A couple of years back Plymouth EDL tried to host a demo, it was pathetic – the organisers fucked up as much as possible, some people got the wrong meet up point, the other 100 got kettled in town while an energetic anti demo had the run of the streets. Things took a more precarious turn later in the day as some more up for it EDLers crept through the back door of a pub where the antifascsists were gathered outside. They then sent an older guy (who had spoken at the Fascist demo) out to drink among the antifascists in the hope of drawing people into a fight. The plan did not work however – as people started to tell the old chap to fuck off the police swooped and whisked him off. The lads in the pub were then escorted out by police through a hail of abuse and the odd bottle. Later in the evening they came back and thought about attacking an antifascist benefit gig but this also came to nothing.
Just last month Plymouth’s hapless EDL leaders Hayley Wells and Kelly Watterson escaped jail following a particularly cowardly attack on a Kurdish takeaway they targeted after a bout of heavy refreshment at an EDL meeting. Here’s the report from the local paper: Plymouth Herald. Rather than keeping their noses clean for a while they have jumped straight into organising an anti-mosque demo at the site of the disused Dance Academy building on Union Street in the city (poster below). The problem with this latest scheme is that the building is not going to be a mosque!! It was a suggestion that was made (It would not even be a new one but a change of venue for the existing Islamic centre) however there is a group with a serious interest in it here: Project Palace. Most people we’ve spoken to down in Plymouth do not want any kind of religious group to take over the historic building, but want something the whole community can use. Want they want even less though is the EDL muppets stirring up racial hatred in their city!
Moronic Protest
This Poster is doing the rounds on the EDL facebook pages, they’ve tried to make it look like it’s not an EDL event but here’s a previous picture for it: 
It was supposed to be a joint demo with Exeter EDL but it looks like they all fell out with each other again. Bournemouth however are billing it as an ideal starting place for those who have not been to a demo before. So it’s a good guess that the hardcore remnants of the EDL will be in attendance.
Are they protesting so they can claim a victory? It’s difficult to understand the mind of a racist at the best of times! The local community has again set up a facebook group to counter the demo if it does go ahead. Antifascists may want to take note that the Plymouth EDL group is no stranger to violence and there are also a number of wannabe paramilitary CXF lurking around, although they were seen off last time. Watch this space.
Anti-Fascist Network 