Peace loving anti-extremists provoked into
xenophobic violence by MILITANT ISLAMISTS!!111

Listening to Radio One at work the other day, I can’t really say I was expecting their lunchtime news to be Newsnight in terms of incisive political analysis and debate . If anything, it was a welcome 15 minute respite from listening to fucking Fearne ‘talent vacuum’ Cotton attempt to juggle inane phone ins, playing records AND being the most irritating person (ever) all at once.
But, I can’t really say I was expecting the news to feature what basically amounted to a 2 minute promotional spot for the English Defence League either.

The English Defence whaaat..? Oh, nothing to worry about… it’s just yr local friendly neighbourhood VIOLENT SKINHEAD FASCIST GROUP, that’s all, or as Radio One managed to put it… ‘the group who’s organisers say are peacefully demonstrating against militant Islam’.
The report went on to say how the group got permission to march through Birmingham City Centre on Saturday, but trouble ’started’ when they met anti-fascist protestors… many of whom ‘were young Muslims’. Before long, ‘men from boths sides were attacking the Police’, while shoppers looked on in horror.
Next comes a history of the EDL: set up following the incident where ‘Muslim extremists booed soldiers coming back from Afghanistan’, and an interview with one of the group’s organisers, named as Tommy: ‘blabla bla we’re not anti-islam we’re anti extremist innit cause muslims bombs immigrants TERRORISM ISLAM.’
He continues: ‘We’re against a small minority, the larger muslim community should actually be backing us in what we’re saying’ (!!!!)
What the fuck, Radio One? At no point did this piece mention the BNP, the EDL’s links to far-right football hooligan firms or in fact, racism. The closest we got was when we overheard the anti-fascist protestors shouting ‘Nazi Scum!’. And, according to the report, the protestors were ‘mostly Muslim’? And they obtained this information how? Because some of them looked Asian, basically?

EDL get a kicking from Birmingham youth

The EDL are fascist bigots, and it’s worrying that the mainstream media’s falling for their ‘anti-extremist’ facade and giving them coverage which certainly comes out more favourable than that given to their opposition.
The EDL claim not to be racist or linked to the BNP. The fact is, they are both, and most likely represent a new strategy from the party to reach out to disaffected white working class youth and football fans, and ramp up racial tension in certain areas – from which the BNP can gain electorally.  This Friday evening, the EDL are planning to descend on Harrow Mosque, one of London’s largest. And this is the group who claim that most Muslims should SUPPORT them?
At the moment, the EDL have not extended their reach beyond England and Wales. This doesn’t mean we in Scotland should be complacent though. In the run up to the Euro elections earlier in the year, we saw the BNP out on an almost daily basis across Scotland, the first time this has happened. However, the BNP in Scotland are, at the moment, a bunch of old men who by stepping outside probably represent a greater physical risk to themselves than anyone else. Nevertheless, any attempts by militant fascist organisations to set up in Scotland or take to the streets to spread their message of hate and division must be resisted and organised against: both by offering real, socialist solutions to counter their Nazi politics, and, where necessary, confronting them on the street to counter their Nazi posturing. The working class in East London united to beat Moseley’s Blackshirt fascists in the 1930s, and we can do it again.
NO PASARAN

extremists 4 anti-extremism

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