Tag Archives: English Defence League

Symbols at EDL protests undermine their ‘non-racist’ claims

By Guest | Published: November 5, 2009

This is a guest post by Lucy James, a research fellow at Quilliam. She writes in a personal capacity.

****

In the past months the English Defence League (EDL) have held a series of protests in UK cities: Luton (from where they have been banned from protesting for 3 months), Birmingham, Manchester and Newport (hosted by the allied Welsh Defence League). Last Saturday they arrived in Leeds.

I have been following each of these protests closely. Aside from their chants, placards and police scuffles, it seems to me that they are adopting a couple of symbols in a way which is somewhat concerning and needs highlighting:

  1. The Nazi salute: Photographic evidence of this can be found in Birmingham, Newport, and Leeds among others.
  2. The Israeli flag: I witnessed this first-hand in Manchester, and it was given considerable prominence in Leeds. But it has been present from early on, for example in Birmingham.
Continue reading >>
Posted in Anti Fascism, Anti Muslim bigotry, Your View | Tagged | 8 Comments

A Leeds report: stand-off between EDL and UAF

By Guest | Published: November 4, 2009

This a cross-post of an article from Pickled Politics by The Common Humanist

****

The 31st of October was an un-seasonally warm day in Leeds and things, as they say, were afoot. The English Defence League, or EDL, was to hold a rally in City Square, near the train station in Leeds, at 1pm. On the nearby Headrow, outside the City Library, Unite Against Fascism (UAF) a counter demo would be held. So I thought it was time to investigate both these demos and this is what I found.

What are my concerns here? Well, I believe in freedom to protest and freedom of speech but I am worried about violence: elements in the EDL have form on this but I hope West Yorkshires Finest can act as a deterrent.

Continue reading >>
Posted in Activism, Anti Fascism, Anti Muslim bigotry | Also tagged | 4 Comments

Stuck In The Middle With You

By Effendi | Published: September 19, 2009

Sheikh Andy (Anjem) Choudary, the self-parodying “emir” of Islam4UK, the latest renaming of Al-Muhajiroun (or Al-Macaroon as we prefer to call them here at the Spittoon), has released a video in which he attacks the critics of the English Defence League!

If ever proof were needed of the phenomenon of one set of extremist nutters requiring the existence of other set of extremist nutters to validate its own existence, it is this video statement from Sheikh Andy, in which he takes full credit for the creation of the EDL, which he says was caused by the provocation by “sincere Muslims” in Luton and Birmingham:

“The EDL and Casuals United who rose solely against the Extremist Muslims, erm Muslims, have a right to object to what we are calling for and engage in public dialogue wand discussion. But we should not allow those people, like the UAF and the Socialists and the Respect Party and the Labour Party to hijack this agenda for their own personal and selfish aims which have nothing to at to do with Islam”

Continue reading >>
Posted in Anti Fascism, Anti Muslim bigotry, Islamism, The Far Left | Also tagged , , | 4 Comments

Anti-Muslim Bigotry, Plain and Nasty

By Yossarian | Published: September 11, 2009

This summer has been a bad one for people proud of Britain’s multiethnic, multifaith identity. Especially if you have any attachment to Birmingham where the actions of some anti-fascists have proved a propaganda boon for the far right anti-Muslim bigots of the English Defence League, BNP and Stop Islamisation Of Europe (SIOE).

Today there is a major risk of serious disturbances in Harrow and all, these organisations say, because they hate “Islamist extremism”.

A common criticism made of people who oppose Islamist extremism is that they blur the lines between Islam and Islamism so as to attack all Muslims. The Spittoon has often been accused of this, an accusation which we entirely reject. But the EDL and its anti-Muslim fellow travellers of the BNP and SIOE do not just blur the line, they ignore that such a line exists and trample it into the dust.

Continue reading >>
Posted in Anti Fascism, Anti Muslim bigotry, UK Politics | Also tagged | 24 Comments

English Defence League Reveal Their Real Intentions

By Yossarian | Published: September 8, 2009

They just want a good Muslim girl...

They just want a good Muslim girl...

Posted in Anti Fascism, Anti Muslim bigotry | Tagged | Leave a comment

  • Categories

  • Archives