Anti-Fascist Network

Meet : Town Centre Gardens, 1pm, Saturday 7th June (behind the swimming pool)

The ever-diminishing EDL are dragging their sorry arses to Stevenage in Hertfordshire this weekend. They are supposedly protesting ‘grooming incidents’ in their ongoing campaign to racialise child abuse as something that only Muslims do.

Plenty has been said about the EDL’s opportunistic and racist use of sex-abuse stories to generate anti-Muslim hate and also about their remarkable silence about any sex-abusers with white skin, especially the paedophiles and rapists within their own ranks and within the wider ‘patriot’ movement, whom they more usually ignore or even defend.

Luckily the good people of Stevenage are not sitting back and letting racists march through their town unopposed spreading lies. Local opposition has been mobilised by the local chapter of the National Shop Stewards Network and by Stevenage & District Trades Union Council.

Stevenage TUC say:

“The English Defence League is bringing their race hatred to Stevenage. Youth and trade unionists are demonstrating against any attempt to bring division and distrust between the community which only plays into the hands of the rich and powerful. We will not let them go unchallenged.”

“Make your voice heard – ignoring them will not make them go away! The EDL latch on to any issue which they can use to create division. The EDL offers no solutions. It is a racist hooligan organisation, organised and led by racists who preach a general anti-Muslim message. Violent assaults by EDL supporters have targeted anyone who doesn’t look ‘British’. This is racism, not a fight against ‘extremism, or sexual grooming’. STOP THE EDL – JOBS, HOMES & SERVICES NOT RACISM”

Local activists have been busy sticking up posters, giving out flyers and been out on the streets of the town talking to people and getting a really good response.

Stevenage Against the EDL – Facebook
Facebook event for Saturday

Demo info

Current best guesses of routes of demos

The police designated routes for the demos on Saturday are as follows: The EDL march is due to set off from Stevenage Old Town at around 1.30pm, proceeding into Gates Way. The march will then continue into Lytton Way, across the roundabout,  finishing in Southgate at the edge of Stevenage town centre. They will then march back the way they came.

The TUC march will start at Town Centre Gardens at around 1pm and will proceed along St George’s Way into Southgate car park.