From the Telegraph
A suspended Labour councillor accused of saying far-Right protesters needed to have their throats “cut” was told by the party not to attend the anti-racism march hours before he spoke at it, a court has heard.
Ricky Jones, 57, was allegedly filmed speaking through a microphone and calling Right-wing protesters “disgusting Nazi fascists” before adding: “We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them.” There’s no alleged about it – this video attached to my post may have been deleted but enough of us watched it, and I’m sure there’s other copies out there. He is ‘alleged’ to have encouraged violent disorder; he pleaded guilty so he must have a defence as to his motives and reasons for the speech and gesture. Unless his defence is that the video was an AI fake to discredit him. We will see.
In a video, which was shared widely across social media, he allegedly drew a finger across his own neck in a threatening gesture.
The Dartford councillor was arrested the morning after the incident, which took place at a counter-demonstration organised by anti-racism campaigners in Walthamstow, east London, on Aug 7 2024. He charged with one count of encouraging violent disorder, which he denies.
Mr Jones attended the counter demonstration despite councillors receiving an email from the Labour party’s local government team advising them not to attend.
It read: “With heightened tensions in many areas of the country due to the threat of further violent disorder, we wanted to remind all Labour party councillors to follow the clear advice issued by the police, which is not to take part in, attend or encourage others to attend, any sort of demonstration or counter demonstration.”
However, footage recorded by Mr Jones and later obtained by police following his arrest, showed he was in Walthamstow at the event organised by Stand Up to Racism Waltham Forest and sending a video to a contact just over two hours later.
In his opening to the jury, Mr Ben Holt for the prosecution said: “. . . Mr Jones attended Walthamstow regardless. At Walthamstow that day, rumours had spread that there was going to be a protest outside an immigration centre. During that event, he made a speech, amplified through a public address system, to the crowd. He called the other side disgusting Nazi fascists. He said that their throats needed to be slit. He drew his finger along his throat as he said that.
“This, in a setting where, we suggest, violence could readily have been anticipated.”
Following his arrest, Mr Jones told police he was “sorry” he made the comments “in the heat of the moment” and had not intended for them to be “taken literally”, Mr Holt said.
The trial continues.
The video is still on X – Katie Hopkins reposted it here this morning
