Thanks for this article - but it does sound a little over the top. I was also there, arriving just before 11am. I was with a group of non UAF anti fascists. We do however have friends who were also there from UAF. We could see straight away that the cops intended to pen people in one side of the Square, and even by 11am (or shortly after) people were trying to break out of this pen to take the whole of Victoria Square.

(Point to be made here - Why did the UAF leadership agree with the cops/EDL to share the Square, and then pretend they are a No Platform organisation?)

My opinion was not to enter Victoria Square.... What was the point of getting penned in, and then trying to break out? We were already out, and able to stay reasonably mobile. We assessed the surrounding area, and ended up with a nother group of anti fascists / UAF who were protecting Oxford Street. They did this quite successfully, Once (maybe twice) there were small groups of EDL who tried to attack the antis from the rear, and they were prevented from doing so by the group on Oxford Street. There were also about 4 or 5 experienced anti fascists who succeeded in removing a number of fash spotters from Victoria Square near the opening of the metal police cordon that seperated the Square from Oxford Street on "our" side. Like us they stayed fairly mobile, and on their toes to avoid being kettled. The cops did try to contain the crowd on Oxford Street, but if you were thoughtful it was possible to move fairly freely. There were also a group of local Asians over the road by MacDonalds. They were surrounded by cops but made several attempts to break out.

Finally at about 3.30pm some of the Oxford Street crowd, including my mates and me, and the group of Asians made a concerted effort to charge out of the cordon and back to the Square by turning left and left again (down a side street) and therefore avoiding one line of riot cops now blocking Oxford Street. We did this with the (non riot) cops in pursuit, then appraoched the Square where another group of riot cops tried to stop us. The sudden influx of people was too much for them and we successfully entered Victoria Square to cheering, applause, and hand shakes. At this point the EDL were chucking lighters, coins, and plastic bottles. But the sudden entry of greater numbers into the Square seemed to be the turning point. Within about 10 minutes the cops were pushing the EDL back out of the Square and escorting them back to their buses. (I wouldn't say we had the EDL and the cops on the run - let's be realistic here!). Nevertheless their rally was cut short and they were escorted away unable to repeat the events of Stoke. In that sense this was a successful day, and we certainly left later feeling like we had achieved quite a lot.

After the EDL were in retreat whole groups of people marched through various streets and made sure that everyone was safe. Again this was a success.

Lessons to be learnt.... Numbers are crucially important. But the leadership of the UAF, and the SWP "cadre" who follow their CC must wise up, and wise up fast. This is not a game. We need to be 100% serious. Are you wanting community direct action, or are you going to keep on asking the state to use their powers to "ban the EDL"? Surely after Bolton you have seen the problem with this approach.

Something has happened after Stoke. Possibly EDL leadership in some police grassing operation. But suddenly the cops have given the EDL freedom to chuck missiles, whilst attacking UAF supporters. Even the 89 Year Old WW2 veteran Bertie Lois was knocked over by a cop!! And even the liberal press portrayed the events as if it was the UAF who are a bunch of thugs. And Weyman Bennett and Martin Smith (who are both harmless and useless in terms of an effective strategy) were nicked on serious conspiracy charges.

The description above is fairly accurate (hi lancs calling ;-) ), but the EDL side of the square seemed to be open for most of the time, we came late on the train (EDL on the train too), and walked dstraight to the back of the EDL side. on the antifash side the people blocking Oxford St were solid and a good defence for back of the demo but were split from the square, meaning that for the short period of time that the big crowd of EDL were actually in the square the arial pictures showed more of them. this doesnt take into account those blocked off further down on oxford st and more of us beyond them, including the asian contingent that gathered in increasing numbers from about 1.30 til 3.30 when we and they made our way around and into the square. i dont think this was through militancy or force of numbers, but police were happy to have them in the square/pen so that the two groups were separate when they wanted to move the EDL out and back to trains and buses, In between times, outside the back of the antifash demo, a group of about 30 EDL/hoolies (the asian locals said they were bolton hoolies) tried to attack from the train station side (south and east), first down a main shooping street, then backed off when faced by us and the asians and three mounted police, and tried the next street and the next. Each time the police were pathetically slow with their response and they were only forced off by the 100 odd asian lads and the few of us white faces mixed in. when police showed up the hoolies ran back and the asian lads did too. This was a well organised response (as well organised as street confrontation can be, anyway) with older asian blokes calling the lads back to the oxford st blockade McDonalds but then letting them get kettled by 2 lines of police for a bit. Just thought people would like to know that there was an attempt at attacking the antifash demo and it was countered by greater numbers of largely asian lads (and black and white) rushing them. Scary shit but it worked.

 http://www.radio4all.net/files/ turntableterrorist@hotmail.com/4042-1-bolton_special_v2.mp3