A man involved in organising a neo-Nazi rally in Golders Green in July has been found guilty of inciting racial hatred.
Joshua Bonehill-Paine, 22, was charged in June with publishing or distributing written material intended to incite racial hatred ahead of a proposed march he had planned for 4 July.
The rally was moved to Westminster after police intervention.
On his website, he had posted anti-Semitic pictures, including one showing weedkiller being sprayed over Auschwitz- Birkenau and another that portayed Hitler as an emoticon. He also promised to “Liberate Golders Green for future generations of White People” (sic).
He was arrested in February over offensive tweets sent to Jewish MP Luciana Berger and was also involved in publicising a Stamford Hill protest scheduled for March.
Bonehill-Paine had denied a charge of publishing material to incite racial hatred, but he was convicted of the offence on Wednesday following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Det Ch Insp Andy Barnes, who led the investigation for the Met’s Public Order Investigation Branch, said: “The Met fully understands the hurt that is felt in communities affected by this type of crime.
“It is only by continually working with communities that we can ensure they are safe and free from fear.
“As this case demonstrates, there is no place for people inciting racial hatred under the guise of protest and those that do this will be investigated and brought before the courts to answer for this crime.”
He is due to be sentenced today.
Sources: Jewish News / Evening Standard
