The man in this picture is Chris Renton. He was photographed on the racist English Defence League (EDL) march on parliament last Friday.

Renton is a well known member of the British National Party (BNP) – and he is also on the leadership team of the EDL. In fact, Renton was one of the group’s founders. He runs the EDL’s Facebook pages and set up the EDL website and forums.

The BNP and EDL deny any links with each other. But the fact that this BNP Nazi is central to the EDL proves otherwise.

In a radio interview in July 2009, then EDL spokesperson Paul Ray confirmed that Renton was a BNP activist. And Renton is not the only fascist central to the EDL. Davy Cooling, the administrator of the EDL’s Luton Facebook site, is also on the BNP membership list. Many other known BNP members were spotted on the EDL’s march in London.

This is more proof that the EDL is a dangerous organisation with fascism at its core.

Socialist Worker, 9 March 2010

Cf. Robert Spencer’s assurance that “the EDL is standing up for human rights, for the freedom of speech, for Western civilization, for Israel, and for the defense against the global jihad and the Islamization of Britain. There is no credible evidence that this group is racist or fascist in the slightest degree.”

Residents are being urged to stay away from Dudley town centre on Easter Sunday, as far right group the English Defence League is set to descend on the town.

The extremist party claims to be bringing around 3,000 supporters on April 4 to protest against the planned £18million mosque.

Council leader, Cllr Anne Millward, said she was angered that the EDL want to come to the “peaceful town”, as West Midlands Police confirm there will be a “robust police presence” on the day in case of trouble. She added: “They say they are coming to protest against the planned mosque, but we’ve had a mosque in Dudley for over 30 years. So what is the point of them coming? We don’t want them and for them to come on Easter Sunday, one of the most important days in the Christian calendar, I think is an absolute travesty. I just urge people to stay away.”

Cllr Millward has also condemned plans announced by anti-fascist group Unite Against Fascism (UAF) who have confirmed they will be holding a counter-demonstration on the day, with fears that thousands of outsiders could angrily clash in the town centre. Cllr Millward said: “The plans for the anti-fascist group to outnumber the EDL I think is highly irresponsible. This group just need to be completely ignored.”

But UAF officials said they are organising the “largest peace protest to counteract” the EDL, whose protest will just be “thuggery and hatred”. Martin Lynch, Black Country spokesman for Unite Against Fascism (UAF), said:

“We don’t think people who believe in racism and hatred should be allowed to come to Dudley town centre or anywhere else for that matter. At a recent demonstration in Stoke they ran amok smashing property and hurting people. There is no way this is a legitimate protest of any kind. It will just be thuggery and hatred. If this does go ahead we will seek to call the largest peace protest to counteract theirs.”

Meanwhile, Jim Warner, spokesman for Dudley’s Trade Union Council (TUC) said members had passed a resolution supporting UAF’s counterprotest. Mr Warner said: “We are calling on all our local union branches to encourage members to turn out with their union banners for a peaceful protest. We have also put together a unity statement which has been signed by all our trade union branches, community and faith groups supporting this decision and calling for the protest to be abandoned.”

Dudley News, 10 March 2010

Update:  See “English Defence League switch date for Dudley protest”, Birmingham Mail, 14 March 2010

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

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