The Daily Telegraph reports that far-right anti-Islamic groups from across Europe, led by the English Defence League, will be holding a rally in Aarhus on 31 March under the auspices of the EDL-sponsored European Freedom Initiative. Swedish Defence League spokesman Isak Nygren states: “There will be speeches from every defence league in Europe. I hope we can show that there’s resistance against Islamisation of Europe, that we can inspire each other.”
Category Archives: Far right racists
Unite Against Fascism bids to counter proposed EDL march in Leicester
‘Not extreme right wing’ – EDL demonstration in Leicester, October 2010
Leicester Unite Against Fascism has applied to stage a counter protest to a proposed march by the English Defence League. The group wants to stage a march and rally at the same time as the EDL on Saturday, February 4.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and senior police officers are now considering their response to the two applications, both of which could draw hundreds, possibly thousands, of people to the city centre.
The last time the EDL held a national protest in Leicester, on October 9, 2010, it turned violent. Protesters in a cordoned area reserved for the EDL pelted police with bottles, bricks, coins and smoke bombs. Several hundred also broke through police lines and were involved in scuffles with local youths.
A spokesman for Leicester UAF said the group was recruiting local musicians to perform on stage at the conclusion of the march, adding: “We want people to be able to show they are not scared to come to their city centre on that day. We are looking to create a peaceful and safe way for people to demonstrate their opposition to the EDL.”
EDL thugs’ appeal against prison sentences dismissed
A South Tyneside man who was jailed after English Defence League supporters stormed a Newcastle club has lost an appeal against his prison sentence.
Colin Burton, 28, was part of a gang which surged into the Tyneside Irish Centre, believing a Socialist Workers Party meeting was taking place. Last month, Burton, of Wouldhave Road, Court, South Shields, was jailed for seven months, and Peter John Duffy, 44, of Elgin Avenue, Seaham, County Durham, was jailed for 10 months after admitting affray.
Yesterday, they appealed to the country’s senior judge, Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, but were told that there was nothing wrong with the sentences. “We are looking at a mob piling into someone’s premises, and intending to pile in because they happened to disagree with a perfectly lawful meeting, which they thought was taking place,” Lord Judge told London’s Court of Appeal.
Norwegian police chief criticised for downplaying far-right terror threat
Activists have reacted against recent statements by a Norwegian police chief who said radical Islam remains the main threat in Norway and played down the threat of far-right terrorism, despite the attacks by a right-wing extremist that killed 77 people last summer.
The director of Norway’s Police Security Service, Janne Kristiansen, told a news conference on Tuesday that her agency would focus on dangers from home-grown Islamic extremism, even though attacks targeting Norway’s left wing have increased since the July massacre, Reuters reported.
“In recent years we have seen a development in which (Muslim) people raised in Norway become radicalized and for whom Norway and Norwegian society are the enemy,” Reuters quoted Kristiansen as saying.
Geert Wilders says there’s no such thing as moderate Islam
Newsweek has a useful profile of the Dutch far-right Islamophobe by Christopher Dickey.
EDL demonstrates against Islamification of Asda
A group of English Defence League (EDL) members demonstrated at the halal meat counter in Asda, Rochdale, on Saturday (14 January).
Rochdale Online understands that between 15 and 20 men arrived at the store, on Dane Street, at around 3.30pm but were swiftly moved on by the police and no arrests were made.
Netherlands: Socialist Party level with VVD in new poll, support for Wilders shrinks
The Socialist Party has drawn level with the ruling VVD in the latest Maurice de Hond opinion poll, while support for Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam PVV has reached a post-election low. The poll puts both the SP and VVD on 30 seats, while the PVV is on 21, three down on last week’s total and six below its year-end position.
EDL provokes confrontation outside East London Mosque
Police have arrested 15 people after violence between far-right activists and local youths outside a mosque in east London.
Witnesses said the clash near the East London Mosque in Whitechapel erupted after supporters of the English Defence League chanted anti-Muslim slogans. Scotland Yard said one man was injured and taken to hospital with “non life-threatening injuries”.
“The incident involved several hundred people,” a police spokesman said. “Bottles and other items were thrown.” He said all those arrested were later released. “The bulk of them were local kids,” he added.
EDL mobilises 100 supporters for Barking protest
The English Defence League was forced to drag in supporters from as far away as Coventry, Norwich and Weymouth to shore up a miserable turnout in the east London borough of Barking and Dagenham on Saturday 14 January.
Only around 100 EDL supporters turned up for what was billed as a regional mobilisation in Barking – although the racists and fascists had obviously mobilised from much further afield.
In contrast, around 80 people, overwhelmingly from the local area, came to an emergency counter-protest called by UAF at just two days’ notice. The antiracist and antifascist protestors included black, white and Asian people.
Wilders’ party expels councillor over racist email – but only after it was leaked to press
The anti-Islam PVV in Limburg has sacked one of its provincial councillors for describing a Labour party colleague as “a piece of sicked-up halal meat made from a Turkish pig”.
The comment was made a year ago by PVV number two Cor Bosman [pictured, with PVV leader Geert Wilders] in an email to 20 supporters after Labour councillor Selçuk Öztürk gave an interview to a local magazine.