Coach company promises not to transport fascists ever again
Corporate Watch | 10.02.2011 01:51 | Anti-racism | Sheffield
Last year Corporate Watch revealed that one of the coach companies used to transport English Defence League (EDL) scum to rallies in Bradford and Leicester was Andrew's of Tideswell (see 
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3833). The company has since been targeted by anti-fascist activists, who apparently slashed the tires of eight of its coaches and vowed that "this will not be the last such action" (see http://325.nostate.net/?tag=andrews-of-tideswell-buses). Corporate Watch has subsequently received an email claiming to be from the company, although the email address (
aot2011@hotmail.co.uk) does not appear to be its official one.* In the email, the "family-run, non-political company" claim they were not aware they were carrying EDL supporters and that they will not be carrying "any passengers to protests in the future." Below is the full text of the email.
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3833). The company has since been targeted by anti-fascist activists, who apparently slashed the tires of eight of its coaches and vowed that "this will not be the last such action" (see http://325.nostate.net/?tag=andrews-of-tideswell-buses). Corporate Watch has subsequently received an email claiming to be from the company, although the email address ( aot2011@hotmail.co.uk) does not appear to be its official one.* In the email, the "family-run, non-political company" claim they were not aware they were carrying EDL supporters and that they will not be carrying "any passengers to protests in the future." Below is the full text of the email.
Subject: RE ACTIVISTS ATTACK ON ANDREW'S OF TIDESWELL BUSES
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 18:17:48 +0000
From: Andrews of Tideswell
RE ACTIVISTS ATTACK ON ANDREW'S OF TIDESWELL BUSES
***REPLY FROM ANDREW'S OF TIDESWELL*** - *** PLEASE READ ***
Prior to August 2010 we had never carried out such work for EDL or any similar organisations. The day before the protest in Bradford we were asked by a third party organiser to cover a park and ride for a church convention because a company had let them down. _WE DID NOT KNOW_ until we arrived in Bradford what was happening by which time it was too late - if we had known we _WOULD NOT_ have taken on this type of work. _IT WAS OUR FIRST TIME AND LAST TIME_ and we sustained thousands of pounds of damage to our vehicles in Bradford.
We are a _FAMILY OWNED & RUN, NON-POLITICAL COMPANY_ - our normal work consists of carrying elderly passengers on holidays and school children to and from school and on school trips.
Our coaches were dangerously damaged on Friday 4^th February 2011 – The damage could have caused the death of innocent children or elderly people.
We HAD NOT PLANNED to carry any passengers to the protest in Luton AND WE _WILL NOT_ we be carrying any passengers to protests in the future. _PLEASE URGENTLY PASS THIS INFORMATION TO ALL CONCERNED AS WE DO NOT WISH TO BE INVOLVED OR WRONGLY TARGETED_
-ends-
* We have since received a confirmation from Andrew's of Tideswell that the email address is theirs.
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 18:17:48 +0000
From: Andrews of Tideswell
RE ACTIVISTS ATTACK ON ANDREW'S OF TIDESWELL BUSES
***REPLY FROM ANDREW'S OF TIDESWELL*** - *** PLEASE READ ***
Prior to August 2010 we had never carried out such work for EDL or any similar organisations. The day before the protest in Bradford we were asked by a third party organiser to cover a park and ride for a church convention because a company had let them down. _WE DID NOT KNOW_ until we arrived in Bradford what was happening by which time it was too late - if we had known we _WOULD NOT_ have taken on this type of work. _IT WAS OUR FIRST TIME AND LAST TIME_ and we sustained thousands of pounds of damage to our vehicles in Bradford.
We are a _FAMILY OWNED & RUN, NON-POLITICAL COMPANY_ - our normal work consists of carrying elderly passengers on holidays and school children to and from school and on school trips.
Our coaches were dangerously damaged on Friday 4^th February 2011 – The damage could have caused the death of innocent children or elderly people.
We HAD NOT PLANNED to carry any passengers to the protest in Luton AND WE _WILL NOT_ we be carrying any passengers to protests in the future. _PLEASE URGENTLY PASS THIS INFORMATION TO ALL CONCERNED AS WE DO NOT WISH TO BE INVOLVED OR WRONGLY TARGETED_
-ends-
* We have since received a confirmation from Andrew's of Tideswell that the email address is theirs.
Corporate Watch
Homepage:
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3882
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