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  My name is Death to traitors, Freedom for Britain, says Thomas Mair

My name is Death to traitors, Freedom for Britain, says Thomas Mair

Published : Jun 19, 2016, 1:58 am IST
Updated : Jun 19, 2016, 1:58 am IST

British lawmaker Jo Cox’s alleged killer ranted against “traitors” during a brief court appearance on Saturday, as EU referendum campaigning was suspended for a third day in tribute to the slain MP.

Jo Cox (Photo: AP)
 Jo Cox (Photo: AP)

British lawmaker Jo Cox’s alleged killer ranted against “traitors” during a brief court appearance on Saturday, as EU referendum campaigning was suspended for a third day in tribute to the slain MP.

“Death to traitors, freedom for Britain,” 52-year-old Thomas Mair said when asked to give his name at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London in his first appearance after being charged with murder, the British media reported.

Mair, who was handcuffed and wearing a grey tracksuit, then remained silent when asked to provide his date of birth and address, the reports said. He was remanded in custody until his next appearance at London’s Old Bailey central criminal court on Monday and a psychiatric report has been requested. Previous allegations about him cannot be reported under British law in order not to prejudice the case against him.

A member of the Opposition Labour Party and former aid worker, Cox was an advocate for refugee rights and immigration and was campaigning for Britain to stay in the European Union. She was shot and stabbed in the street in what the police called a “targeted” daylight attack on Thursday in her constituency in northern England as she was arriving for a meeting with local residents. Although the motive is undetermined, some politicians and commentators have pointed to the heated referendum debate, where sensitive issues like national identity and immigration have featured prominently. Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Friday brought bouquets to a massive floral tribute near the scene of the attack in Birstall in Yorkshire. Mr Cameron spoke out for “tolerance” and against “hatred” in British politics, saying the country was “rightly shocked” at the killing of the 41-year-old mother of two.

British MPs have also been recalled to Parliament, which was in recess ahead of the referendum, for a special tribute to Cox on Monday. The murder, the first of a British member of Parliament since 1990, has sent shockwaves around the world. US President Barack Obama on Friday phoned Cox’s husband Brendan to offer condolences. “The President noted that the world is a better place because of her selfless service to others, and that there can be no justification for this heinous crime,” the White House said in a statement.

A fund created in Cox’s memory by her friends and family has raised more than £250,000 (318,000 euros, $359,000) for charities close to her heart. The money will support the Royal Voluntary Service which helps combat loneliness in her constituency; the Hope Not Hate anti-extremism group and the White Helmets volunteer emergency workers in Syria. At a vigil in London’s Parliament Square on Friday, hundreds of people gathered to lay flowers and pay their respects, holding a minute’s silence. Mourners also laid flowers on the roof of the converted river barge near London’s iconic Tower Bridge where she lived with her husband Brendan and two children, aged three and five.

Location: Canada, Ontario, London