V for Victory - case against anti-fascists dropped

The arrest of three young Wrexham anti-fascists has prompted widespread anger after it emerged the police acted on a false complaint by the BNP.

The three had a stall in Wrexham town centre promoting their anti-racist and anti-fascist message on Saturday, 30 May, for a couple of hours when the BNP turned up. The BNP's chief bonehead in North Wales then started filming the three in an attempt to intimidate them away from the prime spot. When this didn't work, they called the police who arrived and decided there was no reason to move the three anti-fascists on.

Six weeks later - on July 13 - the police decided to arrest the three on the basis of allegations by the BNP that the three had threatened them and sworn at them. Nobody except for the BNP had witnessed, despite it being a busy Saturday outside the old Marks and Spencer store in town. Stranger still, this abuse had not been noted on Bill Murray's camera despite him filming the anti-fascists for the entire time they were present.

Despite the lack of evidence, all three were held in Wrexham police station and swabbed, photographed and fingerprinted. 

They were granted unconditional bail until August 7 but the very next day received a call to say that ‘no further action would be taken’. 

That, in itself, is no surprise given the total lack of evidence against the three. What is disturbing is that the police acted on a malicious politically motivated complaint by the BNP so readily.

Questions need to be asked:

1. Will the DNA swabs taken of the three now be destroyed?

2. Will the BNP be charged with wasting police time?

3. Why did North Wales Police arrest three activists on such weak evidence?

4. Why did it take six weeks to take action?