August 14, 2011

EDL could carry out Breivik-style massacres if they are not monitored

The English Defence League will carry out a Norway-style massacre in Britain unless the Government cracks down on the racist organisation, ­according to an expert.

The far-right group should be monitored in the way terrorists are to prevent a mass killing on the scale of the atrocity carried out by Anders Breivik last month. That’s the frightening verdict of Matthew Collins, who has closely followed the EDL since they burst on to the scene in 2009. Collins, 39 – who was once a top dog in the BNP and National Front but is now an anti-fascist ­campaigner – reckons top members of the EDL are as dangerous as Hitler.

He said: “The Government needs to treat gangs of white, far-right ­extremists like they do groups of Muslim extremists. Their leader Tommy Robinson, the pint-sized Fuhrer, says himself that we’re probably five years away from a Breivik-style incident in this country. So when are we going to act to stop it? These people are dangerous and they are armed and they are ­being led by racist dickheads.

“Show me any EDL member who has anything to contribute to ­society. When I see Tommy Robinson I see Abu Hamza or Anjem Choudhary. They comment on things they don’t know anything about. What does Choudhary know about me? What does Robinson know about the way Muslims live their lives? Nothing. Extremism breeds ­extremism. And there should be a plague on both their houses.

“If we don’t get it right, it won’t be just foolish young Muslims planting bombs on Tubes. It will be foolish young white kids, because people like the EDL tell them nothing about the great things about this country but will focus only on their twisted version of ­Englishness.”

Right-wing ­extremist Breivik blew up an Oslo government building, killing eight people, ­before shooting dead 69 others at a youth camp. The gunman praised the EDL in his ­manifesto and claimed he had 600 EDL supporters as Facebook friends and had spoken with “tens of EDL members and leaders”.

Collins – who has written a book about his time as a fascist, called Hate – says police should ban an EDL march in East London next month. He reckons the protest in the predominantly Muslim area of ­Tower Hamlets will end in a riot. The campaigner – who works for the anti-racist organisation Hope Not Hate – said: “The Police ­cancelled the England football match and the Tottenham game ­because of fears of a riot. So why are they allowing the EDL to march in Tower Hamlets in ­September? They are not coming here to ­protest about radical Islam. They are here for a riot. We need to stop this hatred brewing on our streets before it’s too late.”

Hate, My Life In The British Far Right, is out now.

Daily Star

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

On a related matter:

http://rt.com/news/line/2011-08-14/#id16271

Of particular concern: "Breivik has admitted to the terror attacks, but denies criminal guilt because he believes the massacre was necessary to save Norway and Europe from Muslims and punish politicians who have embraced multiculturalism."

He must not be allowed to present this as a legitimate defence, the precedent would be horrendous.

Anonymous said...

"Collins, 39 – who was once a top dog in the BNP and National Front but is now an anti-fascist ­campaigner – reckons top members of the EDL are as dangerous as Hitler."

Fair do's to Collins for switching sides but that is an absolutely and ridiculously stupid comment. Is he talking in theory or practice? In practice the EDL, like any threat to liberal democracy, would be smashed out of sight, in the way Hitler wasn't by the Weimar Republic, as soon as it looked like a threat to the status quo, provided they could all sober up. In theory, well anything in theory is true so why bother discussing it. I do suspect the sanity of anyone who has been in fascist organisations regardless of whether they've seen the light or not.

NewsHound said...

BREAKING NEWS: ROYAL HISTORIAN DAVID STARKEY SPOUTS RACIST CRAP AND SPEAKS UP FOR ENOCH POWELL!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/starkey-raving-bonkers-historian-accused-of-racism-on-riots-2337441.html

Alex said...

I was just about to make the same point as the anonymous commenter re Hitler. Absolutely idiotic thing for Collins to say.

I think the EDL seem less dangerous now than ever. Surely they'll get bored of turning up in random towns, chanting and singing, listening to speeches, then going home?

I suspect someone is going to try steering them down the political route, a sizeable portion of members will disagree, then the whole movement will fragment...