Daily Mail - Legacy of Distortion Part I

Giving the Mail recent statement claims they are unbiased and gives fair coverage over all. I decided to look back over the years to see if the Mail's tendency to distort the truth noticeable in two recent articles was noticeable elsewhere. It is interesting to note that the Mail did give good coverage to the Sophie Lancaster case highlighting the prejudice of the attackers to some extent. It is odd they should then follow up that with their articles on Emo.

This even seems more odd when you see this article from their sister paper on My Chemical Romance:

Mail on Sunday March 25, 2007 Sunday

Who said Romance was dead? BYLINE: TIM DE LISLE

For years, the generation gap has been narrowing.

Students listen to the gently rousing sound of Snow Patrol and so do their parents. Girls and their mothers read the same celebrity rags and sing along to Scissor Sisters. But now a band from New Jersey threaten to reopen the great divide.

My Chemical Romance are loud, dark, heavily made-up and suddenly popular.

They have even been accused of leading a cult of self-harm, although the evidence is slight. The subject of self-harm does crop up in chatrooms populated by the band's fans but they can hardly be blamed for that and their response has been clear enough: 'We do not encourage self-harm.' They frighten some parents, but others are here with their children, and some older people are even here of their own accord. Behind me, two men are reminiscing about a gig by The Damned in 1976.

My Chemical Romance are not so much objectionable as puzzlingly hard to place not quite punk, not quite emo, not quite metal. At last summer's Reading Festival they were pelted with bottles by fans of the veteran death-metal band Slayer. This delighted My Chemical Romance, who pride themselves on being outsiders.

This is bizzare. Note De Lisle who clearly has some idea of what is talking about points out that:

1 - De Lisle notes MCR do not advocate self-harm in anyway and says: "the evidence is slight". NOTE in 2007 the evidence "cult of self-harm" is slight but in 2008 it is suddnly definate.
2 - It points out the band may or may not be Emo.... as a lot of MCR fans claim. So if there is doubt about their status as a emo band in 2007 why in 2008 are they suddenly definitely Emo leaders of a suicide cult?

Not so long ago of course it was not Emos who were the problem:

Young 'Goths' are a suicide risk: Report reveals darker side of teenage culture

BYLINE: JENNY HOPE

Daily Mail (London)April 14, 2006 Friday

TEENAGE 'Goths' who like to dress in black and listen to morbid rock music are more likely to attempt suicide, it was revealed yesterday. A study of Scots youngsters found those attracted to the dramatic black makeup and pasty, white faces of the Goths often showed a deep melancholic streak. They had alarmingly high levels of mental health problems and were more likely to harm themselves or attempt to take their own lives than members of any other youth subculture... Lead researcher Robert Young said: 'Although only fairly small numbers of young people identify themselves as Goths, their rates of self-harm and attempted suicide are very high.

'One common suggestion is that they may be copying their icons or peers but our study found that more reported self-harm before becoming a Goth, rather than after which suggests that youngsters with a tendency to selfharm are attracted to the subculture.'... Goths acquired a violent reputation after songs and art by the group's rock hero Marilyn Manson were linked to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado, in which 13 were shot dead, and also to the murder of 14-year-old Jodi Jones in Dalkeith, Midlothian, in 2003.

Covering the infamous study on suicidal tendencies we have mentioned before the article does at strive to give a balanced view and I think it is fair reporting whatever we think of the study. But it include references to earlier cases which will come to shortly.

The Suicide of Carina Stephenson

This suicide attracted much media attention because the girl was in a reality TV programme. But was her love of Marilyn Manson involved perhaps according to these Mail stories?

I was devastated that our lovely, funny girl decided to die in such a lonely way. You may feel close to your children, but there are always things you'll never know

BYLINE: ANGELLA JOHNSON
Mail on Sunday (London)

September 11, 2005
SECTION: FB_04; Pg. 28
Carina had a taste for Goth music which typically glorifies death and mutilation. One favourite was Marilyn Manson, whose songs have been implicated in other teenage suicides.

Liz said: 'I had no idea of the kind of grim messages she was brainwashing herself with through her headphones. I think she just got locked into a web of misery. Instead of sharing her pain with people around her, she sought out likeminded and vulnerable teenagers.

There is other coverage:

DAILY MAIL (London)

May 30, 2005

Last month Mail writer David Jones interviewed a close-knit family just back from the latest reality TV experiment. Then came shocking news: their bright 17-year-old daughter had taken her own life. Was reality TV implicated?...

Or perhaps her depression was connected to her fascination with 'goths', a dark subculture which attracts melancholic, introspective youths. A friend revealed yesterday that even before Carina announced that she thought she was gay, she had been bullied and teased for being a 'tomboy' and her love of gothic clothing.

And more:

Carina from The Colony killed herself after bullies taunted her for being a lesbian
Mail on Sunday (London) May 29, 2005

BYLINE: ANGELLA JOHNSON SECTION: FB_04; Pg. 36; Pg. 37

A policeman found her body hanging from a tree two days later, in a wood a few hundred yards away from the family's Pounds 400,000 self-built home in Branton, near Doncaster. She left two suicide notes. One clue to her state of mind may come from Laura Howden, 15, who had befriended Carina at Armthorpe Comprehensive School near Doncaster.

She told The Mail on Sunday that even before Carina revealed she thought she was gay, she had been bullied and teased for being a tomboy and her love of 'Goth'-style clothing. 'I used to go into dinner at school with her and because she was often on her own I kept her company during breaks,' said Laura. 'She was not really interested in boys. She concentrated on her schoolwork and kept everything to herself. She was taunted at school that she was a lesbian. Other girls would call her "lesbo" or "gay girl" and she got really upset about it.

'At one point she spent a lot of time off because of the bullying while it was being sorted out. But despite what had happened at school the news of her death still came as a shock. She was someone you could really get along with. I never thought she would do that.'

So this seems to be another case bullicide interconnected to homophobia and anti-goth prejudice. Even raising the Manson connection seems irrelevant. Interesting to note that Manson and MCR had a falling out a few years ago. They have one thing in common the Daily Mail hates both of them

EMO/MCR March - "Annoymous" vs MCR

It seems to have been successful with lots of coverage and portrayed a positive view of MCR fans successfully.

Ok much of the general media coverage of was not in depth but youtube has provided some real gems. The most amazing thing is that some peopl who may have been from Anonymous the internet group that was behind the hoax videos actually turned up to the protest. (They are in the Guy Fawkes/ V masks) They turned out surprise to be a bunch of geeks... and were heavily outnumbered and they lost the argument as you see here. Wow this looks lots of fun!! Teenage girls versus geeks what did you think would happen?

At the end of day various b-tards (frequenters of an online forum 4chan) have long found it amusing to spam commemoration message boards for suicides usually celebrating the death. This is not only in poor taste but may influence others to kill themselves. While many anon symphasiers don't care simply looking for lulz others think it is wrong. Of course Anonymous is an anarchistic mess so it is not surprising they cannot agree about things. [Since writing this I discovered that the faction attacking the march are mainly in fact from PartyVan this "is a sub of Ebaums, the enemy of the chans." You can found out more about anon internal poltics here and about the mass trolling on MCR websites. No wonder tempers flared.]

There are signs the so called pro-suicide comments picked up by the media on such boards are not by real emos or MCR fans but are by various b-tards trolling. And as we know academic studies have demonstrated that media sensationalism is definitely linked to suicide clusters so anonymous have played their part in building up problems like the Bridgend suicide cluster which if you remember was blammed on the Internet. Which is doubly ironic of course as some of Anonymous accusations against Scientology focus on their links with strange deaths and suicides.

Anyway be any conventional standards if you compare all this confusion with the stance by MCR fans and the band who all agree suicide is wrong and have put out consistently anti-suicide message then "Anonymous" come out looking bad. But that is not an issue really :)

Besides all the fun of the march there is a dark question. This is a serious issue. Has this march trivialised it or not? There has been some good coverage but at the end of the day the Daily Mail stands firm.

Sarah Sands, the emo's old enemy from 2006 appeared in The Independent trotting out the usual nonsense a few days ago:

How to turn an emo into a fitness fanatic

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the dreariness of emos. I thought song titles such as "Dead!" or "Cancer!" were not very life-enhancing. US band Adam and Andrew have a witty take: "When I get depressed I cut my wrists in every direction/ Hearing songs about getting dumped gives me an erection." The emos, forceful, even if they look as if they live in coffins, have railed against anti-emoism, and yesterday they went on a march.

Emo culture is self-dramatising and self-pitying. If we tell them they are wonderful, they will give up white skins and dark clothes and take up hockey.

Sarah Sands: It's a great plot: two novelists under one roof
Independent

This issue is far too important to be left to die. I hope the activism of MCR and emos takes firm roots.

Another good video of the day here from AudiojunkiesTV discusses the groups present:

A Sing along to MCR not really a dangerous cult I think.

"Emo" March - First Coverage - Daily Mail responds

Emo runs high as fans defend band against Daily Mail
guardian.co.uk, UK

Fans of My Chemical Romance came from all over the country but the atmosphere was more carnival fairground than protest. Photograph: Anna Gordon

There are few things that would drag a typical teenager out of bed early on a Saturday morning, but defending the honour of a beloved band from tabloid attacks is probably one of them.

Around 100 My Chemical Romance fans had already gathered at Marble Arch, in central London, by 10.30 this morning - not bad given that organisers had given the protest a 12-hour window, of 10am to 10pm, and that there was a last minute change of venue.

The fans were objecting to Daily Mail reports describing My Chemical Romance as a "suicide cult band" and linking the recent suicide of a Peckham schoolgirl, Hannah Bond, 13, to the fact that she had started following the band two weeks before her death.

It is a good article but it looks like the size of the march if not the dedication of those involved was not up to expectations. Impressive to se people coming so far. The very harmless nature of those involved underlines the Mail's stupidity.

The Mail's official response looks bland:

EMO: The Daily Mail Responds - Xfm The Daily Mail have finally made a statement:

"

The Daily Mail’s coverage of the “Emo” movement has been balanced,
restrained and above all, in the public interest.

Genuine concerns were raised at the inquest earlier this month on 13
year old Emo follower Hannah Bond who had been self-harming and then
tragically killed herself.

The Coroner found " the Emo overtones concerning death and associating
it with glamour very disturbing."

Her mother had told the inquest that Hannah had been obsessed with My
Chemical Romance whose hit number one on their last album was called The
Black Parade.

Mrs Bond told the court ;"In Emo it is a very glamorous death to hang
yourself. The band she was into, the music she was into-the whole thing
is based on the black parade which is all about dying. "She called Emo a
fashion and I thought it was normal. I didn't know about the cuts." Her
father said he had seen cuts on her wrists and his daughter had told him
they “ were an Emo initiation.”

In common with other newspapers we ran an accurate news story recording
the Coroner's remarks and the parents' comments. We also published two
other articles, one of which explained the background to the Hannah
tragedy in calm and un-sensational language.

The other was a first person opinion piece by a well-known writer,
written from the perspective of a mother concerned for her children.

We have also run two prominent page lead letters from an Emo music fan
and from a fan of My Chemical Romance defending their point of view. Our
music critic admires the music of the band and publicised the band’s UK
tour last year.

Since this protest was announced a great deal of misinformation has
appeared on the internet, much of which confuses what the Daily Mail has
actually published with the comments of web site readers and “blogs”
over which we have no control and which have stirred up emotions.

We note it has been pointed out by others that all this provides
wonderful publicity for Warners and their impending release of My
Chemical Romance's latest album.

The Daily Mail is a broad church and is always ready to listen to the
views of readers. We do, however, suggest those who want to protest or
comment read everything we have published and act on fact not rumour."

The fact is the Daily Mail published articles which were prejudiced and unbalanced. Remember too the band and their company have done nothing to exploit the situation for publicity this was all down to the fans.

There was also a good earlier article interviewing the organizer:

Exclusive: Emo March Organiser And More Stars Speak Out - Xfm

More here:
Black Parade of teen angst
Irish Independent, Ireland

March against the Mail today

The march/gathering has moved location looks like the police would not accept it being direcly outside the Mail. See here.

The publicity surrounding the march has resulted in a few articles. The BBC has looked into the problem:

Rock cult or nice kids that do their homework?
BBC News, UK -29 May 2008

As she knuckles down to prepare for her A-level exams, Kate Ashford, 17, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, offers a less sinister explanation for the appeal of MCR.

The theatrical angst and drama of emo is, she suggests, no more than an outlet for a generation creaking under the weight of social expectation.

"Being a teenager has got to be so much more difficult these days," Kate says. "There's a lot more exams and pressure to get into university.

"Listening to a band like MCR is a cathartic thing. And I suppose emo style is meant to be about standing out, looking different - even if all the other emo kids are dressed the same as you."

Matthew Hirons, a 22-year-old web developer from Stourport-on-Severn, is even more phlegmatic. He suggests that the critics take the music far more seriously than the fans.

"People say emo is all about depression and suicide," he says. "But I'm a happy person. I've got a girlfriend and a good job. I just like the music and the fashion.

"I think anyone over 25 will find it hard to understand what it's all about. Even I'm a bit past it for an emo, to be honest."

The Times article is far better however with a wideranging article on the problems of emos in South America. But why no mention of emo attacks in the UK?

Emo kids are under attack.
Times Online, UK - 29 May 2008

Coincidentally, Mexico is one country that has recently experienced a wave of antiemo attacks. The emo cult is growing throughout Latin America, and its followers are regularly subjected to abuse, prejudice and even violent attack. They are seen as homosexual, antisocial poseurs, weird and fanatical. In March antiemo attacks swept through Mexico.

On March 7 a mob of 800 in the city of Queretaro went looking for emos to beat up. On March 15, a silent march against the attacks, organised by a gay rights group, was staged in the same city.

In Chile there are reports of skin-heads attacking emo kids. In São Paulo, Brazil, emo teenagers report regular attacks, especially in the city’s poorer Eastern suburbs. In Lima, Peru, a gang of anarchist punks recently attacked emos, kidnapping one who was kicked and punched before he was rescued.

For South American emos, the appeal is more about identity, means of expression, and style. Especially for those in the continent’s enormous urban sprawls, where the increasing economic boom means that families have internet and cable television but where there are few outlets for increasingly sophisticated teenage youth.

This is clear in the shabby, nondescript Galeria Brasil in Lima, situated on the edge of the city’s drab, grimy, suburban sprawl. It’s one of Peru’s most famous destinations for rock fans. But this grubby concrete mall, with its CD and T-shirt shops, looks like a Hackney tower block. Teenagers idle out their afternoons playing out-of-date video games for 25p an hour. Looking around, it’s easy to see why a cult about teenage identity and isolation might spread so quickly.

Jimmy Carrillo, a Peruvian TV reporter, profiled emos recently. “The emo movement is very strong here in Lima,” he says. “It’s a new movement. It’s very colourful, weird, very estranged from other movements.” Emo is gaining ground in poorer, transitional barrios such as Villa El Salvador and Los Olivos, where people are open to the influence of American rock and MTV. But the prejudice against the perceived homosexuality of emos runs deep. “This is a very macho country. So homosexuality is taboo,” Carrillo says. Anarcho punks particularly hate them. “They hate homosexuals. And they look at the emos as people who stole ideas and music. It’s a double punch.”

Junior Medina, 20, is a singer in Lima’s hottest emo band Ediana. “We are called gays, queers, pussies, faggots,” he says. “The lyrics are one cause, because they are romantic, about heartbreak.” Their followers are accused of being poseurs. “Emos are more concerned about the way they look,” Medina says, fiddling with his floppy fringe.

Yet Latin American emos are fighting back. In March Medina took part in a studio debate for the Peruvian TV chat show Enemigos Intimos, in which emos were heavily satirised. “That was fake,” he says. Realising some of the other emo participants were imposters, he waited until 1am, and filmed two of the vacant emo teenagers – actually channel employees – leaving work. Medina posted the video on YouTube. The national newspaper El Comercio ran an exposé and the show’s producers were forced to apologise.

“Emo isn’t emotional, it’s just queer,” is a popular saying among fashionable youth in Brazil’s most style-conscious city, São Paulo. When the cult hit the city in 2006, homemade “comedy” videos appeared on YouTube showing how to lynch an emo.

The assumption among many Brazilians is that emos are gay, unsociable, and self-centred – none of which goes down well in this conservative, sociable country. Victor Sousa, 20, is a former emo and he encountered plenty of prejudice, he says. “The homosexual prejudice is unfair. People say that, but it isn’t true for everyone.”

Typical of emo’s critics is Ligia Terceira, 30, a salesperson in Shopping Tatuapé, a vast, hectic mall in Zona Leste, São Paulo, where many emos gather and where many are attacked. “Many of them look like homosexuals,” he says. “It seems they don’t like people. They exclude themselves from society. They have closed minds; they’re radical and fanatical.”

More tributes to Sophie

Kevin Bullock and his wife, Michelle, who are landlords of The Appleby, in Grange Street, have already sold more than 200 SOPHIE (Stamp Out Prejudice Hate Intolerance Everywhere) wristbands in memory of goth Sophie Lancaster.

The couple travelled to the Whitby Goth Weekend in April, and attended a dedication bench ceremony for the tragic 20-year-old, where the wristbands were being sold. They brought 400 home to Burton in a bid to help raise money for Miss Lancaster's family to celebrate Sophie's life and also help fund group sessions with young people to teach them about alternative cultures and to respect everyone.

A helpline is also being set up to combat hate crime. The campaign has so fa raised more than £6,000.

Miss Lancaster and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, were attacked in August last year as they walked through Stubbylee Park, in Bacup, Rossendale, Lancashire.

While Mr Maltby recovered, his girlfriend slipped into a coma as a result of her head injuries and later died. Police said the attack may have been provoked by the couple wearing 'gothic' fashion. Two teenagers were jailed for life for her murder earlier this year.

Mr Bullock said: "We have sold more than 200 in just two weeks, so that says how strongly people feel about the circumstances of her death. Sophie was a goth, just like a lot of our customers are, and she was murdered because of how she looked.

Offering support after Sophie murder
Burton Mail, UK

Second interview with Robert Maltby

Very interesting interview with Robert Maltby indeed at Vice Magazine. Some extracts below but read the complete interview as well. Vice Magazine comments at the beginning that:

Because the media feels the need to simplify every story to the point that a five-year-old should feel his or her intelligence insulted, it was decided that the couple got jumped because they were slightly goth-looking. And so the whole thing turned into a weird "Do goth kids deserve rights?" debate instead of the sincere moment of "Holy shit, when did our nation's youth turn into the real version of Clockwork Orange only way dumber and scarier?"-type reflection it should have been. In his only interview aside from one done for the BBC shortly after the attacks, we talked to Robert about the real nature of the attack, as well as his thoughts on the high-profile trial which just ended with two of the assailants being sentenced to life...

In fact it was the police who first attributed the attack to their appearance. Many newspapers played down this angle. It was generally the alternative community who saw it as being involved in prejudice in discussions online from the beginning

LONDON - ROBERT MALTBY IS NOT GOTH (BUT THE KIDS WHO STOMPED HIM ARE FERAL MONSTERS)

VICE: The tabloids said that you and Sophie were attacked for being Goths. Is that what happened?
Robert Maltby: I was more interested in the whole goth thing when I was about fifteen and wore black lipstick. I’d get shit then. I think I could cope with it a bit better when I was a big fat goth as I felt there was a reason for it. When I was attacked I wasn’t really dressed that goth.

What were you wearing?
Blue jeans and a green hoodie. Sophie wasn’t dressed outrageously either. She had a lot of piercings: over twenty in her ears, as well as a few facial, nipple, and belly button piercings.

So you don’t think they attacked you because of how you were dressed?
I believe what was originally said was “Let’s get the moshers!” They just needed some kind of excuse to the beat shit out of us. I think it’s more about the kind of person that attacked us.

He also says:

Did you not have to attend as a witness?
No. I was pretty useless to the Prosecution as I don’t remember anything. I was going to go to the sentencing, but I heard that a bunch of Goths were going to congregate outside the courthouse. I didn’t like that at all.

Did they all go in the end?
Yes. I think about 50 Goths ended up there.

Despit Robert's disquiet about the prejudice angle. It is interesting to note:

How did you feel about the verdict?
I was really happy. I didn’t think that they were going to get anywhere near the sentences they got. The police weren’t expecting them to get the amount of time they are going to serve.

In fact one of the reasons for the severity of the sentence is the judge decided it was a hate crime (although it was not one strictly under the definition) . In law hate crimes mandate a more severe sentence thus he used his discretion to go for the maximum tarriff. Whether or not Robert feels he crime was motivated by prejudice the judge did hence the longer sentence.

Basically this blog shows such prejudice does exist and it does trigger violence. What is interesting about the violence we are talking about it is that it is triggered by differences of all kinds whether racial or being disabled or even simply defying yobs. Any violence can be trigger just being a mosher. Society as a whole has a problem this sort of hatred is perhaps one symptom.

Anyway the interview is very interesting I only hope Robert feels better at some point.

Sophie Lancaster's dad in tattoo tribute

Sophie's dad in tattoo tribute
The Sun, UK - May 28th
By GUY PATRICK

THE anguished dad of Goth murder girl Sophie Lancaster has made sure she is always close to his heart - by having a tattoo of her face on his chest.

John Lancaster, 45, came up with the idea of having her features etched on to his left breast after attending a Goth Day in her honour.

And last night he said: "I wanted to have a permanent picture of Sophie put there. It will help me to remember her lovely smile."

Tragic Sophie, 20, was kicked and battered to death by a group of yobs - just because she was a Goth...

Father has Sophie tattoo over his heart
Fleetwood Today, UK - 29th May
The father of Lancashire Goth student Sophie Lancaster has shown his affection for his daughter by having a tattoo of her face over his heart. ...

Expert study shows how accusations of being "emo" are tied to being bullied

Survey finds as many as half of children are victims of peer abuse ...
Akron Beacon Journal, OH

A survey by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry discovered that as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years, and at least 10 percent are bullied on a regular basis.

Amanda Brace and Rachel Vitale, who developed a program last year to prevent cyber-bullying, said kids often learn such adverse behavior from their mothers. They watch how she interacts with her friends. But, of course, there's also that middle-school culture that can lend itself to relational aggression.

''There is a lot of independence seeking at this age,'' explained Brace. ''There have always been mean girls, but I think it's just coming to a head now.''

A Stark County 13-year-old shared her story about being falsely identified as ''emo.'' Loosely defined, people who consider themselves emo often wear black clothes, tight jeans, huge bangs and black eye makeup. Hardcore emos are depressed and may even cut themselves. An abbreviation for ''emotive hardcore,'' emo also is a certain genre of music.

''I am often bullied for being different. My hair is cut differently on each side and I like to wear black,'' the teen explained. ''Anyone who calls me that is too busy being a bully to realize that I am almost always happy.''

Sometimes, the name-calling gets carried away. A seventh-grader from Summit County said she was physically pushed around after being accused of being both a lesbian and emo.

''They would write things on my locker, shove me into the walls, and block my locker so I would be late for class,'' explained the young teen. ''They also slapped me in the face one time.''

Both girls are part of the Beacon Journal's Kid's Group, a team of 12- to 18-year-olds who are helping us define and tell stories affecting teens. Because they are victims, we elected not to identify them.

March against the Mail - other band back My Chemical Romance

My Chemical Romance's official statement:

We have recently learned of the suicide and tragic loss of Hannah Bond. We’d like to send our condolences to her family during this time of mourning. Our hearts and thoughts are with them.

My Chemical Romance are and always have been vocally anti-violence and anti-suicide. As a band, we have always made it one of our missions through our actions to provide comfort, support, and solace to our fans. The message and theme of our album “The Black Parade” is hope and courage. Our lyrics are about finding the strength to keep living through pain and hard times. The last song on our album states: “I am not afraid to keep on living” - a sentiment that embodies the band’s position on hardships we all face as human beings. If you or anyone that you know have feelings of depression or suicide, we urge you to find your way and your voice to deal with these feelings positively.

My Chemical Romance speak about 'emo' suicide

Following this a variety of other bands have backed them:

Exclusive: Stars Hit Back At Emo Scapegoating

Ahead of this Saturday's (May 31) protest march, Elbow's Guy Garvey, Kate Nash and The Pigeon Detectives have come out in support of emo and all forms of music after the genre was scapegoated in the pages of the tabloids.

NME are doing good reports on this including one on the story we highlighted:

My Chemical Romance march hit by 'internet terrorists'

The Mail's pitiful journalism is lambasted in this US article:
The Big Hurt: Pied-pipers lead innocent teens to emo cult Valhalla!
The Phoenix, MA

Goths/emos arrested for school dress code violation

Another chapter in long tradition of school dress code protests in the USA. Arresting people for a dress code violation seems harsh to say the least. That can't be right surely.

School fashion protest leads to arrests
The Columbian, WA - 26 May 2008

In the past two weeks, four eighth-grade boys have been arrested and charged with misdemeanors for leading protests against the school’s dress code. About 20 more students have been suspended.

Parents of those students are wondering whether this tough-love approach has gone too far — the dress code, after all, was implemented to curb bad behavior.

Amy Proffer, whose son, Joey, was among those arrested, said she was upset that the principal allowed police to question her 14-year-old son without calling her.

“I was concerned that the officer was taking a statement from my child,” Proffer said. “They told me that they have a right to question him without a parent because he’s over the age of 12.”

The dress code, dubbed “Mac attire,” was implemented at the start of the school year after a parent vote of approval. Proffer voted against it.

Principal Rich Reeves referred reporter calls to Vancouver Public Schools spokeswoman Kris Sork, who said the district stands by Reeves’ decision to call the police.

“I don’t dare talk about the specific case,” Sork said, citing educational privacy laws. “It was investigated by Mike Stromme (director of secondary education), who found that it was all absolutely appropriate.”

Events unfold

The frustration over Mac attire took root the afternoon before the lunch protest, at a Fort Vancouver High School track meet.

According to student and police accounts, several eighth-graders were playing in the grass, turning somersaults and using crass language when an assistant principal from their school approached. She told them to knock it off.

The next morning, one of the boys received a letter saying he wouldn’t be allowed to partake in any more after-school functions through the end of the school year.

That boy, Sam Ruble, said he nearly started crying. He’s a wiry boy with long side bangs and a flair for the dramatic. Sam, 14, said that he was upset because his alternative rock band had been planning to perform after school next month.

The next day at lunch, the boys fumed. They were angry at administrators about their punishment, and that gave way to conversations about the dress code, which they said crimps their style.

By the end of the lunch period, a decision had been made: They would protest the dress code.

“What made us angry at first was barely a protestable issue,” Sam said. “But we realized that many people understand the dress code cause, and we decided that we were long overdue for a dress code protest.”

They wanted to show off their “randomness,” student Desirea Allen said later. They wanted to draw on their jeans and wear the colors of their choice. They acknowledge that they’ve been able to show off their personalities in spite of the dress code, which allows them to dye their hair any color and write on their shoes.

They believed they would be allowed to protest: Desirea, 13, had checked her student handbook, which states students may express themselves so long as it’s “not disruptive to other individuals or to the educational process.”

Their ranks grew to about 20 students.

Most involved call their style “emo” or “goth,” a look that tends toward black jeans and thick eyeliner.... read more

In our view: School's uniform test is worthwhie
The Columbian, WA - 6 hours ago
For a learning environment, Mac Attire beats baggy-pants, the “emo” or “goth” look, exposed midriffs and visible underwear that some students prefer. ...

Guardian - on The Devonshire Arms

Rather bizarre article on the changes in The Dev in Camden which we covered here [Camden Fire - Aftermath] earlier:

Cocktail girl
guardian.co.uk, UK - 26 May 2008

Why?

Because the Hobgoblin-Devonshire Arms is the focus of a Great Goth Controversy. Until recently the Hobgoblin was called the Devonshire Arms - or simply 'the Dev'. It was a gloomy, forlorn establishment situated just round the back of Camden Market in north London, a road down from the rowdier (and following the Great Fire of Camden, more singed) Hawley Arms. It styled itself Camden's premier Alternative Destination, and operated a strict Goths-only door policy. Non-Goths were not welcome, so I never went in.

In summary: you were too scared to go in.

No! In summary: The Dev was stricter than your average super-elitist members bar with its door policy; indeed, when a colleague tried to arrange a photoshoot inside the pub, the management turned her down flat, insisting: 'the Dev is a refuge for Goths'. Imagine, then, the outcry when new management arrived early in 2008, tweaked the Dev's name, implemented a £6,000 refurb and (eek!) relaxed the Goth-only policy. The Goths were not amused. But my friend and compadre in columns Lairy Jon and I were pleased. Now we could get an entrée on this demimonde! Or - whatever's left of it.

So it had a dress code... Shock!!! There are loads of places with a dress code many block alternative dress or blue jeans - fair enough its the management's choice all entirely legal. And why should a pub open its doors to the media if the management does not want too exactly? The Dev was not "super elitist" any more than the average town nnigh club was. All you needed was some black or dark clothing.

Hoax videos have own website!!

The complex intrigue surrounding the hoax march videos is remarkable. They have even put up an an entire duplicate website to host their videos mimicking the official one almost exactly.

Make sure you only use the official site www.whatthefrank.co.uk or the youtube official site www.youtube.com/whattheffrank .

Who is going to such lengths to discredit a harmless and fully legal protest march?

March to have large turnout

Latest reports from the NME indicate the march is gathering support:

My Chemical Romance march 'aiming for 1000 protestors'
NME.com, UK 23 May 2008

Explaining that the march is "100% for My Chemical Romance" rather than emo music in general, Smith said: "The [Daily Mail's] words 'suicide cult' really stand out for me, because it's just so far from the truth. As a fanbase it's such an insult 'cause we fight so hard and so many of us suffer from depression, and we fight everyday to ward it off.

"The way [many teenagers are] fighting it is with My Chemical Romance's help and it's just such an insult to tell us that the last thing we have to hold on to and the last thing that's keeping us alive is killing us, because it's not."

Smith directly attacked the Daily Mail's suggestion that the emo group promotes suicide and self-harm, saying: "My Chemical Romance is my whole life and I take it very seriously, but at the same time the message that we're taking seriously isn't about death and how you should die and killing yourself and all that, it's about how you should love life and experience every moment that you can."

The march, set to begin at Hyde Park's West Pond in central London, takes place on the afternoon of May 31.

In an example of decent reporting the Western Mail talked to a Welsh MCR fan who is clearly not suicidal. Once again fake media reports are linked with bullying as well by somon who would know:

Sophie Brown, 14, from Llandybie, writes from a teenage perspective

ALOT of teenagers want to grow up too quickly these days. It isn’t healthy. You hear so much about pregnancies and underage sex. And then there’s the whole issue of teen suicides.

Recently, a coroner linked the death of Hannah Bond in Kent with her liking for Emo music.

But, in my view, that’s an easy scapegoat. People make their own choices and would not simply do something of that magnitude because a song told them to.

Suicide is a serious decision. It may even be an insult to victims to say their death was due to the music they listened to.

In reports of Hannah’s inquest, Emo was described as a “suicide cult”, followed by a brief description of “what Emo fans look like”. This included black hair, wristbands and black clothes – a description which did not help with bullying problems I have endured.

I spoke to my mother about washing the black out of my hair but she asked if I was doing it because of what people said. We both realised I should stand up for myself and not give in.

Yet it is the idea that self-harm is an important part of the Emo culture which I find most annoying.

Emo culture has come to play a part in music, fashion and – consequently – bullying. But it started off very differently.

In late 20th century America, boys who let their emotions show, who wore their hearts on their sleeves, were “Emo” – short for Emotional Rock.

In the family tree of music, Emo branched off from punk.

And at the turn of the Millennium, Emo began making its way to the UK. It picked up fans slowly until two bands changed everything – My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy.

Fans of the former seemed full of raw emotion while Fall Out Boy fans seemed more about bright colours and complicated, heartfelt lyrics.

Emo music is about expressing yourself in many ways and standing up for your beliefs and choices. It is not about cutting yourself to pieces. The media did a lot of harm by saying that.

Wearing black doesn’t make people depressed and being Emo doesn’t mean self-harming, being gay or being suicidal, which is what many people think.

After these reports, many adults turned against Emo bands, as well as social networking sites, which have been unfairly linked with youth suicides lately.

My sister and I used to use the Bebo site but we have had to delete our profiles because my parents believe it plays a part in bullying. They don’t like social networking sites. I disagree. I miss Bebo a lot. It may be addictive, but at the end of the day it’s just like free texting.

Last week, I had a letter about Emo culture published in a London newspaper and since then more people have been interested in what I have to say.

Generally, you only hear how bad it is from adults who don’t understand, or misunderstand, it.

I want to set the record straight. I want to stand up for it and I won’t let people be blinded with what is sometimes published.

When Emo came under attack, My Chemical Romance lyrics were interpreted as promoting suicide and glamorising death. That was wrong.

The song Famous Last Words, from their Black Parade album, features the lyrics, “I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone”.

hese are very uplifting to me. They are about teenage angst, love and being true to yourself.

Fall Out Boy songs aren’t depressing either. Their writer, Pete Wentz, who is often labelled “the King of Emo”, is an inspirational and successful man who has his own record label and clothing line – not all in black.

In school, Emo children are treated as outcasts. I am among those who has most problems. I’m also the only one with black hair.

But I learnt to hold my head high and stand up for myself, and this was largely down to songs by My Chemical Romance. Similarly, Fall Out Boy lyrics made me want to be more creative.

Never in my mind have I considered suicide. To me that would feel like giving in.

Emo music makes people see that life is not a fairytale, and I think that’s a good thing. I don’t want to be blind to the truth anymore. It simply isn’t fair.

‘Emo’ music is far from a black suicide cult
ic Wales, United Kingdom - May 21, 2008

Conspiracy against the March - Anti-Emo propaganda sinks to new depths

Someone is clearly very worried by the idea of a march on the Daily Mail refuting allegations of suicide connected to Emos and MCR. A very worrying development is the posting of fake videos on youtube which suggest that the march is actually going to be an act of mass suicide. These are clearly quite cleverly constructed and use music from MCR and imagery from the March website. They are designed by someone in an attempt to support the Daily Mail's point of view about Emos and MCR and undermine the protest by saying the march will result in suicide. The most successful video MCRsuicidecult has over 19,381 views far more popular than any of the real videos supporting the march.

Are these videos designed merely as a joke? Why spend so much effort on them then? They use similar language to each other suggesting they are created as part of an organised effort. There at least 6 different videos advocating this "mass suicide" lie all on accounts created in the last few days. It is a deliberate campaign to undermine and attack the march.

You can see one here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-60SpwyogY&feature=related

Who would benefit most if the march was undermined?

It seems unlikely that even the Daily Mail itself would stoop to such a level. But if a story does appear from them suggesting the march will be a mass suicide attempt then it is perhaps possible they may be connected to this.

The most likely culprits however are the many people online who are simply intolerant and prejudiced against emos or MCR and who wish to perpetuate the lie connecting them to suicide and self harm. The best way to fight this is by supporting a real video backing the march.

Like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3d81_cxoyE&feature=related

Mental Nurse on Emo and self harm - Daily Mail screws up a vulnerable teen's therapy

Found an interesting blog on the recent anti-emo stuff in the Mail by a mental nurse at http://www.mentalnurse.org.uk. He/she works in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services sommwhere:

I think I’ve give a real-world clinical example, dealing with a self-harming emo kid.

A quick caveat before I do. Teenage self-harming is not an “emo thing”. We see plenty of cutters in CAMHS, and the bulk of them are not emos. Chavs cut themselves too. In fact, some kids cut themselves despite not being part of any fashion clique at all. It’s almost as if self-harm were a mental health issue rather than a fashion trend. Strange, that.

Anyway, let’s bring in our emo. He’s 15 years old, and in honour of My Chemical Romance, we’ll call him Gerard. read more here More on Emo

The most worrying thing about this is that in the blog Dr Cretin takes his ideas on emo from the press reports.

Dr Cretin is…shall we say…a little old-fashioned. Therefore I had a feeling things weren’t go to go well when Gerard turned up to the appointment wearing eyeliner.

Dr Cretin looks at him disapprovingly. “So….this emo cult that you’re involved in. Is that why you started cutting yourself?”

Emo cult? Oh Christ, please don’t tell me Dr Cretin read that bloody Daily Mail article...

By this point Gerard looks like he’s about to cry. Which is unsurprising, since he’s just been told his personal identity is a cult and he should get rid of all his friends.

Once again proof that the Daily Mail screws with peoples lives. The nurse seems to think (with good reason) that the kids interest in bands is in fact a positive thing. "I’ve explored in sessions what Gerard feels he gets out of being an emo. His answers: a sense of identity, a feeling of mutual understanding with others, being accepted and valued in a way that he isn’t by the bullies at school who push his head down the toilet."

And once again we note the kid has been bullied in school as well.

The original comments on the Mail emo article are classic in pointing out its absurdity but they also note:

Funnily enough, we haven’t any seen that many emos come into CAMHS lately (though we’ve got a few goths). We actually see a lot more chavs than any other subculture.

So according to an inexact survey it is chavs, not emos that self harm more at the moment. But as they also point out it might be that social services intervene in "chav" cases more often.

Basically the point is stupid sterotypes about mental conditions cause more harm than anything else. And where do they come from ? Media nonsense is one source.

March on the Mail - Lies about Emo Death Cult lead to protest

MCR fans are planning a May on May 31st in London against that bastion of prejudice the Daily Mail after their recent campaign of lies. Respect is due to all those planning this excellent idea.

Find out more about the march here at www.whatthefrank.co.uk. It seems very well organised if you are in London why not support them:

This protest is being held in order to raise awareness on My Chemical Romance’s acutely anti-suicide message and the serious issue of depression, especially in teenagers.

We hope to show that My Chemical Romance is not a ‘suicide cult’ - as the Daily Mail has called them in a recent article - but simply a rock band that wants to save people’s lives. Depression is a serious thing and careless journalism runs the risk of trivializing it; especially as far as teenage depression is concerned. My Chemical Romance have always tried to ward their fans away from depression and aid them in seeking help, even going as far as to call suicide hotline numbers from the stage. Whereas, badly researched journalism is in danger of promoting irresponsible stereotyping and taking away from depression as a serious medical illness.

It has been covered in The Guardian and the Independent which has a long and detailed article:

EMO: Welcome to the Black Parade

A Kent coroner's comments over the suicide of 13-year-old Hannah Bond, in which he expressed concern over the dead girl's passion for emo music, spawned a glut of lurid headlines earlier this month. But it was the Daily Mail that decided to delve deeper into the craze – prompting one of the unlikeliest protests London has seen for some time.

Next Saturday, fans of MCR will descend on the Mail's Kensington headquarters in west London to vent their rage at what they claim is "badly researched journalism in danger of promoting irresponsible stereotyping". It is a remarkably polite and measured response for a group supposedly in thrall to a mind-bending cult.

According to one of the organisers, Anni Smith, 16, from Hampshire, festering anger that has been simmering below the surface for some time has finally spilt over. Some 300 people have already logged on to the protest site, www.whatthefrank.co.uk, expressing their desire to take part.

She believes the numbers determined to march eventually on the Mail HQ could be much higher and today organisers will meet representatives of the Metropolitan Police to discuss tactics for the demonstration and a possible transfer to nearby Hyde Park to avoid any trouble. Ms Smith, who has seen MCR four times, said that far from being advocates of mass suicide, the band are passionate opponents of self harm – as evidenced in the lyrics to their most famous song with its defiant message "to carry on". "I love their passion and the way they believe in what they do," she said. "They are amazing people. They want everyone to be OK, healthy and happy. A lot of people are affected by depression and a lot of MCR fans are too. This article was careless and badly researched journalism which really surprised us. They are the complete opposite of a suicide cult.

"The band has always been adamant that if you have problems you should get help and not give in."

The backlash has been growing apace. Internet chatrooms are clogged with comments from fans furious at what they say is breathtaking ignorance being displayed from across the generation divide by a people happier crooning along to Jim Morrison's "Soft Parade" than the later, darker assembly.

"Society constantly looks for something to point a finger at when things don't go right," wrote one fan to the NME this week. "It's time to face facts that being a young person today is tough."

According to Conor McNicholas, the magazine's editor, the furore has generated the NME's biggest postbag this year. "The reaction of the right-wing press is fairly moronic, knee-jerk stuff," he said. "Genuine music fans who know the way these things work are not afraid of speaking out and saying this is wrong.

"They sell papers on the basis of fear and the more frightened parents are the more sales there are for the Daily Mail. They are setting parents against their children which might sell papers but is incredibly destructive of family relations in the long term. If you want to alienate young people the best way to make them feel disaffected is to take away the music and culture they love."

It even led to a leading article:

Leading article: Reasons to be cheerful
Independent, UK - 22 May 2008

The list of popular music trends that have scandalised the curtain-twitching classes would take more space than we have here to chronicle.

Suffice to say that, from Elvis to the Beastie Boys, from the Beatles to the Sex Pistols, there has rarely been a time when "polite society" has not found something in youth culture to demonise. The latest target of the wagging finger of reproach is "emo": a style of music that places heavy emphasis on what one might describe as the more sombre aspects of human existence.

One Middle England newspaper has even labelled the emo scene a "cult" and linked it to the suicide of a 13-year-old girl who was deeply into the American emo band My Chemical Romance.

In an admirably well-organised counter-attack, hundreds of emos are planning to protest outside the newspaper's offices, presumably dressed in their characteristic black garb.

We understand the frustration of emos at being slurred in this fashion. But we would also offer some consolation. First, being attacked like this is a back-handed compliment: most good music gets the moral outrage treatment at some point.

Second, it won't be long before the reactionaries turn their attention to demonising some other aspect of our culture.

And, eventually, they'll no doubt even be complaining that "the youth of today" are so much worse behaved than those polite emos of yesteryear.

It's advice they're unlikely to heed, but emos should try to remember that it's not all doom and gloom.

Short article in Guardian

Maligned emo fans to march on Daily Mail
guardian.co.uk, UK - 22 May 2008

Good as these articles are they miss the main point that this march is no joke. Telling lies about subcultures leads to suffering and violence. As pointed out on this blog constantly the Mail's propaganda over Hannah Bond's death is likely to result in violence - obviously there is the example of Mexico but this problem was in the States before that see here for one example.

See the previous reports on the media lies which led to this march here:

Hannah Bond - Why no Emo is safe from the Daily Mail's Cult of Lies
Hannah Bond - Press/Coroner blame another suicide on Emo

Her are posts to the original lies from 2006.
New Emo Goth Danger?
More media lies about goths and emos

And remember exactly these sort of reports about emo have led to stupid ideas across the world from Russia government panics to Malta.

There is also a petition you can sign HERE against media distoration with other 1000 signatures.

I only hope this will stop the media telling lies.

At an MCR concert Gerard Way expresses himself strongly on the issue I think this was at Reading festival (2007?). He has being saying similar stuff since the first mail article accusing them of being involved in a death cult back in 2006:

Fuck the Daily Mail!

Justice is done - Another victim sees attackers jailed

Another account of a horrific crime is only now revealed as being motivated by prejudice. It is interesting to note that it occurred in Denton, formerly in Lancashire, now greater Manchester only 6 miles east of central Manchester not that far from Bacup. The Early Day Motion has 26 signatures now this trial is just more proof the laws ned looking at:

Goth attack thugs jailed

Adam Derbyshire
21/ 5/2008

A GOTH attacked and left for dead by two thugs who disliked how he dressed has thanked a Good Samaritan for saving his life.

Stephen Jones, 20, was punched to the ground, stamped on and robbed by teenage yobs Steven Clayton and Peter Landy, one of whom was a childhood friend.

The case carries chilling echoes of the murder of Sophie Lancaster, who was attacked by a gang for being a goth.

Stephen was saved by passer-by Andrew Dawes who stopped his car and chased the violent pair off.

Brutal

Clayton was jailed for 10 years and Landy for four years at Manchester Crown Court last Monday after a jury convicted them of the brutal attack in Denton.

Stephen had dropped off a CV at a local shop in Circular Road looking for part-time work.

As he walked home with his girlfriend on 3 August, 2006, he was confronted by Clayton.

Stephen said: "He wandered up and accused me of talking about him and started mocking me because of the way I looked. I’d never seen him before in my life.

"I recognised Landy because we used to be best friends when we were young, but we drifted apart as we got older.

"Clayton demanded money and started pushing me and putting his hands in my pockets.

"He punched me in the face four times.

"I fell down and they stamped on my head and kicked me in the face. They showed no signs of stopping until Andrew pulled over and they fled."

Stephen suffered a bleed o n the brain and spent a fortnight in hospital. His injuries were so severe he lost his memory and the ability to walk.

He said: "I used to be so outgoing but my self confidence has plummeted."

In order to make a fresh start, Stephen left his mum’s home in Platt Walk, Denton and moved to his dad’s in Hadfield.

While on bail for the attack, Clayton assaulted and robbed another boy in Denton.

Clayton, of Whittles Walk, Denton and Landy, of Platt Walk, Denton, both 19, were convicted of grevious bodily harm and robbery.

Stephen’s mum June Wood, of Carrbrook, said: "If it had not been for the passing motorist, Andrew Dawes, these two thugs could have killed my son."

Latest plans for Sophie Foundation - New Hate Crimes centers in Cheshire

Foundation in memory of Sophie Lancaster
Lancashire Telegraph, UK -18 May 2008

A CHARITABLE foundation is being set up in memory of murdered Sophie Lancaster.

The charity will seek to help educate professionals such as the police and teachers about subcultures.

It will also continue the campaign to make the definition of a hate crime include offences motivated by appearance.

Sophie, 20, died last August after being set upon as she cradled her boyfriend Robert Maltby who had been attacked in Stubbylee Park, Bacup.

The pair - former Haslingden High School pupils - had been targeted by a gang of youths because they were dressed as goths.

Sophie's attackers Ryan Herbert, 16, and Brendan Harris, 15, both from Bacup, were jailed for life last month for her murder.

advertisement

Sophie's mother Sylvia hopes the Sophie Lancaster Foundation will be a lasting legacy to her daughter.

The foundation will be accessible by professionals including teachers and police, to educate children and others about subcultures.

It will also be used as training provider and as a stepping stone for social lobbying to get a change in the law regarding the definition of hate crime.

A website, which will incorporate Sophie's MySpace site and information about the SOPHIE campaign, will be used to promote the foundation.

It will also include artwork, poetry and music that people have dedicated to Sophie.

The charities commission has been contacted.

Syliva has been in contact with Lancashire Youth Service about setting up workshops to educate young people about subcultures.

Interesting to note this news report mentions the SOPHIE hate crimes campaign.

Peter Fahy wants to encourage reporting of hate crime
BBC News,

Police in Cheshire are setting up more than 40 centres for victims to report hate crimes.

The centres will be set up within support group bases, citizens' advice bureaux, council and housing offices, schools and universities....

Hate crime is a criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offender's hatred of someone because of their race, colour, religion, gender, sexuality or disability.

Mr Fahy added: "It is important to say that hate crime is not just about race. It is about people who are marked out to be different and are targeted because of this.

"One issue that is increasing is crime against disabled people or those with learning difficulties."

A campaign is under way to extend the definition of hate crime after the murder of Sophie Lancaster in a Lancashire park last year.

She was targeted because she was dressed as a Goth.

Alternative youth stopped from gathering in Liverpool

This article indicates the police in Liverpool are targeting Alternative youth just for gathering in one place....just as in Glasgow, Bristol, Leeds etc etc. As our previous articles on have shown alternative youth frequently gather together not only for social reasons but because of fear of attack:

Give us a place to go
Liverpool Echo, UK - 29 Apr 2008

Apr 29 2008 by Janet Tansley, Liverpool Echo

PICTURE the scene: a group of girls sitting on a bench in St John’s Gardens, talking, staring at boys in skinny jeans, doing usual friends stuff ...

Now, what’s wrong with that?

Apparently some people do think there’s something wrong with it because we’re no longer allowed to do it.

Every Saturday my friends have hung around at the Pier Head. We’re from different parts of Liverpool, so town is easy for everyone. One quick bus or train and you’re there, with a day to spend with your mates.

Apparently, all the teenagers of Liverpool thought so, too.

The Pier and the Courts were the places all the emos, the goths, the metal-heads – anyone of an alternative persuasion – could just hang out and be themselves.

Then, of course, the Pier had building work (or whatever’s going on) and we were left with the question: ‘Where to now?’

The Pier and the Courts were out of everyone’s way, so it wasn’t like we were disturbing people. We could hardly set up camp outside Argos, further into town, could we? Everyone started migrating to the Courts or the Gardens, so it seemed we were okay for space.

And then somebody decided: ‘Oh no, we can’t have kids having fun in a public place where they’re allowed to be.’

And suddenly the Courts always had police telling us to move on, that we couldn’t stay there. The same went for the Gardens.

Where are we supposed to go now?

We’re not even allowed to hang out outside Burger King anymore while our mates are getting food (the Burger King staff kick you out if you aren’t eating, even if you’re with people who are).

There’s a policeman threatening to arrest us just for hanging around, telling us to go to a park near our homes (even though we’d just explained we were from all parts of Liverpool), naming a load of dodgy parks and public areas and telling us that these were the places kids our age should be hanging out.

Why? So we can all be attacked and then no-one has to worry about where we are then?

Neo Nazis in Israel target goths alongside other minorities

Neo-Nazis are never that clever but the very idea of Jewish Neo-Nazis seems particularly odd. They obviously come from a Russian background from the names and as reported previously on this blog Russian neo-nazis have ben known to attack subcultures alongside their usual other targets

Details of the Nazi gang were first published in September 2007, when police arrested eight youths, aged 16 to 21, who sadistically targeted and attacked drug abusers, homosexuals, foreign workers, religious Jews and youths with a "Goth" appearance.

2 youths convicted of Nazi affiliation
Ynetnews, Israel 5 May 2008

Interesting article on goth in Israel here:
Goth in the First Modern Jewish City
Ha'aretz, Israel - 5 May 2008