We Are Waltham Forest to hold two events in Walthamstow town square to counteract EDL march

Campaigners are due to hold two events to protest against a march organised by the English Defence League (EDL).

The far right extremist group was due to hold a demonstration in Walthamstow on Saturday, August 18, but has now postponed it until Saturday, September 1.

Umbrella campaign group We Are Waltham Forest has reacted by opting to hold two demonstrations in Walthamstow town square on both dates.

A spokesman for the group said: “We have to ensure both dates are well covered, so we need people to be understanding and to turn up in large numbers to show the EDL that we don’t want them or their politics in our borough.”

Both its town square demos will begin from 11am.

Waltham Forest Guardian, 14 August 2012

Derisory turnout for German Defence League’s ‘march of the patriots’ in Cologne

Marsch der Patrioten advertUnder the slogan “march of the patriots” the EDL’s sister organisation, the German Defence League, organised a procession and rally in Cologne yesterday.

Sebastian Nobile, leader of the GDL’s Cologne Division, had issued a call to “representatives of all liberal, conservative, patriotic parties and organisations” to join the GDL’s demonstration, appealing to right-wingers to put aside their differences “for the sake of our country and our future”. In the event, according to a report in the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, only 50 marchers rallied to the GDL’s cause, while an anti-fascist counter-demonstration drew 150 participants.

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Protests staged over faith group plan for building in Thurnby Lodge, Leicester

Thurnby Lodge protest
Last night’s protest on Thurnby Lodge estate – spot the fascist

A series of late-night protests have been staged against a faith group’s plan to convert a disused Scout hut in Leicester into a community centre.

Dozens of police have been stationed in Thurnby Lodge estate for the past few nights to oversee the peaceful demonstrations, which at their height have attracted up to 150 people.

Residents said they were angry the former Scout hut in Nursery Road looked likely to become a community centre operated by Islamic charity the As-Salaam Trust. They would like the building, which has been empty for several years, to be developed for the wider community. They are also concerned about extra traffic the centre might create.

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Chelmsford TUC says No to EDL

Chelmsford TUC

Chelmsford TUC along with other local organisations and faith groups will register their opposition to the EDL’s proposed march in the City on 18th August. We will assemble at 11.30am at Tindal Square CM1 1LX and march through the town at 1pm, returning to Tindal Square for speeches. We urge you to join us in rejecting racism and islamophobia in our community.

When the English Defence League announced they were to march in Chelmsford on 18 August 2012 we responded by relaunching our Statement Against Racism and Fascism. 151 people signed it immediately. If you would like to add your name to the total, do let us know.

If you would like to add your Chelmsford organisation to the above, please contact us through the Secretary.

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EDL Essex division promotes Chelmsford anti-mosque demo with neo-Nazi video

Whitelaw Kick the Reds In YouTube

Not content with getting three of its members arrested during a recent demonstration in Chelmsford, the English Defence League is returning on 18 August to continue its protest against the plan to build a so-called “mega-mosque” in the Essex city.

The EDL Essex division are publicising the event on their Facebook page. As you can see, one EDL member has responded to leftist critics of the demonstration by posting a link to a YouTube video (see above) featuring a song by the neo-Nazi band Whitelaw entitled “Kick the Reds In” (this is what passes for a witty pun in Blood & Honour circles).

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Sacked! EDL’s link man removed from post

Christopher Knowles, once linked to the EDL’s founding father Alan Ayling (aka Alan Lake) has been sacked from his post with Leeds city council’s children’s service department.

Knowles was one of the original rising stars in the British “anti-Jihadist” scene and travelled and spoke at a number of gatherings representing the British arm of the movement, including a rally in support of Dutch MP Geert Wilders in Berlin in 2010 before also appearing at the EDL’s disastrous rally in Amsterdam a few months later and in the company of future British Freedom Party chief Paul Weston.

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Honour-based violence in Swansea

The parents of a 17-year-old girl, jailed for attacking her because she was going out with a black man, have been called “disgraceful” by a judge.

David Champion, 50, from Swansea, and his wife Frances, hit daughter Jane for “bringing shame” on the family. The father also abused her boyfriend Alfonce Ncube with racist language before grabbing and kicking him.

Champion was jailed for 12 months at Swansea Crown Court, and his wife to nine months. Both admitted assault.

The father also admitted a charge of racially aggravated assault against Mr Ncube. Frances Champion admitted using threatening, abusive or offensive words or behaviour to cause racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence towards Mr Ncube.

BBC News, 6 August 2012

A reminder that “honour-based violence” is not a phenomenon restricted to communities of recent migrant origin. The Daily Mail has covered this story – but, oddly enough, doesn’t regard the religious beliefs of the convicted parents as at all relevant to the case. Another of those “what if they were Muslim?” moments.

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Police say five people arrested for public order offences during EDL demonstration in Keighley

EDL Keighley Banner
The English Defence League protesting in Keighley on Saturday

Five people were arrested during a demonstration by the far-right English Defence League (EDL) against alleged sexual grooming, police said today.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the arrests were all for “public order offences” and came either during or after the extremist group held its protest in Church Green, Keighley, on Saturday. Those arrested have now been released on bail pending further inquiries.

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Sweden ‘counter-jihad’ rally outnumbered by anti-racists

Lennon, Spencer and Geller in Stockholm
Standing for ‘freedom and truth’ in Stockholm – one British thug and two American nutters

A Stockholm rally by European and U.S. far-right groups seeking to create a global “counter-jihad” movement attracted fewer than 200 people on Saturday who were outnumbered by anti-racist protesters. Police said the rival demonstration was kept apart from the far-right rally and drew a few hundred people, a small number of whom were detained.

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English Defence League protesters confront police in Keighley

EDL in Keighley

Protesters gathered in Keighley for a demonstration by far-right campaign group the English Defence League (EDL) this afternoon. About 100 members of the organisation arrived at Church Green off North Street and were shouting and chanting.

Dozens of police officers were at the scene. Mounted police were positioned at one side of the green and officers positioned at other points in the town centre.

Members of the EDL were trying to surge through police barriers, and someone let off a firework. Demonstrators jostled officers, and more police, including mounted officers, attended the site to keep the action contained within Church Green.

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