In Oldham on Saturday 12th, around 120 EDL members,mostly from the north-west and Scotland, converged and marched into the city centre, where a wreath was laid at the war memorial. There were the inevitable fights with the police, who made 8 arrests, and also battered and hospitalised several EDL members.

Then, In Nuneaton on Sunday 13th, around 60 EDL attended a regimental parade, cheering the soldiers from outside a pub (of course). Afterwards, they moved towards an area of town which is home to many local asians, where confrontations ensued. The police moved in to escort the EDL to the train station, and one arrest was made.

It seems that this is a new EDL tactic, and it also seems clear that it's bred from frustration at the outcomes of large, advertised demos, which involve mostly being penned in by large numbers of police all day. Attendance at the main demos has been dropping, at least in part because EDL members realise their futility. In addition,there is increasing discontent within the EDL ranks at the "peaceful protest" label that the leadership keep sticking onto the main protests - lots of EDL members really want to have a go at the police, the UAF and the "muzzies", and resent the instructions from on high which forbid them from so doing. This was illustrated at Bradford when EDL members started scrapping with their own stewards (fighting for the right to fight!).

Thus, various EDL gangs are starting to go their own way and organise "flash demos" such as at Oldham and Nuneaton. The tactic is easily comprehended by the football casual element within the EDL, who are very used to just turning up in gangs in a different city. This new tactic does not mean that large demos will be totally avoided, just that the EDL rank and file may be shifting their efforts to what they see as more enjoyable outlet for their anti-muslim impulses.

Of course, the EDL will use mobile phones, facebook and the like to organise "flash demos", so can expect the police to be monitoring their plans via phone and internet, and thus ready to respond fairly quickly.

What does this mean for anti-fascists? It's too early to say, although the tension in the EDL that this new tactic reflects is very interesting. Although we must continue to mobilise against the main demos, we should also be ready to respond to rapid EDL mobilisations, and can also monitor things, to some extent, via facebook, the EDL intent forum, and similar. The main point is that the EDL is undergoing important shifts in response to its own internal tensions and perceived lack of success, and we should keep monitoring that and responding to it.