Ladies & Gentlemen The EDL: Neither Racist Nor Violent But Both!
Crivvens! Jings! And Help Ma Boab! The EDL are in a right ‘2&8’ desperately trying to massage the facts of what happened on Saturday in Walthamstow. Some posters said they left with ‘our heads held high’ whilst another completely delusional Casual claimed it was ‘A Victory!’ Sorry Hen, it was only a victory for idiocy. What were you thinking? The Malatestas have spent a rather incredulous morning sifting through the recriminations, bitter fallouts and accusations with some amusement and it seems that now they have managed to get home, sober up and sign on, the EDL are having a good hard look at themselves.
That Saturday was the worst day ever for the EDL is beyond a doubt. Seasoned anti-fascists who are not noted for their optimism have claimed the day a rout and a complete turnaround for the far right after the minor setback in Liverpool earlier this year at the Republican march. The EDL only managed to get about 200 supporters, the RMT workers at Kings Cross Station threatened action so plod had enormous difficulty redirecting the drunken mob down to Euston. Anti-fascists had arrive en masse at Walthamstow and some had taken over the EDL rallying point. By the time the EDL got there, the march was redirected, they could not get through the masses of anti-fascists and were kettled in whilst Mr Tommy made one of his speeches from the comfort of a plod van as hundreds of anti-fascists blocked off the area. Mr Tommy and UnKle Kev Karrol the hurriedly fled the seen to the dismay of many of their supporters and ended up having a huge argument over who was to sit in the front seat back to Luton. Many were the EDLers dischuffed at their abandonment by leadership and treatment by plod and locals. Shame.
The forums and Facebook pages are full of it naturally and the EDLs multiple problems have been identified and need urgent attention. The main one is drunkenness. The EDL met at the Dolphin hotel and were drinking heavily there, many on the coaches had already started boozing as soon as they got on board, so by the time they were ready to leave they were halfway blootered. The EDL are rarely seen not holding beer cans or plastic glasses and this is bad PR. They also have no control over who comes on the demos and how they behave so many are drunk and out of control: the ‘chav scrote’ elements trashed their own busses in Dewsbury and the EDL stewards keep being attacked by their own followers as on Saturday (not going to do that job again are we Mr Dave?). The police usually panic and keep them under heavy manners and the arrests increase, usually for racist behaviour, drunkenness, drugs and violence. This is not going to change the widely held opinion of everyone from the Tories to the SWP that the EDL are little but violent, drunken racists. The many photos of them fighting plod, mouthing off and falling over do absolutely nothing for their PR image.
The infighting has increased: the football casuals have had enough of Mr Tommy and anyway are watching soccer teams on Saturdays; the north-south divide is as wide as ever and many blame Blackburn and Mr Tommy’s comments for the irredeemable split and Mr Tommy refuses to speak to those he has fallen out with who are now siding with either the casuals or the impotent Infidels.
The EDL are completely disorganised and they have no formal membership, no recruitment scheme to boost numbers, appalling representation in the media – attacking journalists does NOT help your cause boys! – and the few organisational meetings are held in pubs and rapidly descend into infighting, backstabbing, ego conflicts and drunken rivalry. Many resent Mr Tommy and UnKle Kev hogging the limelight as well as the fact that EDL members are told what to do, i.e., joining the fluffy fascist British Freedom with no consultation and generally poor leadership decisions whilst liaising with plod. Many simply hate Mr Tommy and are calling for his replacement - which is not going to happen unless Mr Tommy says so!
The demos have achieved nothing with even the daft ones realising the EDL is a one card flush. Whilst the EDL were blustering about in E17 the various anti-fascists had organised a peaceful counter-march, forged links with local community organisations who turned out in solidarity, had a few bands on and generally had a good time. The EDL cannot do this as they have no links with local communities and bus in as many members as possible to an area they know nothing about. And then they wonder why there is so much hostility against them. Crivvens!
So with their usual blether and bluster, the EDL say they are going to do another demo at Walsall. As everyone knows the EDL have always fared very poorly in the Midlands and in Brum they have been battered by locals, hassled by plod and mass arrested on more than one occasion. With each demo over the last year diminishing exponentially – they could only turnout 170 at Remembrance Day 2011 (and all get arrested), then subsequently 200 in Hyde, 300 in Bristol and 200 in Walthamstow – who reckons 10,000 for Walsall? Me neither. Be Seeing You!
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