BNP bombmaker jailed for 11 years

[The Ungovernable Farce]

West Yorkshire BNP member found to have 54 explosive devices in his home (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/15/bnp-member-jailed-guns-bombs).



http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/1/15/1263564756513/Terrance-Gavan-the-BNP-bo-005.jpg
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/1/15/1263564499365/A-draw-of-weapons-found-a-001.jpg
A BNP (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/bnp) member who spent a decade building up a cache of weapons in a bedroom hideaway was jailed for 11 years today.
Bus driver Terrance Gavan manufactured highly dangerous firearms and explosives at the home where he lived with his mother in Batley, West Yorkshire.
Police discovered 54 improvised bombs including nail bombs and a booby-trapped cigarette packet, as well as 12 firearms.
The former soldier told detectives that he had "a fascination with things that go bang", the Old Bailey heard.
But Gavan also had a "strong hostility" towards immigrants, the court heard, and planned to target an address he had seen on a television programme that he believed was linked to the 7 July bomb attacks in London.
He told police he was a BNP member and letters to him from the party, as well as a copy of its magazine Hope and Glory, were found at his home.
The court heard that handwritten notebooks were found. One note said: "The patriot must always be ready to defend his country against enemies and their governments."
Gavan pleaded guilty to 22 counts including collecting information useful for terrorism and possessing explosives and firearms.

[*Viva La Revolucion*]

Thank goodness he was caught before he harmed anyone. :( But sometimes I wonder how people get so delusional: ''the patriot must always be ready to defend his country against enemies and their governments'' = very flawed thinking and an example of the way patriotism can lead to the idea that ''abroad'' is the enemy.

How do the police receive information about people like this? Is it through tip-offs or some kind of monitoring? I just don't see how they'd know he was dangerous unless they'd actually seen his stash of weapons.

[Red Saxon]

Most likely this bloke had a shitty life, and needed a higher calling (i.e. Extreme patriotism, racism) in order to hide himself from the real facts of his life.

I feel bad for him really.

[ls]

This will continue to happen until capitalism gets overthrown, plus some will probably succeed in murdering innocent workers such as the horrific incident at Brixton. It's pure luck that those other white trash terrorists from Suffolk and Reading were caught before they murdered loads of unsuspecting people.

Let's be honest, they only need a gun to massacre people really, just look at Laidlaw shooting random "dark" people around Finsbury Park the "Londonistani hotspot of MUSLIM TERRORISM" as I have heard fascist skinheads around there say, subtly backed by the racist media in their arguments.

This cannot be stopped with "anti-fascism", only destroying capitalism will allow us to stop filthy scum like this from carrying out or getting ready to mount their attacks.

[*Viva La Revolucion*]

This cannot be stopped with "anti-fascism", only destroying capitalism will allow us to stop filthy scum like this from carrying out or getting ready to mount their attacks.

I don't think it's as simple as that. Destroying capitalism won't immediately change people's attitudes and there'll have to be an anti-fascist movement even 'after the revolution' - at least in the beginning. Anti-fascism is important, especially at the moment. Education is a big part of this, too. Because all racism comes from ignorance, it's essential that the public are given proper information about issues such as immigration and that schools and communities strongly reinforce the idea of diversity being a positive thing as opposed to a threat.

[ls]

I don't think it's as simple as that. Destroying capitalism won't immediately change people's attitudes and there'll have to be an anti-fascist movement even 'after the revolution' - at least in the beginning. Anti-fascism is important, especially at the moment. Education is a big part of this, too. Because all racism comes from ignorance, it's essential that the public are given proper information about issues such as immigration and that schools and communities strongly reinforce the idea of diversity being a positive thing as opposed to a threat.

The worst 'fascism' happens in multicultural communities, often by people from the community itself. These lone wolf types do breed in very white insular communities too, but "anti-fascism" will simply not stop these things from happening, it is an unfortunate fact, but the only way we will spread the right education is by destroying capitalism. The labour party's racist policies just make these people think they are in the right to do what they are doing.

[Chambered Word]

See, these Muslims are always building bombs and trying to kill decent white folk, I'm sick o-

Oh wait. :blushing:

[Stand Your Ground]

See, these Muslims are always building bombs and trying to kill decent white folk, I'm sick o-

Oh wait. :blushing:
LOL.

It's nice to see how some people never grow up...:rolleyes:

[Chambered Word]

LOL.

It's nice to see how some people never grow up...:rolleyes:

Who, me?

[Stand Your Ground]

Who, me?
No, bomberman.

[Chambered Word]

No, bomberman.


The former soldier told detectives that he had "a fascination with things that go bang", the Old Bailey heard.

I see what you mean.

[Ravachol]

The worst 'fascism' happens in multicultural communities, often by people from the community itself. These lone wolf types do breed in very white insular communities too, but "anti-fascism" will simply not stop these things from happening, it is an unfortunate fact, but the only way we will spread the right education is by destroying capitalism. The labour party's racist policies just make these people think they are in the right to do what they are doing.

Obviously, anti-fascism without anti-capitalism is an uphill battle that's gonna lead nowhere. But I see and practise anti-fascism as part of the anti-capitalist struggle. Preventing some excesses and sabotaging the far right during the anti-capitalist struggle doesn't only work, it strengthens and defends the anti-capitalist struggle as well. Guarding strikes from being assaulted by far-right militias, for example, is anti-fascism to me as well.

[ls]

Obviously, anti-fascism without anti-capitalism is an uphill battle that's gonna lead nowhere. But I see and practise anti-fascism as part of the anti-capitalist struggle. Preventing some excesses and sabotaging the far right during the anti-capitalist struggle doesn't only work, it strengthens and defends the anti-capitalist struggle as well. Guarding strikes from being assaulted by far-right militias, for example, is anti-fascism to me as well.

Not always, it can serve to divert revolutionaries from the correct path. Obviously, this is where you support things such as national liberation whereas I personally don't, but there are a number of examples of this IMO, one only has to look to the time around WWII to see this in many countries. The guarding strikes example is one time where what you might consider 'anti-fascism' is purely productive, another would obviously be protecting immigrants from far-right nutcases attacking them, another might be stopping far-right activists from holding a demo in your territory by holding an anti-capitalist and anti-fascist demo that actually stops them.

But doing things like collaborating with counter-revolutionaries, in order to "stop the fascists" will consistently lead nowhere, so many on the left do this as well.

[Ravachol]

The guarding strikes example is one time where what you might consider 'anti-fascism' is purely productive, another would obviously be protecting immigrants from far-right nutcases attacking them, another might be stopping far-right activists from holding a demo in your territory by holding an anti-capitalist and anti-fascist demo that actually stops them.


I fully agree with this part.



But doing things like collaborating with counter-revolutionaries, in order to "stop the fascists" will consistently lead nowhere, so many on the left do this as well.

I fully agree with this part as well ;)
I've always argued in favor of anti-fascism in a class struggle context and argued against the 'broad front' strategy like practised by UAF for example.
I do think working together with different revolutionary tendencies is a must though.

[Stand Your Ground]

I see what you mean.
Exactly lol.

[Sasha]

ARF please keep the oneliner chitchat in chichat, verbalo warningo...

[ls]

I do think working together with different revolutionary tendencies is a must though.

Definitely. Collaboration between the worthy left factions is absolutely essential to our collective success, we won't succeed unless there is a merging of progressive factions at the correct stage..

..Which ones are and aren't progressive however, is a completely long and complicated discussion that probably doesn't belong in this thread. :)

[No pasarán]

I think people like your man caught here can fall into 2 catergories, yeah sometimes they really are fucking millitant, pyschotic, extreamists who really think they are fighting for a greater cause. But quite often it seems to be more likely they are cowards who surround themselves with explosives or guns... 'things that go bang' for a sense of security, but they wouldn't have the guts to actually carry out the actions they fantasize about. I mean he lived with his mum, for christs sake!

Still at least this shows joe apolitical what the BNP's membership actually includes, and the BNP is probably one of the nearest to the centre of the political spectrum of all the far right groups/partys.

[Chairman Wow]

I think people like your man caught here can fall into 2 catergories, yeah sometimes they really are fucking millitant, pyschotic, extreamists who really think they are fighting for a greater cause. But quite often it seems to be more likely they are cowards who surround themselves with explosives or guns... 'things that go bang' for a sense of security, but they wouldn't have the guts to actually carry out the actions they fantasize about. I mean he lived with his mum, for christs sake!

I'd say given that he had manufactured 54 improvised explosives and the 'handwritten notebooks' would suggest he was intent on doing some damage. Could have been another David Copeland.

[No pasarán]

Maybe I was wrong then? Copeland was a loner and had largely seperated himself from any of the other major groups of stiff armers. I still belive its not usual for facists to collect weapons as part of macho posturing as much as anything else? But maybe I've underestimated yer man?