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Online Journalism News

Union pushes for closure of far-right site

Posted: 23/09/04 By: Kevin Shepherd
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The UK's National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is again pushing for government action to close the websites of far-right groups in the UK that have encouraged violence against journalists and anti-fascist campaigners.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and NUJ put forward a motion at last week's Trades Union Congress (TUC) to press the home secretary for the immediate closure of sites such as Redwatch, which has links with far-right groups including the British National Party, Combat 18 and Blood and Honour.

Set up in 2001, the Redwatch site publishes photos and 'hit lists' of journalists, trade unionists and campaigners along with their personal details. The NUJ says the site has encouraged intimidation of those listed.

Several members of the NUJ have been targeted by Redwatch, including Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Peter Lazenby who has investigated and campaigned against racism and fascism in Yorkshire.

Several addresses for Mr Lazenby have appeared on Redwatch, alongside the message: "We need to find this reporter fast. If we can scare this cunt off then we might get an easier time instead of being slagged off and made to look a bunch of muppets."

In March 2004 the NUJ compiled a dossier of information on the activities of Redwatch and how they target journalists. The dossier was sent to Mr Lazenby's MP, Hilary Benn, to raise with the Home Secretary David Blunkett. In June the NUJ's parliamentary committee met and resolved to write to the home secretary again, but no action has yet been taken.

On 21 September, the NUJ wrote to the TUC to confirm that trade union leaders whose members had been targeted by such sites would lobby the government for swift action. Redwatch operates through at least three different domain names all hosted outside the UK, making it difficult to close the site down.

Jeremy Dear, General Secretary of the NUJ told dotJournalism: "The NUJ's prime concern is the threat that these sites present to freedom of speech and free expression, both in newspapers and the web."

"People can't be intimidated into not writing about and exposing these people - and these sites are designed to shut people up."

Mr Dear was targeted in March when a threatening letter referring to the Redwatch site was delivered to his home address at night. The incident followed demonstrations by the British National Party outside the NUJ's offices in London.

See also:
Searchlight anti-fascist magazine: http://www.searchlightmagazine.com
NUJ: http://www.nuj.org.uk
Guardian coverage: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1123210,00.html

Redwatch: http://www.redwatch.co.uk