Cohen gets it wrong again

Nick Cohen, with characteristic disdain for the facts, tells us in connection with last Sunday’s demonstration outside Scotland Yard: “… in the event, only a hundred or so people turned up, many of whom were white Islamists from the Socialist Workers party. Since then, nothing.”

Observer, 18 June 2006

Yusuf Smith replies: “Sorry Nick, but as one who was there I can say that the majority of attendees by far were Muslims. Yes, the usual contingent of Marxists of various hues, or perhaps I should say tones, was in attendance, some of them trying to push bits of paper under our noses (though interestingly, I didn’t see any copies of Socialist Worker), but most of the demonstrators were Muslims who were demonstrating against attacks on Muslims. As for the ‘since then, nothing’ bit, there is another demo planned for today in Plashet Park, which is as it happens very near to Forest Gate. The likely reason why last Sunday’s event was not as well-attended as some might have hoped (though it was a couple of hundred at least, not just 100) was that the local community had decided to make their views known at Plashet Park.”

Indigo Jo Blogs, 18 June 2006