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Sit-down protest by We Are Waltham Forest blocks route of EDL march

Smash the EDL | 01.09.2012 16:57 | Anti-racism

A march by the English Defence League has been thwarted by anti-fascist protesters We Are Waltham Forest, who blocked the march by sitting in its path.




Many residents of the Walthamstow area banded together to confront the EDL, known for their extreme right wing views, using the #wearewalthamforest hashtag on Twitter to organise a mass sit-down.

Gathering on Forest Road and Hoe Street, the protesters succeeded in disrupting the march, with cries of victory spilling onto the micro-blogging website.

Protester Holly Smith remarked: 'Police aren't going to let EDL march to the town hall. Stewards advising WAWF to sit down, might be some time...' and another, Nick Lowles, added: 'The EDL's route is blocked. #allsitdown sit down next to me...'

In addition to a strong presence on social media, the counter demonstration was publicised with the help of local mosques.

Mr Rashid, secretary of the Lea Bridge Road Masjid, told Socialist Worker: 'The only way to stop the police letting the EDL march is to make sure they are out on the streets against them.

'We’ve been publicising the anti-EDL demonstration at every prayer and event we’ve held—and we’ve received a positive response each time.'

Osman, a local market trader, added: 'It has been really good to see people coming together to oppose them. Hopefully the EDL will be stopped.'

 http://www.metro.co.uk/news/910426-sit-down-protest-by-we-are-waltham-forest-blocks-route-of-edl-march

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EDL beat up their own steward in Walthamstow

01.09.2012 17:08

Today's humiliating defeat in Walthamstow got a bit to much for some EDL members when they turned on one of their own stewards.

Dave NFSE Bolton was attacked by his fellow 'patriots' after an altercation at this afternoon's demo. This picture from Hope not hate shows him receiving medical attention.

Bolton famously has a picture of Shrek and a gingerbread man tattooed on his arse though we are not sure if this was a contributing factor in the assault or not. We tried to contact the EDL to find out their position on green people but we received no reponse.

EDL stewards are not known for their ability to actually steward anything and are regular targets for drunken EDL members.

We will be publishing a full review of the English Defence League's worst defeat since they were formed.

 http://www.edlnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=810&catid=15&Itemid=186

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