Rot in jail
On Wednesday, police said they were in no hurry to speak to Jack van Tongeren. Yesterday, he was arrested, and this morning he faced court for four counts of conspiracy to commit arson and nineteen counts of criminal damage.
He’s a strange (and dangerous) character. Apparently, “Mr Van Tongeren, a Vietnam veteran, saluted the court as he was led away.” His experiences in Vietnam had a profound impact on him:
The notorious Asian-hater is the son of a Javanese father. In 1989 Rudi van Tongeren confirmed that his son had disowned him. Rudi van Tongeren said his son had served in Vietnam and came back “abnormal”.
I hope he’s locked up for a long time.
I hope my friend Ben Weerheym is locked up, too. It’s hard to believe that Weerheym’s internet activities weren’t raised at the trial, but now that The Australian has run a substantial article about them, he might be in more trouble:
Before he was sentenced to a six-month suspended sentence this week, Weerheym’s lawyer, Michael Tudori, told the Perth Magistrates Court Weerheym was not interested in the ANM and had not wanted to take part in the graffiti.
However The Weekend Australian has learned that for almost two years Weerheym has been promoting the ANM and urging violent attacks against ethnic groups on a white supremacist website called Stormfront.org.
Under the pseudonym Thor Hammered, Weerheym has posted more than 800 messages, ranting against Asians, Jews and Muslims. He has urged others to blow up a Perth nightclub owned by Asians.
“The more the white youth of Australia stand up and show them their true feelings towards the invaders THE BETTER!!” he wrote in March last year.
Weerheym also wrote: “After a recent trip east by the key members of the ANM/ANWU, it has become apparent we are the most effective, organised, active and above all premier nationalist/pro-white organisation in Australia.”
When Weerheym was confronted about his pseudonym — which was tracked to his email address and his telephone number — he refused to answer any questions about it or his involvement with the ANM.
[...]
DPP Robert Cock said Weerheym may have misled the court.
“If we establish that he had misled the court in his submission we would be very enthusiastic to get the matter back before the court to be corrected,” he said.
Ben was outed on Active Perth (the precursor to Indymedia) some time ago, when he posted under “Aussie Nationalist” rather than “Thor Hammered”. Steve Edwards, Giovanni Torre and I used to have some entertaining discussions with him.
Maybe we can have more discussions with him in future — they have internet access in jail, right?
Update: More information from today’s Sunday Times:
Director of Public Prosecutions Robert Cock said it could be difficult to get the sentence overturned.
“We could ask the Supreme Court to reconsider the sentence in the light of new evidence that was not available previously, but the threshold is very high and I wouldn’t be prepared to do that unless it (the evidence) was very strong and very relevant,” Mr Cock said. Mr Cock said he would assess any new evidence from police in conjunction with the transcript of Mr Weerheym’s court appearance.
It is very clear that Weerheym has had a long commitment to racist ideology, and has been involved with ANM for some time. This directly contradicts his lawyer’s submission to the court. I hope that it’s enough for the DPP to proceed.
The Sunday Times also published this picture:
This might be the last time he’s photographed in his natural habitat.
He used to say shit like “fire up the ovens” and make delightful “jokes” about the Shoah.
He should rot for the term of his natural life. He has been spewing his poison for some time, there’ll be plenty of ammo on him…
The photo is a little dark, I can’t see if he has a mullet or not.
No mullet.
This fucker calls himself a Aussie Nationalist and on active.org said that this didn’t sit at odds with him wishing the Nazis had won WW2. Nice one.
Last night I had the weirdest dream.
I was at a Greek wedding and Jack van Tongren was there. He wasn’t wearing his fishing hat and his head was shaved.
Then it was a funeral and he and I went up to pay our respects to the corpse at the same time. I said “Nice hair cut” to him and laughed, which was inappropriate at a funeral.
Funnily enough this Ben Weerheym was there too, and I took the piss out of him and woke up before he got the chance to break a bottle over my head.
Can you tell me what this means Dr Corr?
Can I ask, as it seems you all know a reasonable amount about the ANM people,
the angle that I derived from the coverage in The Werst is that they are/were recruiting street kids and uni students – is this correct?
And Weerham where did his affiliation with the ANM spring from?
Has there been any stories summarizing the ANM origins of the offenders caught this year – I wonder how many have been taken on this way – it is a standard cult tactic.
One of the guys in my year at my school ended up joining them and being quite involved and not long after took his own life. He was the classic loser, not smart and not good at sport in a school that only valued success and obviously Italian at the fag end of wog-bashing. So yeah they’re a loser magnet and Benny boy is a prime one. Any sympathy, nah! I’d have him dragged behind a Landcruiser to apologise to each and every Aboriginal community in the State for being an “invader,” maybe kids could chuck rocks at him or something.
Torre, you are having a cycle of life dream, hence the wedding and the funeral, hair is a symbol of strength. You’re superego is supressingwhat you think is right as evidenced by guilt about your funeral behaviour. Ben had a bottle because you had failed to completely take the piss out of him, you’ve more work to do son.
Robert, I haven’t followed this stuff for several years, as Adelaide’s local Nazis, National Action (led by Michael Brander) have been quiet of late. How much do you know about the connections between these groups outside WA?
Hi Anthony,
wow that whole thing is very harsh – a real vicous circle.
It really breaks my heart when people such as these capitalize on young people with weaknesses, but that is the nature of predatory animals isn’t it. Bummer of a birthmark hal.
Gjw – if it is ok – I know your question is for Robert but I’d really like to interject. There is a lot of subject matter pertaining to this catalogued in media archives – & am happy to share. bfn ab
Anthony, that’s hot.
Rock over London, rock over Chicago.
now, where shall I start? Perhaps with this allegation by Posted by Torre at 7:43pm on 7 August 2004….
“He used to say shit like “fire up the ovens” and make delightful “jokes” about the Shoah.”
answer: what the are you talking about? Also, what is “the shoah”? Either you have mistaken me for somebody else or you like to make things up as you go along.
actually, everything else right here is a bunch of rot so I won’t bother retorting.
Yeah? Well, we’ll just see at the trial, eh Ben?
who’s going to trial? not me.
I think you are getting a bit ahead of yourself there bud.
What, did you cut a deal and roll over on Shannon Post?
listen robby, you don’t know anything about what has gone on. You like to think you do so you can fluff up your little blogs of misinformation and egotistical opinions, plain and simple.
You obviously have no idea how the judicial system works. If someone is charged with a crime such as low level “criminal dammage” (what a bunch of rot) ie: me, then they go to petty sessions and can plead guilty or deny the charges and go to trial. I admit to the charges, as precarious as they are so my plea should be heard – no grand jury, no surprise witnesses. I think you have been watching too much TV.
Do yourself a favour and quit trying to make out like you have a clue.
Oh, if it’s still going to court then I have no comment until after that’s happened.
Hey Rob, I don’t hear you making much noise anymore. tough titties huh!
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m busy with other things at the moment.
Stay out of trouble, Ben, and keep your racist gob shut.
waaah waah!
Hello everyone from pinkas message forum.
Thats one ugly little redneck
Poor Ben’s been getting up to mischief again!
==
The West Australian
10 June 2005
RACIST SAYS WEBSITE NOT A ‘HIT-LIST’
By Ryan Pedler
A man convicted last year of spray-painting racist slogans on Perth buildings says he wants to set up a website listing the personal details of members of a range of activist groups to “keep tabs on them”.
Benjamin Weerheym, 27, a former recruit of the white supremacist Australian Nationalist Movement (ANM), said he was seeking legal advice on setting up the website.
“I’m conferring with a legal representative and I want to establish the situation with supplying photos and information regarding people’s personal information,” he said.
Mr Weerheym, who received a six-month suspended jail term last year, was responding to claims from anti-racism group Fight Dem Back that he was planning to set up a “hit-list” website called Redwatch Downunder listing personal details of anti-racism campaigners, refugee advocates, gay rights campaigners and other activists.
Mr Weerheym denied the hit-list claims and said activists had nothing to fear.
WA Police spokesman Brian Cowie said the State Security Unit would examine the matter.
Earlier this year, the British Home Office launched an investigation into the UK Redwatch website, which publishes home addresses and telephone numbers of anti-racism campaigners, politicians and journalists.
===
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15561610%255E1702,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,15561610-29277,00.html
From various NEWS LTD Newspaper sites
PROBE INTO ANTI-RACIST ‘HIT LIST’
By Tim Clarke, AAP
09 June 2005
Police in Perth are investigating claims a known associate of the white-supremacist Australian Nationalist Movement (ANM) is planning to set up an online ‘hit list’ of anti-racist campaigners in Australia.
Western Australia Police was today passed details of the Redwatch Downunder project, which anti-racism campaigners Fight Dem Back claim was being established by a former supporter of the ANM.
A spokesman confirmed the State Security Unit would examining claims that emails were being used to draft support for the online intelligence network based on a similar Redwatch website in the UK.
“We have been sent the details, and have passed them onto the State Security Unit, who will be looking into them,” the spokesman said.
“We would have been aware of the group’s activities, and forensic officers keep an eye on any activity surrounding the ANM.”
Mat Henderson-Hau, from Fight Dem Back, said the group had evidence dozens of emails had been sent to white supremacists around Australia and New Zealand seeking information.
“They say they want information on ‘anarchists, reds, homos and multiculturalists’, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and vehicle registrations,” Mr Henderson-Hau said.
“The purpose of this website is to threaten, intimidate and facilitate physical assaults against people who stand up against white supremacists in our community. As far as we are concerned, this is a terrorist threat.”
Earlier this year, the British Home Office launched an investigation into the Redwatch website, which publishes home addresses and telephone numbers of anti-racism campaigners, politicians and journalists.
Police raided webmaster Simon Sheppard’s home early last month, seizing computers and books under legislation that outlaws incitement to racial hatred.
The site, which is still active, publishes individuals’ information under the slogan: “Remember places, traitors’ faces, they all pay for their crimes.”
In Perth, several members and associates of the ANM have this year been convicted for race-hate graffiti attacks on a synagogue and other buildings around the city.
The men admitted to spray-painting swastikas, racist slurs and anti-semitic messages, such as “Hitler was right” and “Asians Out” on buildings, fences and bus shelters, and to plastering several locations with posters promoting the ANM.
ANM leader Jack van Tongeren and his deputy, John van Blitterswyk, are awaiting trial after denying they ordered the graffiti attacks, and that they were plotting to reprise a racist firebombing campaign against Perth’s Asian community.
Well, Ryan Pedler was actually not a bad fellow judging by the wayhe didn’t misquote me and take me out of context.
Just remember, you should only be concerned about having you details/photo published online for all to see if yo have been doing things you shouldn’t.
I am used to the medias sensationalist campaigns against me, it is nothing new and does not conern me. There are alot more worse things they could be reporting on in the world but they chose to concentrate on me? go figure.
Say all you want about me, at the end of the day, it does not matter.
Trouble is, Benny, you have a very twisted view of what’s right and what’s wrong.