Crivvens! Jings! And Help Ma Boab! To paraphrase some famous phrase about soccer teams, it looks like it’s all over for the English Defence League. Yesterday they were utterly humiliated in Walthamstow not only by the local community but by plod as well who kettled them in for hours on end with no toilets, no tea and buns and definitely no sympathy. There was a massive turnout by local people who outnumbered the EDL about 10 to 1. The EDL looked bereft of their usual bravado, were scared and realised just how much people dislike them – not in a Milwall ‘no one likes us but we don’t care’ kind of way but in a ‘everybody thinks you’re a bunch of fuck bugles and you represent no one’ kind of way. They looked very weak indeed.

We Go Where We Want …

The EDL always claim that they ‘go where they want, when they want’ which is more cobblers than a shoe-menders convention. They extensively liaise with plod who tell them exactly where they will be going, what time and when they will be leaving. The EDL published the days’ arrangements which actually included at least 9 instructions from plod telling them EXACTLY where to go and when which makes their claim as empty as the 1,000s of Stella cans they left on the pavement of E17. No Surrender? Course Not! They were also told not to be seen carrying alcohol or to sing racist songs by the non-racist, non-violent EDL leadership who have lost a lot of credibility after this with many members leaving and even Hel ‘Growler’ Gower declaring the day a disaster!

To start the day off plod was very keen on keeping the EDL under heavy manners, then the workers at Kings Cross stated that they would refuse to help transport the EDL across London to promote racist violence, plod then marched the EDL down to Euston instead but only after fights broke out between them and there were 4 arrests at the Dolphin Hotel. Not only that but plod also changed the route of the march because there were so many anti-fascists in Walthamstow. Even plod reckoned 3,000 anti-fascists but there were many more arriving all day. The EDL finally got to E17 and then were marched up Forest Road away from the town centre and the majority of anti-fascists. By midday hundreds of anti-fascists had blocked the proposed route and many were the cries of ‘No Pasaran!’ And they most certainly did not pass! The EDL standard criticism of anyone that opposes them is that they are either ‘commies,’ ‘middle class’ or ‘smelly’ (jeezus!) which has yet again been proved totally wrong and shown that they both underestimate and misunderstand the massive opposition they face. This is an example of their extreme political naivety.

Meanwhile, the EDL were completely surrounded by the cops for their own protection – again proving that the ‘we go where we want’ is a load of bollocks. The only reason why the EDL got to Walthamstow is because of plod. The EDL also looked very worried at the amount of opposition (local, not bussed in like the EDL) and were somewhat lacking their usual aggression. The EDL foot and mouth soldiers were kettled in and were all dying for a wee so in their frustration some of them battered one of the stewards. The EDL stewards usually completely fail to steward anything but luckily this time there were plenty of photographers around to take snaps of some fat bastard on the floor crying next to a Femi-Plod.

After they had managed to reach the bus shelter where they were gathering, Mr Tommy finally made an appearance: he had not bothered getting up to the last few ‘national’ demos and was too shitfaced at Bristol to speak but it was hardly worth the bother as he muttered a few words, was warned by plod about being ‘incendiary’ and then shuffled off protected by his porky security fats (who also assaulted a photographer) and cancelled the rally due to ‘mob rule.’ Which must surely count as a massive surrender? Mr Tommy was also photographed with his arms outstretched in footy hooligan ‘cahm on then!’ pose (surrounded by security and plod naturally) and was then shown with a brick in his hands which had been thrown at him. He then gave it to a cop whining that people don’t like him. This pic is going to be great PR for the deputy leader of the fluffy fascist British Freedom party and will no doubt backfire when anti-fascists widely circulate the image come election time. The arrests started piling up as the EDL got frustrated at their inability to do anything and by now the amount of opposition and hostility were enormous. The EDL seriously misplayed this and thought it would be a doddle. How wrong. Again. Finally after being kettled from 1pm to 10pm according to 1 EDL eejit, they were all photographed and escorted to busses and led away rather meekly having thoroughly surrendered. The day was a huge success for anti-fascism and well done Walthamstow for showing the EDL they are not wanted.

Plod Bother

Some street plod may sympathise with the EDL but the top brass do not. They have to fork out a large percentage of their annual budget to police a rabble of drunken racists; they have to draft in plod from other forces at great expense because they cannot cope with the amount of people and possibilities of violence; they get masses of negative vibes from the EDL who they are protecting as well as from the anti-fascists; and they are rewarded with little but criticism and negative publicity for the events of the day that include arrests, violence and disruption to whatever city the EDL have decided to intrude on and annoy that weekend.

Some militant anti-fascists managed to get through police lines and have a pop at the EDL and there were quite a few bottles flying over but skirmishing was kept to a minimum: the amount of local opposition and the broad character of it, along with miles of negative publicity, pretty much meant the EDL lost the day on an incredible scale. The tactic of blocking the route was was again used successfully and forced plod to redirect them. The tactic of large scale and mainly peaceful opposition has now been used successfully in Brighton, Bristol and Walthamstow. Since this has been happening the EDL numbers have also dwindled exponentially and the last few ‘national demos’ have been piss poor with a couple of hundred attending each time. Members have left en masse complaining about backstabbing, egos, infighting, drunkenness and disagreeing on strategy – i.e., we should be able to drink on demos versus no we shouldn’t cos we look like twats. The EDL have achieved nothing and there is no end game. It is far too expensive for many to keep attending, many have been arrested and are banned from going, it is pretty boring for lots of them and frustrating to be kettled in by plod with no toilets. unKle Kev Karrol is going to stand for police commissioner in Bedfordshire and has actually raised the 5 grand needed to register. However, the EDL’s media representation has been wholly negative (they assaulted yet another NUJ member yesterday. Wrong!) and they are simply seen as the drunken, violent, racist hooligans that they are. And unKle Kev is their leader.

Oh dear! Be seeing you!

ps: any EDL members care to comment on what thei have achieved, how they are going to continue and what their endgame is, please comment below! Mal