A few pictures and a video showing the huge and varied opposition shown to fascist scum who were pretending to march under the banner of St George in Brighton today. Links to independent reports from the day at the foot of the post.
Crivvens! Jings! And Help Ma Boab! The cheeky wee monkeys of the EDL staged a chimps tea-party in Manchester and behaved exactly the way their audience expects: they got drunk, got rowdy and made a mess whilst achieving nothing. At 11am a bunch of EDL turned up at Victoria Station and immediately started fighting with each other which set the tempo of the day, i.e., a protracted drunken brawl.
The EDL were marshalled in the Walkabout pub where it kicked off, with themselves and with plod. One group broke away to ‘take the streets back,’ i.e., went to a different pub then staggered about a bit before being taken back to the march. Our cameraman told us he ‘had just had a run in with some clowns at Brannigans. Camera took a dent but old bill lifted three of them… watch out there are random little gangs in search of soft targets.’
A few hundred counter-demonstrators gathered in Piccadilly Gardens for the usual tedious speechifying so we went for a mooch around. We arrived in Albert Square where the 2 demos were going to rally and found loads of bored cops standing in the sun. Both groups were to be shunted to the quiet end of town where they were positioned opposite each other with nothing but a no man’s land full of riot cops between them to inhibit the customary haranguing. The numbers seemed about even although an aerial shot shows a not great EDL turnout.
The counter- demo was jolly but nowhere near big enough to oppose an EDL ‘national.’ That the UAF held their conference on the same day was absurd: discussing what to do about fascism on the streets whilst several hundred fascists are marching on the streets is pointless. The counter-demo was multi-coloured and lively with union banners, sound-system and a drum group. It was like a party without a bar (but, luckily, toilets!).
Trade union banners, community groups, local politicians and anti-fascists were representing a broad section of the North West. Just who do the EDL represent? The silent majority? How do they know if they are silent? Twerps. We clocked a trampy looking ‘chav scrote’ spotter, with obligatory bad teeth and poor dress sense, who was taking photos with his phone, mainly of policemen’s backs it seemed. What he will do with the ‘Intel’ now is moot given Redwatch’s current problemettes.
Shortly after the counter-demo arrived, a large group of anarchists and anti-fascists were shepherded into the square which swelled numbers. One plod told us that there had been ‘an engagement’ earlier between anti-fascists and orangu-patriots. Tiny groups of EDL were either wandering about lost or mingling in the counter-demo offering their usual abuse, devoid of wit or sense, clutching Sainsbo‘s bags of lager. The EDL arrived just before 2 in their usual simian phalanx, wrapped in flags, soaked in lager, penned in and protected by the riot squad.
Anti-fascists had gathered in the south-east corner winding up the EDL until the chimps started rattling their bars and throwing their own poo around. They were an unimpressive herd of scrotes, pissed and angry, and a few missiles were thrown when anti-fascists goaded them then plod moved us out of view. Oddest banner of the day was ‘UAF are totally disturbed to defend peeedos.’ Jings! The counter-demo music totally drowned the EDL’s shouts and speeches out and then they tried to burn a Pakistan flag but failed embarrassingly. They had been chucking smoke bombs about previously.
EDL Angels: up for the crack!
We were getting some nice info all day via mobile and text, the best being the following. Sheffield hooly mob, the Blades Business Crew, were on their way to a ‘pre-arranged’ with Oldham’s Fine Young Cagoules but stopped off in the MCR. Plod boarded their coach and refused to believe that they were actually off to football as they ‘had no hats, scarves or rattles!’ Crivvens! There were also rumours that 2 factions of the EDL were going to have a sort out but they both bottled it.
It all seemed a bit pointless and plod had stage-managed it well: both sides could hurl abuse out of the earshot of shoppers. There were almost as many sight-seers as cops and plod seemed remarkably relaxed on our side. For the EDL, it was the same routine: get kettled in a pub, start infighting, move to demo site and back again. Some had set off from a Leeds pub at 8am so no doubt were in a bad way by 2. The baboons of the EDL are now a leaderless body but, unlike intentionally leaderless anarchists, they need leader to give instructions on how to eat their bananas correctly.
It was not a remarkable day for the EDL, there was no coup, no coordination, not much publicity and they just looked as clueless and daft as ever. We met friends old and new which was great and thanks to all of them for a cracker of a weekend. And at £2.10 a pint who can complain?
Fresh from having their main website hacked again last night the ever persistent flotsam and jetsam of what was “Britain’s biggest street movement” (according to themselves) arrived in Norwich today for a so-called ‘national demonstration’ numbering around 150 if that.
The people of Norwich were out in considerably larger numbers (*an estimated 1,500 according to mainstream press reports) to give the bedraggled ‘leaderless‘ boneheads the rousing welcome that they deserved by letting the racists know in no uncertain terms that the hatred spread by the EDL was definitely not welcome in the city as the video below clearly shows.
Arrests were made as boneheads tried to attack locals. Scuffles with anti-fascists also took place. *Mainstream report here
Meanwhile EDL neo-nazi splinter group the ‘infidels’ were out in West Ham having an equally shit day.
“With NWI calling a national callout ‘against IRA marches in Liverpool’ (code name for spreading anti-irish racism, especially since february ) various antifascist groups set about organising counter demoes, fash facebook pages and blogs kept pumping out about people coming from far and wide to the demo and keeping meeting places secret.
On the day however only roughly 20 of the fash turned up, this was met by a joint mobilisation of antifascists who outnumbered them 3-1, as the fash settled comfortably into their police protected protest area near the town hall another 20 antifascists turned up and stood amongst the fash, the fash then backed off and stood looking uncomfortable until police moved into to move the antifascists to their proper place.
Unsurprisingly the fash became suddenly more vocal once the police safety was reinforced, but this just further added to their humiliation, one fascist was keen to remind antifascists that ‘the police are on our side not yours’ roughly translated and taking the events into consideration i believe this meant ‘These police wont let you get us’ the police had several attempts at kettling antifascists, which didn’t seem too effective and many managed to break the line.
Far right poster boy and jail bird Liam Pinkham bumped into a group of militant antifascists and recieved a taste of his own medicine, for his first demo since his release from prison this should really make him question his involvement in politics all together.
last night was a really successful night for antifascism in Liverpool, everyone played to their strengths, there was a counter demonstration that massively outnumbered the fascist mobilisation, and sizeable groups were scouting and looking for fash outside of the demo.
The only group which refused to turn up was the Socialist Party in Liverpool, who really need to question their morals, having witnessed them sharing church street with fascists and ignoring the fascists all together to talk about the NHS, how can they refuse to stand with other antifascists AGAINST fascists?”
Fash yesterday giving it the ‘big un’ from the safety of a pub (great choreography with zee fingers) .. (CTRL and + for closer view in firefox)
A few days before the ‘rematch’, a ban was put in place prohibiting all marches in four London boroughs for 30 days – in anticipation of ‘serious public disorder’ if the EDL march went ahead.*
Despite the promises to EDL supporters that they would no longer liaise with the police, the remaining ‘leaders’ agreed to a static demonstration outside Parliament instead.
EDL threatening to turn up in numbers in Walthamstow. On the ground they were a no show.
Here’s a report from a local anti-fascist on events in London on Saturday 27th October:
“We joined up with others from a near-by group early in the morning and set about a spotting mission to see what we could see.
“After making the journey up to Walthamstow and having a mooch about it was obvious that the EDL weren’t calling anybodies bluff and definitely hadn’t made an appearance (despite what they were saying in the run up). The Unite Against Fascism/We Are Waltham Forest demonstration was just starting to gather. It attracted over 200 people and defied the march ban put in place days before.
‘We Are Waltham Forest’ protest in Walthamstow
“Heading back down to central London and checking in at a few of their favourite drinking holes, there wasn’t even a whisper. A small group was seen entering the tube tailed by a group of police twice their number. At the same time reports were filtering through that only 50 EDL supporters had gathered in a pen at Westminster, heavily outnumbered by journalists and police. Around 25 anti-fascists made an attempt to get to them, but their advance was stopped by the large numbers of police present. One EDLer was nicked during the scuffle.
EDL’s ‘national’ demonstration at Westminster
“Half expecting some of the rowdier (and more stupid) elements to head east to either have a pop at the East London Mosque or the London Anarchist Bookfair being held in Mile End, we headed that way. Nothing to report, apart from thousands of people having a jolly time at another very successful bookfair.”
The picture is plain for everybody to see; the EDL only managed to muster between 50-80 people (total) to a ‘national’ demonstration, one that had been billed as ‘the come back’ at that. This is in comparison to the estimated 100,000 who marched against cuts in London the weekend previously, and the thousands who attended the London Anarchist Bookfair on the same day.
The EDL are nosediving into insignificance, something that even the remaining die-hards are fast realising. It’s at times like these when anti-fascists need to make a concerted effort to drive them into the ground- for good! Previously far-right groups have faced dwindling opposition as they’ve gotten smaller and smaller, allowing them to re-organise and re-emerge later on.
Whilst Saturday proved to be another major set back for the EDL and their divisive and reactionary ’cause’, anti-fascists could have had a much bigger impact. If 1/10 of the people attending the Anarchist Bookfair had chosen to get out on the streets, the day would have ended very differently for the EDL. Lets not give them room to breath. See you on the streets!
Westminster – another far-right flop
Here are a few other reports from the day: 1, 2, 3
*For the record – we do not believe in banning marches nor do we believe that the state can be used to oppose fascism. The ban equally covers possible marches by anti-fascists, trade unionists or any others wishing to protest or get a message across. Opposition to racist or far-right groups can only come about through a truly democratic and grassroots position. To rely on state repression is to undermine the principles of self-organisation and direct democracy that we believe in, and to put our faith in an institution far more destructive and divisive to the working-class than the fascists currently are.
Today saw the fascist menace repelled both in Hamburg, Germany and Brighton in the UK. In Hamburg it is reported that 10,000 turned out to oppose a march staged by 500 neo-nazis, an event which saw 700 anti-fascists detained by police. There is a timeline of today’s events in Hamburg here (google translated) plus a video/report here from Russia Today.
Meanwhile Schnews give the lowdown below on today’s events in Brighton as well as a timeline report of the day’s actions posted here (indy uk)
“Casuals United, the football hooligan wing of the EDL, made complete tits of themselves in Brighton today (2nd). In response to their humiliation at March for England the fash thought it would be a good idea to come back in even smaller numbers to have a go at the “rabid hordes of commie UAF gays” that passes for the population of Brighton.
Far right websites, blogs and Facebook pages are already attempting to claim that antifa either a) didn’t turn up, b) ran away, and/or c) attacked patriots unprovoked. In reality the knuckle draggers managed to skulk about in a few pubs (including Belushis, The Saint James & The Amsterdam) while around 100 antifascists stewarded the UK Uncut demo and Palestine Solidarity stall near Churchill Sq. Once the stall had packed up around 3pm the antifascists mobbed up and headed towards Old Steine to confront the racists.
Police halted the majority of the march halfway down North St, meaning only around 30 made it to the bottom of St James Street, where small groups of fash were skulking around making homophobic remarks. A spirited fistfight broke out, though the police waded in before a decisive outcome was reached.
The cops then rounded up most of the EDL and marched them to the train station, with antifascists haranguing them all the way. Many of them then left town with a few others heading back into town to find a pub to defend from Sharia Law.
Antifascists then regrouped for a well earned pint, while others headed to Hollingbury police station to pick up arrested comrades. So far at least 5 antifascists and 5 fascists have been nicked today.
A more complete & concise roundup of the day’s events will be posted in the near future.
“I just hope this can even show 1% for the love I feel for those who supportted me, I’ll never forget you and love you always. NO PASARAN!
As reported, yes I was releasd on Friday. I just wanted to take this opportunity to try and thank everyone who supportted me while I was inside. If ever I had any doubts on whether prisoner support had any effect I can say in total honesty that they’ve been quelled.
Throughout my sentence I was able to stay positive, strong and focused which I believe was down to the post and contact I got.
Honestly it was the wierdest thing but just the post was like a daily kick in the arse to remind me Im not alone. So please accept my heartfelt thanks for all the support, letters. cards, mags, money, leaflets, etc etc. If anything positive came out of the this experience (Apart from your support), I have seen with my own eyes the fallacy of a fair British (or worldwide) justice system. The whole thing is run by bullies with their own agendas, committing crimes in the name society.
Im now just getting back into normal life but wont forget our brothers and sister still incarcerated, even they wrote to me and Im proud to say Ive made a lot of new friends bothg inside and outside of the prison system.
Please if you’ve everv thought about writing to a prisoner, take it from me the letters make such a difference, for me it was the difference between getting depressed or making a stand against prison policies that were clearly wrong and sometimes illegal! Throughout my sentence though alone I felt I was on my own, it was the words of the kind people that wrote to me that kept me going, as Im sure governers Rielly and I’anson will confirm (sorry lads but ya never beat me!).
Letters make all the difference in keeping the mind strong, so please just send that letter. There are many comrades still inside worldwide so the battle goes on, of course my freedom is a source of joy but I hope you’ll excuse me if I dont celebrate to much as many people I now know, love and respect are still hostages of a corrupt system.
Thank you all Ill love you always. By the way I have a list of all who promised me a pint so will be collecting, its better you come to me HA! HA!
Till all are free, Till the walls fall in a pile of dust.
We’ll drip like water and make the locks rust.
Draw your weapons and beat us senseless,
yet still we smile for our battle is relentless.
We fight for for what is right, you fight for a wage.
Thats why we stand proud, feel our rage.
For each you kill 10 more grow like a tree
because none are free till all are free”
3 Counties Anti-Fascist Alliance (3CAFA) 
You must be logged in to post a comment.