Glasgow Anti-Fascists 1-0 SDL / NWI / NEI

tl;dr
Racist thugs “organised” a demo in Glasgow today. They were crap. Antifascists were awesome. Police put SDL on minibuses and sent them out of the city centre early afternoon as otherwise we would have eaten them up.

Today was the day of the much hyped SDL throw^H^H^H^H^Hcomeback. The interwebs were buzzing about how they were going to give us a doing – there was little pretence that this had anything to do with “Muslamists” but was instead about getting some revenge on those of us who have opposed them every time they’ve tried to gain some traction in Scotland. The North West Infidels (NWI/NEI – you can figure the “E” out for yourselves) who had been involved in the attacks last Saturday in Liverpool were to beef up numbers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIPD8qHhtVU

http://networkedblogs.com/ukTZr


Glasgow Anti-Fascist Alliance (GAFA) coordinated a militant response. UAF called a demo in town too, and some UAF stayed around after their demo to join the rest of the antifascist action.

Spotters were out from early morning, both ours and theirs. Word started coming in of large numbers of police and some fash in St Enoch Square, so the majority of the antifa gathered there too. Others remained at the tardis (“police box”) on Buchanan St which the GAFA callout had been to assemble at. This was chosen as it is about 20 metres from the Palestine stall which the SDL like to attack – because obviously a group of human rights campaigners raising money for nursing students on a different continent is a threat to UK traditions or something… :/

https://glasgowanarchists.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/anti-racism-march-anti-fascist-solidarity-public-sector-strike/


We started to see increasing numbers of small groups of 4-10 fascists walking up and down Buchanan St. One of my favourite memories of the day was when the Palestine stall felt a bit too exposed as the circling sharks began increasing, and texted to St Enoch that we could do with a few more antifa around. Within a few minutes a beautiful site appeared as 50-70 antifascists confidently and loudly marched up Buchanan St, masked up, black flags waving. The streets were ours to demonstrate on today, and the fascists were reduced to scurrying around.

By about 1pm large police numbers cleared St Enoch Square and laid out a cordoned off avenue for the SDL to get in from Annie Millers (a unionist pub) and from the bus that pulled up. While good numbers of antifascists stayed at the tardis and kept a protective eye on the Palestine stall, the huge majority – perhaps 200 – attempted to get at the pathetic 60 or so of SDL/NWI/NEI who were hiding behind police lines.


As it became clearer that we vastly outnumbered them, with more of us arriving by the minute, the police ushered the SDL back onto their bus and out of our city centre.

So, what was achieved?

The SDL showed a pathetic turnout given that they’d been building for today for months. The NWI/NEI contingent were possibly otherwise distracted by terrorising Hyde, near Manchester, against the community’s wishes, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-17164387 but there were NEI and NWI flags in St Enoch Square today. They had no soundsystem or megaphone. There “demonstration” was some dozens of folk waving flags from behind police lines, out of sight of most Glasweigians in town today. They were not able to cause any damage or terrorise anyone.

As GAFA we only properly began building the counter demo a few days ago. We networked it amongst ourselves but did very little outreach. We also lacked in letting the general public know what was going on.

Despite all that we can be proud of ourselves. It would have been easy to get complacent as we have never let the SDL have an announced presence in Glasgow or Edinburgh. The left was once again unified, strong and comradely as we came together to oppose the far right. We shared information and backed each other up as individuals on the streets today.

Crucially we did not allow anybody to think that by joining with the SDL they will have a good day out! None of them will be now feeling empowered or energised, and those who dragged along their mates for the first time will find it much harder to convince them next time.

However we can do better. We need a debrief and a proper plan for next time. We need literature ready to roll. We need a decent communications network. We need to be ready to *properly* build for counter demo’s. And as the SDL will now have to retreat back into flashmobs and small word of mouth fly by attacks on the Palestine stall we need a proper strategy to sustainably defend it.

The SDL are recruiting and the far right do want to take advantage of the acute anger that high unemployment is piling onto the chronic disenchantment and alienation from capitalism. We must be more active, bringing together communities around real solutions based on equality, freedom, sustainability and true democracy. It is too easy for the SDL to demonise black and minority ethnic people as they are just joining the constant chorus coming from the media and the political classes. I would like us to be also, safely, interacting with those caught up in the SDL, being clear not just in our opposition, but also our reasons for it.

https://glasgowanarchists.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/glasgow-anti-fascists-1-0-sdl-nwi-nei/#more-995

Griffin’s Weak End by Malatesta

It has been a dreadful weekend for Nick Griffin, the BNP, the English Defence League and the collected scrotes of the Scottish Defence League and Infidels factions. Braw! To start with Nick ‘that’s not a saveloy’ Griffin has been accused of being a ‘sex pest’ by the fragrant Claudia Dalgleish who has revealed that he sent saucy messages and exposed himself whilst eating a take-oot in the car. Ms Dalgleish was recently the partner of BNP chap Steve Squire and she had been trying to scale the dizzying heights of far right politics. However, she subsequently fell out with Mr Squire and the Griffclops for varied reasons too scandalous (and, to be honest, too tedious) to detail and in the time-honoured cliché of ‘the woman scorned’ has expressed her dissatisfaction by selling her story to the Daily Star. Crivvens! Like Mr Tommy of the EDL, Griffclops has now been condemned to sleeping in the spare room by the Mrs along with a couple of mouldy Nazi uniforms and large quantities of unused BNP membership cards. Far be it for anti-fascists to have any sympathy whatsoever with the ridiculous Griffclops but Ms Dalgleish, who appears to have been somewhat surgically inflated, seems to be a bit of an attention seeker. As the phrase goes, ‘lie down with dogs …’ etc, then this pic doesn’t do here many favours.

However, that is not going to stop us indulging in a wee bit of schadenfreude at the Griffclops’s expense!

In case you have been dead for the last week there has been much ado about the far right demonstrating in Hyde over the recent attack on Daniel Stringer. The EDL decided to have a demo there despite being asked not to by Stringer’s family. The BNP, desperately sensing a publicity stunt, decided to piggyback it and claim it as their own despite having stated that BNP members were not allowed to play with the EDL. Recriminations subsequently flew. On the day a piss poor turnout of about 50 BNP was slightly outnumbered by the EDL. The BNPers were furious with other members for not showing up for a ‘national demo’ and the EDL were furious with the BNP for hijacking their brazen publicity stunt. Griffin was told off by plod about ‘going too far’ in his speech and they had had been worried all week but on the day the fascists were all force marched to ‘defend’ the Asda carpark and stand about wondering why on earth they all bothered. The much awaited ‘race war’ failed to ignite and after an hour or two everyone went home again feeling very disappointed indeed.

After Griffin had left the podium and was out of earshot, Mr Tommy of the EDL ordered BNP flags and placards to be removed and then nicked off to Rochdale, desperately trying to capitalise on recent disturbances there. Earlier this week a bunch of pissed hooligans attacked a takeaway because they were selling encyclopedos or something and the windows got done. Mr Tommy arrived to whip up a frenzy but no-one noticed. Later in Manchester a bunch of EDL got very mouthy with some Wrexham supporters who took umbrage and told them off in no uncertain terms! Speaking of Association Soccer, the EDL had promised vengeance for their humiliation by Ajax fans a while back in Holland and had attempted to rally the troops on Facebook. Then realising that it is illegal to organise football violence on the internet quickly removed the statement. Luckily, our chums over on EDL News got a copy of it and posted it for all to see. And it’s here:

http://www.edlnews.co.uk/edl-news/edl-admin-call-for-revenge-against-visiting-ajax-football-fans


Whoops! Needless to say nothing happened and the EDL who are not exactly well established at either of the Manchester soccer teams were once again embarrassed.

Meanwhile, up here in Scotland the SDL had a ‘mass rally’ in Glesgae (that’s Glasgow to you, Jimmy!) and got together with the ‘chav scrotes’ of the North East and North West Infidels and together further proclaimed their support for the National Front. The very few of them gathered up in St Enoch’s Square (how appropriate) to unfurl St. George flags and sing Rule Britannia. Good one! Everyone was really impressed. Eejits. They were vastly outnumbered by anti-fascists and most passers-by just appeared confused as to who the SDL etc., were. Here’s an on-the-spot report from Glasgow anarchists:

https://glasgowanarchists.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/glasgow-anti-fascists-1-0-sdl-nwi-nei/#more-995


A few more arrived hopelessly late on a coach after having got lost although the rumours were flying that they were late because of playing ’Soggy Biscuit.’ Apparently Liam ‘Dairylea’ Pinkham won!

Following last week in Liverpool when associated fascists attacked a Republican march this weekend has been a welcome boost for antifascists and a dismal one for the far-right. And finally, we are pleased to announce the arrest of the British People’s Party candidate for Todmorden this week. He seems like a reasonable chap!

And as for this handsome charmer! Crivvens! Jings! And Help Ma Boab!

Be seeing you!

PS: from an anti-fascist in the know: ‘An SDL steward pissed himself after a copper refused to let him go out the cordon to the toilet. He then went back to the copper showing said copper he’d pissed himself.’

Bristol EDL find Drawbridge is closed

A meeting of the Bristol EDL didn’t get off to a flying start (or any start at all for that matter) as they found 30 militant antifascists waiting for them in the Drawbridge pub on St. Augustine’s Parade last night. Around 10 visibly nervous EDL members turned up and didn’t stay long when they realised they didn’t have many friends in the pub. One was overheard on the phone saying “There’s about 30 of them. They’re big. Don’t come here.” One of the Bristol EDL’s players, Chris Pugh arrived fashionably late (like, an hour and a half late!) and stood on his own by the bar looking sheepish and more than a little bit down in the mouth as anti EDL leaflets were distributed around the pub. 2 hours after the supposed start time of the meeting, with the EDL crowd dispersed, we were happy to agree the job was done.The successful occupation of their meeting place by antifascists prevented the local right wing bigots from meeting up as intended and will not have done much for the confidence and self esteem of an organisation already floundering with infighting and lack of direction. It was clear to all involved that for all their big talk and tough guy image, when faced with serious opposition, the EDL, like most fascist groups, back down quicker than you can say “Where have all the fascists gone?!”

Bristol EDL or any other fascist scum can expect more of the same. Zero tolerance of fascism in our city.

Bristol antifascists.

ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE: IN FOR A HYDING?

Report from Anti-fascists in Hyde 25/02/12

After the disturbances in Rochdale, Asian youth turned out against the wishes of some of the mosque elders to confront the EDL in Hyde. SchNEWS spoke to one anti-fascist who also made the trip.

"The planned route for march through town from the train station didn't happen due to sheer numbers of Asian, around 250-300 youth who gathered outside close to the train station. The EDL had the briefest of marches and were herded along the side of ASDA round a side alley into a car park next to the bus station out of sight of the public.”

Jumping on the bandwagon were the BNP – with Nick Griffin himself tarnishing the town with his presence. They gathered a motley fifty in a small rally opposite the town hall under the slogan “Hope for England”. Griffin appealed to EDL members and invited them to join in the fun – in fact virtually all the BNP apart from Nasty Nick himself joined the EDL march.

EDL numbers weren’t amazingly high, possibly as many as 600.

According to our eyewitness “As the EDL were dispersing, a group of them made their way across the ASDA car park to confront the youth outside the Mosque. They were chased off after the youth charged .In fact they ended up waiting to be kettled on the other side of the car park. The police eventually moved all the EDL on. Anti-fascists were present throughout the whole day, mixing with the locals but not in enough numbers to make an impact. "



*For more info see http://brightonantifascists.wordpress.com and http://malatesta32.wordpress.com/





Tomorrow (Saturday 25th) will see another day of fash-lite bullshit from our friends in the English Defence League (EDL).

In Hyde, Manchester a coalition of EDLers, BNP members and BFP splitters will drag their knuckles through the streets in 'defence' of Daniel Stringer-Prince, who was allegedly attacked by an Asian gang earlier this month. This is despite his family telling the EDL they want nothing to do with them and they're against the march. Cue lots of angry EDLers claiming they care so much more than Daniel's family that they are gonna march anyway.

In Glasgow the Scottish Defence League (SDL) are holding a static demonstration in the city centre from midday, a variety of groups have called for a counter mobilisation. While down in London Unite Against Fascism (UAF) will be holding their national conference at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, WC1R 4RL.

These demos come on the back of a couple of perceived victories for the far right -

On Saturday 18th in Liverpool, around 150 fascists led by members of the openly Nazi British Peoples Party successfully disrupted a march by the Liverpool Irish Republican Flute Band in honour of, Irish republican fighter, Sean Phelan.

http://liveraf.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/fascists-score-a-win-on-the-streets-of-liverpool/


On Thursday 23rd, as SchNEWS went to print, 'disturbances' were kicking off in Heywood, Rochdale. In an attempt to get the trial of an alleged 'paedophile ring' thrown out of court members of the EDL and North West Infidels (NWI) roamed the streets targeting Asian owned businesses.

http://www.schnews.org.uk/stories/TALKING-NONCE-SENSE/


Far right keyboard warriors are claiming that at least one takeaway burnt down and “300 whites blocking the roads”. Greater Manchester Police confirmed that “a group of youths... attacked a local business and clashed with police officers”. The NWI are bigging up the racial aspect of the actions and alleged chants of “National Front Please Protect Us”.

While the far right is not as strong as it was 20+ years ago, neither is the left. A strong militant antifascist network needs to be built now that can put numbers on the streets and travel to where it's needed, before it's too late.

*For more info see http://brightonantifascists.wordpress.com and http://malatesta32.wordpress.com/

en es - Report of Unite Against Fascism conference 2012

Submitted on 25 February, 2012 - 20:25

Author: Sacha Ismail
The workshop on discrimination and violence against Europe’s Roma communities which I attended on the afternoon of Unite Against Fascism conference (25 February) was excellent – informative, alarming and a call to action. No doubt there were other useful parts of and aspects to the event. But as a conference it was not so much a failure as a farce. It gives me no pleasure to write such a report - I think we should be seriously alarmed.

Turn out

So bored was I during some of the eight speakers who addressed us for almost two hours in the opening plenary that I counted the number of people in the hall several times. Including people outside and in the balcony it came to about 200-250, so let’s be generous and say 350 during the day – smaller than previous years and remarkably few for the conference of a campaign backed handsomely by all the major unions. (According to NUT Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney, the NUT alone gave UAF £55,000 this year!) Of these perhaps twenty were members of Socialist Action and a hundred members of the SWP - the two left groups which in reality dominate the leadership of the campaign.

http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2010/02/16/uaf-conference-political-mess

“Elections”

There has been quite a bit of fuss, including inside the SWP, about the lack of democracy in UAF, and so this year – for the first time since the campaign’s founding in 2003, believe it or not – there were elections for the national committee. However even this small step was largely a formality or, to be blunt, a fake. Rather than a proper open election for a multi-member committee, candidates had to be nominated for a variety of individual positions (chair, vice chair, secretary, assistant secretary, parliamentary officer and so on).

Obviously this will have discouraged people from standing – and, lo and behold, there was only one candidate for each position. (Many of them were nominated by “Love Music Hate Racism” and “One Society Many Cultures” – “organisations” which decide these things how, exactly?) However this was only achieved by excluding Justin Baidoo, a young socialist and trade unionist from South London wishing to challenge SWP full-timer Martin Smith for assistant secretary, on a technicality. (See here.) The chair of his union branch had sent in the nomination, but failed to send in the reaffiliation form.

http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2012/02/22/realigning-anti-fascist-movement
http://www.tmponline.org/2012/02/23/cameron-uaf-elections

Given this is the first time UAF has held elections, and given there were no other contested elections, you might think something could be done? Wouldn't it have been positive to have a real election? But no, rules are rules – that is, when they allow the UAF leadership to carve out opponents. I guess it would have been particularly embarrassing for the SWP to have Martin Smith criticised from the left by a young, black socialist. (I should say that Justin chose not to get up on the floor of the conference and demand a vote on his exclusion – which I think was a mistake.)

Nonetheless, surely the election still went ahead, with participants having the chance to vote for “Re-Open Nominations”? Don’t be silly! The "candidates" were simply declared elected. I wondered if some SWPers cringed at this total absence of democracy.

Motions

It was not possible to submit motions to the conference. Cambridgeshire TUC and Traveller Solidarity were told repeatedly that their motion on solidarity with traveller communities would be taken, but it wasn’t. It wasn't even mentioned! If there was “no time”, then why have so many top table speakers banging on for so long? I really hope it had nothing to do with the fact that the agreed mover of the motion was publicly supportive of Justin Baidoo.

I’m struck by the SWP’s hypocrisy. Last month they turned up to the conference of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, a campaign they do not really support (preferring to maintain their own Education Activist Network front), and literally screamed and shouted that the event – with its open elections, open motions, caucuses and so on – was undemocratic because the generous time alloted for discussing motions ran out and they thought their favourite ones might not get discussed, and because people opposed their thuggish attempts to take over. But when they organise a conference – EAN, UAF, whatever – then carving out candidates, not allowing motions and so on is all perfectly fine and democratic.

Politics

The reason Justin Baidoo was excluded is not just a sectarian factional reflex. It was because Justin was standing to raise political criticisms of UAF and its failures in fighting fascism (for the short program he and others including the AWL distributed at the conference see here). At the conference the contradictions in UAF’s politics were there for all to see. In fact, despite the lack of democracy and dissent, they seem to be boiling over.

Thus there was a quite heated discussion (only a discussion) on whether to call for state bans of EDL and other fascist marches, led by Socialist Action (for) and the SWP (against). This seems to be becoming more and more of an issue – and rightly so. And: a number of SWP speakers, including UAF leaders Weyman Bennett and Martin Smith, stressed that they are for class demands which undercut the base of fascism.

So then why shouldn’t this be included in the politics and demands of the campaign – which is what we were there demanding? Weyman Bennett got a lot of applause for demagogically declaring that David Cameron was a racist and should be sacked as prime minister – yet the SWP opposes the demand to kick Cameron and other Tory politicians out of UAF! Similarly, Martin Smith said that he regularly told Labour MPs that the best way to undermine the BNP would be to fight for millions of new council homes and decent jobs for all – but the SWP militantly opposes such demands actually being part of the campaign.

http://uaf.org.uk/about/founding-signatories

These two problems are, obviously, related. As a logical conclusion of all this, UAF is still saying “Don’t vote Nazi”, ie vote for anyone who isn’t the BNP.

Meanwhile the alliance with right-wing political Islam continues, now in the shape of the East London-based Islamic Forum of Europe, whose Azad Ali was “elected” UAF vice chair. No one on the left, as far as I know, suggests the IFE and its like are terrorists (I mention this because it’s a straw man Ali raised repeatedly – criticise us, and you must think we're al Qaeda) or that we should refuse to stand even with Islamists to physically defeat fascist violence. But the idea that the left should be building a political alliance with a group that has established a bigoted, reactionary and repressive political climate in the Bengali community of Tower Hamlets is astonishing.

Martin Smith also said, more than once, that disagreement and debate in a united front can only be a good thing. That’s right, but then why the lack of motions and the fixed elections?

A choice

It should go without saying that mobilising to confront the EDL and challenge the BNP and other fascists must remain a top priority. Despite the far right's failures over the last year, the conditions for it to grow remain, and we should not be complacent. But to counterpose all this to the need for democracy and political debate within the anti-fascist movement is utterly false. The two go together. To fight effectively, we need open debate over politics, strategy and tactics.

SWP members, in particular, face a choice: do they want to continue this undemocratic lash up with the right-wing Stalinist sect that is Socialist Action, a lash up dominated by non-class politics that are incapable of defeating the far right, and excluding dissident voice in order to keep the whole structure in place? Or will they listen to their Marxist education and working-class, democratic instincts, and change course to build the kind of effective anti-fascist campaign that is badly needed?

Meanwhile, trade unions and other affiliates and supporters of UAF should start asking questions and exerting pressure about the way the organisations is run.

• I may have got this or that small fact wrong. If so, please post comments and, if convinced, I will amend as necessary.
• We will report further on initiatives to politically realign the anti-fascist movement soon.

http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2012/02/25/report-unite-against-fascism-conference-2012


Disturbios raciales ponen en alerta a la policía en el norte de Inglaterra

El peligro de enfrentamiento racial en las calles inglesas, cada dia es mayor Channel 4 realiza un documental sobre los lideres de la English Defence League (EDL).

Rochdale * Inglaterra
La policía reforzó la vigilancia de las calles de Rochdale, en el norte de Inglaterra, luego de la irrupción de una noche de disturbios con motivación racial. La noche del jueves varios restaurantes de comida asiática fueron atacados por hordas de jóvenes, algunos de los cuales entonaron consignas a favor de la ultraderechista, English Defence League (EDL). Concentración de la English Defence League (EDL) en Hyde 11 Ultraderechistas fueron detenidos, el pasado sabado en Hyde, por desordenes publicos También hubo una contra-manifestación de Unite Against Fascism (UAF). Sin embargo, la fecha de la marcha coincidió con la conferencia nacional de la UAF http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2012/02/25/report-unite-against-fascism-conference-2012 en el centro de Londres, con lo que la asistencia de Antifascistas bajo.

--video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_j_qOVO8LI&feature=player_embedded

El nazi-fascista Tommy Robinson, lider de la English Defense League (EDL), ha sido reprendido por su actitud racista y xenofoba

El nazi-fascista britanico Tommy Robinson, provo un poco de su propia medicina.
Merry Christmas, Tommy !!

http://sareantifaxista.blogspot.com/#

AS EDL VISIT BRUM BUT FAIL TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE KINKS IN THEIR STRATEGY

On Saturday 29th October 2011 the English Defence League (EDL) paid their third visit to Birmingham. Previous excursions ended in running battles through the streets (see SchNEWS 687) The march was the EDL’s second big mobilisation this year, although not hyped as much as their September outing in Tower Hamlets (see SchNEWS 787).

http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news687.htm
http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news787.htm

In the end the EDL’s numbers were relatively low – around the 300-400 mark, in contrast to a turnout of 3000 in Luton in Februay (SchNEWS 758) and around 850 in Tower Hamlets earlier this year. This could be the EDL on a downward slide.

http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news758.htm

EDL facebookers are moaning that the demo format (i.e. turn up in a randomly chosen town, stand around in a car park listening to coked-up egotists chuntering on about Sharia Law before the cops push you back onto your bus) is getting stale and numbers in attendance are dwindling.

SchNEWS travelled up with some mates from the anti-fascist network and watched the first half hour of the EDL demo before cops forcibly cleared away onlookers.

The fash met up in Wetherspoons, Walkabout and O’Neill’s on Birmingham’s Broad Street and marched a hundred yards down the road to Centenary Square where the police had set up a pen for them complete with portaloos and a tinny sound system. George Crosses and a Union Jack were displayed alongside an Israeli and American flag. One banner, confusingly, read: “Gary Glitter would love Sharia Law, but the kids don’t”.

The stage was set for the EDL leadership to say their piece. The first speaker (who’s name we didn’t catch) hit a bum-note by resigning on the spot. A passer-by began sieg-heiling the EDL which caused a crowd surge with around twenty EDL clashing with police in riot gear. Beer cans, fireworks and a rock were thrown. However, this attempt to break out of the cordon was unsuccessful.

The break-away group was then berated from the podium and told that this was exactly what “the Islamists wanted”. At this point the EDL started fighting each other. Nice one lads!

All in all, the EDL’s Birmingham outing was a fairly desultory effort, compared to previous efforts some Leaguers were able to break out of police cordons and go on the rampage. This may be down to the leadership losing their bottle in the face of continual prosecutions of organisers in cases of public disorder. In a way the EDL has the worst of both worlds as it lacks a formal organisation but is clearly controlled by a small cabal responsible for its public face, media strategy and liaison with the police. With that cabal effectively bailed away from demos (Stephen Lennon / Tommy Robinson’s stint in Bedford gaol has served as a warning) the EDL is slightly rudderless with the hooligan hardcore being told off from the podium for being overenthusiastic but nobody else wanting to join in ‘cos of all the drunken aggro.

However, the fact this was not a good day for the EDL should not be a cause for complacency. The fact remains that hundreds of racists were able to gather, virtually unopposed in Britain’s second largest city, close to majority Asian and Muslim areas in a way that has not been seen for a generation.

The opposition, such as it was, came from a coalition of Unite Against Fascism and local groups who organised a ‘Unity’ event in Chamberlain Sq few hundred metres from Centenary Square. The crowd numbered no more than 200-300 throughout the day. Local Conservative and Labour politicians took to the podium alongside ‘community leaders’. The only break from this dreary monotony came when Martin Smith from Love Music Hate Racism took the stage and announced that he “didn’t feel like playing music today”, expressed his anger at the poor turnout and asked why we couldn’t listen to some real anti-fascists. A few brave souls ventured towards the EDL lines but were firmly dealt with by the overwhelming police presence.

The cops were in fact in control the whole day forming lines around both the EDL rally and the counter demo, having that morning put fencing around the Occupy Birmingham site preventing entry. Filter cordons were set up throughout the city centre and those attending the counter demo were searched under Section 60 of the Public Order Act. Everything was heavily stewarded.

At around 3pm a breakout was attempted from the Unity rally. Around a hundred youth marched toward a gap in police lines, only to be held back by Unity stewards. Unwillingness to shove the stewards out of the way gave the police time to form lines. At 4pm, after the EDL coaches had begun to leave, another breakout was tried, this time successful, but was unable to confront the EDL.

Across the country cops have put into place a blueprint to deal with EDL demos. Local councils demand that fascist and anti-fascist demonstrations are both restricted, the area is swamped with police who use Forward Intelligence Teams to target known anti-fascists and EDL leaders and to ensure both sides are controlled by stewards. In the case of the antis police procure stewards from local mosques or Muslim organisations.

The result, at the moment, is a stalemate which often allows the EDL to demonstrate unopposed in city centres around the UK.

The fact that elements within the EDL are becoming frustrated with these set piece demonstrations sets new challenges for anti-fascism in the UK. The EDL and its fellow travellers have on the streets and online begun to turn their anger on the left. They’ve made noises in this direction promising a ‘ring of steel’ around the royal wedding for instance and condemning protesters against student fees. UAF meetings and stalls have been attacked and last Saturday night a group attacked the Occupy Newcastle site. A fair bit of the bluster from Casuals United and their ilk is just that – prominent threats were made against an anti-fascist benefit in Dalston last week but nothing came of it. However there is a willingness to have a pop at soft targets, small meetings and street stalls.

As the austerity measures bite and the EDL’s anti-Islam rhetoric loses its bite there will be an attempt to re-orientate the Leaguers towards attacks on organised working class resistance. Anti-fascism will have to become part of every activist’s arsenal.

Reprinted from SchNEWS
http://www.schnews.org.uk/

Birmingham: stop the EDL racist and fascists, Sat 29 October

Antifascists in Birmingham are set to demonstrate against the racists and fascists of the English Defence League on Saturday 29 October.

The EDL wants to bring its vicious
anti-Muslim racist hatred to the multiracial, multicultural city.

Antifascist campaigners and local black and Asian youth mobilised repeatedly to emphatically show the EDL they weren’t welcome in Birmingham in 2009.

The picture shows an EDL member giving Hitler’s “sieg heil” salute when the police bussed the fascists and racists out of town in 2009.

Last year the EDL again announced it would come to the city, but was forced to cancel its planned racist demo.

This year, antifascists are determined that the EDL should be forced back again.
Details

The anti-EDL demo will meet at 12 noon, outside Waterstones on the High Street, Bull Ring, Birmingham on Saturday 29 October.

>> See map
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=407286&y=286764&z=0&sv=b4%207sl&st=PostCode&lu=N&tl=Waterstone%27s%20Birmingham%20High%20Street&ar=y&bi=~&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf

http://uaf.org.uk/2011/10/birmingham-stop-the-edl-racist-and-fascists-sat-29-october/

EDF Breaks Planning Conditions at Hinkley Point

EDF has broken a time limit condition attached to its planning permission to remove a spoil heap from the Hinkley Point site, the Stop Hinkley campaign has discovered. The work - removing spoil contaminated with asbestos left over from the construction of the original Hinkley A power station – should have been completed by 31 August. This was a condition of the planning consent granted to EDF by Somerset County Council last January. However, work is still continuing and the company is now applying for an extension to continue with the clean-up operation up to February 2012. Although EDF is in breach of the conditions attached to its planning permission, County Council planners have decided not to take any action. The Council is concerned, however, that if the work continues into the winter months it could disturb migratory birds which fly along the coast past Hinkley Point. ...

Full article | www.stophinkley.org

http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/705766

SchNEWS: Tower To The People

It was going to be the 'Big One', the EDL's grand day out in the capital city. They proudly proclaimed that they were going into the "Lion's Den" -- "Islamic hell-hole" -- and what they no doubt had in mind when this hare-brained scheme was first announced was something like an Orange march through London's biggest Muslim community, with drums beating and the chant of 'E.E.EDL' echoing off the walls of the East London Mosque as terrified Muslims fled. What actually happened was a half-arsed piss-up miles from Tower Hamlets. They predicted thousands would attend and only attracted hundreds. EDL Facebook posters have been reduced to claiming that Aldgate is by some spurious definition 'in Tower Hamlets' which is the equivalent of trying to pass off a Calais booze cruise as a seaborne invasion of the European mainland.

The Home Secretary intervened early in proceedings and banned marches for thirty days in the six surrounding boroughs. This is old hat to the EDL, who until recently always had their marches banned and have resorted to 'static demonstrations' in car parks around the country. These static demos basically revolve around drunken EDLers trying with varying degrees of success to break out of their police cordon and go on the rampage.

The ban seemed to come as bit of a surprise to the Unite against Fascism lot though -- who had planned a march from Weaver's Field around Tower Hamlets. To their credit, despite calls from the authorities for anti-fascists to stay at home now that a ban had been implemented, they re-located their protest to within 200 yards of the East London Mosque (the EDLs stated target),meaning that there was at least a strong presence on Whitechapel High St.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/09/484177.html

EDL in london - pics and report from yesterday

despite theresa may's ban on marches, more than a thousand edl supporters arrived in london yesterday for a 'static' demo and many of them were marched to it and marched away from it by a major police operation. meanwhile similar numbers of anti-fascist protestors held a rally and kept a vigil to ensure edl were kept away from asian communities in tower hamlets. read report and pics ...

http://london.indymedia.org/articles/10121

with the edl demo called for 3pm, many supporters were arriving in london in time for a liquid lunch, and by 1.30, a crowd of several hundred were chanting slogans and drinking beer outside king's cross station surrounded by a single cordon of police (with many reinforcements waiting nearby). although many were under the canopy, others stood in hot direct sunlight, and as time passed, frustration began to rise, with some arguments with police in the cordon, and a couple of explosive fire-crackers thrown from within the crowd. stewards informed the mob that the police were going to allow them on to a tube to moorgate, but very soon after this announcement, RMT staff drew the shutters across the entrances, telling me (with a mischievous wink) that there had been a fire alarm and that the closure was for 'health and safety' reasons. after about half an hour, someone relented, perhaps under police pressure, and finally the gates were opened and, accompanied by a large number of police, the crowd was shepherded underground.

at moorgate, police were allowing them out slowly in groups of 20 or 30 at a time, and they were directed past FIT photographers, and through empty city streets towards a meeting point in aldgate. some passers-by shouted abuse at them, and police intervened occasionally to keep antagonists apart.

on this procession (but not a 'march'), i felt as though i was in a confused parallel universe. although i had little sympathy with these people's philosophy, i was hearing the very familiar chant of 'whose streets, our streets' from a crowd directed and enclosed by police, and i overheard a conversation proposing that some of the people shouting abuse might be police 'agent provocateurs' trying to elicit a fight response as an excuse for more repression. this experience added to my already strong discomfort at the apparently reasonable calls from the left to 'ban' the edl and/or their marches. more on this later.

meanwhile, i was hearing reports that hundreds more edl were kettled at liverpool street, but the police had set up one of their 'sterile' areas and all i could see were lots of riot cops, along with dogs and horses.

although a large proportion of the crowd fitted the stereotype of white van man/football hooligan/drunken slob, i was surprised to see the occasional asian face (a small group carrying a banner "all races unite against islamic extremism" under an edl logo), and a couple of african-caribbean folk, including a young woman, and even a small jewish section wearing kippahs - the edl must be improving its ability to hide its inherent racist, xenophobic and intolerant roots. less surprising were the occasional sober, suited characters - perhaps the more sinister brains of the outfit.

at the rally point in aldgate, up to a thousand edl eventually arrived. photographers lined up at the front to get their shots of the less camera-shy, more loud-mouthed supporters.

having had my first experience of these folk close up, their apparent stupidity, drunkenness, arrogance, hatred and ugliness began to get to me, and i managed to talk my way through police lines, briefly encountering the 'sterile' area of multiple police lines, horses and dogs, that stood facing back to back between the aldgate crowd and the anti-fascists gathered outside aldgate east tube.

i made my way into whitechapel and found a crowd of many hundreds of anti-fascists facing the police lines at aldgate east, plus another large crowd further up whitechapel, where local councillors were also gathered. my spirits were soon lifted by the friendliness, inclusiveness, articulateness, and goddamit, sexiness of the anti-fascist protestors.

having seen the police operation on the 'dark side' i knew there was little or no chance that any edl would be coming through, but every now and then as police movements sparked rumours, the crowd suddenly rushed north or south to 'confront the fascists', and this led to some scuffles with hastily formed police cordons.

hearing that the edl rally was over, i was interested to see how police intended to disperse them, and i set off south to try and make my way back west. at each junction there were strong cordons, and eventually i was down on the main east smithfield road heading west among stationary gridlocked traffic. at the junction with tower bridge riot police stood in front of the traffic jam, and hundreds of riot police along with dozens of horses presaged a slow procession of hundreds of edl coming south down minories ringed and accompanied by hundreds of cops.

they were then held on the south side of the bridge for a further half an hour or more, while dozens and dozens of police vans hurtled east down tooley street to begin an operation to clear it of traffic. once this was completed, the edl were released through a line of cops and past a FIT photography team and then directed either to coaches nearby, or along tooley street towards london bridge station. a few anarchists and some young asian guys taunted them but were soon moved away by police under threat of arrest.

i heard later that the biggest incident occured later in the day when an edl coach apparently broke down in stepney and arrests followed a clash with local youths. i also heard of edl members attacking photographers earlier and using spraying lighter fluid and setting it alight in one such attack. at the rally, police spotted edl bigwig stephen yaxley-lennon (aka tommy robinson) who was breaching bail conditions, and they led him away, causing some scuffles and more fire-cracker throws, although he was later released.

at the end of the day, the anti-fascists claimed they had kept the edl out of tower hamlets, the police claimed they had facilitated peaceful protest with proportionate policing and relatively few incidents and arrests, and the edl claimed that they haf defied a ban and mounted a major demonstration in london.

returning to my earlier point. are calls to ban marches, or indeed the whole edl or bnp organisation, ill-conceived?

some people, who would generally defend the rights to protest, to freely assemble, and the right to freedom of expression, seem able to draw the line when it comes to the edl, with a simple and persuasive argument that this group is fascist. but can we create a dividing line in universal rights, and when we do, don't we fall right into a simple trap laid by the real puppet-masters, who will use the very same exceptions against us? we've seen a taste of that already with much of the 30-day ban on marches in five london boroughs still to come, along with the frightening precedent of two london-wide section 60s in a week. with dsei coming next week, we'll see whether that ban, originally called for the edl, ends up being used against us.

also, having seen the edl turn-out up close, i'm of the opinion that the cold light of exposure is a good thing, and that bans deprive the public of the opportunity to see what these people are really like. they weren't a particularly attractive bunch, neither physically, intellectually, nor spiritually, and their message doesn't bear much scrutiny. apart from their apparent proclivity to violence, i didn't see that much to be scared about, and marches can be properly policed to contain and minimise violence without the need for bans.

as a further example, there was a huge fuss and similar calls for banishment when bnp leader nick griffin was invited to appear on the bbc's 'question time' programme. the bnp used the controversy to great effect, presenting themselves as ordinary people concerned about the rise of islamic fundamentalism, who were being victimised by a system too pre-occupied by human rights and so obsessed by political correctness that sharia law might suddenly engulf the country. rubbish of course, but beguilingly resonant with the right-wing tabloid press, and a serious danger to all who really care about genuine human rights at a time when our corporate rulers are trying to expand their containment and control over us. in the event, nick griffin appeared on the programme, and ended up making such a dick-head of himself that the interest in the bnp dropped dramatically after the show. so i can't help wondering whether the outcry had actually ended up being a shot in the foot for the libertarian sector.

the police already have ample public order powers to proscribe routes, durations, and even numbers of marchers, and these powers are often abused to curtail legitimate protest. let's not let the clowns of the far right lead us into a trap where we call for our own rights to be further curtailed. however unsavoury, let us continue to hope that open debate, the power of peaceful numbers, and a message of tolerance and inclusivity will always win over the majority of the public, and let's allow the hatred, unattractiveness, and the inconsistent logic of their movement to burn out with the oxygen of publicity, challenged at every step, but not persecuted, banned, or met with aggressive violence as all these approaches, i believe, will come back to bite us.

Email Contact email: rikkiindymedia(At)gmail[dot]com

http://london.indymedia.org/articles/10121

Sixteen arrested at EDL protest

Sixteen people were arrested after far-right demonstrators clashed with police as they protested in east London on Saturday.

Scuffles broke out and bottles and firecrackers were thrown by members of the English Defence League (EDL) as riot police, mounted police and dogs turned out on the streets in large numbers to maintain control.

By early evening 16 people had been arrested for a variety of offences including affray, drunk and disorderly and assault on a police officer.

Skirmishes broke out on Saturday afternoon as EDL leader Stephen “Tommy” Lennon addressed the crowd, telling them he had broken his bail conditions to be at the protest. He was not one of those arrested.

The far-right group had told Scotland Yard it planned to lead a “static demonstration” in the wake of a 30-day ban by Home Secretary Theresa May on marching in six areas.

There had been fears of potential unrest ahead of the protest, centred on the deprived inner city borough of Tower Hamlets.

Mrs May also banned marches in Newham, Waltham Forest, Islington, Hackney and the City of London.

More than 3,000 officers were made available amid fears of violence and clashes with opposition groups including Unite Against Fascism.

Police vans from forces including Cumbria, Lancashire and Grampian could be seen on the streets.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iinyEbAN2OHWu3BWlF1hCSu02RRw?docId=B7044621315014471A0


http://signalfire.org/

English Defence League coach attacked in east London

A coach full of English Defence League supporters was pelted with missiles after it broke down in east London.

The coach was carrying 44 EDL members when it stopped in Mile End Road, Tower Hamlets.

About 100 Asian teenagers then pelted it with bricks and stones, according to a BBC reporter at the scene.

Police arrested all 44 EDL supporters, who were travelling from a protest in Aldgate earlier on Saturday. A double decker bus was used to evacuate them.

Police said there had already been one altercation with local youths after the vehicle stopped in Whitechapel Road and some passengers got off the coach.

They got back on board and the coach pulled away – but it later suffered a failure and ground to a halt.

BBC reporter Paraic O’ Brien, who was on the scene, said nearly 100 local teenagers then attacked it with missiles.

He said the police were on the scene extremely quickly.
‘Extremely tense’

The reporter said within a short space of time there were a number of riot vans and 200 police officers in the vicinity.

O’Brien said: “It was extremely tense and if that number of officers had not arrived it could have gone the other way and become a major incident.”

The police moved the EDL supporters onto a double decker bus, and escorted it east.
Protesters and police The earlier demonstration was rowdy but major disorder was avoided

But a group of youths subsequently sat down in the middle of Mile End Road, blocking the bus and forcing it to stop.

At this point a large number of Asian men began arriving from a nearby estate.

The reporter said by then the situation had become very scary.

The police charged the youths and scuffles broke out.

Another group standing on a footbridge over the road threw bricks at the bus.

Police managed to clear the road and the bus left the area.

The EDL, which says it is protesting again Islamic extremism in the UK, had earlier held a protest in Aldgate after a planned march through east London was banned by the government.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14779772

EDL escorted through the City of London

A lone woman bravely confronts the EDL at Bishops Gate.

A lone woman bravely confronts the EDL at Bishops Gate where the EDL had gathered to raise some dutch courage before being led by the Met Police to their static demonstration point at Aldgate high street (City of London Not Tower Hamlets) where Tommy Robinson initially dressed as a Rabbi addressed the gathered crowd of around 600, to express his and the EDLs support for the British troops. Ironic that he was recently convicted of assault against an ex serviceman.

The EDL where then marched by the Met Police to Tower Bridge again within the boundary's of the City of London there they were dispersed. Foreign tourists on pleasure boats waved at the EDL supporters, not express solidarity, as the EDL are claiming, but simply because they saw English/British flags being waved.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/09/484101.html

EDL - Cops ask for 30 day ban on all marches? London

Following a campaign including a 25,000 petition to ask the police to request a ban on the EDL march planned through Tower Hamlets on Sat 3rd Sept, and the threat of legal action by the local mayor, it seems the met police have now asked the home secretary to ban ALL marches in the five london boroughs for a period of 30 days.

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/news/article/1934/over-25000-people-petition-met-police-to-ban

While the exact wording of the request is currently unknown, it is assumed that traditional marches and parades and funerals will be except from the ban, but other protests may be caught by it. The full details will only be known when the home secretary announces the final decision.

Many MPs and Councillors that asked for a ban on the march cited the cost of policing it as justification enough! This is certainly a dangerous road to be travelling down...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/23/london-edl-march

The EDL are saying they still intend to hold a static demonstration (with meet up points to 'walk' to the static location).

Unite Against Facism are urging people to still attend the counter demonstration on Sat 3rd Sept at 11am, Weavers Fields, London E2 6HW

http://uaf.org.uk/2011/08/full-speed-ahead-for-anti-edl-demo-sat-3-sept-tower-hamlets/

Mass community organising has been going on over the last few months to prepare a huge local resistance to the EDL and thousands were also expected to travel from across the country to be in the streets on sept 3rd.

During the summer as some campaigned for a ban on the EDL march, other voices including Tower Hamlets ALARM were arguing against a ban.

http://towerhamletsalarm.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/do-not-ask-for-the-edl-to-be-banned/

http://london.indymedia.org/articles/10078

EDL & Tower Hamlets

‘We’re coming down the road, we’re coming down the road’ … and straight into the nearest carpark! Thankfully, Tower Hamlets has some excellent parking facilities for the English Defence League to defend this weekend if they turn up like they are saying they will following the blanket ban on marches in London. The car parks can be found on this website: http://www.ncp.co.uk/

Yes indeed, despite the ban on a march through the London Borough of Tower Hamlets – which sounds like a nice wee village tae us – the EDL are going to turn up anyway and teach those smelly lefties and Muslamics a lesson and that’s what they said and that’s what they’re going to do cos Sir Tommy said so. FACT! So what’s happening?

E-E-EDL? Or N-N-NCP?

Despite their usual bluff and bluster the EDL are privately worried (if you consider Twitter and Facebook private) about getting the numbers to Tower Hamlets on Saturday after talking up their big march through ‘enemy territory.’ By the way does the ‘enemy’ include working class Londoners who don’t want their Saturday ruined by a bunch of far right semi-tards in tracksuits? What is going to happen is this. Loads of plod. Loads of counter-demonstrators and locals annoyed that the EDL are causing a fuss. Loads of media. Loads of photos of the EDL again looking like a bunch of pissed-up football hooligans chanting racist slogans. If the EDL make it across London to the site that plod has allotted them, they will be heavily outnumbered, kettled and rapidly bussed out again after standing in some carpark dying for a wee-wee.

Regular readers will have been following the multiple splits that have occurred in the EDL camp recently and know about the reduction of the leadership to Kocaine Kev Karol and Tommy Caxley-Trousers who has to be in bed by 7 every night due to bail restrictions. Being the noble Aryan warrior that he is Tommy is saying he is still going to go turn up on Saturday – well he can’t lose face in front of his diminishing acolytes can he? We assume plod is aware of his intentions and will keep him in at playtime without any crisps!

The splits are getting even more acrimonious now with the North West Infidels, North East Infidels, the Combined ExFarcicals and numerous individual divisions sick of Tommy getting all the glory on telly whilst they stand about in pissy car parks having paid good cash for the privilege. So given this factional rivalry, will they all heed the calls for unity some EDLers have been shouting for. No. John ‘Snowy’ Shaw who Tommy ex-communicated years ago is seething at being left out of the limelight. Snowy’s pram was surrounded by toys earlier this week as he ranted and raved on Facebook about Tommy and then he declared support for the BNP, Combat 18 (why? They are all well over 70 now) and the National Front with others joining in saying they should also unite behind Johnny Adair, Paul Ray and the Blood and Honour movement. So, obviously still pushing the ‘non-racist’ line then Snowy?

Also, many people have lost the faith. Liverpool division are struggling to get 8 to That London but even better is the Plymouth lot. In case you don’t know the entire ranks of Plymouth EDL and Combined ExFarces were nicked for smashing up a kebab shop a few weeks ago. The ‘leader’ of these 4 people is a delightful girl named Hayley Mills who had booked a coach to take her ‘soldiers’ up to Tower Hamlets at 25 quid a pop. However, she has to answer bail on the day so will have lost out on making all that money from her fellow stooges and missed her chance to get her face on Sky telly. Maybe you should do what your mammy said and look after your bairns instead, Hayley? Other divisions are complaining that people are dropping out faster than Tommy can drop his ‘aitches’ and decrying their lack of bottle. To make matters worse posters are also saying that they are under bail restrictions so can’t do the show. You puffs! It isn’t stopping Sir Tommy! Shitters! Bah! Also, a lot of the EDL are without gainful employ so can’t afford tickets and even if they could they would only stand around complaining that 1/ the beer is too expensive and 2/ not as good as back home. Don’t take our word for it, check out the excellent Everything EDL for further details!

http://twitpic.com/photos/everythingedl

There’s also an excellent piece on EDL News on the ban:

http://www.edlnews.co.uk/edl-news/opinion-tower-hamlets-demo-ban

Moving On …

In the last post we mentioned that a right bunch of Clooties called British Patriots Society were marching past Downing Street the other week to make a stand against something or other.

http://malatesta32.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/cat-fights/

Our old friend from the English Nationalists Alliance, Bill ‘take me to the’ Baker was trumpeting away about leading his mini-march on Rome and was full of the usual blether and shouts for unity. However, many on the day were annoyed with Chubs Baker because he didn’t actually turn up! Bill, shame on you. When you organise something it is polite to dignify it with your buxom presence. Even for a wee while. And to add to this, Bill is doing another march on Downing Street at the same time the EDL will be standing in a carpark in the East End. Bill has fallen out with Mr Tommy and is aye slagging him off. Yeah, but at least he turns up Bill! The EDL are claiming that now Fatty Baker is trying to scupper their demo with fake stories: Lookit! http://twitpic.com/6cqu9y

In general the fragmentation and clumsiness continues on the far right but the best story this week is from Hope not Hate which features loads of piccies of EDL members with guns:

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/article/1341/the-guns-of-the-edl

The EDL Action Man Division are seen posing with crossbows, air rifles, shotguns and replica MP40 machine guns (thank you Pickman’s Model!). This is just too reminiscent of the BNP at their last outdoor swamp meet when they all started posing with replica guns and baring their generous backsides for all to see! Look if ye dare!

http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2011/04/gunning-for-st-george_26.html

Not great PR to be honest. So, will the EDL get to Tower Hamlets and if they do, how many will there actually be? Or will this be like Bradford and Luton ‘Big Ones,’ i.e., little ones. Now that the Infidels have dropped all pretence of being anything but fascists will they attract the flotsam from the moribund BNP and the jetsam from the other equally clueless grupuscules? And will Bill Baker finally make it to Downing Street this time so that Mr Dave can recognise his services to Queen and country? Or will he be distracted the new Greggs on Whitehall? Tune in next week …

PS: Hello to Urban75 posters on EDL Watch thread!

http://malatesta32.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/edl-tower-hamlets/

3000 police officers ready for #EDL demo; East London #Gay #Pride march to go ahead despite ban

THE Metropolitan Police have said they are preparing to deploy up to 3,000 officers to the streets of East London this weekend to prevent clashes between two ideologically opposed groups.

The English Defence League, a far-right organisation that says it opposes radical Islam, and anti-fascist groups, Unite Against Fascism and United East End, will hold separate static protests in Whitechapel on Saturday after a recent banning order prevented them from marching.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, imposed the 30-day ban that now covers six London boroughs after a request by police following a campaign by local politicians and community groups calling for the march to be stopped.

Campaigners in Tower Hamlets, which has a significant Muslim population, accuse the EDL of being Islamaphobic and divisive to community relations, which it denies.

Following the ruling Luthar Rahman, the Mayor and de facto leader of Tower Hamlets Council, has called for people planning to march against the EDL to ‘stand down’.

However Martain Smith, UAF’s national officer, called for as many people as possible to attend.

He also reacted angrily to the ban saying it should not have applied to the UAF and UEE and that it was a mistake to call for it.

He said: “I’m getting tired of being treated the same as fascists. I don’t want Theresa May or the police deciding how anti-fascism operates. We need a different strategy. I have some sympathy to those who want bans [but] I think they are a waste of time.”

There are concerns that the blanket ban on marches is an attack on civil liberties and legitimate protest, although, the East London Pride march on September 24 has been given the go-ahead.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s has found itself embroiled in a row it knew nothing about after Smith said the EDL will protest on the roof of the supermarket chain’s Whitechapel store car park and asked why they were allowing the EDL to use their land.

But a Sainsbury’s press officer said she knew nothing about the arrangement but admitted the car park may belong to the council or private landlord who could have given consent.

The Metropolitan police refused to disclose the location.

The EDL’s website is directing its members to meet at unspecified predetermined points before being escorted to the site by police.

The UAF and UEE, who are coaching in supporters from across the country, will hold their counter-protest close to East London Mosque, in Whitechapel.

High profile artists including Nitin Sahwny, Asian Dub Foundation and Radio 1 DJ Nihal are set to play at the event, organisers said.

http://glennmcmahon470.wordpress.com/

EDL - Cops ask for 30 day ban on all marches?

Following a campaign including a 25,000 petition to ask the police to request a ban on the EDL march planned through Tower Hamlets on Sat 3rd Sept, and the threat of legal action by the local mayor, it seems the met police have now asked the home secretary to ban ALL marches in the five london boroughs for a period of 30 days.

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/news/article/1934/over-25000-people-petition-met-police-to-ban

While the exact wording of the request is currently unknown, it is assumed that traditional marches and parades and funerals will be except from the ban, but other protests may be caught by it. The full details will only be known when the home secretary announces the final decision.

Many MPs and Councillors that asked for a ban on the march cited the cost of policing it as justification enough! This is certainly a dangerous road to be travelling down...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/23/london-edl-march

The EDL are saying they still intend to hold a static demonstration (with meet up points to 'walk' to the static location).

Unite Against Facism are urging people to still attend the counter demonstration on Sat 3rd Sept at 11am, Weavers Fields, London E2 6HW

http://uaf.org.uk/2011/08/full-speed-ahead-for-anti-edl-demo-sat-3-sept-tower-hamlets/

Mass community organising has been going on over the last few months to prepare a huge local resistance to the EDL and thousands were also expected to travel from across the country to be in the streets on sept 3rd.

During the summer as some campaigned for a ban on the EDL march, other voices including Tower Hamlets ALARM were arguing against a ban.

http://towerhamletsalarm.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/do-not-ask-for-the-edl-to-be-banned/

http://london.indymedia.org/articles/10078

EDL attack Leeds Rage Against Racism gig

june 18
Members of the English Defence League yesterday attempted to attack an anti-racist event at the Well pub in Leeds.
Organised by local anti-racist activists, hundreds of people turned out for the Rage Against Racism all-dayer.
In a pathetic sequence of events, about a dozen EDL members showed up, and smashed a couple of windows before running off after some of them came off worse when gig-goers defended themselves.
While embarrassing this time, previous attacks on left-wing, anti-racist and trade union meetings have always been a feature of the EDL, and have been growing in number and violence in recent months.
Coming as it does just 3 weeks before the EDL demonstration in Halifax on the 9th July, this attack is a worrying sign that the fascists’ confidence is increasing, despite the internal divisions and setbacks within the English Defence League.
Wherever the fascists attack us, we have the right to defend ourselves. Moreover, we need to counter the fascist threat wherever it tries to mobilise.
This means opposing – physically when necessary – the ‘right’ of the fascists to spread their poison through demonstrations which regularly end up in mini-pogroms against Asian areas.
The fascists’ propaganda has no purpose except to divide the working class, making it easier for the bosses to set one group of us against another, while they cut the jobs, pay and pensions of millions of working people regardless of race or religion.

Read more:
http://www.socialistrevolution.org/2947/edl-attack-leeds-rage-against-racism-gig/