Sunday Life 26.01.03
Nazi thugs target schoolkids

By Ciaran McGuigan

ULSTER nazis are planning to swamp Belfast schoolchildren with hate-filled racist propaganda.

The recruitment drive for the Ulster arm of the White Nationalist Party is set to concentrate on schools in the south Belfast area, nazi organisers claim.

The propaganda campaign follows the distribution of racist leaflets in the Village area of south Belfast.

And it comes as a number right-wing extremist groups, including the National Front, have re-surfaced to spread their message of hate throughout Northern Ireland.

A spokesman for the WNP told Sunday Life: "We will be concentrating in recruiting young people, and have no qualms about leafleting outside schools."

But, those distributing nazi literature could be prosecuted under race-hate legislation.

However, the WNP also plans to step up its recruitment campaign at Northern Ireland football matches - providing an extra headache for the IFA, which is already struggling to kick sectarianism out of local football.

The WNP spokesman added: "Recently we have had officials take flags from our activists on their way into Irish league football matches.

"But we will continue to leaflet matches, and step up our presence at international matches."

Neo-nazi groups have traditionally gathered support in Ulster from loyalist paramilitaries - Shankill UFF commander Johnny Adair has been a long time supporter of the NF - and recent recruiting has been strongest in hard-line loyalist areas such as Portadown, Ballymena and the Village area of Belfast.

But both the NF and WNP have rejected recent press reports, that they plan to put forward candidates in forthcoming elections.

Despite the recent successes of the far-right BNP in council elections in England, Ulster's neo-nazis realise that they would be unable to gain any electoral foothold.

The spokesman for Ulster's NF told Sunday Life: "We may eventually be in a position to stand in elections in certain areas, but at the minute we will be concentrating on taking our message to the streets."

The main focus for their protests is expected to be the proposed site for a mosque at Bleary, Co Armagh.