September 18, 2010

Nothing Flash: The EDL’s New Strategy

Flash Demos?

Reading English Defence League’s forum may give one the impression the EDL is taking over the WORLD but in fact they are in a wee bit of trouble.


Jings! Over the weekend they attempted various mobilisations and publicity stunts that tended to either backfire, or like Bradford, disappoint.
In London 100 turned up at the US embassy and then were escorted under heavy police escort to the Saudi embassy where they stood and shouted for a bit. Rumours that the Saudi’s immediately renounced Allah are yet to be confirmed.

In Nuneaton about 50 EDL caused a bit of consternation after waving at the homecoming troops parade. They were shepherded to a boozer by plod and were subsequently surrounded by 200 people from the local community. If the EDL really want to ‘fight militant Islam’ why don’t they all go down the Army recruiting office and sign up for Afghanistan? Or are their criminal records and membership of far right groups going to be a problem?

In Oldham about 120 EDL, casuals and BNP members assembled for a ‘flash demo’ and according to the EDL forum the local cops were anamused and responded in force. There were several arrests.

Of course, the news media picked up on all 7 EDL members in New York. ‘Tommy Robinson’ AKA Steven Yaxley-Lennon was turned back by customs and claims that the motives were political but ‘Tommy’ was jailed for assaulting a policeman and this is the real reason for his expulsion.
Embarrassing. The EDL are also claiming their hotel rooms were turned over when they were out. This confirms how ‘dangerous’ they are. Which is the point. Without the attendant publicity the EDL cease to exist. Politically they have achieved nothing. They have caused several very negative media splashes at their demos but apart from filling their scrapbooks their gains have been exactly nowt.
They need the press and opposition to make themselves feel important but apart from allowing them to let off steam gets them nowhere. All they get is bad press. Some may say ‘all publicity is good publicity’ but not if your Gary Glitter.

Plod Bother

The EDL’s new strategy of flash demos is not going to please Old Bill in the least.
They are illegal and plod will respond with force. As shown in Oldham.
Some are saying that they should just turn up in Leicester rather than liaising with the authorities because they are sick of hanging around at the RV point for hours then being marched to a site to be kettled in for hours with scant facilities.
Which has caused problems in the past.
At Bradford, ‘chav scrotes’ attacked stewards and fighting broke out with the police. Liaising with plod has caused dissent with many as has the leadership deciding everything (but that’s what leaders do lads!).
Many EDL would rather have a straight fight with the cops and anyone else who opposes them and whilst the flash demos will certainly provide an opportunity to do this, it also means heavier policing, more arrests and diminishing numbers at each demo.
As Bradford showed they are contracting in size. The confrontational approach will attract more Nazis, hooligans and ‘chav scrotes’ but how this will be politically expedient is unclear.

Dutch Courage?

The EDL will be hoping to get to Leicester on October 9th but there are moves to ban the demo. However, the government banned marches in Bradford but it still kicked off on their static demo. They are also hoping to mobilise at Nuneaton again soon.
They intend to go to Amsterdam on 30th October to support right winger Geert Wilders.
A further concern is the influence of the EDL on hooligans across Europe who will copy their tactics and appreciate the opportunity for a scrap and to voice overt racist sentiments with little state repercussion.
Many in the UK see the demos as a good day out on the beer and this will be attractive to Euro-hooligans as well.

Conclusion


The EDL have proven, time and time again, that they are politically naïve in the extreme.

They are genuinely perplexed when the police attack them for illegally assembling.
They still pretend they are ‘not racists’ despite the continued and increasingly noticeable presence of known fascists on their demos.
On the EDL forum, others complain about the Nazis and racist chanting and there have been several notable resignations by prominent members.
They pile into potentially volatile areas – Bradford, Bolton – and then wonder why there are hundreds of people there to oppose them.
Their understanding of the opposition demonstrates their naivety the most: their logic goes ‘we oppose militant Islam so anyone who opposes us therefore supports militant Islam.’
Wrong. That the Muslim communities despise the EDL’s provocation tactics is well documented but there are a great many others who counter-demonstrate because they dislike pissed up racists marching through their towns claiming to represent the majority of British people.
The EDL define themselves by what they oppose, not what they stand for.
They sing ‘English till I die’ but their idea of England does not reflect the reality.
The majority of British people dislike drunken racist hooligans causing violent disturbances and would rather live peacefully.

Thanks to Malatesta

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I have a cunning plan..."

To be honest I'm not overly worried about the EDL's new change in tactics. On the down-side the fear is that flash protests might mean the knuckle-draggers finally get their chance to start serious race riots, but on the up-side, BECAUSE flash demos aren't likely to be opposed by Anti-Fascists, at least the EDL can't blame any trouble that occurs on us, and secondly the EDL invariably kick-off with the police and further wreck their attempts to cross-pover / go mainstream / present themselves as believers in peaceful protest / have any real political future! This is a battle for hearts-and-minds, not just the streets, and in PR terms those are both serious Fash own-goals. In this case even the down-side has an up-side however. Arriving at chosen boozer in dribs-and-drabs and downing a "few" pints (and lines) for Dutch courage, means the EDL rarely prove able to mob-up without attracting police attention, and takes long enough the cops have PLENTY of time to get it together and ensure any real fights are between cops and knuckles not between knuckles and Asians.

For all the cock they talk about the British Army, the EDL have some cannon-fodder but (bearing in mind Alan Lake knows even less about military strategy than he knows about politics or Muslim culture) zero intelligent street-leadership, and the new tactic is basically a desperate attempt to placate the grunts in the face of self-evident failures in the EDL's "all Baldrick and no Blackadder" tactical thinking. Doesn't mean we shouldn't stay on our toes, but there's plenty of room for the EDL to screw up here

Anonymous said...

not too sure about the EDLs new strategy but the BNP's return to the streets for their Bring the Boys Home (by that they mean our troops not I hope little boys for Griffin to play with) demos and petitions have been disasters.

In Scotland over 100 protestors caused anguish whilst in Liverpool over 120 met Griffin when he turned out to join Liverpool BNPs table. According to one report he then duly "scarpered". But he was a boxing blue doncha know

Henry said...

Good article here
http://www.heraldscotland.com:80/news/politics/stop-the-war-blasts-bnp-for-hijacking-troops-out-campaign-1.1056049?

Anonymous said...

I think you should point out that the reason Griffin lackey's were out yesterday is nothing to do with the welfare of our troops.
They were getting people to sign computer read petition forms for one reason only,information gathering for future begging letters and propaganda drops

Anonymous said...

The average numpty has nowhere to go in the far right in U.K. other then the EDL. One eye doesn't welcome the knuckle dragging thugs anymore, the various nazi outlets just sell books and CDs, so what is left for them but the EDL aka Last chance saloon. Leave the morons to it and they will implode on one another IM sure.

Anonymous said...

BNP leader Griffin’s Liverpool appearance sparks protests

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2010/09/20/bnp-leader-griffin-s-liverpool-appearance-sparks-protests-100252-27301702/

Anonymous said...

It looks like the fascist camera from Glasgow BNP and his pals had a very hard time on Saturday in the City Centre?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGOuXHmk_9M