Following their wash-out in Wakefield on Saturday, the EDL are trying again to muster more than double figures in Hartlepool this Saturday by the cunning strategy of inviting any old Nazi on their demo. So Hartlepool will unfortunately be an unwilling host to not only the EDL but also the North East Infidels and various other hangers-on – folks who quit the EDL because it wasn’t right-wing enough for them.
Latest info on EDL meet up point and demo route.
More info from local newspaper on demo routes.
Leeds Anti-Fascist Network call out for Wakefield:
On Saturday 23rd November, the English Defence League (EDL) are coming to Wakefield to spread their racist hate and lies. We believe they must be stopped.
The EDL claim they are a peaceful protest movement against “radical Islam”, but direct their racist propaganda at all Muslims. Their members have been responsible for arson attacks on mosques and Muslim-run businesses, violent attacks on members of the public and their protests are known for the violent and racist nature.
Report from Brighton Anti-Fascists
Around forty comrades made the trip from around the country to Exeter to check out the last EDL national demo of the year (don’t worry folks, there’s still a few regionals to counter).
Perhaps ignorantly we’d considered Exeter to be a bit of a void politically speaking so we were pleasantly surprised by the size of the turn-out of the Exeter Together effort. Around a thousand locals marched into town from Belmont Park (accompanied by a slow funereal soundtrack of the kind more usually associated with a witch-burning).
This information is from a long term anti-fascist in Exeter:
Details are now clear about Exeter on Saturday.
March Routes
Firstly, the local rag managed to get the details about the route of the EDL march totally wrong. They are NOT marching down Sidwell Street or the High Street. The EDL are assembling at The Locomotive on New North Road at 12.00 and it is our understanding that at 1.30 they will be marching north up New North Road, round to the clocktower and then up Queen Street for Rougemont Gardens.
The above map has both routes: ours in red and theirs in blue. The Exeter Together route is straight through the middle of town. The EDL route looks like it is very near by and it is as the crow flies. However, New North Road is a main artery road that consists mostly of parked cars and heavy traffic and the combination of the railway and Rougemont Gardens makes an impassable obstacle between them and the High Street.
This is a draft write up from North East Anti-Fascists:
The North East Anti-Fascists took their battle bus into Shotton to oppose the EDL. The very well policed events ensured that the opposing forces were kept apart.
The EDL had very very few people from Shotton on their event our clued up local said.
The Blackhall colliery socialism banner was superb, as was the anti-fascist banner and the anarchist banner.
Re-blogged from London Anti-Fascists
On Saturday 9th November, notorious fascists and neo-nazi has-beens called a demonstration in support of the jailed leadership of the murderous neo-nazi Golden Dawn party at the Greek Embassy in London.
Over 40 militants from the AFN responded in a co-ordinated action to send a strong message to those attending or thinking about attending neo-nazi and racist demonstrations – that they are not welcomed and they will be opposed. The message was spelt out to them with a “frank discussion” before the demonstration. For all their talk of “smashing the reds” not one of the 12 fascists said a word, instead the sense of sheer fear on their faces would hopefully make an impression and knock some sense in the younger attendees that were present. Around 5 of the younger fascists were escorted out of the pub onto trains by AFN militants and told to fuck off home.
Support anti-fascists in the North East: Get yourself to Shotton this Saturday!
Meet 1pm at Shotton Colliery memorial on Front Street, DH6 2ND
North East Anti-Fascists have been organising to oppose the EDL and North East Infidels in Shotton on Saturday. They have been working together with the Durham Miners Association and co-ordinating with local UAF to get numbers out on the day. People have been leafletting in Shotton and in other areas in the North East with the leaflet below and transport has been organised.
As reported in various places, extreme Polish right-winger Robert Winnicki was speaking in a number of venues across England and Wales last week. Winnicki is the honorary president of Młodzież Wszechpolska (MW) which translates as The All Polish Youth Movement, an extreme nationalistic, homophobic and anti-Semitic organisation. Winnicki himself is infamous for his speeches against “faggots” and saying that homosexuality is an illness that has to be cured, not accepted. During one of his speeches in 2012 he said “we are building a force of which faggots and leftists are so afraid”.
He was due to speak in Cambridge, Aberystwyth, Bristol and London.
The original advertised venues (mostly Catholic churches) appeared to know nothing about Winnicki speaking. The event in Cambridge took place despite protests in the Polonia Club as advertised. However, the Bristol event originally advertised for a church ended up taking place in a pub after the church denied all knowledge. The event in Aberystwyth was originally advertised to take place in the University but ended up taking place in a secret location after protests from the Students Union, anti-fascists, LGBT and women’s groups.
In London, Polish anti-fascists organised to oppose Winnicki. Members of London Anti-Fascists joined them. About 30 anti-fascists confronted approximately 60 Polish Nazis. One anti-fascist was arrested.
This is a call out by the North East Anti-Fascists to all concerned – watch this space for a further announcement as to exactly what is being planned.
To be honest we ignored the EDL in Shotton last time, we have better things to do actually than chase these losers around all the time. However, there is a growing consensus in and beyond the North East Anti-Fascists that they cannot be allowed to organise unnopposed.
Therefore the North East Anti-Fascists commit to opposing the EDL and Infidels in Shotton, what form this takes is yet to be decided, but we suggest that you talk to friends, arrange transport and days off work if necessary. It has not been clear whether this event was going to happen, as we shared a post by the EDL regional organiser who cancelled the event, but it appears that they have had a change of heart after the Infidels decided to carry on with the event, so not to be outdone the EDL apparently are claiming it too. This unholy alliance of the EDL, Infidels, and any old Nazi are promoting a demo in Shotton on November 9th 2013.
Come by the stall and pick some up to distribute around the country!
Anarchist Bookfair, Saturday 19th October, 10am-7pm at Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS.
Anti-Fascist Network 