The English Defence League
Posted on 11. Dec, 2009 by fashwatch in The Guilty Parties
The English Defence League are a motley bunch of right wing football hooligans, BNP supporters and disillusioned youth looking or a good day out. Their presence on the streets is the first serious attempt by the far-right to control the streets since the BNP left that ground with their tail between their legs in the early to mid 1990’s. The group first appeared in Luton on 24th May in response to the actions of supporters of the Islamic fundamentalist Anjem Choudary who had jeered British troops returning from Iraq. On that occasion the EDL, some clad in balaclavas and Union Jack flags smashed shop fronts of Asian owned businesses and attacked people of Asian origin at random.
Since their debut in Luton the group have gone on to stage demonstrations in Birmingham, Leeds, Swansea, Wrexham, Manchester, Glasgow and Nottingham. When the group have managed to leave the comfort of the local Weatherspoons violence has invariably flared. During their demonstrations in Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham scuffles broke out between local youth, anti-fascists and EDL supporters.
While the claims of some anti-fascists that the outstretched arms of EDL members in song are Hitler salutes are often far-fetched and tedious, there is little doubt as to the the groups links with the far-right. The group was co-founded by BNP member David Cooling, BNP activist Chris Renton and Paul Ray who has recently developed a friendship with German former neo-nazi Nick Greger himself a close friend of the UVF’s Johnny “Mad Dog” Adair.
While the EDL have done their utmost to veil their links and similarities with the established far-right they have been unable to silence the more overtly racist elements at their demonstrations. In Birmingham members sang “dirty Muslim bastards” at a group of Asian lads while in Swansea supporters sang “we hate Paki’s more than you” and burned an anti-fascist flag. More recently the EDL have turned their attention towards anti-fascists as well as local Muslims with EDL supporters and anti-fascists clashing in the streets of Nottingham.
The EDL have made various token gestures aimed at convincing the general public that they aren’t a racist or fascist organisation, in a well choreographed publicity stunt members of the EDL appeared on Newsnight burning a flag emblazoned with a swastika. They have also strenuously denied any links to the BNP while the BNP have also done their best to distance themselves from the group realising that any connection could spoil all their hard PR work in presenting themselves as an “acceptable political party”. While the two groups seek to distance themselves from one another it is hard not to see the similarities in the language of the two. Like the BNP the EDL know the importance of avoiding the accusation of racism. The EDL say they are not against ordinary Muslims but rather Islamic fundamentalism, however quite how going on the piss and chanting “dirty Muslim bastards” and “we want our country back” combats Islamic Fundamentalism is anyone’s guess. This strategy of scapegoating Muslims is one that has worked wonders for the BNP over the last 10 years and one that the EDL know will attract people to their cause. The group attracts some people who are genuinely concerned by the spread of political Islam, a threat which does exist but that is over hyped by the mainstream media and made more noticeable by the current war in Afghanistan. That said the role of the group in reality can be little more than to stoke up racial and religious tensions in the country.
Quite what the long term strategy of the EDL is apart from stirring up trouble between Asians and whites in local communities is unclear at the moment. What is clear is that they taken nationalist politics back to the streets and that the involvement of some British football firms in their actions shouldn’t be ignored. Around the same time that the EDL emerged BNP activist Lee Barnes wrote an article on his blog entitled “The Transition Point for Nationalism” in which he called on the National Front (NF) to abandon electoral politics and concentrate on street activism. On his wish for the NF to turn to street politics Barnes wrote;
It could take all those Nationalists that have rejected the demands required for electoral politics, for whatever reason, and train them up and deploy them as street activists to counter the reds on the streets.
Now while the NF have not disbanded as a political party nor play a leading role in the EDL, though their members have appeared on EDL demos, it isn’t hard to see that the EDL are filling this role as a nationalist street mob who’ve increasingly taken to looking for fights with members of the anaemic UAF and other anti-fascists. The BNP could never mobilise in this way since it goes against their new image of family friendly, suited euro-nationalists, however another group of nationalists not attached to the BNP fulfilling this role not only takes the pressure off the BNP from more militant anti-fascists who may be drawn into confrontation with EDL but it also opens up the possibility of a second front for nationalism in the UK
The EDL are a joke among nationalists. Nobody outside of the UAF & ragtag Islamists take them seriously. They’re infiltrated by the journalists, the police, and no doubt countless others. Some have even suggested the EDL are possibly state plants, designed to give the police a database of the right wing in Britain.
The fact you people call them fascists is quite amusing though.
Im sorry to disagree with what youve put in this post but i dont agree with it .I dont like football so im not a right wing football hooligans point 1.
point 2
i have a many many degrees under my belt and a very good job to go with it ,so im not a disillusioned youth.
point 3
i dont like nick griffin or his croneys as my wife is from indian desent and she wouldnt fit in with there political views
so im no BNP member
point 4
i am a member of the EDL which i found surfing the net ,trying to decide who i should vote for as i dont agree with the present government and there ideas.
i suppose what im trying to say is im middle age ,descent job, non violent,tax paying family man.please dont tar us all with the same brush ,i dont agree with any religious extremism whether it be Islam ,christian ,Jewish,Buddhism.
I dont like the idea of my wife being stonned because she doesnt where a burka of because she has married a non muslim white man …Am i wrong????
ive done a lot of reading into politics recently and although the EDL are non political party.there policy’s suit me and my family.and if this country is to be left to plod along as it is with no controls on our borders and people spouting there vile beliefs then there is going to be a internal war waged if it hasnt already started.
@ Confused, firstly while i’ve heard that the EDL have considered standing in elections they aren’t a political party at this time, they’re a protest group and i don’t think they’ll ever stand because a) it would split the vote on the right and b) many of the people involved with them are exactly the type of people who prefer street action then the bureaucratic nature of electoral politics.
Who exactly is trying to stone your wife for not wearing a burka? Have you reported them to the police?
So despite not being racist, nor supporting the BNP you are presumably happy to stand hand in hand with BNP members and right wing football hooligans who shout racist abuse at “pakis”?
How do you think this sort of tactic and that of confronting police and counter demonstrators on the streets is going to stop the rise of fundamentalist Islam and religious fundamentalism in general? Do you think the sight of the far-right and right wing casuals abusing ethnic minorities will convince someone who might be drawn towards radical Islam to rethink their ideas or do you think it’s likely to harden those tendencies and push them further into the arms of religious loons like choudary?
Im sorry to disagree with what youve put in this post but i dont agree with it .I dont like football so im not a right wing football hooligans point 1.
point 2
i have a many many degrees under my belt and a very good job to go with it ,so im not a disillusioned youth.
point 3
i dont like nick griffin or his croneys as my wife is from indian desent and she wouldnt fit in with there political views
so im no BNP member
point 4
i am a member of the EDL which i found surfing the net ,trying to decide who i should vote for as i dont agree with the present government and there ideas.
i suppose what im trying to say is im middle age ,descent job, non violent,tax paying family man.please dont tar us all with the same brush ,i dont agree with any religious extremism whether it be Islam ,christian ,Jewish,Buddhism.
I dont like the idea of my wife being stonned because she doesnt where a burka of because she has married a non muslim white man …Am i wrong????
ive done a lot of reading into politics recently and although the EDL are non political party.there policy’s suit me and my family.and if this country is to be left to plod along as it is with no controls on our borders and people spouting there vile beliefs then there is going to be a internal war waged if it hasnt already started.
“Emily”, Islamic fundamentalism is an abhorrent ideology, like Christian fundamentalism or Zionism, however standing side by side with right wing hooligans, loyalists, nationalists and fascists is no way to combat such ideology. The aim of the EDL is to create racial and religious tension in our communities, the only thing they can offer is further division and support for the tiny group of fanatics that do operate in this country. Waving an Israeli flag at palestinian solidarity campaigners or screaming “paki scum” has nothing what so ever to do with dealing with religious fundamentalism and if you have fallen for their PR then i can only say that you are a fool.