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Politics

UK Athletics fined after death of Paralympian

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Abdullah Hayayei of UAE competes in the men's discus F34 final during the Evening Session on Day Ten of the IPC Athletics World Championships at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium on October 31, 2015 in Doha, Qatar.

Abdullah Hayayei of UAE competes in the men's discus F34 final during the Evening Session on Day Ten of the IPC Athletics World Championships at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium on October 31, 2015 in Doha, Qatar.

UK Athletics has been fined £350,000 after pleading guilty to corporate manslaughter over the 2017 death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei.

Hayayei was killed while training in London ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships.

The case has exposed glaring lapses in event safety and prompted fresh scrutiny of how major sporting bodies manage risk for visiting athletes.

Hayayei, a 36‑year‑old thrower from the United Arab Emirates, had competed at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, and was preparing at the Newham Leisure Centre when a metal throwing cage collapsed on him.

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Emergency services pronounced him dead at the scene. The tragedy cut short a promising athletic career and left a community demanding answers about preventable failures.

UK Athletics investigation: What was found?

A joint police and health and safety investigation uncovered a critical defect: the stabilising metal lattice base plates for the discus cage were missing.

That absence left the equipment dangerously unstable. Prosecutors argued the condition of the apparatus amounted to gross negligence in safety management by the organisation responsible for the event.

UK Athletics admitted liability in court, entering a guilty plea to corporate manslaughter in February. The organisation was ordered to pay the fine and an additional £44,000 in court costs.

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Separately, the head of sport for the 2017 championships, Keith Davies, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act and received a community order with 175 hours of unpaid work.

Official response and accountability

The Crown Prosecution Service was blunt in its assessment:

There can be no doubt that UK Athletics were grossly negligent in their safety management, which caused the death of a talented athlete.

Prosecutors said equipment had been left in a “seriously unsafe condition” and that Hayayei’s death was avoidable.

UK Athletics issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and acknowledging failings.

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The governing body said it had focused on learning from the incident and strengthening standards and safeguards across the sport. The organisation’s apology stopped short of undoing the harm but signalled a commitment to reform.

Legal and organisational consequences

The fine and criminal conviction mark a significant moment for sports governance in the UK. Corporate manslaughter convictions against sporting bodies are rare and carry reputational as well as financial consequences.

The sentence against Davies underscores that individual managers can also face personal accountability when safety systems fail.

For UK Athletics, the ruling will likely trigger internal reviews, policy overhauls, and tighter oversight of event operations. Insurance costs, supplier contracts, and venue checks are all areas that will come under renewed attention.

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The case sets a precedent that event organisers cannot treat safety as a box‑ticking exercise; lapses can lead to criminal liability.

Wider implications for sport and visiting athletes

The death of an international athlete on home soil raises questions about how organisers protect competitors, especially those who travel from abroad and rely on hosts for safe facilities. Visiting athletes often lack local knowledge about venues and depend on organisers to ensure equipment and infrastructure meet standards.

Event hosts must now reckon with the reputational risk of inadequate safety regimes. National federations, local authorities, and venue operators will face pressure to demonstrate robust inspection regimes, clear chains of responsibility, and documented maintenance procedures. The case also highlights the need for transparent reporting and independent checks ahead of major competitions.

The human cost

Beyond legal penalties and policy changes, the human toll remains central. Hayayei’s family and teammates have lost a son, friend, and a competitor.

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Financial fines and public statements cannot replace a life. The case is a reminder that safety failures have victims and that accountability must include support for those left behind.

There is also an equality dimension. Smaller federations and athletes from less resourced countries may be disproportionately affected when safety standards slip. Ensuring consistent protections for all competitors, regardless of origin, is a moral as well as legal imperative for international sport.

What should change for UK Athletics?

The ruling points to several practical steps organisers should take to reduce risk:

  • Rigorous equipment checks before and during events, with documented sign‑offs
  • Clear lines of responsibility so that venue managers, event staff, and governing bodies know who inspects and signs off on safety
  • Independent audits for high‑risk apparatus and temporary installations
  • Training and accountability for staff and volunteers on safety protocols
  • Support mechanisms for athletes and families affected by incidents, including transparent communication and compensation pathways

These measures are not novel, but the Hayayei case shows they must be enforced consistently and treated as non‑negotiable.

The long view for UK Athletics

The fine and convictions close one chapter but open another: a period of reckoning for event safety in athletics. UK Athletics has been punished and publicly shamed, and now the sport faces the task of rebuilding trust.

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That will require more than policy changes, it will demand cultural change, investment in safety, and a willingness to accept responsibility when systems fail.

For athletes who travel to compete, the message must be clear: organisers are accountable for their safety. For governing bodies, the lesson is equally stark, negligence has consequences, and the cost of complacency can be a life.

Featured Image via Warren Little/ Getty Images

By Faz Ali

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Politics

Labour members overwhelmingly support ban on arms to Israel

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Illustrative image of Keir Starmer looking glum Labour members want ban on arms to Israel

Illustrative image of Keir Starmer looking glum Labour members want ban on arms to Israel

New polling of Labour Party members shows they overwhelmingly oppose the UK selling arms to Israel. They also want an end to trade with Israel’s illegal settlements.

Over 60% are dissatisfied with the UK government’s response to Israel’s atrocities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and want it to take stronger action.

This includes an 87% majority backing a ban on trade with illegal settlements, and a 78% majority backing the suspension of all UK arms exports to Israel. The poll also found over two-thirds support suspending the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement.

The polling, commissioned by Save the Children UK, Christian Aid, and Medical Aid for Palestinians as part of the Ally to Atrocities campaign, found that:

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  • 87% of Labour Party members support banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements, with 6% opposed.
  • 78% support suspending all UK arms exports to Israel, including components for F-35 fighter jets, compared to 14% opposed.
  • 68% support suspending the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership agreement, while 16% oppose.
  • 62% are dissatisfied with the UK government’s current approach to the occupied Palestinian territory, compared to 19% satisfied.
  • 58% say the UK government’s approach is important in their decision about who should lead the Labour Party.

Arms to Israel can’t carry on

The data comes amid continued attacks on Gaza despite the so-called “ceasefire” agreement. Israeli forces have killed 930 Palestinians since 10 October 2025, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, while humanitarian access remains heavily restricted.

Gaza’s healthcare system has been pushed beyond breaking point. Hospitals are facing severe shortages of medicines, equipment, and fuel while medical needs continue to soar.

With no hospital fully functioning in Gaza and aid still only trickling into Gaza, children continue to face alarming levels of malnutrition and disease. This is in spite of the humanitarian obligations in the ceasefire agreement.

In the illegally occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities are advancing the long-standing E1 settlement plan. It links a major settlement bloc to East Jerusalem and risks mass forced displacement.

This has long been a red line for successive UK governments. The foreign office last year called the expansion “a flagrant breach of international law”. However, ministers have so far failed to curb the aggressive expansion of these settlements.

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Alison Griffin, head of conflict and humanitarian campaigns at Save the Children UK, said:

While children in Gaza continue to be killed, injured, displaced and denied access to the essentials they need to survive, the UK’s response has fallen far short of what it is morally and legally required to do.

The UK cannot claim to support international law while continuing policies that risk enabling violations of it. Nor can it continue to treat the unlawful occupation and illegal settlements as a diplomatic concern rather than a breach of international law requiring consequences.

Families have endured conditions no child should ever face, while political inaction allows the suffering to continue.

The government must suspend all arms exports to Israel, including F-35 components, ban trade with illegal settlements, suspend the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement, and ensure accountability for all violations of international law.

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Children and families cannot afford further delay. We are beyond statements of concern and weak, inadequate action—this moment demands an end to complicity and urgent, concrete steps.

Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at Medical Aid for Palestinians, said:

While Palestinians in Gaza continue to be killed, starved, displaced and denied lifesaving aid, the UK cannot keep responding with empty words while these atrocities continue with total impunity.

Every day without meaningful action means more lives lost, more children pushed into hunger, and hospitals stretched beyond breaking point.

These findings expose a widening gulf between the reality on the ground and the UK government’s response and should serve as a wake-up call for the government to take immediate action.

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The government must stop arms transfers to Israel, including parts for F-35 fighter jets, end trade with illegal settlements, and ensure accountability for violations of international law.

The Ally to Atrocities coalition is calling for urgent action from the UK government in response:

  • Suspend all arms transfers to Israel, including parts for F-35 fighter jets.
  • Ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
  • Suspend the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement.
  • Hold all perpetrators accountable for violations of international law.

Featured image via Leon Neal / Getty Images

By The Canary

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Spa in Spain denies Zionists entry in viral video

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Folded Beige Towels Ready for Use in Spa on Rustic Wooden Table

Folded Beige Towels Ready for Use in Spa on Rustic Wooden Table

The operators of a Barcelona spa for lesbians have gone viral after denying entry to two US-Israeli women because of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The women then tried — antisemitically — to claim that being Zionist and Jewish are the same thing as they attempt to cast themselves as the victims. One also tried to claim she had been pushed.

The argument didn’t wash and staff continued to politely refuse them admission, with a full refund.

Spa team: ‘We don’t condone genocide here’

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A post shared by The New Arab (@thenewarab)

Always the victims

Israelis have a track record of feigning being the victim of violence to try to criminalise principled opposition to Israel’s crimes. Like in Nice, France, in March.

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And in the US last year.

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Featured image via Mario Marco/ Getty Images

By Skwawkbox

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Did the Manchester Airport brawlers get away with it?

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Did the Manchester Airport brawlers get away with it?

In July 2024, Mohammed Fahir Amaaz and Muhammad Amaad were involved in a now infamous violent incident at Manchester Airport, in which they were filmed fighting with several police officers. Last week, after a five-week-long trial and nearly 20 hours of deliberations, a jury failed to reach a verdict on whether the two brothers were guilty of assaulting one of the police officers. This is the second time a jury has failed to do so. Rather than pursue the matter, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed afterwards that the brothers would not face a third trial. Many are understandably outraged.

It’s worth recalling the airport incident in full. On 23 July 2024, Greater Manchester Police responded to reports that Amaaz had assaulted a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Manchester Airport Starbucks. Initial – and crucially partial – footage of the police response was quickly circulated online. It showed an officer, PC Zachary Marsden, kicking Amaaz while he was on the ground. This prompted anger from the activist class, and accusations of racism against the police.

Days later, a CCTV clip showing the whole incident was leaked to the media. It revealed that the two suspects had in fact been throwing punches at a male officer and two of his female colleagues. It became clear that serious violence had also been used by the men against police officers.

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At the first trial in July 2025, Amaaz, the younger brother, was convicted of common assault against Ismaeil and two counts of actual bodily harm against female police officers, PC Lydia Ward and PC Ellie Cook. The first jury was unable, however, to reach a verdict on both brothers’ charge of causing actual bodily harm to PC Marsden. And now a second has found it equally as difficult.

Prosecuting counsel Paul Greaney KC said that although the count of actual bodily harm was serious and had attracted major public interest, it could not properly be described as one of ‘extreme gravity’. The brothers’ defence lawyers called the trial an ‘orgy of race hatred’.

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The defence counsel’s claim that the trial was ‘an orgy of race hatred’ is outrageous. After all, we can all see what the footage shows. The defendants use serious violence against police officers in an airport. This must have been terrifying for those witnessing the incident. It could even have warranted a more ‘grave’ charge against the men. ‘Violent disorder’, perhaps, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail – although this charge requires ‘three or more’ people to be involved. Or maybe ‘affray’, which requires a person to ‘use or threaten unlawful violence towards another, with conduct such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for their personal safety’. This would at least have addressed the fear experienced by members of the public confronted by the men’s actions.

Either way, it is frankly ridiculous to claim that Amaaz and Amaad are victims of prejudice, or ‘race hatred’, as their defence lawyer claimed. The juries in these trials clearly took their jobs extremely seriously, approached their task without fear or favour, heard a large amount of evidence and deliberated for many hours. The law requires a jury to reach a unanimous verdict initially, then a majority decision of at least 10 to two, or lower if jurors have been discharged. The fact that they failed to reach verdicts suggests they were split. The idea that the trial process was in any way racially prejudiced against the men is undermined by the careful decisions taken in each trial.

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And what of the decision not to seek a third trial on the Marsden allegation? CPS guidance states that there is a ‘very clear presumption and expectation’ against a third trial after two juries have failed to agree. The leading authority is R v Bell [2010] EWCA Crim 3, in which the Court of Appeal said that a second retrial should be confined to a very small number of cases – namely those involving a crime of extreme gravity, and where the evidence that the defendant committed the crime remains very powerful. The CPS said that this case, serious though it was, did not meet that threshold.

Many among the public will disagree. The alleged assault on PC Marsden followed confirmed assaults against another officer and against a member of the public. This is not murder we are talking about, but it is still, when viewed in context, exceptionally serious. The outcry about the decision not to seek a third trial is therefore understandable, despite the CPS guidance.

The whole case leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It feels like these men have got away with a serious crime. Amaaz will be sentenced on 26 June for the assaults against the two female officers and a member of the public. We will have to see what the judge makes of the severity of his crimes.

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Luke Gittos is a spiked columnist and author. His most recent book is Human Rights – Illusory Freedom: Why We Should Repeal the Human Rights Act, which is published by Zero Books. Order it here.

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Fogarty to political activist denied UK visa: ‘Nobody thinks you can’t criticise Israel’

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Cenk Uygur waves at a crowd. He was interviewed on LBC with Shelagh Fogarty on 3 June 2026

Cenk Uygur waves at a crowd. He was interviewed on LBC with Shelagh Fogarty on 3 June 2026

US anti-genocide journalist Cenk Uygur was interviewed on LBC with Shelagh Fogarty this week. The Starmer regime had just cancelled the UK visas of Uygur and fellow commentator Hasan Piker.

Yet Fogarty was determined to ignore the obvious and was seemingly oblivious to how that would backfire. So she told Uygur blithely: “Nobody in this country thinks you can’t criticise Israel”.

Yes, she actually said that out loud.

Fogarty ignores Uygur’s ban for opposing barbarism

Uygur’s response was immediate: “Well I just got banned for it”.

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The clip was promptly posted by Green party candidate, Mark Adderley, who knows a thing or two about being attacked and penalised for criticising Israel and its crimes.

Fogarty’s agenda was clear, of course. She was trying to associate properly severe condemnation of Israel with incitement and hate speech against Jews generally, which it plainly is not.

Jews are not Israel, Israel is not all Jews. Suggesting otherwise is antisemitic, but it’s a tactic frequently employed by Israel advocates and apologists. Uygur wasn’t having it and rightly so.

That it comes from Fogarty and LBC is entirely predictable. She has sneered at anti-genocide protesters as juveniles who need to “grow up” and swore at a caller who pointed out Israel is committing genocide.

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Nevertheless, being predictable doesn’t make it any more acceptable (or less stupid) to tell someone just banned from the UK for criticising Israel that “nobody” in the UK thinks criticism of Israel is penalised.

Featured image via Rich Polk/Getty Images for Politicon

By Skwawkbox

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Southwark residents to launch campaign on unsafe housing conditions

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Wyndham Estate in Southwark

Wyndham Estate in Southwark

Residents from the Wyndham & Comber, Brandon 2 and Brandon 3 estates in Southwark will formally launch a new campaign at a public event on 3 June. It’s calling for urgent action on unsafe housing conditions.

The Southwark Group of Tenants Organisations and health justice organisation Medact are supporting the campaign. It highlights the serious health impacts of ongoing housing disrepair. This can include:

  • Unreliable heating and hot water.
  • Damp.
  • Mould.
  • Leaks.
  • Overheating.
  • Structural defects.

The launch event will bring together residents, community organisations, local stakeholders and health advocates to share experiences, present residents’ demands, and discuss solutions to long-standing housing problems affecting the estates.

Residents say poor housing conditions are harming both physical and mental health, particularly for older people, children and those with existing health conditions.

A resident representative said:

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We are living in homes that are having a real impact on our health every day. No one should have to deal with repeated loss of heating and hot water, or live with damp and mould that makes people ill. This campaign is about making sure our experiences are heard and acted on.

Southwark residents report repeated heating and hot water breakdowns alongside ongoing disrepair in their homes. Many say these conditions have contributed to respiratory problems, stress, sleep disruption and worsening mental health.

Medact, a health justice organisation working with health professionals and communities, is supporting the campaign as part of its work on the social determinants of health. A Medact representative said:

Housing is a fundamental determinant of health. When homes are not safe, dry, and warm, people’s health suffers. This collaboration brings together lived experience and public health expertise to push for meaningful change.

The event will also include a community social for residents and attendees to connect and build support across the local community.

The campaign is led by tenants and residents from the Wyndham & Comber, Brandon 2 and Brandon 3 estates as part of the Wyndham Heat Network Action Group.

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The Southwark Group of Tenants Organisations supports tenant and resident groups across the borough.

Medact is a UK-based health justice organisation that campaigns to tackle unsafe housing.

Poor housing conditions, including damp, mould and inadequate heating, are widely linked to poor health outcomes and health inequalities.

Featured image via the Canary

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‘No Man’s Land’ explores life for queer women around the world

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‘No Man’s Land’ explores life for queer women around the world

No Man’s Land is a groundbreaking new docu-series from Rosie Turner. It explores what it means to live, love, and survive as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in regions where identity itself can be an act of defiance.

Told through dynamic “postcards” filmed around the world, including Thailand, Finland and Brazil, the series captures queer life in all its colour, complexity and courage.

‘No Man’s Land’ reveals queer resilience

The series follows Turner as she immerses herself in local communities. Each episode explores a country with a complex and evolving relationship with queer rights, from underground love stories and chosen families to activists and allies quietly fighting for change.

No Man’s Land reveals the resilience of queer individuals navigating systems designed to silence them. This series has been researched, produced, directed and shot entirely by a team of queer women.

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This isn’t a polished travelogue: it’s raw journalism with a heartbeat, using filmmaking to capture both the unfiltered reality and surprisingly joyful portrait of global queer life.

The first public screening of No Man’s Land will take place at The Arzner, London’s only dedicated LGBTQ+ Cinema. You can watch a trailer on YouTube here.

First Public Screening: Sunday 5 July 2026
Doors open at 3pm | Screening at 4pm
The Arzner Cinema, 10 Bermondsey Square, London SE1 3UN

‘Brazil: The Paradox of Pride’

Presenter Rosie Turner and No Man's Land Brazil participants

The Brazil episode explores the contradiction between Brazil’s vibrant queer culture and its ongoing violence and political tension surrounding LGBTQ+ rights.

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Set across Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval preparations, Turner investigates how a country celebrated globally for its queer visibility and Pride culture can simultaneously remain one of the most dangerous places in the world for trans people.

The episode explores the intersections of religion, politics, poverty, race and queer identity in modern Brazil.

‘Finland: Allyship in the Arctic Circle’

Presenter Rosie Turner and No Man's Land Finland participants

Set in Rovaniemi on the edge of the Arctic Circle, the Finland episode explores allyship, community-building and queer visibility in one of Europe’s most progressive yet geographically isolated countries for LGBTQ+ rights.

Turner travels through Finnish Lapland meeting LGBTQ+ people and allies working to create safe, visible and connected spaces for queer communities in remote areas where visibility can often feel quieter and harder won.

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The episode explores themes including trans healthcare, allyship, community organising and chosen family.

‘Thailand: The Edge of Freedom’

No Man's Land Thailand participant

Set against the backdrop of Bangkok’s vibrant queer nightlife and Thailand’s recent legalisation of same-sex marriage, the Thailand episode examines the tension between the country’s progressive global image and the more complex realities experienced by LGBTQ+ people on the ground.

Turner journeys through Bangkok’s queer district, from Silom Soi 4 to The Stranger Bar, gaining intimate backstage access, in dressing rooms and during live performances. Through these spaces, the episode explores queer joy, performance culture and chosen family within the city’s nightlife scene.

Along the way, Turner meets activists, venue owners, educators and organisers who are challenging and reshaping conversations around sexuality, gender and queer visibility in modern Thailand.

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The episode also delves into wider issues including sex tourism, censorship, sex education, and the gap between growing visibility and meaningful legal protection for LGBTQ+ communities.

Featured image and other images via No Man’s Land

By The Canary

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Darlington rejects far-right agitator as town centre march fails

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In the background is an image of a flyer to 'Stop the Boats' for a future protest in Darlington. In the foreground is the Darlington Borough Council logo and underneath is it the Canary UK logo

In the background is an image of a flyer to 'Stop the Boats' for a future protest in Darlington. In the foreground is the Darlington Borough Council logo and underneath is it the Canary UK logo

A laughably tiny group of far-right dickheads failed to spark a civilian uprising in Darlington.

Organisers expected crowds to flock to the town centre after months of aggressive online campaigning. Instead their ridiculous AI-produced flyer, filled with face-painted lions and flags, attracted less than 10 people to the Joseph Pease statue.

Shoppers completely ignored the ignorant display of ‘patriotism’.

An AI generated Flyer for the "Protest for England" march in Darlington. It's got loads of St Georges flags and three lions at the forefront. The lions are wearing facepaint of the St George's flag

Darlington subjected to paper trail of hate

The failed rally follows months of aggressive online campaigning from local far-right figures in Darlington — who are not pleasant people.

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The main instigator, David Haji Abbot, has spent months going on massive online tirades. Most of them would be quite funny if they weren’t so racist. Abbot introduces his racist rants while talking about worthy issues like housing, and insults anyone who doesn’t agree.

But he doesn’t just keep it in his echo chamber. To the annoyance of likely everyone in Darlington, Abbot constantly takes his ‘activism’ to the streets.

Abbot has actively financed a flag campaign, which I think he believes is a way of marking his territory.

A handwritten ledger from August 2025 shows he crowdfunded about £157 from 18 contributors. Receipts show he then went on to use the money to buy 30 large St Georges’ flags for £149.70 to shove on public infrastructure.

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A handwritten tally from Abbot of all of the donations for flags, with people's names, the amount they pledged, and whether they had "paid". 157 is written next to this list on the same page.

The unauthorised flag campaign has altered the local landscape and people aren’t happy. This movement has encouraged widespread antisocial behaviour. Crude red crosses have been painted on bollards, causing health and safety nightmares for Darlington Borough Council.

Hitting the legal wall

Eventually, the law quickly caught up with Abbot when he was served a severe legal warning from Darlington Council in January. Posting the letter on his own Facebook, Abbot went on a tirade of racist bullshit again.

The letter from the council revealed that climbing lampposts posed a severe public safety issue, obviously. It also told Abbot how the cost to remove and store flags are placed on local tax payers.

To top it all off, the letter revealed that utility workers were facing threats and intimidation from Abbot’s supporters. Simply for doing their job.

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Then Abbot received a call from the police on 6 March for a Community Protection Notice Warning. Once again, Abbot documented this all on his very open Facebook profile.

Authorities ordered this rat to stop his behaviour immediately, especially in regards to his online tirades.

PC Whitfield allegedly noted that Abbot was sanctioned for his online hate-filled content that incited violence and disorder. Honestly, you want to take a look at Abbot’s socials. They are a total cesspit of ranting racism and insults.

The dude has terrorised a local Darlington Facebook group up until today, when he was kicked out for good. His replies were full of racism and ableism, leading to a permanent ban.

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Democracy wins in Darlington

Abbot tried to maintain a laughably respectable façade after this. He wrote a formal complaint to Green Party councillor, Matthew Snedker. Abbot does this frequently. Almost feels like he has some kind of schoolboy crush to me given the number of times he contacts Snedker.

That complaint was about minor political fly-posting. Abbot also tried to use the Freedom of Information Act to prove Darlo backed his actions, which backfired massively.

The official data humiliated Abbot when the council revealed it had received 146 complaints demanding the England flags around Darlington to be removed. Only six people wrote to support them. So, 96% of responding residents rejected Abbot’s shitty flag campaign.

Abbot’s agitation also targets vulnerable groups. He regularly uses transphobic rhetoric online and even rocked up to a council meeting wearing a Union Jack suit when councillors debated single-sex spaces.

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He looked ridiculous as Darlington Borough Council rejected the policy, dealing another blow for his far-right agenda for the town.

I was there, and after facing aggression from Abbot’s gang in the gallery, it was hilarious to see them so sad when their motion was batted down.

David Abbot takes a selfie photo inside Darlington Borough Council chamber, wearing a Union Jack suit that is plastered in flags, and smiling

Abbot’s never worn a mask to slip

It was hilarious to see that all Abbot could muster after months of online campaigning was a measly handful of supporters. Wrapped in Temu Union Jacks and plastering the street in juvenile slogans, it was a huge turn-off for the people of Darlington.

These demonstrators used tired phrases like “Save our Kids” to try to trick passersby into joining them. It didn’t work. The population of the town rejects Abbot’s politics of hate and his ridiculous flags.

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Although he initially claimed he was happy with the turnout, it appears when he slept on it, Abbot wasn’t happy at all. He launched into a furious rant the next day.

His online meltdown was delicious as he completely broke his police warning. Dropping the fake concern for Darlington’s heritage, he went back to his white nationalist rubbish to demand deportations again.

But guess what? Abbot has already publicised another march next month with another AI poster. This time there’s less face-painted lions and more boats. It appears he’s changing tact this time.

The complete collapse of the rally last weekend proves one thing though. Digital manipulation cannot defeat real community solidarity. As these weird online trolls go back to their caves to lick their wounds and regroup, antifascists are keeping an eye on their next move.

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Featured images via Facebook

By Antifabot

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Israeli occupation’s aim is ethnic cleansing by any means possible

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Four Israeli soldiers stand behind razor wire near the Palestinian village of Bil'in in the West Bank

Four Israeli soldiers stand behind razor wire near the Palestinian village of Bil'in in the West Bank

Every minute of every day there are numerous Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians taking place somewhere in the occupied West Bank.

Many attacks involve direct violence, but settlers also intimidate, steal and destroy land and property.

Their purpose, by whatever means possible, is to steal Palestinian land for the Zionist’s colonial project of a “Greater Israel”, in the occupied Palestinian territory. And they have the full support and protection of the occupation’s police, military and government.

Here are just a few of the recent attacks on Palestinians by these illegal settlers…

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Israeli settlers terrorise towns and villages

On 19 May, settlers and the occupation’s military stormed Madama, a town south of Nablus. They entered an area classified as ‘Area B’ under the Oslo Accords and vandalised property.

The following day, they destroyed parts of the town’s electrical network, including electricity poles.

A few days later, Israeli occupation soldiers raided the village, forcing shop owners to close their businesses.

No access for medics and ambulances

On 30 May, in the early morning, there was a coordinated attack.

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Armed settlers assaulted residents with clubs and live ammunition, and targeted their homes. The occupation’s soldiers fired live bullets and tear gas, while the settlers attacked residents. They prevented ambulances from reaching injured people, as commonly happens. Dozens of sheep were also stolen.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that the attack hospitalised at least seven Palestinians. They were beaten with clubs, hit on the head with rocks, and shot at.

The settler attack in Madama was just one of several taking place in the Nablus district that day.

Settlers also raided the Jabal Bir Quza area in the town of Beita, in south Nablus. Video footage shows them wielding clubs and throwing rocks at a house. They also smashed the windows of several cars.

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Settlers from the same outpost attack again

Then, in the evening, the settlers targeted Palestinian-registered vehicles on the road between Beita and Awarta.

They sprayed adults and children with pepper spray, and attacked homes in Ras al-Ein, in the village of Qusra.

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One resident was stabbed while trying to defend his home before being taken to hospital with moderate injuries. This resident was the cousin of Amir Odeh, 28, who was shot in the chest and killed in the same area in March by settlers from the same outpost.

When Amir’s father, Mutasem, went to his aid, he was beaten unconscious with a stick and stabbed in both legs. Amir was pronounced dead before he arrived at hospital in Nablus.

Northwest of Ramallah, settlers also pushed a car off a slope, near the village of Deir Abu Mashal. Soldiers had chased it while it was on a nearby road. Soon afterwards, the car stopped and parked.

Settlers then beat the driver while he refused to hand over his keys. In retaliation, they pushed his car down a steep slope and left the scene without being stopped by the soldiers.

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No action from authorities

Recently, there have also been many arson attacks on Palestinian agricultural land, by both the occupation’s army and settlers.

In Duma, near Nablus, settlers arrived on all-terrain vehicles, which the occupation’s government supplies. They blocked the only village entrance and then burnt olive trees and agricultural produce.

The army was there but did nothing to prevent the attack or arrest the illegal settlers.

A new outpost has now been set up on land belonging to Abu Falah, north-east of Ramallah.

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Settlers set fire to agricultural land planted with olives on the outskirts of the village. Several hours later they set fire to the land again, this time next to a chicken shed.

Soldiers did nothing to prevent the crime or help put out the fire.

Abu Falah is the neighbouring village to al Mughayyir, which has also experienced numerous fires over the past weeks. Settlers shot at villagers while they tried to extinguish the flames.

In Saffa, west of Ramallah, Israeli occupation forces set light to land planted with wheat, olive trees and figs. The fire burnt more than 15 hectares of land. When residents and volunteers attempted to extinguish the fires, the occupation opened fire.

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Disregard for Oslo accords

The occupied West Bank is divided into three administrative zones — Area A, B and C — according to the Oslo Accords.

A pie chart showing Area A (18%) which is adminstered by Palestinian Authority; Area B (22%) which is administered by Palestinian Authority Shared security control with Israel; and Area C (60%) which is administered by Israel
Graphic via visualizingpalestine.org

In Area A, the Palestinian Authority (PA) officially has full civil and security control. In Area B, the PA must coordinate security with the Israeli occupation, while Area C is under full “Israeli” control. But the occupation wants to control all of the West Bank and steal as much Palestinian land as possible. It is doing this in a variety of ways.

The aim of the occupation is to control all of Area C, significantly expand Israeli occupation settlements there and declare “Israeli” sovereignty over the entire area.

In February this year, the security cabinet officially began the permanent acquisition and registration of title deeds in Area C. The PA has issued deeds and documents for decades to help local communities record their land rights, but the occupation has refused to recognise any of these.

It now says any Palestinian land in Area C lacking formal private ownership documentation from the Israeli occupation registry system — an institution designed to exclude them — belongs to the Israeli occupation government. But displacement, document loss and lack of recognition by Israeli courts, mean few Palestinians have this documentation. 

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Oslo Accords under threat

Members of the Knesset have also recently introduced legislation to formally scrap the Oslo Accords. They propose to replace the existing framework with full Israeli occupation sovereignty over Palestine. The aim is to block the establishment of a Palestinian state and encourage settlements in Areas A and B.

For decades, settlement outposts were almost exclusively established in Area C, but since October 2023, there has been a shift. There is now a push by the occupation to establish new outposts in Area B and, in some cases, even inside Area A — areas supposedly under at least partial Palestinian control.

Settler outposts extending into Areas A and B, ensure intimidation and settler attacks towards Palestinians do not only occur in Israeli occupation controlled Area C, but throughout the occupied West Bank. The eventual aim of the criminal Zionist regime is to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land, ethnically cleanse the territory, and steal it for themselves.

Featured image via the Canary

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By Charlie Jaay

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Albanians protest against Kushners land grab

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Albanians have continued to protest against a luxury resort linked to Zionists Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, being built in the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape and the island of Sazan.

Reuters reported that protesters were outside the ​office of Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama on Tuesday evening with signs that ​read “Nation is not for sale” and “I don’t want Albania like Dubai.”

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Ivanka boasts of the “discovery” on a podcast

The daughter of the current deranged President of the United States said that she first discovered the 1,400-hectare island whilst swimming off a friend’s boat.

She said:

Well, it’s an unbelievable, beautiful 1,400-hectare private island in the middle of the Mediterranean. We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it. We swam to the islands. We went on a hike barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated, and it stayed with us ever since. And over the course of many years, we developed the opportunity to help realize its potential and transform it….

POLITICO has, however, reported some good news. Albania’s anti-corruption office confirmed on Monday that it had opened an investigation into controversial changes in the area’s protected status and land ownership in 2024, which opened the door to tourism development.

However, they also reported that Kushner had unveiled plans for Affinity Partners to turn the site into a luxury resort in August 2024. The Zionist couple then visited the site in January 2026.

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Edi Rama had recently confirmed to POLITICO that talks were ongoing between the government and Kushner over the deal, which is set to include 10,000 hotel rooms.

Kushner and Gaza waterfront

The Kushner’s clearly do hold the white supremacist belief of “terra nullius.”

Terra nullius, or “land belonging to no one,” was the theory that foreign lands “discovered” by European explorers were vacant of any preexisting title and, therefore, claimable.

This concept, rooted in a series of 15th-century Papal Bulls, sanctioned Christian explorers like Christopher Columbus to colonize and exploit non-Christian nations and seize their lands. Trump’s administration frequently boasts of Columbus.

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In Albania today, that same logic is being repackaged as luxury development, and as we have also seen in the live-streamed genocide of Gaza. Kushner envisions Gaza as his “waterfront” property.

Like his wife gushing about the ‘discovery’ on a podcast, Kushner gushed about Gaza’s waterfront property:

It could be very valuable, if people would focus on building up livelihoods.

The genocidal profiteer sits on the Board of Peace for Gaza.

The Vjosa-Narta protected landscape is a wetland home ​to flamingos, seals, and sea turtle nesting sites.

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Genocide and ecocide are preconditions of the desire of Zionists like the Kushners, and they don’t care about it. That precondition is acceptable to them.

Featured image via Getty/Nathan Howard

By The Canary

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Bari Weiss keeps firing correspondents in her quest to make CBS more rightwing

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The latest journalist to be fired by Bari Weiss, the freshly-minted editor-in-chief of CBS News, was Scott Pelley. Clearly, self-declared “Zionist fanatic Weiss is overhauling the news division.

Oracle’s David Ellison, another Zionist, acquired CBS owner Paramount ⁠and installed Weiss last year.

Just last week, on Thursday morning, CBS News fired correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who had feuded with Weiss over a delayed 60 Minutes segment, and executive producer Tanya Simon.

Washington Post’s Scott Nover listed the four correspondents of CBS’s 60 Minutes who have been fired or resigned since Weiss became head.

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Nover also reported that “60 Minutes” staffers, past and present, were outraged about Pelley’s firing.

Bari Weiss ‘was brought in to kill it’

Just a day before Pelley was fired, he said in a tense meeting with CBS colleagues that:

She is murdering ‘60 Minutes. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.

He aimed this at Nick Bilton, a Bari Weiss loyalist. Bilton is the programme’s new executive producer, installed by Weiss.

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Following his termination the next day, Pelley accused CBS of pressuring him to insert bias into stories. Journalist Mehdi Hasan called CBS, “the new Fox.”

Fox News is a rabidly right-wing news channel.

More Fox News is not what we need, but in this topsy-turvy world, it’s what we are getting.

Featured image via Getty/Leigh Vogel

By The Canary

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