Nine people have been arrested in Greater Manchester after a neo-Nazi group brazenly celebrated Adolf Hitler’s birthday at the Duke of Edinburgh pub in Oldham, prompting a major police operation and widespread condemnation from the Jewish and broader community. The group, linked to the far-right British Movement North West, posted images online of themselves with Nazi flags and a swastika cake, while openly displaying hate-filled propaganda and plotting future activities.
Greater Manchester Police executed dawn raids across several towns, recovering a cache of weapons including swords, a crossbow, replica firearms, and a suspected grenade, which required a bomb squad to render safe. Nazi memorabilia was also seized, and police confirmed the arrests were made under suspicion of inciting racial hatred under Section 18 of the Public Order Act.
Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker condemned the group’s “troubling interest in ideologies that are distressing to communities throughout Greater Manchester,” emphasizing that such hate will not be tolerated. Local MP Jim McMahon called the incident “vile,” underscoring the affront to the memory of those who fought and died to defeat the Nazis.
The pub’s owners said staff were deceived by the group, who hid their Nazi symbols until they were out of sight from the main bar. Upon discovering the true nature of the gathering, the landlord immediately contacted the police and affirmed that such individuals are not welcome in their establishment.
This appalling incident is a stark reminder that the poison of Nazi ideology and Jew-hatred is not a relic of the past but a present danger. The Jewish community and its allies demand vigilance, zero tolerance, and decisive action to root out antisemitism and protect the values of democracy and human dignity.