STARLIGHT CHILDRENS’ FOUNDATION ENDORSES USE OF NEO-NAZI LINKED PUB
Monday, February 4th, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Australasian anti-fascist campaigners Fight Dem Back! (FDB!) notes with concern that on Saturday, February 9th, 2008, a benefit gig for the Starlight Childrens’ Foundation is being held at The Birmingham Hotel in Fitzroy, Melbourne. FDB! understands that the Foundation is a worthy charity dedicated to brightening the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families. Unfortunately, the venue for the gig, The Birmingham Hotel, is currently the subject of a community boycott, and has been since its role as a venue for neo-Nazi groups was revealed in September 2006.
On Saturday, September 23rd, 2006, neo-Nazis from around Australia and the world came to Melbourne for the annual Ian Stuart Donaldson memorial gig. Ian Stuart, who died in a car crash in 1993, was the lead singer for neo-Nazi band Skrewdriver. The gig was organised by the local branch of Blood & Honour – a global neo-Nazi network banned in Germany and considered a terrorist organisation by British and Belgian authorities – and the Southern Cross Hammerskins (SCHS), the local branch of another international neo-Nazi skinhead network. These two networks are responsible for numerous murders, bombings, arsons and assaults around the world. On the night of the gig itself, a local woman was assaulted by a group of neo-Nazis in attendance.
As a result of subsequent investigations, FDB! discovered that this was not the first time that The Birmingham Hotel had granted these groups permission to hold events at the venue. In 2002, for example, a gig was organised to celebrate Hitler’s birthday. And in 2005 and for a number of years prior, The Birmingham Hotel has been the regular host for other ISD memorial gigs. Collingwood police subsequently stated that it was well known that skinheads and neo-Nazis frequented at the Birmingham.
(In 2007, as a result of public protest and adverse publicity, the venue for the gig was changed to the Melbourne Croatia Social Centre in Sunshine.)
FDB! spokesperson Cam Smith has urged the Starlight Childrens’ Foundation to reconsider any decision to raise funds through The Birmingham. “The Starlight Childrens’ Foundation’s work with seriously ill children is to be admired, but not to put too fine a point on it, we would hate to see their reputation tarnished by association with those whose attitudes to same are that they should be euthanised,” said Smith.
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Links :
Starlight Childrens’ Foundation
Fight Dem Back!
Starlight Childrens’ Foundation
Victorian Office
128 Jolimont Road, EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002
Postal Address: PO Box 276, East Melbourne 8002
Phone: (03) 9663 3300
Facsimile: (03) 9663 2800
Email Address: vic@starlight.org.au
Police Find Neo-Nazi Graffiti on Burnt-Out Building
Spiegel Online
February 6, 2008
German police investigating eyewitness claims that Sunday’s blaze in Ludwigshafen was caused by arson have found neo-Nazi graffiti daubed on the building where nine Turkish immigrants died. Turkish media are reporting that the occupants had received xenophobic threats.
German police said on Wednesday they had found neo-Nazi symbols daubed next to the entrance to a Turkish cultural center on the ground floor of the Ludwigshafen building where nine Turkish immigrants, including five children, died in a fire on Sunday.
The word “Hass,” German for hatred, had been smeared twice next to the door, with the last two letters written in the style of the Germanic runes of Hitler’s SS organization…
Turkish media are speculating that the fire was laid by German neo-Nazis. If the suspicion is confirmed, Germany will have to brace itself for the same international condemnation that followed the 1993 killing of five Turkish women and girls in a fire in Solingen, western Germany, which was set by German youths.
Reports of Far-Right Threats
Turkish newspaper Zaman reported on Wednesday that the Kaplan family living in the century-old apartment block had been threatened by young German right-wing extremists after they moved into the building…
Previously…
Germany bans neo-Nazi group
BBC
September 14, 2000
The German Government has banned the German branch of an international white supremacist group called Blood and Honour. The German Interior Minister, Otto Schily, said the group was spreading Nazi messages. He said some of those arrested after a recent spate of attacks on foreigners in Germany had been inspired by music played at concerts organised by the group. But he said there was no evidence directly implicating Blood and Honour in the attacks…
It’s easy to hang your hats on the “Anti” for the purposes of public consumption, but how’s about letting the public know exactly what you DO stand for.
Most yokels don’t know what the “fascist” or the “communist” or the “anarchist” is other than to be named as such guarantees pariah status and the sanctimoniously baleful stares of the piously petulant Wanker class.
You’re trying to put the fear of the Pharisee into them, aren’t you Andy.
Give the Boobs a break will ya.
KinkyBoy,
I’m not involved in FDB in any way, but it is my understanding that FDB exists purely to fight facism and other forms of race hate in both Australia and New Zealand, and nothing else. Therefore, those involved come from a diverse set of backgrounds with widely differing beliefs, and so it would be quite impossible for FDB to actually stand up for something given that they are devoted to one issue and one issue alone- nazis and other scum threatening marginalised groups in society. Individually, however, I’m quite sure that most, if not all members of FDB are quite active in other areas and doing positive, constructive things outside of fighting nazis, based on their individual beliefs.
Whew! Lucky nobody raised money for them kids, that would have been a disaster! Who do these guys think they are anyway? How dare they do something charitable? We want them painted as neo-nazi bastards who hold Ian Stuart gigs, the fact that none of these bands are right wing or had anything to do with the bonehead memorial is neither here nor there.
“Whew! Lucky nobody raised money for them kids, that would have been a disaster!”
~ versus ~
The press release does not state that any of the bands are right wing, or have played any of the ISD memorial gigs.
The press release quite explicitly states that “Unfortunately, the venue for the gig, The Birmingham Hotel, is currently the subject of a community boycott, and has been since its role as a venue for neo-Nazi groups was revealed in September 2006” and then proceeds to state why.
It’s up to the bands to explain why they refuse to boycott the pub.
Here’s what Chunga, the lead singer of The Worst has had to say on the subject:
1)
2)
Doug Smith of Bulldog Spirit:
Ben of Bulldog Spirit / Napalm Hearts:
Last but not least:
you’re going to die you fuckwit! you must have a boring life that you sit here all day writing bullshit that isnt true… good life fuckhead! die already…
I know I’m going to die andysadeadmanwalking. (Unusual name. Is it Greek?) The unfortunate fact of the matter is so are we all. If you’d like to offer something of substance before you too shuffle off this mortal coil, feel free.
You really sunk to an all time low haven’t you Andy? Going out of your way to stop people who are trying to do a good thing… is not cool.
It seems your beliefs are that anyone who doesn’t conform to your same beliefs is apparently a nazi or nazi sympathiser or a wanker. You wouldn’t know a thing about anarchy if the definition was tattooed on your fucking face. And you deserve a bat to the head for changing that Starlight flyer you pathetic cunt!
That’s not a very nice thing to say Chunga: all I know is that anarchy is a fag.
Chunga I heard real bad boys move in silence and you are pretty loud on the computer. Baseball bats to the face? Come on you cunts should have done it already, you’ve had months… have your say but save the hard act for the street, noone wants to hear how rough you are on the Internet.
For a “pissweak boycott” everybody is sure getting their knickers in a knot.
Cut the mullet, cut the mullet.
rebel love
Sophia,
You’ll find if you look that those who have made a religion out of prejudice of the “Racial” kind, Mince about the neighbourhood whining that every other Prick’s a “Racist”. Hence the term the “Hypocrite”, which has been applied to them by all other races for Millenia.
The language of FDB is that of the Ontologically Exceptional Wanker Class, who threaten to abuse not just themselves, but the reputation of those they disagree with.
WormTongue used the same sneaky methodology of whispering in [Tolkien]’s Lord of the Ringlets.
I lol’d.
I stalked saw on Chunga’s myspace that he’s an Iron Maiden fan. Doesn’t he realise that all the greatest Maiden songs are about killing Nazis, not apologising for them? I might have said that before, but it bears repeating.
lobe revel,
Lumpen.