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C18 step up attacks in the north

01 September 1994

Combat 18 (C18), the nazi paramilitary group has stepped up its violent activities in the north of England. The group has launched a series of attacks, that include firebombings, on trade unionists and labour movement activists in the Leeds area of west Yorkshire. Some of those attacked were included on a hit list drawn up by C18 earlier this year. In Darlington several British National Party (BNP) members appeared in court charged with an attack on a trade unionist, Dave Hardaker. A young black man was badly beaten by the same gang later that evening. Since the arrests several witnesses have been threatened.

In London C18 put in an appearance at the recent Shadwell by- election count in east London where the BNP stood a candidate, Gordon Callow. Callow, who was formerly a supporter of Oswald Mosley and a member of the National Front, came third with 300 votes. The appearance of C18 in the vicinity of the count was surprising as they have recently opposed the BNP's decision to contest elections. They have advocated a more violent approach (several C18 members have been arrested in possession of weapons destined for Loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland). While they kept a distance between themselves and the BNP candidate on the night - preferring to drink at a public house about a mile away - less tacit collaborations can be expected in the future.