Category Archives: English Defence League

Stop the EDL in Bolton on 20 March

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The racist hooligans of the English Defence League have rescheduled their plans to descend on Bolton for Saturday 20 March. Unite Against Fascism has called a national counter demonstration for all those who want to defend our multiracial society against the EDL’s thuggery and violence.

North West UAF has launched a Bolton Unity Statement condemning the EDL and calling on people to support and attend the demonstration against the racists in Bolton on 20 March. Signatories include MPs, trade unionists and campaigners such as Bolton MP Ruth Kelly and Manchester MPs John Leech, Tony Lloyd and Gerald Kaufman (click here to read statement).

The EDL had threatened to come to Bolton on 6 March this year. An EDL spokesperson interviewed in the Lancashire Telegraph refused to rule out violence and confirmed that the openly Nazi thugs from Combat 18 were regulars on EDL demos. But this demo was cancelled when the EDL realised its thugs would go on the rampage against a Hindu festival in Bolton planned that day.

Unite Against Fascism believes the EDL should not be allowed to terrorise ethnic minorities in Bolton or anywhere else. Join our demonstration to show these racists and fascists that they are not welcome in the town. Meet 11am on Saturday 20 March at Victoria Square in Bolton.

For more information see the Manchester UAF website

UAF press release, 6 March 2010

EDL leader banned from football grounds for five years

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Jeff MarshFootball hooligan Jeff Marsh has been banned from football grounds for five years after admitting affray. The 44-year-old Cardiff City supporter was found in possession of a knuckleduster when he was arrested for affray outside the Ninian Park pub in Canton, Cardiff, last June.

The self-proclaimed hooligan, who has written two books about his exploits with the city’s infamous Soul Crew and is one of the organisers of the Welsh Defence League, was fighting with Celtic fans after the inaugural match between the teams at Cardiff’s new stadium.

Marsh, from Barry, admitted affray and possession of an offensive weapon at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court in January and was sentenced yesterday. He was given a four-month suspended jail term, 150 hours’ community service and ordered to pay £600 costs.

It is Marsh’s first football banning order as his previous convictions for football violence came before the 1990 Football Disorder Act which introduced the banning orders. In 1989 he was convicted of grievous bodily harm for stabbing two Manchester United supporters in Cardiff and was jailed for two years. In 1986 he was also convicted of a football-related assault in Halifax.

Marsh is an organiser of the English and Welsh Defence Leagues which describe themselves as “a ready-made army” against Muslim fundamentalists. There have been riots and arrests in English cities, including Birmingham and Luton, which have led to scores of arrests after the group has clashed with anti-fascist campaigners. There have also been marches in Wrexham and Swansea.

The groups have been described as “divisive” and “hate-based” by Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood.

Wales Online, 5 February 2010

Via Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion

Anti-racists confront fascist’s supporters

Posted on by Bob Pitt

UAF Wilders demo

Anti-fascist demonstrators blockaded the road outside Parliament yesterday in an attempt to prevent a march in support of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

The Freedom Party leader, who attempted to enter the country last February but was detained on landing at Heathrow airport, was in Parliament yesterday at the invitation of UK Independence Party leader Lord Pearson and cross-bencher Baroness Cox to show his anti-Islamic film Fitna at the House of Lords.

Police arrested several protesters from a group who gathered in Millbank in a bid to stop the far-right English Defence League marching past Parliament in support of Mr Wilders.

Eyewitnesses claimed that police had used illegal headlock techniques to break the human chain of protesters in the road, including on a disabled member of the crowd. One young woman who was dragged away complained of high blood pressure as officers continued to lock her arms over her head – despite being horizontal on the ground.

Originally, Unite Against Fascism had announced an emergency assembly of activists opposite Parliament to protest against the EDL march. But a large group of anti-racists spontaneously took to the road and began marching towards the EDL, chanting: “These streets are our streets.” With police “kettling” their progress, a stand-off ensued with at least 150 anti-fascists blockading the road for three hours.

Morning Star, 6 February 2010

See also Socialist Worker, 5 March 2010

Geert Wilders anti-Islam film gets House of Lords screening

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL England Needs a Gert

The controversial far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders appeared at the House of Lords today to screen an anti-Islam film and denounce the religion as “totalitarian” and incompatible with democracy.

The visit, which was originally planned for last year, sparked demonstrations from anti-fascists and a show of support from the far-right English Defence League.

Continue reading →

Police probe Facebook page attacking Wrexham ‘super mosque’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police are investigating a sick anti-Muslim website set up on Facebook to stir up tensions over fake claims a ‘super-mosque’ was being built in Wrexham.

The site “No to the super mosque in Wrexham” on the social network site wrongly claims permission has been given for a mosque at the Miners Institute in North Wales’s largest town. And the website, which bears the Welsh Defence League logo, is also filled with hateful messages against Muslims, which North Wales Police are now investigating.

The web group has more than 2,800 members and this follows a march by the Welsh Defence League designed to stir up tensions in the town.

Daily Post, 3 March 2010

UAF calls for protest against EDL

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Emergency protest against the EDL in London this Friday

Assemble 11am, Friday 5 March
Houses of Parliament, London

The English Defence League (EDL) will be marching in London on Friday 5 March in support of the far right Dutch MP Geert Wilders who is visiting the House of Lords to whip up hatred against Muslims.

The EDL pretends to be a ‘peaceful’ group opposed to ‘Muslim extremism’. In reality it is nothing of the sort. It is a gang of racist thugs and hooligans with links to the Nazi BNP.

EDL thugs spread fear and terror when they rampaged through Luton and Stoke recently. They smashed cars, attacked shops, chanted “BNP! BNP!” and assaulted Asians. When some locals tried to stop them they were called ‘race traitors’ and attacked.

The EDL should not be allowed to march through London. Join the Unite Against Fascism protest to show these racists and fascists that they are not welcome here. Meet Friday 5 March at 11am outside the Houses of Parliament.

UAF news release, 3 March 2010

Scottish Defence League flop in Edinburgh

Posted on by Bob Pitt

SDL Edinburgh2The Royal Mile was closed yesterday by a huge police operation to prevent a violent confrontation between the far-right Scottish Defence League and anti-fascist protestors.

Hundreds of police took to the streets of Edinburgh amid concerns that large numbers of SDL supporters would converge on the city at the same time as a rally by Scotland United, a loose coalition of politicians, Christian and Islamic faith groups, and trade unionists.

But only about 40 supporters of the SDL turned up, and they found themselves corralled into a pub at the bottom of the Royal Mile for several hours. There were five arrests for public order offences but the Scotland United rally, attended by about 2,000 people, passed off peacefully in Princes Street Gardens, about half a mile away.

The SDL members congregated in Jenny Ha’s opposite the Scottish Parliament at about 11am yesterday, forcing police to erect two cordons on the Royal Mile, separating them from members of the Edinburgh Anti-Fascist Alliance.

While the majority of those in attendance – among them teenagers and women – said they refused to speak to the press for fear of being misquoted, others said they expected a considerable turnout from SDL supporters. “There’s people up from Leeds, Stockport, Wolverhampton, London, all over. We’re getting 3,000 bodies here,” said a member of the English Defence League. We’re coming in from everywhere – Spain, Gilbraltar, Bulgaria.”

The group unfurled banners with slogans such as “Say no to fundamentalist Muslims” and sporadically raised chants, including “We want our country back” and “Muslim bombers off our streets”. Despite attempts to break through the police cordon, they were contained in the pub, until two double-decker buses took them out of the city centre at about 4pm.

At the formal Scotland United rally, which included a march from Princes Street Gardens to the Meadows, speakers said the SDL had failed to gain support, but warned against complacency. Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “Today is about making a stand against those who would seek to divide and saying to them that their views are not welcome.”

Osama Saeed, of the Scottish Islamic Foundation and an SNP candidate for Glasgow Central, said it was a “further humiliation” for the SDL. “They only got ten minutes in the rain last November in Glasgow. They didn’t even get that today.”

Scotland on Sunday, 21 February 2010

Update:  The EDL reports that its “leadership team” were arrested on their way to the Edinburgh demonstration and their homes have been raided by the police. As a result, the planned EDL demonstration in Bradford on 30 May has been cancelled.

Further update:  See Richard Bartholomew’s coverage of the EDL arrests at Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion, 22 February 2010

EDL cancels Bolton demonstration

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Oldham Division

The English Defence League has announced that it has postponed its planned demonstration in Bolton on 6 March, supposedly because it would clash with a Hindu festival. According to the EDL:

“We have received information that far-left groups were planning to attack Hindus whilst dressed in EDL clothing, which may be purchased freely from our internet shop. This cowardly attack, had it taken place, was to be blamed on our organisation with the intent of discrediting our stated aim of peacefully protesting against radical Islam. Due to the respect we have for the peace loving Hindu community, we deemed it only right and proper that we cancel our own plans to ensure their safety.”

Yeah, sure. A more likely explanation for the cancellation of the Bolton protest is that the EDL leaders recognise that the gangs of thick racists who are drawn to their intimidatory demonstrations would be unable or unwilling to make a distinction between Muslims and other brown-skinned minority communities. And the suggestion that “far-left groups” were intending to disguise themselves as EDL supporters is laughable. The left has little need to discredit the EDL’s “stated aim of peacefully protesting” when the EDL’s violent hooligans are quite capable of doing that for themselves.

Update:  See Stephen Hall’s comments at Socialist Unity, 8 February 2010

And the UAF statement here.

EDL calls for ban on veil – and on construction of mosques

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“The ‘English Defence League’ will now be calling for a total ban on the wearing of the Burkha, We view the Burkha as a significant threat to the national security of the UK as anyone can be wearing it without being identified, British people cannot wear balaclava’s into a bank so muslim women shouldnt be permitted to wear a Burkha either, The same rules should apply to all. We will continue to protest against the implementation of Sharia Law in the UK and Militant Islamists operating within our shores. We also call for the immediate halting of all construction on new mosques based on the fact our government has no idea who is living in this country and 80% of imams running these mosques cannot speak our language, We urge our government to launch an urgent investigation into the source of funding for all new mosques in the UK as we beleive Saudi sponsorship is funding the extreme wahhabi form of islam which is spreading around the UK, We shall never surrender!”

English Defence League statement, 27 January 2010

Spelling and grammar as in original.

Government criticised over failure to tackle anti-Islamic hostility

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Daud Abdullah, Muhammad Abdul Bari, Inayat BunglawalaThere is growing disenchantment at the government’s “lacklustre response” to rising anti-Islamic hostility, the Muslim Council of Britain has said.

The council wrote to the home secretary on the “growing problem” after a march by the English Defence League (EDL).

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), said there was a “growing disenchantment at the lacklustre response from our political leaders to speak out against anti-Muslim hatred” among many British Muslim communities.

His letter said: “Whether this exists in explicit form through the actions of far-right groups, or implicitly with hysterical headlines in our media, the policy response to any of these has been far from satisfactory. We ask you to take leadership in this matter, especially in a year where divisive elements may well flourish in the run-up to the next general election.”

The MCB accused political leaders of staying silent on the issue and said they had “ridden the wave of this disturbing trend” but failed to challenge hostility.

It hosted a meeting of Muslim groups at the weekend to discuss what it called “the growing trend of anti-Muslim hatred and violence”.

BBC News, 27 January 2010

See also MCB press release, 26 January 2010