Category Archives: English Defence League

Dudley Muslim Association brands English Defence League as liars and bigots

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Dudley mosque protestThe leader of Dudley Muslim Association has accused the English Defence League of provoking religious hatred over his group’s plans for a new mosque in the town.

Chairman Dr Khurshid Ahmed said far-right protesters, who staged a mock call-to-prayer in a rooftop protest on Monday, had been “un-English” in their lack of respect for the law.

He said: “This was not a protest – this was wilful incitement to religious hatred by playing that loud call-to-prayer. The people of Dudley have nine mosques and have never experienced a call as loud as that – or anywhere in Britain. Our call to prayer can only be heard within the parameters of the mosque.”

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EDL protestors arrested

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police have arrested two men from the English Defence League protest site. Officers removed the two males from the disused factory in Hall Street following the EDL roof top protest at around 3.30pm this afternoon.

The demonstration started at 11pm last night, when four EDL protestors climbed on to the roof of the premise with banners, English flags and a PA system, to protest against plans for a new mosque. It is believed the EDL leader Tommy Robinson was one of the protestors on the roof.

The two men, who it is believed broke into the premises last night, are currently helping police with their inquiries.

EDL members began dispersing around 2pm, however police have reported small groups did cause nuisance around the town.

Dudley News, 3 May 2010

UAF report: EDL attempt to start riot in Dudley

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL provocation Dudley

Members of the English Defence League (EDL) have been deliberately provoking Muslim communities in Dudley for over 12 hours, by staging a rooftop demonstration on the site of a proposed Mosque that communities are seeking planning permission for.

The EDL have been playing the Muslim call to prayer on loud speakers, from late last night, attempting to provoke Muslims to go to the site and create the impression to Dudley residents that Muslims are responsible for the disturbance.

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EDL stages rooftop protest in Dudley

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Reports are coming in that the English Defence League has occupied the rooftop of a derelict building in Dudley earmarked for a mammoth [sic] new mosque.

The group staged a daytime protest in the town on Easter Saturday to show their objection to the planned new place of worship – and almost immediately afterwards supporters said a return visit was already being planned.

Around 20 EDL members, with their faces covered, are reportedly involved in the protest, which has been advertised on the group’s page on social networking site Facebook. An eyewitness said: “They’re waving England flags and blaring out Islamic music from a loud speaker.”

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Wot, us – racists? EDL is ‘not opposed to Muslims’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL placards Dudley

“The EDL were formed in June 2009, after demonstrations by a group of radical Muslims, at the homecoming parade, in Luton, of some of our troops, the Royal Anglian Regiment, returning from a tour of duty in Iraq. It is a rapidly growing movement, whose main Facebook group has over 15,000 members to date. The EDL has tried to make clear that it is not opposed to Muslims, but to radical Islam, against which they hold protests all over Britain.”

Casuals United Blog, 30 April 2010

EDL clashes with police in Aylesbury

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Violence broke out between anti-Islamist protesters from the English Defence League and riot police at a May Day march in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Demonstrators hurled coins, glass bottles, plastic flag sticks and cans at officers after the event. Around 200 protesters burst through police lines and scuffled with officers armed with riot shields, batons and dogs. Onlookers said there were no apparent serious injuries.

Around 1,000 members of the far-right group had marched to the town’s Market Square, chanting and waving flags. One onlooker said: “As the protesters came to leave the square members of the EDL thought they weren’t been allowed out quickly enough and some began pushing and shoving. Soon missiles were been thrown and riot police had to be called in to calm the situation down.”

Local Area Commander Superintendent Richard List, of Thames Valley Police, strongly condemned the violence. He said: “It is disappointing that the EDL has not continued to protest in a peaceful manner.”

Daily Telegraph, 1 May 2010

See also Socialist Worker, 1 May 2010

Video reports here and  here.

EDL threatens violent confrontation in Aylesbury

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL in Birmingham

The national leader of the English Defence League yesterday warned that Saturday’s demonstration in Aylesbury could be the first of many after a bitter row erupted with police and council bosses.

Officers were hoping to keep EDL members on the outskirts of town before a rally in Market Square, to prevent skirmishes with counter demonstrators. But yesterday Tommy Robinson – not his real name – said EDL protestors are now planning to evade police and instead gather in Vale Park – where an anti-EDL demonstration is due to be held.

He said: “If our demonstration doesn’t go how we want it to go, we’ll come back in six weeks. No other place has tried to block us like this one has.”

The EDL fell foul of police and council chiefs after trying to put up a stage and use loudspeakers – which they need a licence for. At a tense meeting on Monday, they were also told that they were not allowed to carry wooden framed banners. Coachloads of EDL members would have been met by police and escorted to Market Square, where they would have been contained inside solid barriers.

Robinson said ominously: “We don’t think they’re doing well if they want it to go peacefully.”

Bucks Herald, 28 April 2010

Respect calls for ban on EDL demonstrations

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Respect Manifesto 2010Left-wing party Respect called for a ban on demonstrations by the far-right English Defence League, as it launched its election manifesto.

Birmingham candidate Salma Yaqoob, the party’s leader, joined high-profile candidate George Galloway in London to launch the manifesto, which also includes plans for an annual anti-racism concert in every major city.

Respect says it is hoping to gain seats in Birmingham Hall Green, where Ms Yaqoob is standing, and in Poplar and Limehouse, London, where Mr Galloway is the party’s candidate.

Measures in the manifesto include a ban on demonstrations by the English Defence League (EDL), which held a protest in Dudley earlier this month that put the town into lockdown.

The EDL, which has also held demonstrations in Birmingham which descended into violence, says it is opposed to Islamic extremism. Critics accuse it of having links to the far-right and claim it is simply opposed to Islam and Muslims in general.

The Respect manifesto also includes plans for annual anti-racism concerts in every major city in the country, based on London’s annual Rise anti-racism festival, which ran from 1996 to 2008.

Birmingham Post, 27 April 2010

See also Respect news release, 26 April 2010

Internet ‘racist’ group targets plan for new Bristol mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Bristol disused factoryExtreme right supporters are part of an internet group opposing plans for a new mosque in Barton Hill. More than 700 people have joined a Facebook group against a planning application to convert a disused building in Aiken Street into a place of worship and community centre.

Many of the messages on “No we do not want a mosque in Barton Hill” are from white people who claim they are being “pushed out” of their community. Some are too offensive to be printed in a family newspaper, with claims that mosques are “breeding grounds for terrorists” and calls to vote BNP.

A number of messages of support are given by the far-right English Defence League, whose members were removed from Harbourside by police in riot gear shortly before the political leader’s debate last week. Comments on the website have been branded as racist by other people who have posted in response to their views.

One referred to the commentators as “racist uneducated idiots”, while another said “What’s wrong with you lot? The world is changing, why can’t you see that? People like you just make the English look like horrible people”.

The proposal to convert the former Weston White factory into a mosque has been submitted to the council by Khalif Abdirahman, a parent governor at Barton Hill Primary School. He hoped the mosque would help bring the community together and argued many of the messages from the site are from people outside of the area.

One post that supports his theory reads: “Even though I don’t live in Somerset anymore, I don’t want this! This is England! I have sent this to friends in the US too, invited 110 people and filled in the petition form to Bristol City Council.”

Other comments included: “Why is there such a high demand for mosques? Because in there [sic] twisted religion they believe all of the Earth is Allah’s and they plan to dominate, no thanks **** off to the Middle East or some other Muslim hole.”

Another said: “What can we do to stop this I live 2 mins away from it I don’t want to walk up the street and fill [sic] like I am out numbered in my own country bring on the BNP.”

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