The UAF strategy had been to mobilise nationally in an attempt to swamp the EDL turnout. In the event the UAF mustered between 1,000 and 1,500 and the EDL probably around 1,000. However, the strategy failed as the EDL succeeded in holding its rally, while the numbers mobilised by the UAF weren’t enough to even fill the half of the square the police had allocated for them. As in Manchester in October 2009, Mosque leaders had attempted to prevent Asian youth from attending the protest; however a large group did manage to join the demonstration towards the end, adding some much needed militancy.
The events in Bolton demonstrate that the UAF leadership’s strategy of calling on the state to ban the EDL and its events is both futile and counter-productive. Instead of acting against the EDL, the police has in effect begun the process of criminalising and banning the UAF. Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan, who was in charge of police operations, was open in his praise for the EDL: ‘we have also seen groups of people, predominantly associated with the UAF, engaging in violent confrontation… I would also like to praise the efforts of the EDL stewards who worked with us in the face of some very ugly confrontations’ .
Unfortunately, this appears to have had no effect on the UAF line. After the police attack, Sabby Dhalu, the other UAF Joint Secretary declared: ‘the police's primary role is to ensure safety and public order. It is not in the public interest to allow EDL demonstrations to proceed. These so-called demonstrations should be banned’, while a shocked Weyman Bennett told the BBC that his arrest was not ‘a good sign for democracy’, that the police are ‘hostile to anti-racists’ and that their ‘neutrality needs to be questioned’. This position simply reinforces illusions in the state.
FRFI’s (Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!) position is clear: only an independent working class, anti-racist movement, independent of the British Labour government and its police force will be able to successfully confront racist and fascist mobilisations on the streets.
No to BNP! No to EDL! No to Labour!
No to all racists!
Don't vote, Organise!
Comments
Hide the following 16 comments
OOOh
08.04.2010 00:14
CL(A)SS WAR
tactics
08.04.2010 00:27
linked
EDL are not racist. The have Black and Asian members.
08.04.2010 00:32
anon
horseshit
08.04.2010 08:28
No platform to EDL, BNP, etc
anon 2
EDL= nationalists and patriots
08.04.2010 09:19
Who gives a fuck if they are 'racist' or not by definition- they support the State, military imperialism and capitalism.
Blow them up.
@
A bit of advice
08.04.2010 13:15
Pete
nationalist patriots
08.04.2010 13:58
@@
re: nationalists and patriots
08.04.2010 14:24
Do you think you should *always* support your country, even if they are in the wrong?
anon
@anon
08.04.2010 14:36
nationalists patriots
Yes, BUT...
08.04.2010 16:44
a/ minuscule
b/ couldn't draw even one 20th of the supporters UAF can
c/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is even worse than the Trotskyism of the SWP
d/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is a PR gift to the BNP and EDL
Sorry ;)
Bob-a-job
Yes, BUT...
08.04.2010 16:44
a/ minuscule
b/ couldn't draw even one 20th of the supporters UAF can
c/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is even worse than the Trotskyism of the SWP
d/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is a PR gift to the BNP and EDL
Sorry ;)
Bob-a-job
Yes, BUT...
08.04.2010 16:45
a/ minuscule
b/ couldn't draw even one 20th of the supporters UAF can
c/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is even worse than the Trotskyism of the SWP
d/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is a PR gift to the BNP and EDL
Sorry ;)
Bob-a-job
Yes, BUT...
08.04.2010 16:45
a/ minuscule
b/ couldn't draw even one 20th of the supporters UAF can
c/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is even worse than the Trotskyism of the SWP
d/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is a PR gift to the BNP and EDL
Sorry ;)
Bob-a-job
Yes, BUT....
08.04.2010 16:45
a/ minuscule
b/ couldn't draw even one 20th of the supporters UAF can
c/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is even worse than the Trotskyism of the SWP
d/ their anachronistic Communist nonsense is a PR gift to the BNP and EDL
Sorry ;)
Bob-a-job
Sorry for the repeat postings
08.04.2010 17:19
Bob-again
trollololol
10.04.2010 16:35
08.04.2010 09:19
This is enough reason to fight them - Burn England, the Queen, the Army, the whole fucking lot.
Who gives a fuck if they are 'racist' or not by definition- they support the State, military imperialism and capitalism.
Blow them up.
@ "
Get a life you provocatuer-Troll!!!
This thread is like another sketch from the FLying circus innit, Jezuz,
their all a bunch of c**ts Mr Bone yes,
FFS though Myra Hindley,ian Brady were nazi loving racists!!,
Baby Ps killer was C18-BNP,& no doubt loves EDL!!,
the famous chemist poisoner& friend of Brady nazi lover,
& the list goes on of Nazi's who tortured & murdered their own & other children besides the holocaust. The UAF are also against 8-10million children dying unecessarily around the world unecessarily of malnutrition& disease that UNICEF have proven, this is something again the BNP& many EDL generally cheerlead4, they should go into therapy or hang themselves.
Those are serious whopping lines they cross, its hard to be more of a C**t than Stalin,
but fascists do it all the time
Maknovista