August 28, 2010

Bradford braced for arrival of the EDL

Nine years ago it was the National Front marching. Today it will be supporters of the English Defence League peddling a slightly different brand of xenophobia. But whatever name they go by, many residents of Bradford fear the outcome could be the same.

Faisal Nawaz Khan has good reason to remember the last time the far right sought to parade through his home city. He was just 15 when rioting erupted in the Manningham area of the city on the night of 7 July 2001.

In what was the latest pulse of violence to hit the North of England that summer, youths threw stones at police, a pub was burnt and a luxury car dealership was attacked. David Blunkett, who was Home Secretary, had stopped the NF demonstration planned for earlier that day – just as Theresa May has acceded to police requests to do the same with the English Defence League (EDL) this time. Yet trouble still flared and today it will be left to the police to keep the "static" gatherings of many hundreds of EDL supporters and their opponents from Unite Against Fascism under control.

Despite the ban on marching, the planned protests have already succeeded in rekindling unwanted memories in an area still rebuilding itself after riots in both 2001 and 1995. Mr Khan was convicted of throwing a stone at the height of the last disturbances and was sentenced to five years in prison – one of 200 people jailed from the community for a total of 604 years. Then a promising student today he hoses down cars for a living in the shadow of the burnt-out Upper Globe pub which remains derelict after being torched during that long night of violence.

"They put all the blame on us as if we were the culprits and wanted to burn these buildings down," he says. His friend agrees. "The fascists and racists came here 10 years ago to tear down the town and why have they been given permission to do that again?" said the older man who did not wish to be named. Rumours have already been swirling around, they say. A story of an Asian woman being attacked by white youths is circulating, possibly started deliberately to stoke up tension, the men working at the car wash believe.

"It's already escalating," said the older man. Mr Khan believes young Asians will be reluctant to go into the city centre today where police will corral the two rival protests into separate areas out of sight of each other. "We have told our community to stay at home. But we have received anonymous letters through the letterbox saying they want us to go into town and get into trouble. I don't know who it is but they say go there and fight and defend yourselves. But it is Ramadan and we will be fasting."

His friend Asif Khan, 25, said: "This is causing flashbacks for everyone. We don't want a repeat of what happened. They should ban them from coming here all together."

Opposition to the EDL has been well organised since news of the planned march broke. In Bradford city centre, Maya Perry, 35, was gathering signatures for a group called We Are Bradford. It is planning a multicultural celebration as the EDL gather at the newly created urban park – an area of land on the edge of a giant hole in the city centre which is to become a huge retail complex. She was doing brisk trade gathering signatures from passers-by putting their names to a statement denouncing the EDL as Islamophobic, adding to the 10,000 already gathered demanding the march be stopped.

Having grown up in Bradford but now living in London, she too recalls the effects of previous riots but believes people need to stand up and be counted. "We know that when there hasn't been any opposition such as in Stoke the far right can rampage through the town centre, attacking Asians and destroying businesses. They say they are against Islam but in Dudley they attacked a Hindu temple. They are violent racist thugs," she said.

For Bradford's traders, today promises to be one of lost business. Ayaz Muhammad, 33, who sells luggage in Kirkgate market, said he was planning to be there though others would not be opening their stalls. "No one wants trouble. The elder at the mosque has been giving us a lecture for the last two weeks not to go into the town centre. He has been warning us that it is like a fire. The dry sticks can ignite even the green wood. They fear everyone could get caught up if a few get involved," he said.

At the Oastler shopping centre Keith Taplin, 54, was manning his butcher stall which has been run by the family since before the War. The Union Flags on display were there to mark a recent sausage promotion and he said his customer base included as many Asian shoppers as white. "This is going to cause a lot of trouble. There are two or three different groups and that is going to cause a problem no doubt whatsoever," he said. Despite the planned presence of an extra 30 security guards at the market customers were getting their shopping in early. "We have seen a lot of our Saturday regulars already this week. Everybody is keeping out of the way. And who can blame them?"

Independent

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hope not hate reports coming in
http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/

Anonymous said...

Griffin's woes exposed in today's Independent newspaper

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/debts-lawsuits-and-internal-feuding-cast-doubt-on-future-of-bnp-2064009.html

Anonymous said...

Looks like a massive damb squib for the EDL. Where's the 10,000 they were boasting about?

Well done HnH and all the other anti-fascists and locals who campaigned against this pathetic organisation.

P.S. Some choice photos of lumpen EDL idiots in today's Daily Heil. Even there former backers are turning against them!

Anonymous said...

Less than 50 BNP members turned up for this Family weekend which was in place of the RWB. Things must be bad.

Anonymous said...

"Looks like a massive damb squib for the EDL. Where's the 10,000 they were boasting about?"


Turnout may not be as great but still apublicity coup, its all over the media and will encourage more for the mext edl static demo

Anonymous said...

The EDL were calling Bradford the 'Big One'. Maybe they should rename it the 'Little One'?

Rumours that squads of EDL thugs (who did'nt join the orginal demo) are trying the provoke Asians locally. Asians should not get drawn into fights. It's what the EDL want.

Anonymous said...

Daily Heil! I like it. There used to be a sitcom on Channel 4 called The Kit Curran Radio Show andthere was this one scene when the radio newsreader was doing this piece on Maggie Thatcher interviewed for the 'Daily Express' upon then mimicing a siegheil. It's on Youtube!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said: "Turnout may not be as great but still apublicity coup, its all over the media and will encourage more for the mext edl static demo"

Dream on mate. Publicity coup? You're deluded. The only thing I see in 'the media' is a bunch of rent-a-mugs on another booze cruise. The EDL's numbers have reached their plateau stage and will now gradually decline as the state takes more action. Your top boys are on the special branch payroll, Paul Day's off palling around with Terrorists and half of your ranks are made up of BNP/BPP/NF, etc.

Yaxley-Lennon's (Tommy Robinson's) a grass, still lives with his dear old mum and drops his drawers every time plod comes knocking.

PS. We can tell by your inability to grasp your mother tongue that you're one of 'them'.

Anonymous said...

Disappointed to read Martin Smith still slagging off Hope Not Hate on today's 'live' Socialist Worker Blog.

Lay off, mate, not today of all days!

Anonymous said...

Less than 50 BNP members turned up for this Family weekend which was in place of the RWB. Things must be bad.

Rumour has it green arrow has already been sent packing this afternoon for dancing naked round the maypole with a pair of nick griffins dirty briefs over his head.
The fest will finish at dusk tonight with nick griffin playing the part of christoper lee in the film the wicker man where all persons that havent donated at least a grand today will be burned in the wicker.

Anonymous said...

PS. We can tell by your inability to grasp your mother tongue that you're one of 'them'.

Well said. The EDL's backward retards would all have been Ungraded in their GCSE English at school!

Anonymous said...

The report in the Daily Mail does make good reading. Scrolling to the end of it, I see the EDL's Keyboard Army have been in action, more successfully than their kamaraden in Bradford it must be said.

As expected the BBC national news has said little about the matter - less than they would have done if anti-fascists had been causing trouble - and instead put out a load of trivia about Paris Hilton, and David Cameron's baby. However, the Look North news did have a report, in which the reporter referred to "Unite Against Fashion" before correcting himself.

Anonymous said...

"Unite Against Fashion"

Probably right first time

Anonymous said...

The fest will finish at dusk tonight with nick griffin playing the part of christoper lee in the film the wicker man

Will Emma Colgate be a very rotund 'Britt Ekland'?!

Anonymous said...

"EDL's Keyboard Army "

Yeah, friggin hilarious. Although if I made a comment on the Daily Heil and it wasn't red arrowed I'd be worried.

Gore Vidal said...

PS. We can tell by your inability to grasp your mother tongue that you're one of 'them'.

Well said. The EDL's backward retards would all have been Ungraded in their GCSE English at school!

Yes, I saw loads of these fine upstanding English gentlemen defending the country they dearly love with Noel Coward-esque crevats, bowler hats Barbour jackets and copies of the Daily Telegraph under their arms which they were using to attack the fuzz with.

I wonder if any of them know who was it that said 'patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel'??