Monthly Archives: January 2013

2012 far-right activity round-up in the Three Counties

As we start 2013 we thought we would give a brief overview of fascist and far-right activity in the Three Counties region over the last year. They really haven’t given us too much to worry about!

English Defence League: None of the local ‘divisions’ have done anything notable all year. Following the national trend, the Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire divisions seemingly no longer exist beyond occasionally-updated Facebook pages. There’s no evidence of any of the local halfwits attending any of the national demos.

British National Party: As opposed to their peak a few years ago, there’s only one ‘active’ branch left in the region now. Their organiser/candidate Carl Mason did very poorly in the local elections in Worcester, and also got himself some very cheap publicity for breaking into the office of a local college to deliver the Union Flag for them to fly. Must. Try. Harder!

English Volunteer Force: Formed as one of the dozens of EDL splits in the summer. Started a Facebook page for their Hereford ‘group.’ Managed to achieve a mesmerising 20-odd ‘likes.’ Haven’t done anything else.

General racism and idiocy: Some Swastikas and ‘Welcome to Poland’ graffiti appeared on road signs in Herefordshire. A racist halfwit got jailed for attacking a Cheltenham mosque. Worcester City player, Lee Smith, was let go for his tweet about ‘illegal’ immigrants. A kiddy got in trouble for another racist tweet before the Cheltenham Town FC vs Hereford United FC derby match. Ross-on-Wye huntsman, Lee Peters, was found guilty of racially abusing an anti-hunt protester.

As we go into 2013 we’ll continue to monitor far-right activity in the region, support call-outs from anti-fascists elsewhere in the country as well as support and involve ourselves in the Anti-Fascist Network. If last year was the ‘Year of the Infidel,’ we cannot wait to see what this year will be…

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“English Defence League extremists hold demonstration in Solihull town centre” (Birmingham Mail)

edl+2“Shoppers look on in horror as sixty supporters of the far-right group wave flags and shout anti-Islamist chants

Sixty English Defence League supporters have held a demonstration Solihull town centre (12.01.13)

Shoppers at the Touchwood Centre in Solihull looked on in horror this afternoon (Saturday) as the EDL far right extremists waved flags and shouted anti-Islamist chants as they passed by.

Pav Sehra, 22, from Solihull, saw the commotion as she left the main shopping area and saw the protesters at Brueton Gardens, on Warwick Road at around 1pm.

She said: “I think it is ridiculous.

“They shouldn’t be allowed to do it in public.”

The demonstration was organised by Matthew Pile, who runs the EDL Birmingham Division’s blog and is based in Sutton Coldfield.

Members came from as far as south east London to take part.

A member of the Birmingham Division, who was acting as a security for the EDL on the day, said: “We have liaised with police and the police have liaised with us.

“We were expecting around 50 people to turn up but we’ve got a few more than that.

“It is peaceful.

“No anti groups have shown up but I don’t know what will happen if they do.”

West Midlands Police said that they were aware of the demonstration and would be deploying officers to the area.

Right wing extremists from the British National Party said they did not want to be associated with the event.

BNP member Ian Stock, from Sheldon, called the Sunday Mercury to distance himself from the rally.

He said: “They have just sent me a text message saying they are holding an demonstration against Islamification in the West Midlands.

“We do not agree with anything they are doing today.

“I saw what they did in Dudley.”

Mr Stock was referring to violent scenes in Dudley as the EDL protested against the opening of a mosque there in June 2010.

Several people were injured when bricks and metal security fences were launched at riot police and 21 arrests were made.

Violence flared as United Against Fascism staged a counter protest at the same time.

A 16 year-old girl suffered a broken leg and six people were knocked over “like skittles” by a car fleeing the far right protesters in one demonstration.

Shops in Dudley had closed early and some boarded up windows as the EDL demonstrators descended on the town.

* Matthew Pile has been charged with attacking a man on the bus in the city centre.”

Original article

Great write up on indymedia “EDL outnumbered by trees in Solihull


Gearing Up For A New Year Against The Splitters!

Reposted from the Anti-Fascist Network

“As reported by EDL News & Malatesta, the EDL Christmas address this year from Kev Caroll was a complete fucking joke. One of the highlights for anti fascists was when he slagged off all the other break away groups, pissing off a lot of potential supporters and splitting an already fragmented far right.

The splits are very visible to see with groups of ‘Infidels’ (both North West and North East) saying they will no longer attend the EDL Manchester outing on the second of March.

Some ‘Infidels’ are even suggesting they have their own demo’s the same day, but we can’t imagine they would be able to get anything near the sort of numbers they would need, It will probably turn out to be a flash mob… in a pub… ordering beer… in protest…at something.

Whilst it’s easy to laugh at these public tiffs that seem to be becoming more frequent, It does look like it’s only the leaders & organisers of the splinter groups who seem to get upset as all they want is to be their own little Hitlers.

The average EDL supporters are also in an ‘Infidels’ group (or two) , and also display Casuals United images all over their facebook pages, for these people who are the remaining hardcore of travelling fascists, they will go to the biggest nationalist event of the day, and do not seem too fussy who’s name they march under, as long as they get to shout abuse and piss people off, and if they are really lucky get into a scuffle with the cops/reds/locals.

For example the poster below is doing the rounds on many of the EDL & ‘Infidel’ sites. We already know that March For England (MFE) organiser Dave Smeeton is furious as he has lost all control over this event, and he has asked that EDL stay away, but if this is the biggest nationalist event happening on the 21st April we can almost guarantee it will bring out every lowlife from MFE to the National Front, and every misfit in between, and the same will go for Manchester in March.

Not an MFE Poster

Not an MFE Poster

Luckily work is already underway to meet and greet our travelling fiends, and in a place like Brighton, no matter how many fascists get bused in they will always be outnumbered by a town sick to death of the fascist scumbags targeting them.

In northern towns like Manchester we usually see the EDL either equaled or  just outnumbered by counter protesters, and that is usually following a call out from UAF.

There is still a lot of work to be done to get the majority of locals out, who like any normal person despise fascism, but feel it is ok to leave it for someone else to deal with, or perhaps are put off by politically motivated opponents of the EDL. Either way there’s a lot of work to do, but hey, it’s a new year!

Manchester Demo Facebook Page (worth a laugh)”


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