Racists told ‘stay away’ from Ben Nevis after banner unfurling

Racists have been warned to stay away from Ben Nevis after a far-right group unfurled a “white lives matter” banner at the top of Scotland’s highest mountain peak on Sunday.
Politicians, anti-racism campaigners, environmentalists and mountain rescue experts united to condemn the action by Patriotic Alternative, a UK white-nationalist group founded by Mark Collett, the British National party’s former director of publicity.
Witnesses at the summit told the National newspaper that more than 20 members of the group were booed by shocked climbers as they produced the huge banner, with one individual holding a saltire and another waving a flag featuring the Patriotic Alternative symbol.

John Stevenson, the leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, which covers Ben Nevis, said: “We don’t need this type of political protest on the mountain – especially when it reflects such appalling views. We don’t need these kind of people climbing Ben Nevis for this purpose. They should stay away.”

The SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, who represents the constituency of Ross, Skye and Lochaber, where the mountain is located, described the reports as “utterly abhorrent”.

“When it comes to racists and racism, we must be unequivocal in calling out this hatred wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head. These racists are not welcome here,” he said.
Blackford added: “The police force in the Highlands is very much community focused and I will be speaking to them to see what can be done.”

The action appears to have been prompted by a competition between regional groups, featured on the group’s website, to create an image of a “white lives matter” message in a memorable location ahead of their “indigenous people’s day” on 9 August.

The anti-racism group Hope Not Hate has previously described Patriotic Alternative’s presence in Scotland as “tiny”, but warned that more broadly the group has “managed to begin to unite elements of the notoriously splintered and fractured UK fascist scene”, in particular actively targeting younger recruits online.

Original Quill wrote:

eddie wrote:You know, by and large, how many of us witness or see racism in our everyday lives? I’m not talking TV or media reports...but how many of you actually personally witness racism?

I’m betting hardly ever.

Just saying.

I witness it every day...many times a day.  

eddie wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

I witness it every day...many times a day.  

Give me examples of “every day, many times a day”. Because that sounds a little unbelievable.

Tommy Monk wrote:So, just waffle then...