UAF member found not guilty
Article published: Thursday, October 14th 2010
An anti-fascist activist who was arrested at a protest in Bolton has been found not guilty of using threatening and abusive words and behaviour against a police officer.
Dane Kelly, 24, of Leeds, had been arrested at the counter English Defence League (EDL) demonstration which took place at Bolton’s Victoria Square in March earlier this year.
Bolton Magistrates’ Court found that Mr Kelly did not use offensive language against an officer on duty at the protest.
The allegation centred on an altercation between Mr Kelly and a Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) officer who’d been deployed to escort the EDL. The officer claimed he unintentionally hit Mr Kelly as the latter tried to prevent an arrest when TAU teams later became involved in confrontations as tension mounted between the EDL and the counter demonstration. However Mr Kelly asserted that the officer struck him in the face three times and went on to describe the police response to crowd disturbances as “frightening”.
Speaking outside the court Mr Kelly said: “I am now more dedicated to fighting fascism on the streets of the UK and will continue to do so”.
In a press release Justice4Bolton, a group comprised of Unite Against Fascism (UAF) members and trade unionists that is heading the campaign to defend those arrested at the protest, said: “Some of the truth about what happened in Bolton on March 20 came out in court today. This verdict is a vindication of the fact that it is not a crime to protest against racism and fascism. It also demonstrates that any attempts by the police to construct anti fascist and anti racist protestors as criminals will be vigorously resisted. The truth will out.”
Groups such as UAF were mobilised in Bolton against the right-wing street gang which states itself to be opposed to ‘militant Islam’ but whose detractors claim is overtly and violently islamophobic. Over the last 12 months EDL a string of demonstrations have been accompanied by violence and attacks against local residents and business premises, which opponents label as racially motivated.
In total 5 members and supporters of the UAF have been charged with criminal offences relating to the Bolton counter-demo.
On 5 October Roger Cox was found guilty of assaulting a police officer by magistrates. He is to appeal the decision.
Another three cases are yet to be heard, with the next of those scheduled for next Wednesday 20 October at Bolton Magistrates’ Court.
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