An undercover investigation by BBC Wales into the activities of a group campaigning against Muslim extremists has found links with neo-nazi supporters.
Secret footage in tonight’s Week In Week Out programme also exposes criminal activity amongst some supporters of the Welsh Defence League. Publicly the WDL says it is a non racist organisation. Aligned to the English Defence League, it was set up last year by ex-soccer hooligan and author Jeff Marsh in response to Muslim extremists abusing troops returning from Afghanistan. It has attracted hundreds of followers and held demonstrations in Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham.
Posing as a new member of the group, an undercover journalist accompanied a number of Welsh supporters to a protest. Some were caught on camera and online, making racist comments about Muslims. Two admitted involvement in racist violence at demonstrations organised by the defence leagues in other parts of the country.
One invited other WDL followers to join him in burning a Koran and joked on-line about how best to kill black people. Another talks about driving Muslims out of the South Wales valleys.
Judge Mark Powell QC examined the evidence in tonight’s special programme and says: “It’s mindless, its racist, the purpose of what they are doing is to inflame racial hatred…I think from what you have shown me it is criminal behaviour and no doubt something that the police would want to look at.”
Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has campaigned for years against racist groups. He says: “I think every mainstream politician in Wales wherever they are based should make it a priority to talk to young people to explain the WDL is in a long line that goes back through the Nazis. And I don’t say that lightly because, that is the exact political situation in which Hitler was able to come into power because main stream politicians did not deal with the grievances in Germany. Now I’m not suggesting the WDL is anything like as powerful as Hitler’s Nazi party became, the WDL is a tiny marginalised party, but once you allow these groups to gain credibility that’s where you could end up.”
Jeff Marsh, who uses a variety of aliases and wears a balaclava to broadcast online to followers says that because of the racist element he has disbanded the WDL. He has set up another organisation against muslim extremists called The Welsh Casuals. He insists it is non racist.
Another group calling itself the Cymru Defence League has emerged out of the WDL.
The English Defence League now has around 60,000 followers on the social networking site Facebook and thousands of protestor have attended demonstrations around Britain.
Saleem Kidwai of the Muslim council for Wales says the majority of people are opposed to both the defence leagues and muslim extremists: “We have extremist groups and they are as ignorant as the Welsh Defence League, or the English Defence League. We can condemn them as much as anyone else. They are misguided youngsters being misinformed and used by extremist ideologues who want to use religion for their own political motives. That’s how we see it. That’s why they are banned in all mosques in Wales because people don’t like those extremist views and ideals.”
Policing WDL demonstrations and counter demonstrations in Wales could cost the tax payer as much as £500,000. Det Chief Supt Adrian Tudway, National Co-ordinator for Domestic Extremism, advises local forces on the threat posed by the Defence Leagues. He says: “I think it’s a very significant threat. It’s one I know the police service are taking very seriously, together with the Home Office and local authorities.”
Unmasked: Welsh Defence League
Monday, December 6, BBC One Wales, 8.30pm
