Blogger who described Auschwitz as a ‘theme park’ on trial
Alison
Chabloz is on trial at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with five
counts of improper use of a public electronic communications network
A
blogger who posted videos online of her performing songs in which she
denied the Holocaust took place, mocked survivors and described
Auschwitz as a “theme park”, is on trial at Westminster Magistrates
Court.
Alison Chabloz, 53, who describes herself as a “Holocaust
revisionist” is accused of posting three antisemitic songs on YouTube in
September 2016.
Two of the songs, one called (((Survivors))), and
another called ‘Nemo’s Anti-Semitic Universe’ were performed at a
conference at the Grosvenor Hotel in London hosted by a group called The
London Forum, which describes itself as “a conference group for
nationalists, identitarians, thinkers and commentators”
The third song is entitled “I like the story as it is - SATIRE”, which she performs with a guitar in front of a microphone.
She
is on trial at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with five counts
of improper use of a public electronic communications network which are
described in the charges as "grossly offensive, indecent or obscene".
Ms
Chabloz is represented by barrister Adrian Davies, who represented
Holocaust denier David Irving at the the court of appeal in 2001.
In
court on Wednesday she was joined by more than 20 supporters in the
public galley. After the playing of one of the songs, members of her
support applauded, which led to district Judge John Zani warning them
they would be removed from the public gallery.
The case was
originally brought by a private prosecution by the charity the Campaign
Against Anti-Semitism but has now been picked up by the Crown
Prosecution Service which previously had refused to take it on.
In
the song (((Survivors))) she sings “We control your media, control all
your books and TV, with the daily lies we're feeding, suffering
victimisation."
It continues: “Sheeple have no realisation, you shall pay, all the way, until the break of day.”
The song also mocks Holocaust survivors Irene Zisblatt and Elie Wiezel, insinuating their accounts were made up to make money.
She also questions the authorship of Anne Frank’s diary, which she again claims was a money making scam by her father.
The
court was told the use of the three brackets in the songs title was
known as an “Echo” which is “a symbol devised by far right extremists to
make Jewish figures more easily identifiable for the purpose of online
harassment”.
As the song was played in court Ms Chabloz was seen mouthing along and her supporters were swaying along with the music.
In
lyrics to her song entitled “Nemo’s Anti-Semitic Universe” Chabloz
branded Auschwitz a "theme park" and gas chambers a "hoax" and described
the holocaust as a “Holohoax”.
She also sang “Isra-hell is a genocidal state with no right to exist, everyone knows the score under international law”.
It
also includes lines such as “Did the Holocaust ever happen? Was it just
a bunch of lies? Seems that some intend to pull the wool over our
eyes.”
The song goes on to say “Now Auschwitz, holy temple, is a
theme park just for fools, the gassing zone a proven hoax,
indoctrination rules”.
The performance goes on, saying: "History repeats itself, no limit to our wealth, thanks to your debts we're bleeding you dry.”
Prosecutor
Karen Robinson said: “The songs target Jewish people and no others and
it would appear that the defendant’s work is motivated by
discrimination.
“The songs, specifically the language used within
them, have been carefully considered and composed with the language
chosen deliberately.”
She added: “These are songs, their lyrics, about matters of the utmost seriousness, music.
"The music the defendant uses, which is traditional Jewish song music is part of her attempt to mock and provoke.”
The
prosecutor said: “The prosecution contends that the defendant's songs
go way beyond the mere expression of an unfashionable opinion about
serious matters and that they go way beyond permissible satirical or
iconoclastic comment.
“They are antisemitic, they are targeting
the Jewish people as a whole and use both their content and their tone
to ensure maximum offence.
“It may be well be that some of the alleged humour is derived from the level of offence to the Jewish people.
“The
songs are designed to provoke maximum upset and discomfort. By the
standards of an open and multi-racial society they are grossly
offensive.”
Ms Chabloz, from Derbyshire, denies the two counts of
sending by public communications network an offensive message and two
charges of causing to be sent by a public communications network an
offensive message referring to the songs performed in the hotel.
She also faces a further charge of sending by public communications network an offensive message relating to the third song.
The trial continues.
