Reports from Liverpool, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Norwich over the last couple of days show another trend in fascist activity. It seems as the EDL gets less effective the hardline members are trying to peddle their shit ideology to a more fluffy target.
The latest group to try and stir up a bit of moral outrage is Support the 5.
It’s an easy one for the fascists to lie about – approach someone who knows nothing about it and explain that 5 British troops are being held on murder charges for shooting an opposing soldier in battle. Daily mail types and cops start foaming at the mouth about PC gone mad! However it was actually the Daily Mail who reported that the 5 marines executed a captured soldier after filming themselves deciding what to do with him. It’s hardly in line with the rules of engagement that the British army claims to observe, and therefore can do the reputation of the army serious damage. The men were arrested after a computer was seized by the plod for an unrelated civilian investigation.
What we have seen in each of the cities these ‘Free the 5’ demo’s have been held in, is a turn out from known right wing extremists. The pic below from Liver AF’s Twitter account shows the wannabe paramilitary group Combined Ex Forces bigging up one of the protests:
In Portsmouth, and although it’s a piss poor turn out, local fascists turned up to wave at the great south run.
A collection of Portsmouths crap fascists, most notably Jake Hyland (third from right (the taller kid) – he’s got at least 2 criminal convictions for racist harrasment and is a more well known member of Portsmouth EDL. He’s also been reported as giving out NF leaflets at the university before going out to play with his mates. All the other grown ups in this picture are also members of fascist groups. Luckily the kids seem more interested in cheering the runners.
Although it’s probable that having these nutters involved with the Free The 5 campaign can only damage it’s reputation, it’s a warning sign that we shouldn’t get too complacent as we watch the EDL die a slow and painful death. For every 100 or so that have fallen by the wayside there are handfuls of thugs that have become radicalised by the constant racist bile pumped out by the EDL. Extremists within the EDL on local levels have begun flirting with the the more traditional fascist groups like the National Front, as well as new ones such as the Infidels , Combined Ex Forces, and Casuals United. A new group called English Volunteer Force (EVF) has also sprung up to try and capitalise on the fall of the EDL (although the EDL has said it will not recognise groups who post about EVF, as the groups struggle for control). Power struggles aside though they are clearly looking for softer groups to get involved with and try to win over support.
One good thing reported from the south is that the smaller racist groups are limited to short notice demo’s to try and avoid the attentions of antifascists. Unfortunately the northern groups seem to have developed a little further in confidence – luckily there are antifascists working on this!
ACAB – AFAB. A fascist in Portsmouth pins a badge onto a copper who supports executing prisoners of war – it’s just not British!
Anti-Fascist Network 