An investigation has been launched following a disturbing far-right event at a pub in the town of Oldham, where individuals associated with a neo-Nazi group marked Adolf Hitler’s birthday with swastika symbols and offensive displays.
The incident took place last Saturday at the Duke of Edinburgh pub in Royston, where members of the fringe group known as the British Movement convened, reported the UK Jewish News. According to footage uploaded to the group’s Telegram channel, participants unfurled Nazi flags, posed for photographs, and made gestures widely recognized as Nazi salutes. One attendee was recorded wearing a German football jersey emblazoned with “Fuhrer 44” on the back.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed they are looking into the gathering as a potential violation of Section 18 of the Public Order Act, which relates to the use of threatening or abusive behavior intended to incite racial hatred.
“The incident is being treated with the utmost sensitivity and severity,” a GMP spokesperson stated, urging members of the public to assist the investigation by providing any relevant information.
Staff at the pub claimed they were unaware of the nature of the gathering until after it occurred. Jean Anderson, who is preparing to take over management at the venue, told the Manchester Evening News, “We thought it was a birthday party. They covered everything up. I have never seen them before, but they definitely won’t be coming in here again.”
The Community Security Trust (CST), an organization that tracks antisemitism and assists hate crime victims, sharply criticized the incident.
A spokesperson for CST told Jewish News, “There is absolutely no place in any civilized society for those who celebrate hatred and evil. Honouring Hitler is not an act of free speech; it is a shameless glorification of one of the darkest crimes in human history. Neo-Nazism must be unequivocally condemned, and we urge the police to investigate.”