Britain First was and just happened to have seen the post. So it all made sense.

Britain First is disguising its posts with messages that people can ‘Like’ and ‘Share’, hence people can just see its posts more. It’s marketing.

And because there are so many people on Facebook who share everything without questioning, Britain First is able to reach out. The admin on Facebook is not even trying at times – begging ‘Share me share me!’

One may ask me: “So what if Britain First has thousands of followers, and so what if a photo gets shared?” Well I say that promoting a far right group that deserves no positive attention is doing harm. All those photos are just a ploy to get you engaged so Britain First can achieve its political ambitions.

Also, why should you have to prove you support the troops by sharing a photo on your wall? Why should you prove yourself by doing something some random Facebook page tells you to?

So if you stumble on a Facebook post, make sure you see who is sharing it and don’t be a sucker.

Britain First stirred race hate with murder leaflets

Back in 2012, Kent News reported that far right group Britain First (BF) used the images of two murdered young men and claimed they were white victims of racial murders – much to the distress of their families.

A Britain First flyer, sent out by the organisation headlined ‘RIP the white British victims of racism... will YOU help honour their memory?’ and included pictures of Harry Potter star Rob Knox and Michael Chapman.

It was signed by Paul Goulding himself, the face of the group, and read: ‘These poor souls – all of them members of our own nation and our own flesh and blood – have been deprived of life by violent immigrant racists in horrific and brutal attacks.’

No evidence came forth proving the murders were racially motivated, and the parents of the victims were in distress. They also said the party never even sought permission to use the pictures for political purposes.

One of the fathers of the murder victims told Kent News: “I am not in favour of this at all; I am not in favour of my son’s photograph being on there, and I don’t wish to be associated with this in any way. I don’t support what they are trying to do – they have their facts wrong anyway. It was not a racial attack.

“My son has been dead for four years and I want him to lay there in peace. I do not want his name used in this fashion. I want to take this to the Prime Minister – it’s just wrong doing something like this. It will upset all the family.”

When Britain First found out that people were concerned, they removed the photos from their website, but the photos were still seen in a video afterwards.

Further reading:

1. Father of murdered Harry Potter star angry at far right group over race murder leaflet

Britain First supporters thought fake front page photo was real

Far right group Britain First (BF) has been desperate to get support. It’s been so desperate it photo-shopped a fake story in a bid to get ‘Likes’ and ‘Shares’.

Here they did a mock-up of The Sun newspaper.

Looking at the date, many supporters noticed something fishy, but others didn’t realise what they were seeing was fake. Here are some comments.

It goes to show people can be gullible. You simply cannot believe everything on the internet.

Why Britain First are bullies

[Guest post]

Who picks on the vulnerable and use intimidation to get what they want? Bullies. And Britain First.

For all those who don’t know, they’re the British far-right group notable for invading mosques disrespectfully, intimidating worshippers and giving out Bibles.

Here’s a photo taken inside a London mosque when Britain First invaded.

Look at the three Britain First members in this photo. They’re standing tall, in a line, and one of them in the back has his hands on his hips like he means business. Who are they up against?

An innocent old man who just happens to be there wanting to pray.

Intimidation and threatening behaviour is nothing new for this nasty group. Paul Goulding, the face of it, even told someone in Bradford the community has “been warned” in one ‘mosque invasion’ video, and the group continues to barge into places uninvited.

Bullies are also often scared when they’re outnumbered, and this relates to Britain First quite well. They only go inside mosques when hardly anyone is in, and then record themselves taping innocent old men thinking they’ve done a job well done.

That said, Britain First is not a party, it’s just a gang of bullies.

Britain First members swore and forced their way into mosque

According to eyewitnesses, Britain First (BF) members swore and forced themselves into a mosque in Kent.

Police investigations have already started in Kent and London after three mosques were targeted by the extreme far right group, which has been targeting minority communities (the Muslim community in particular).

A spokesman for one of the mosques told the BBC: “At about three o’clock somebody knocked on the front door. There were six people with green jackets and flat caps and they said they wanted to come in. I said no, you can’t come in, I don’t know who you are.”

He said the group then forced their way in through the main door, but were stopped from going through a second door.

He added: “They were making videos, at the same time swearing, and saying we heard you’re building another mosque and we really resist that.”

Kent Police said: “Officers are making enquiries to establish the circumstances around the incidents and whether any criminal offences have been committed.”

The Right Reverend James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, said he thought Jesus would have been “outraged” at the targeting of the mosques.

Further reading:

1. Police investigate Kent and London mosque visits

Britain First continue to use Lee Rigby’s name to promote party

Britain First (BF) is using social media to further achieve its political goals whilst on the ground, creating a climate of fear amongst minority communities.

And despite the family of murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby, who was killed by extremists on 22 May, making a public plea for his name not to be taken in vain for political purposes, Britain First continues to use his name.

As shown by this screenshot (taken on 17 July 2014), Britain First continue to share photos in a bid to get more support online. This photo was posted two days before this post was published.

But this isn’t the first time Britain First has used Lee to further their political goals. Back in May, Britain First got away with using the description ‘Remember Lee Rigby’ on its ballot papers, and election watchdogs had to apologise.

Lee’s mum said she was ‘heartbroken’ that her son’s name was allowed to be used by the party for promotion and posted this on Facebook, saying Britain First’s views were ‘not what lee believed in and has no support from the family’.

Britain First regional organisers have also used his photo and name to promote “memorial walks”. Some of the events, like one organised in Huddersfield, appealed for donations too.

Also to note, English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson and balaclava-clad thugs also exploited the tragic death of Lee by taking to the streets of London.

Will Britain First object to segregated toilets?

[Guest post]

A self-styled ‘battalion’ from far-right extreme group Britain First (BF) recently ‘invaded’ a mosque in South London, demanding it to remove its female and male signs.

The signs designated separate entrances for men and women, so they can enter for segregated worship as is the custom in most mosques, as well as Orthodox Jewish synagogues and Sikh gurdwaras.

But leader of the thugs Paul Goulding said to a worshipper: “We’re Britain First, yeah? We object to your signs that are outside, the signs for men and women… in this country we have equality.”

According to Britain First, the signs promoted sexism, just because men and women could go through different entrances. But wait a minute... the group has forgotten about segregated public toilets, segregated changing rooms, heck even girls-only schools and boys-only schools.

So surely, Britain First needs to invade these places right?

I highly doubt Orthodox Jewish synagogues and Sikh gurdwaras will be told to remove their signs. So this stunt goes to show, Britain First are merely targeting and terrorising the Muslim community in particular.

A worshipper inside politely asked the group to remove their shoes as it was a place of worship but the Britain First members blatantly ignored him. A volunteer who gave a statement to the press also said people found Britain First members “aggressive and threatening”.

Britain First leader EXPOSED in charity scam

Paul Goulding is chairman of the extreme right wing group Britain First (BF), and has been at the forefront of its leading confrontational street activities.

Notably, he has been in the limelight for disrespectfully ‘invading’ mosques (when hardly anyone is in except mainly old men).

In a video uploaded by a war veteran, he’s running a stall for the Help for Heroes charity, also giving out leaflets that contain the Britain First website link.

The veteran says Goulding and his friend were collecting illegally, and he saw them getting some money from a few passer-bys.

When asked to produce his license, Goulding says “what license?” and doesn’t show it (a street collection license is required in Sussex – the region this video was captured).

After the veteran acts like he phones the police, Goulding and his friend coincidentally pack up and leave.

Goulding was once in the far-right National Front (NF), and turned up to a Remembrance Sunday march at the cenotaph drunk and with a pair of women’s knickers on his head (also shown on the BBC).

A convert to Christianity, he was also former head of publicity for the British National Party (BNP) as well as a failed councillor in Kent.

An introduction to the far-right group Britain First

Britain First (BF) has seemed to take the UK’s far-right scene by storm.

Seeking to fill a vacuum left by the declining British National Party (BNP) and the splintering English Defence League (EDL), Britain First has been found to be confrontational and dangerous.

Combining the immigrant-bashing rhetoric of the BNP with the intolerant hostility to Islam of the EDL, Britain First is attracting supporters from both due to its confrontational approach, stunts, and strategic marketing.

Recently, members – including the face of the political party Paul Goulding, a former BNP frontman – disrespectfully entered mosques harassing worshippers (mainly elders), distributing anti-Islam leaflets and Bibles.

According to Hope Not Hate, Britain First is in reality not led by Paul Goulding, but by Jim Dowson, who has been a religious antagonist and Protestant extremist since the early 1980s, when he was active in anti-abortion extremism in Scotland.

He also led an anti-abortion group named UK Life League, that was investigated by the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit.

Britain First's Jim Dowson

For several years, he was a key fundraiser for the BNP, but after falling out with BNP leader Nick Griffin he set off alone and eventually formed a partnership with ex-BNP publicity officer, Paul Goulding.

Britain First's Paul Goulding

And from then on Britain First was born.

Matthew Collins, director of research for HOPE Not Hate and a former member of the National Front (NF) and BNP said that the Britain First’s “confrontational style is attracting huge publicity and could potentially lead to a violent backlash. If nothing else, its provocative actions – such as distributing Bibles inside mosques and doorstepping Muslim community leaders in their homes – is generating a climate of fear.”

Britain First is using social media to generate interest by strategically marketing itself to people, particularly on Facebook.

Its online campaigns have shown support for the Armed Forces or against animal cruelty that people ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ (knowingly and unwillingly), which makes the post reach out to more people. It has also been claimed that many ‘Like’s have been bought.

On the ground, Britain First is creating a climate of fear amongst minority communities for its own political gain.

Further reading:

1. Hate Files: Britain First
2. ‘BRITAIN FIRST – Army of the Right’