A far-right group has raised thousands of pounds for the families of prisoners locked up over their roles in the anti-immigration riots that took place across the UK in the summer.
Almost £15,000 has been collected by Patriotic Alternative through an online fundraiser to help relatives of convicts “get by” while prison sentences are served.
At least 388 people have so far been jailed for offences during the unrest triggered by the death of three girls in a knife attack at a Southport dance studio on 29 July, according to the latest government figures.
In response, Patriotic Alternative launched a fundraiser, claiming the Labour government had launched the “most draconian crackdown on freedom of speech and freedom to protest that we have ever witnessed”.
The group is a far-right white nationalist group founded five years ago by the BNP’s former director of publicity, Mark Collett. The organisation has more than16,000 supporters, according to its website.
On the fundraiser published on GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfund platform, it read: “Due to the recent wave of protestors being arrested, charged, convicted and sent to prison - and the recent wave of people being sent to prison for social media posts - this has left a number of families on the outside struggling to make ends meet.
“Recent political prisoners include a mother of five and full-time carers. 100% of the funds raised from this campaign (after GiveSendGo fees) will go to the families of recent political prisoners to help them get by while their loved ones are incarcerated.”
GiveSendGo has been approached for comment about the fundraiser for anti-immigration supporters and how aligned it is with Christian values.
A total of 351 people had donated £14,670 by 10 October - and Patriotic Alternative said work had started to distribute the funds, including £2,000 to the family of a 31-year-old man who was jailed over a protest in Hull.
The group’s campaign comes after a fundraiser for Dominic Capaldi, who was jailed for throwing objects towards officers in Bristol, was set up and then shut down by Crowdfunder.
Patriotic Alternative is also encouraging people to write to prisoners and complain to the Prison Reform Trust about the “inequality being witnessed in these cases”. The Prison Reform Trust has been approached for comment.
“This response is in many cases not only disproportionate, but it is also far harsher than the state’s response to the BLM riots of 2020,” the group added.
The peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrations took place in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of US police officer Derek Chauvin. Thousands of people took to the streets to stage anti-racist protests and demand an end to state violence against Black people around the world.
This summer’s riots engulfed Britain between 30 July and 5 August sparked by Islamophobic and racist sentiments.
Violence was unleashed across numerous cities including Liverpool, Leeds and Belfast with far-right thugs attacking Black, Asian and Muslim people on the streets, defacing mosques and attempting to torch hotels housing asylum seekers.
The trouble started as false claims spread online that the Southport suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker.
When approached by The Independent for comment, Patriotic Alternative said: “If you want to spread awareness of our fundraiser then be our guest.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told The Independent: “The first job of government is to keep people safe.
“We will always take the strongest possible action against thugs who attempt to sow hate and disorder, attack police officers and intimidate communities.”
