Ricky Jones was arrested and charged with the offence after addressing a crowd at the huge Hoe Street anti-fascist demonstration on 7th August, reports Marco Marcelline
A suspended Labour Dartford councillor who appeared to call for far right protesters’ throats to be “cut” during the huge anti-racism march in Walthamstow last month has pleaded not guilty to encouraging violent disorder.
Ricky Jones, 57, was arrested and charged with the offence after addressing the crowd at the Hoe Street demonstration on 7th August.
As PA Media reports, Jones appeared via video link in custody from HMP Wormwood Scrubs where he spoke to confirm his identity.
The Crown Prosecution Service alleges that Jones described far-right rioters as “disgusting Nazi fascists”, adding, “we need to cut their throats and get rid of them”.
Jones’ defence barrister Hossein Zahir KC reportedly said Jones accepted the words had been spoken but denied knowing the offence of violent disorder would be committed.
Jones has been ordered to produce a defence statement by 25th October, with a provisional trial date of 20th January at Snaresbrook.
Labour suspended Jones shortly after he was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers on Thursday 8th August.
Local anti-racist activist Ulrike Schmidt says she was targeted by right-wing social media accounts after she was spotted in online footage that appears to show Jones making the alleged remarks.
Wearing a bright yellow vest with Amnesty International’s logo, Schmidt can be seen clapping alongside others while Jones leads chants like “Free Palestine”. According to the Guardian, she said that she did not register the remarks that Jones’ was charged for because she was “mentally preparing” to give her own speech afterwards.
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Speaking to the Echo, Ulrike said online threats against her entered a different dimension when her Walthamstow address was obtained and shared by right-wing agitators.
On Friday 9th August, Ulrike was woken up at around 5.30am by the sound of glass smashing outside her house. She told the Echo: “It turned out this person had been smashing the window of the only car outside my house. It wasn’t [my car].”
The assailant fled after being challenged by passersby who were reportedly on their way to morning prayers at a nearby mosque.
Ulrike says she contacted the police but they “weren’t interested” until the Guardian got in touch with them about the incident.
She added the events had made her “even more determined” to fight racism and the far-right. The following day, the teacher and Amnesty activist spoke at a large demonstration outside the Reform UK HQ in central London.
The party’s leader Nigel Farage had been among several public figures including Elon Musk who shared the footage of Ricky Jones’ speech to their millions of followers.
Ulrike was one of the co-organisers of the English Defence League (EDL) counter-protest in Walthamstow in 2012. The counter-protest vastly outnumbered the EDL who wanted to march to Waltham Forest Town Hall.
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