Home Office reply to petition / Canadian police recognise the problem

The reply:

You have signed an e-petition suggesting that the definition of 'hate crime' be widened to include crimes committed on the basis of a person's appearance or interests.

The Government's current definition of 'hate crime' is as follows:

• A 'hate incident' is any incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by hate or prejudice.
• A 'hate crime' is any incident which contributes to a criminal offence, perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hate.

Within this broad definition, legislation focuses on hate crimes on the basis of race, faith, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity - and it is these categories which are currently monitored. We do not plan to extend this to include hatred against people on the basis of their appearance or sub-cultural interests. These are not intrinsic characteristics of a person and could be potentially be very wide ranging, including for example allegiance to football teams - which makes this a very difficult category to legislate for. However, it is important to remember that this is within a legal framework that assumes that all violence is a very serious matter; and in addition, judges have discretion to look at a wide range of mitigating and aggravating factors when they are sentencing - and are likely to view attacks motivated by hatred of this kind as very serious indeed.

Th SOPHIE campaign has replied:

Sophies myspace page have posted the following:

Many of you will have had an email today telling you that the hate crime extension petition has failed.

We are not surprised by this and we have further work to do with politicians, but not until after the sentencing on the 28th April

We would like to thank Ade Varney who wrote this petition for his work over the last few months. He did so even though he did not know Sophie or Rob. he did it because like so many of us, he'd had enough.

Please bear with us while the sentencing has happened and then we will produce a letter you can download to send to your MP (In the UK) and other nations representatives.

thank you to all who were able to sign it, there is more to do to make sure what happened to Sophie does not happen again

Kate

Of course religion is not an "intrinsic characteristic" either but the fact is despite the difficulty in framing a definition as this blog shows subcultural violence does happen. If you are competent you do something about it. Hopefully the SOPHIE campaigns efforts will inspire further action.

You can read about varney's ideas and motivations here:
On Hate Crime, by Ade Varney11 Apr 2008

In Canada the police are addressing the potential problem of subcultural conflict via hate crime units directed against homophobia and they are worried by the Mexican example:

All of which emphasizes the need for programs like the Toronto police force’s new campaign to encourage youth to report incidents of homophobic violence. The education- and awareness-based program is in development, pending approval from the Toronto District School Board.

Obviously, “emo” and “queer” aren’t synonymous, but Constable Tom Decker, who heads up the new campaign, thinks it could be a precautionary step in helping Toronto avoid copycat attacks.
“There’s not a single root cause for homophobia and transphobia, but it stems from heterosexism and sexism in general,” he insists. “The less a person conforms to sexist standards, the more he will be grouped into a homosexual camp.”

Decker says kids on the non-normative side of the spectrum are reluctant to report bullying episodes for fear of being victimized again. “Society has also taught these kids that this is just what everyone does, that bullying happens, so they become complacent and feel as though they just have to accept it.” No emo = no homo?
Eye Weekly, Canada - 9 Apr 2008

The connection between homophobia and subcultural attacks seems self apparent in the riots in Mexico and in other assaults. And it is no wonder they are worried there because in Canada like elsewhere in the world violence motivated by subcultural differences is not unknown as actual police officers are well aware:

Threats of violence keep high school students home
Guelph Mercury, Canada - April 17th

In December, there was a threat of a fight between two rival subcultures, the "jocks" and the "emos" (often described as a shier, artistic group). ..

"It's more of an annoyance than anything," said Luc Gill, a 17-year-old student, adding it's a bother to have a teacher escort for a washroom break. Gill suspects the bomb threats are being made by a group of individuals wanting more days off school. He shrugged off the threats, adding there hasn't been anything substantial to it so far.

"We have lots of violence at our school; we get used to it," he said, explaining there are always several fights after school and away from school property.

McFadzen said it's unknown whether the last two threats are connected to the first warning of a fight between the two rival groups. The OPP is investigating the incidents.

When the fight between the jocks and the emos was to happen in December, school officials brought both groups together in a restorative justice circle and the volatile situation at the school appeared to have been defused. McFadzen said the last two threats didn't refer to the two groups and instead directed the threat at the school.

Though the showdown never happened the move towards confrontation was a result of escalating clashes between the two groups in the school with name calling and individual fights. Taking preventative measures was sensible. Schools and local authorities need to be aware whether these differences are "intrinsic" or not they lead to abuse and violence.

(Some similarities to this earlier story:

Emo Jock clash at Priest River Lamanna High school )

Emo problems in Peru and Mexico

Peru: Understanding the Emo Youth in Lima

And they are defenseless because a friend told me that he had seen many of them beaten by gangs and by punks that hang out around the Spanish Cultural Center for their appearance.

In Peru misunderstandings abound and the media hit a new low using "fake" emos in a tv programme:

About a month ago, on the local television program Close Enemies, there was a program dedicated to emos, which ridiculed and treated them poorly. The blog Descarga Directa [es] published a video, which showed part of the program, on his post “Emos on the television: Noooo!! [es]” However, what had added to the controversy was the discovery that part of the program was made with emos especially created for the occasion. This is what El Blog de Cayo [es] said on his post “False Panelists… False Emos [es]“:

Once again evidence of how this is a worldwide problem.


MTV continue their examination of Emo attacks with some interesting research. Glad to see there are some true punks in Mexico.:

Behind The Emo Attacks: We Head To Mexico City
MTV.com

So why does the threat of violence persist? And why are these different classes of kids — punks, goths, metalheads and emos — at war with one another? Well, according to Josh Kun, a professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Communications and the author of "Audiotopia: Music, Race and America" (which had a chapter dedicated to Mexican rock), the issue at the heart of all this is one of identity. In very simple terms, Mexican youth cling to the essence of what it means to be a punk or a metalhead — and they will fight to the bitter end to protect that identity from any and all infringement.

"In Mexico, rock culture has always been this super outlawed thing. ... Kids there attach themselves to a countercultural movement because it's about survival — it's an intensity we're not used to here in the States," he said. "In the '60s, rock was outlawed — you would be arrested if you were playing rock music in public, and your hair would be cut by the cops — and so there's always been this aura of it being 'rebel' music, and kids are drawn to that. To extremes.

"Punk has not been commoditized and mainstreamed to the extent it has here in the U.S., where something like 'emo' is in it's third or fourth wave, and there's nothing particularly 'alternative' about it," Kun continued. "In Mexico, it's still an underground identity, and it's taken to extremes. ... It's really striking how overly sexualized it is. Emo kids are so-called 'emo-sexuals' and punks are super-macho and straight. So when they fight, it's about identities."

And despite the rather glum predictions of those in the scene, Kun says there are already signs that emo kids are beginning to be accepted. He points to an instance in Tijuana, one of the sites of the original violence, where rather than attack emos, punkeros decided to embrace them, because it was the punk-rock thing to do.

"Basically, the punk leaders there came together and told all the other punks that violence was not the 'punk' thing to do," he explained. "They said that if you were a true punk, you'd learn to accept the emo kids, because they're different just like we are."

More Sophie Tributes - Basingstoke and Bacup

Sophie Lancaster charity gig

11 Apr 2008 Rock fans in Basingstoke have come together to arrange a show to raise money for the charity set up by the family of murdered teen Sophie Lancaster: Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred + Intolerance Everywhere. Details are as follows: Hosted ...

Bowls tournament in Sophie's memory
A MAJOR bowls competition will be held in the park where Sophie Lancaster was murdered in a bid to raise funds in her memory.

And he has had permission from Sophie’s mum Sylvia Lancaster and family friend Kate Conboy-Greenwood to hold the event on 10 August, the eve of the anniversary of the horrific incident, in which Sophie’s boyfriend Robert Maltby was also kicked and beaten about the head.

Chris, 44, from Weir, said: ‘I have written to 32 bowlers locally and 32 people from elsewhere in Yorkshire, Wigan and the Greater Manchester area.

West Memphis Three

Th case is back in court this detailed article focuses on the appeal:

Unfortunately, the key events in the WM3 case have unfolded within a community that had little trouble in believing that Satan is real and at work in the world, and that the three children were killed in a ritual sacrifice to the Devil. That, in essence, was the prosecution case – though the state prosecutors never did risk putting Satan on the witness stand, for cross-examination.

Echols in particular, became a target. He wore a black trench coat even in warm weather, rented books on paganism from the local library, listened to Metallica and other heavy metal bands, and wrote doomy, melodramatic poetry. Echols had received treatment for depression, and been briefly hospitalized. At 19, he also exuded an air of bored teenage defiance that did him no favours in the courtroom. Taken together, that was about all it took to make Echols a prime suspect – and from there, it proved a fairly short journey to death row.

Breakthrough for the West Memphis Three
Scoop.co.nz, New Zealand -Apr 13, 2008

MCR denounce attacks in Mexico

When My Chemical Romance took the stage in Mexico City (this past Saturday at Zero Fest), Gerard Way spoke to the crowd:

“I want to say something today before we continue. Recently we’ve been hearing a lot of stuff about some violence here in your country having to do with kids who want to wear black t-shirts…or some kind of bulls— stuff like that. We don’t want to see any f—ing violence! We came here for one reason, and that’s to be at the f—ing rock show!”

My Chemical Romance Speak Out Against Anti-Emo Violence
MTV.com

My Chemical Romance have consitantly promoted an an anti-self harm and anti suicide message. Of course there is a massive debate whether their music is emo or not, the band and many of their fans deny it, but we cannot really go into that here.

More reports provide some interesting background:

Subculture clash among Mexico youth
USA Today - Apr 14, 2008
But in other parts of Mexico, a spate of attacks by punks and other groups on the emos has thrown a spotlight on the rapid growth of these "urban tribes"

In Mexico, emo music fans face many who hate them to the core
Chicago Tribune, United States - Apr 14, 2008
Whatever the case, the dramatic dress style of urban music followers known as "emos" has struck a nerve in Mexico's macho society.


This following report highlights something we have talked about often not noted elsewhere :

Although nothing of this magnitude has been reported in North Dakota or the United States, there is evidence of disliking for the people that are known as "emos." On the MTV news Web site alone, there are several comments on the article threatening "emos" in America with an 800-person riot of their own.

Beyond the comments about the article, propaganda featuring anti-emo messages and imagery can be found on any popular Web site including YouTube and Facebook. Almost anyone can gain access to examples of anti-emo images from videos of "emo" kids being assaulted to a popular Facebook bumper sticker featuring Adolph Hitler sporting a thick earring, eye-liner, and hair covering one eye and the words "the original emo kid."

Although the intention of some of these images is for comedic purpose, but when a violent tone begins to surround a group of people it is anything but funny. One can't help but blame the origin of such hatred, which could possibly be the hardly comical videos and photos so popularly displayed on the internet.

Discrimination: Let's see how far we've come
UND The Dakota Student, ND


At the end of the day no-one has died in Mexico yet so its a bit hypocritical of people elsewhere not to bear that in mind when they criticis Mexican society specially if they are just over the border. But then it looks like Brian Denke who died in 1997 in Texas is forgotten by the popular press.

Latest anti-Emo news

'Emo,' goth subcultures thriving in Mexico
Arizona Republic, AZ
This article focuss on class issues. Lots of comments mostly anti-Mexican and Anti-Emo.


Good article which points out the violence is ongoing and explores earlier conflicts:

Although the Mexican public has been taken aback by the violence against Emo fans, Adam Gonzalez, a hardcore promoter in the Valley, said that conflicts between genres are common. Music used to have clear divisions, he said. But now music is melding together, pulling influences from different genres.

Hardcore is mixing with emo. There are hardcore bands with metal influence. And as genre's mix, fans mix too.

"There could be a hardcore that ends up going to a metal show," he said. "We end up going and it's different styles of music, different styles of thinking. Of course it's going to clash."

In the RGV, where there has always been a strong metal following, conflicts arose as hardcore tried to establish itself. "There were a couple of fights," he said. But in the past few years hardcore has found its niche the conflicts have subsided.

Why Mexico wants emo dead
Monitor, TX - 11 Apr 2008

Meanwhile this article reveals some authorities in Mexico want Emos removed from public spaces. Sounds familar.

MEXICO: "Emos" Under Attack
By Diego Cevallos

MEXICO CITY, Apr 8 (IPS) - "We are a komplex organisation, kapable of eliminating EMOS in this world, if you want to kontact us, our email is (…)" On-line messages like this one have been fanning a wave of intolerance against one of the lesser-known young counterculture groups in Mexico.

Over the past month, Mexico has seen several incidents of anti-emo bashings and harassment by members of other subcultures like metal heads, skaters, punks and Goths, as well as ordinary working-class adolescents.

Emo (short for "emotional hardcore") describes a counterculture that has its roots in punk fashion and music, with touches of gothic subculture and styles.

A typical emo look involves shaggy hair dyed jet black (sometimes with brightly coloured highlights) that sweeps over the forehead and sometimes part of the face, horn-rimmed or other "nerd" glasses, and usually black clothing including tight pants, overly small vintage t-shirts, studded belts, converse tennis shoes, eyeliner and dark nail polish.

The emo subculture is typically associated with depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, with emo kids celebrating teenage angst and generally drawn to pop-punk, hardcore punk and indie rock.

"Hello culeros (a derogatory Mexican term for gays), the Anti-Christ greets you….who are the emos, those abnormal asexual ones, the ones whose balls haven't dropped down, those fags who cry like girls…?" says the voice-over on a video posted on the YouTube video sharing site, which shows images of Mexican emos.

Although these different youth subcultures do not generally share interests and even detest each other’s fashions or music, in the past there has been little intolerance and clashes were rare.

But on Mar. 7, several emos were beaten by a huge crowd in a downtown public square in the central Mexican city of Querétaro, where emos hang out. The attackers chanted homophobic insults.

Youngsters describing themselves as "anti-emo" had previously circulated anonymous emails inviting people to "take back the square" from the emos, who they said were "gay" because they wear makeup and dress effeminately.

A week later, in Mexico City, emo demonstrators protesting the violence were the target of attacks, and the police had to intervene.

In the capital and other cities, the police have stepped up security in certain hang-out spots to protect emos, because the harassment and threatening email and Internet campaigns have continued.

The emos tend to come from a comfortable middle-class background and many attend private schools. Most of them are 15 or 16 years old.

By contrast, anthropologist Paulina Leipen told IPS, members of the other counterculture groups like metal heads and punks are often kids from poor barrios who have come together seeking mutual protection and a shared sense of identity and belonging.

"The recent expressions of intolerance are a sign of the increasing breakdown of the social fabric and growing marginalisation, which is why attention from the state is needed," said Leipen, who works with street children.

The anthropologist said that like other so-called "urban tribes", the emo subculture has spilled over into Mexico from the United States and Europe.

A few of the bands popular among emos today are My Chemical Romance -- whose debut album, released in 2002, was "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love" -- Fall Out Boy, Escape the Fate, Paramore, Glassjaw, The Used and Funeral For a Friend.

"Emos describe themselves as melancholic and searching for solitude. But I see it as more of a fad, and in that sense it shouldn't be surprising that the group is also full of contented people," said Leipen.

Fausto Pretelín, a researcher of social issues at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico, said "the ornaments of unhappiness form part of the emo aesthetic, which is complemented with styles and other elements that give them a Hollywood special effects look."

There are no reliable estimates of the number of emos in Mexico. But like other subcultures, the group is a minority, and many people were not even aware of its existence until video footage of the early March beating of three skinny emo kids in Querétaro was broadcast on TV newcasts.

Officials in different cities have called for tolerance, and have even organised meetings between different social tribes in an attempt to combat the wave of hatred

But some officials have taken a different stance. Mayor Gerardo Hernández in Celeya, a city in the state of Guanajuato, said emos should be removed from downtown public squares.

"We wouldn't want them to be in the city centre," said Hernández, who belongs to the conservative governing National Action Party (PAN). "They hurt our image and set a bad example. They should congregate elsewhere, where they don't hurt the city’s image."

The governmental National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination called for an investigation of intolerant statements and measures by officials, and an in-depth probe into the origins of the anti-emo threats.

The chairman of the Council, Gilberto Rincón, said that "a small, eccentric, easily identifiable group is an easy target of stigmatisation and discrimination," and urged the authorities and society as a whole to show tolerance and take legal action when necessary and appropriate. (END/2008)

Of course in the UK we shouldn't fel too smug. Look at this comment in the paper on Leeds corn Exchange which as we pointed out earlier was recreated to deliberately exclude emos, goths etc.

Everyone's got an opinion on the transformation of the Corn Exchange into a food emporium.

When I popped in the other day it seemed most of the dozen or so people in there were gazing wistfully at the rows of empty units as if imagining how it used to be.

As I stood there I overheard a man explain to his companion that the shopping centre had suffered because of youths hanging around outside. He was referring to the Emo kids – easily confused with Goths as they all dress in black and live by the rule that you can never wear too much black eyeliner.

So I almost fell over laughing when he added: "Yeah, you know the sort – those emu kids"!

"Emu" kids really would have got the security team in a flap.

Help! I think I'm turning into Cat Woman
Yorkshire Evening Post, UK - 8 Apr 2008

Attack on 14 year old left her feeling suicidal

This is exactly why something must be done now. This girl's life has been turned into a living hell.

Attack has left me feeling suicidal
Glasgow Daily Record, UK

Apr 14 2008 Joan Burnie

Q - I AM a 14-year-old girl. I have a lot of problems in my life but most of them are based around one thing.

More than a year ago, I was attacked by a group of girls a few years older than me.

They only did it because I dress as a goth and have long red hair.

Before this happened my life was more or less perfect. Everything was going right.

But I have been extremely afraid to leave the house since. In fact, I don't leave my house unless I really have to or go to school.

I have also lost my best friend of nine years because I won't go out. I know it's my fault but after I got attacked, I was shattered and my confidence went down the drain.

I have also been depressed and thought about suicide. I still think about it but I would be too scared. My attitude has also changed towards my family.

I hate my father. I know it doesn't sound like much but the worst of it is losing my best friend. I am nothing without her.

The thing that would help me build my confidence back up most is probably a little help from my so-called "best friend", although she tries to bring me down all the time.

She slags me off for things she used to do herself. She's a real hypocrite. I am always left out of things. Worse, one minute we are all good friends, then she treats me badly.

Also, when my mother asked why I never go out I told her, then a few weeks later she asked again, so I gave her the same answer.

But this time she told me I was talking nonsense. I don't know what to do with my life and I am really scared. I don't see the point in me being here any more.

A I'M sorry about the attack. It must have been a terrifying experience. I'm not surprised it's had such a devastating affect.

I don't myself understand why Goths, who are about as mild a group of people as you could get, invite this level of hostility, especially from other teenagers.

It's a huge pity you didn't report it at the time. Even if they hadn't caught the culprits, you'd have been directed towards victim support. It's not too late.

Contact them on www.victimsupport.com. You haven't said why you hate your dad, so it's hard to tell you what to do about it and I'm sorry your mum has chosen to disbelieveyou were assaulted.

As for your friend, have you tried to explain why you're frightened to leave the house? If not, give her a chance to understand.

I think you also tell your guidance teacher about the assault, as well as the bullying.

Finally, next time you have these suicidal thoughts visit www.samaritans.org.uk and contact Breathing Space's helpline on 0800838587 between 6pm and 2am.

It's time you got the support you desperately need.

This reminds me of the suicide of another glasgow goth girl bullied to death Nichola Raphael in 2001.

Meanwhile in Wrexham guess what another skate park has been vandalised. Exactly the same sort of problem as seen in earlier cases of skate park vandalism that we have noted here before.

Yobs trash £250000 Flintshire skatepark
Wrexham Leader, UK - 8 Apr 2008

NME covers Sophie plus Whitby Memorial

We got mentioned in an excellent article in the NME which highlighted the problems.

Following the murder of Sophie Lancaster, NME focuses on the dangers associated with subcultures. From mods to MCR, what is the resolution behind this subjective abuse? Gavin Haynes investigates.

Whitby Memorial ceremony details:





Plus there are plans for a coach from Whitby to the sentencing at the trial. Or if you are near Preston you can go separately .

On Monday 28th April 2008 the Sophie Lancaster hearing reaches it's conclusion. The sentencing takes place of Ryan Herbert and Brendan Harris, found guilty of her murder.

The family have asked for support and the plan is to hold a silent vigil outside the court, no shouting, no placards or banners, just a silent gathering of alternative people, a dignified protest and a show of defiance and strength.

If anyone would like to be a part of this then a coach trip is being arranged, leaving Whitby in the morning, and then returning later that day in time for the evenings festivities. If you would like to be a part of this, please contact martin oldgoth via www.thirteen13.co.uk with your name and email contact so that we can gauge the numbers.

At this point in time we have no idea of cost, but it will be kept to a minimum. All you will need to do to secure your place is to visit the info stall before midnight on the saturday and pay your fare.

Car sharing is also encouraged, and anyone not going to Whitby but able to make it is also welcome

Article in the Sunday Times on public violence mentions Sophie:

Too scared to stop the violence
Times Online, UK - 12 Apr 2008