The other day I noticed a surge in visits from a site called Redwatch. Surge is probably over-stating it a bit: as at yesterday I hat 16 hits from 9 different IP addresses. Not much of a surge really. More of a blip. But I thought I would head over to Redwatch to see what was attracting the crowds.

Visitors were coming from either this page or this page, sometimes from both which demostrates an astonishingly short attention span.

Anyway, Redwatch is yet another BNP production which sets out to 'expose' the sorts of filthy, nasty, antisocial people who don't want to forcibly repatriate foreigners and add queer-bashing as a sport in the London Olympics.

Mostly it contains photographs taken at demonstrations and asking Crimewatch-style if anyone recognises the demonstrators who are calling for such un-natural things as human rights. (Motto: "Any further info on the freaks below will be gratefully received.")

Latest on their list of targets is… me!

I am on their page of "London Reds", where it says:

This one's called Andrew Skudder from Crawley. His 'blog' can be viewed here.
Check the UAF and anti-BNP links.
He's a former Labour councillor and involved in the Crawley Campaign Against Racism. More details here
Skudder backed the controversial Hindu temple scheme at Apple Tree Farm in 2003.

Wow. It must have taken some really determined detective work to find a former Labour councillor with left-leaning opinions. Nice to see that bloody photo from the Crawley Observer has been scanned in and used to illustrate the piece.

Since they helpfully provide a link to two of my websites, which contain oodles of information, I am a bit puzzled about how much more information on me they might want.

I may reply and fill them in with a few extra details and corrections, like:

  • Crawley is not in London.
  • The Crawley Campaign Against Racism is probably the least militant anti-racist organisation in the country. My involvement so far has been to go to their annual social event, keep paying subs, and try to publicise what they do. However, if they were more militant I would turn up and support any demos they organised.
  • I did support the GHU temple at Apple Tree Farm, and voted for it in the planning committee. I also supported and voted for the Sikh temple at Overdene Drive, and the Sri Lankan Hindu temple in Three Bridges, and the extension of temporary planning permission for the London Road mosque. I would also support any Christian, Jewish, or Wiccan community who tried to build a place of worship, even though I am firmly atheist myself.
  • I was at several ANL marches in London in the past as well as the anti-apartheid rally in Hyde Park, the People's March for Jobs '83, and a few CND rallies, not to mention enjoying a few of the London Gay Pride marches.  And I was at the anti-poll tax rally in Trafalgar Square. I am surprised my photo does not already feature.
  • I have in the past taken time out from my own election campaigning to deliver UAF leaflets and hand them out in the Town Centre. That is probably about the most active thing I have ever done, but I am only ashamed that I have not done more.

Searchlight magazine are running a campaign to get Redwatch closed down, along with Noncewatch, Stormfront, Blood & Honour and other similar right-wing hate sites. It is tempting to ignore it. The site has so few supporters that only a handful have followed that link. I tried to look at it today and the site was unavailable due to its bandwidth allocation being used up, so maybe they have been swamped with eager nazis - or are running the thing on a shoestring.

However, there have been cases where people have had their details published there and have subsequently been attacked so it is a little more serious. I'm not worried personally: most of the hits have been from Poland and Finland and the half-dozen BNP members in Crawley are hardly C18 class, but in some parts of the country they have supporters who are as vicious as they are evil, and having sites like this incite them is somthing to be avoided, so I would encourage anyone to visit Searchlight and  join the campaign by sending an e-mail to John Reid.

I know several of my readers from around the country are active in their local parties and will be in close contact with their MP. Perhaps they will mention this to their MP and ask them to support Angela Eagle MP who spoke out about this on June 21?

As for me, if you can judge someone by their enemies then I am proud to be disliked by such total fuckwits!