Nick Griffin and the Drug Smuggler

Nick Griffin with Arthur Disbury

Now this is an interesting photograph.

This was taken at the BNP’s “Protect the Poppy “vigil held close to the Royal Albert Hall last Friday.

In what was nothing more than a shameless publicity stunt, Griffin along with around 30 BNP members pitched some tatty tents on the pavement overnight and decided they were going to “protect” the same area where Islamic extremists from the "Muslims against Crusades" organisation had planned to burn oversize poppies, repeating the same offensive display from the previous year.

As it turned out, the BNP’s “show of force” wasn’t needed as The Home Secretary Theresa May announced 24 hours before that "Muslims against Crusades" was to become a banned organisation by midnight last Friday, preventing the Islamists from repeating the stunt. However Griffin and his floundering political party thought it a good idea to camp out anyway despite the fact that they were mostly ignored by the passing public.

One person who paid them more attention however was Arthur Disbury. Disbury from Devon who is also known as Tony Davis is a well known EDL activist who regularly uploads vile racist videos to the Youtube website along with equally offensive diatribes to Twitter using the moniker “Dizzy99”. He is also a convicted drug smuggler!

Disbury was part of a team who conspired to smuggle heroin and cannabis resin into Channings Wood prison near Newton Abbot in 2002. Inmates of the prison along with former inmates and a prisoner’s girlfriend plotted to smuggle the drugs into the prison by throwing packages of drugs over the prison’s perimeter fence. It was Disbury’s job, who was an inmate working in the prison gardens at the time, to locate the packages and smuggle them into the prison itself.

Unknown to Disbury and the plotters was the fact that their telephone calls were being monitored by the prison authorities who suspected correctly that a drug smuggling operation was about to take place. A package of cannabis was thrown over the fence, but Disbury was unable to locate it due to the fact it had been thrown over into the wrong place, however a prison drugs dog did.

At Exeter Crown Court Judge Graham Cottle directed the jury to find Arthur Disbury not guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin to serving prisoners but was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cannabis and was given a four year custodial sentence.

The ring leader of the plot, Mark Ruggier, a former inmate was jailed for eight years with his other co conspirators all receiving length sentences. Disbury was told by Judge Cottle “Anyone convicted of conspiracy to smuggle drugs is in a serious position and smuggling drugs into a prison makes it even more serious.”

These photos will no doubt leave a nasty taste in the mouths of two “political” leaders, EDL leader Stephen Yaxley Lennon who tries and fails to dismiss links between the EDL and the BNP and Nick Griffin for allowing himself to be photographed with a convicted drug smuggler.

Disbury: A regular on EDL demo's

The newspaper report on Disbury's conviction

Hope not hate

Norwegian police formally investigating EDL financier for possible terrorism links

Reuters news agency are reporting that English Defence League financier & strategist Alan Lake is now being formally investigated by the Norwegian police in order to verify if he was an ideological influence on the mass-murdering Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik.

The Guardian have formally investigated and independently confirmed Alan Lake’s authorship of a “Final Solution” blueprint targeting the entire British Muslim population along with anyone perceived to be sympathetic towards them, including death threats against British Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy PM Nick Clegg and the Archbishop of Canterbury. You can see a screenshot of Lake’s horrifying “Final Solution” here and here.

Alan Lake was interviewed by the Daily Mail in 2010 and openly discussed his involvement with the EDL as a financier and strategist.

Channel 4 News, describing Alan Lake as “the EDL’s chief financier” during their investigation of the EDL’s connections with Anders Breivik, have confirmed that Lake was interviewed on Norwegian television in April 2011. In that interview, Lake confirmed that he has funded the EDL.

Video footage is available of Alan Lake attending a meeting in London with senior EDL leaders Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka “Tommy Robinson”), Kevin Carroll and Roberta Moore, in a video released on 20 March 2011.

Roberta Moore has direct links to convicted terrorists in the United States whose organisation has been formally designated as a “terrorist group” by the FBI and who are banned from entering Israel.

Roberta Moore was photographed personally escorting Yaxley-Lennon while he was disguised as a rabbi before he gave a speech at the EDL’s demonstration in London on 3 September 2011. During that speech, Yaxley-Lennon publicly accused “every single Muslim” of collective guilt and publicly made a direct threat of EDL-led retribution against the entire British Muslim population.

Yaxley-Lennon is also on record as stating that he agrees with Anders Breivik’s opinions.

Alan Lake has been instrumental in facilitating the EDL’s alliances with Far-Right groups outside the UK. He also played a pivotal role in facilitating the EDL’s links to the American anti-Muslim blogger Pamela Geller (who was cited multiple times in Anders Breivik’s 1500-page manifesto and was in direct contact with a violent Norwegian who sounds suspiciously similar to Breivik). Lake even personally attended the protest against the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” which Geller organised in New York last year; Yaxley-Lennon also attempted to accompany Lake to the protest but was prevented from doing so by the American authorities. Full details, along with an overview of Lake’s background, affiliations and activities to further the EDL’s agenda can be read here.

Pickled Politics

Thanks to Zaahid for the heads-up

EDL falsely claims to have recruited Joey Barton

The English Defence League have wrongly claimed that Queens Park Rangers footballer, Joey Barton, has joined their far-right group.

The English Defence League has claimed that Queens Park Rangers footballer, Joey Barton, has joined their far-right group. A picture of Barton standing next to EDL leader, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has appeared on the EDL Support Group Facebook page with the caption ‘Joey Barton joins the EDL’.

However, Barton and the club strongly deny any links with the far right extremists. In a statement released by the club, Barton said “As a Premier League footballer it is common to pose for photographs with people you do not know, as is the case here. I had no idea who the person was. I simply agreed to his request for a photograph. I have absolutely no connection with such a group.”

Last year, a similar picture of Yaxley-Lennon standing next to glamour model, Katie Price appeared on the EDL’s Facebook page along with the claim that she also supported the group. At the time, a spokesperson for Price’s management company said 'She is not and will not be associated with the English Defence League. Kate had no reason to suspect he had any connection with any group.'

Show Racism the Red Card’s Chief Executive, Ged Grebby said “The EDL is a far-right, racist organisation which claims to oppose Islamic extremism but, in practice, opposes all Muslims. The claim that Joey Barton supports them is another attempt at gaining credibility. The EDL is built on a foundation of distorted facts and this latest failed attempt at using celebrity endorsement goes to prove this.”

The full statement from Queens Park Rangers Football Club reads as follows:

"Queens Park Rangers Football Club and Joey Barton categorically deny any link between the midfielder and a far-right group who are claiming his support. A photograph of Barton posing with a member of the group has been used to suggest the player is also a member.

Barton said: “As a Premier League footballer it is common to pose for photographs with people you do not know, as is the case here. I had no idea who the person was. I simply agreed to his request for a photograph. I have absolutely no connection with such a group.”

Barton has a pre-scheduled interview next week at QPR’s training ground to help raise awareness of the continued good work of Show Racism the Red Card."

Show Racism the Red Card

Thanks to Zaahid for the heads-up

Is The Party Over

This video has has been doing the rounds on Facebook and I thought I would share it here on LU. It's a very entertaining and informative rant about the current situation within the EDl and the BNP by Dick Coughlan. It is a bit sweary in places but very funny

It's time for a Caption Competition...

Click on image for full-size

It's about time we had another caption competition and who better to kick off a new series that Tommy Stephen Cacky-Lemon Robinson. Poor old Tommy. You have to feel sorry for him, banged up in the nonce's wing of Bedford nick to keep him from having to bump into any of those nasty Muslims who might object to his presence. Still, he should feel comfortable in there - there's plenty of his old mates from the EDL occupying nonce cells. A home from home really.

It's also worth remembering that Tommy is on hunger strike (or so he claims). He hasn't even had a KFC bucket of halal chicken bits or a pint of fizzy piss since last Sunday morning. God, the things these EDL he-men go through for their cause. It makes you proud to know they're standing up for us against whoever the foe is this week.

Get those captions for Tommy's placard rolling in, folks. :-)

EDL leader on hunger strike

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon has gone on hunger strike after being remanded in custody after breaking his bail conditions by appearing at the EDL demonstration in the City of London on Saturday.

Despite openly goading police from the stage that he was breaking his bail conditions his solicitor took a different line before Luton magistrates this morning when he claimed that Lennon did not break his bail conditions as they related to a previous case which he is contesting regarding a 'trumped up' charge of Assault.

Anna Hazare he is not.

Hope not hate

Far-right group ‘to become a political party’

EDL members at a Dutch Freedom Party rally

The leader of the far-right English Defence League last night confirmed that the group would be holding talks with a view to becoming a legitimate political party.

Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said last night: “We’re having a meeting this week with politically minded people and we’re discussing the options. We know the support we’ve got from one end of the country to the other because we talk sense. So we’re having more discussions this week. It’s something we’re seriously looking at. We’ve been meeting with top political people for a year about this and now we’re getting close. We’ve been sitting down with a couple of lads who are posh-speaking, public school boys, who have been in politics before, and we’re discussing with them where it can go.”

Supporters of the group, which formed in 2009, have often been involved in violent scuffles with anti-fascist demonstrators in areas with large Muslim populations including Luton, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Bradford. Several journalists have received anonymous threats in the past when covering EDL demonstrations.

In a bizarre twist, the move towards legitimisation for the far-right group is said have come after the Daily Star newspaper last month published what Richard Peppiatt, a former reporter on the paper, believed at the time to be a false story. The article stated that the EDL planned to field candidates at a general election.

Last week Peppiatt quit the tabloid, admitting he produced made-stories for the Star and saying he believed it gave sympathetic coverage to the EDL.

The Independent on Sunday understands one reporter, from a different news organisation, who recently interviewed Mr Robinson, claims that the EDL had the idea to become a political party after seeing the Star’s fabricated article. But Mr Robinson distanced himself from that suggestion, saying starting a political party was something the EDL had intended to do for at least a year.

Mr Peppiatt said of his decision to quit: “Going public has been at once the easiest and most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make. The messages of support from all quarters of the media and beyond, has confirmed to me I’m fighting the good fight, if belatedly. Obviously it was shocking when the attempts to intimidate me began, but it only served to harden my resolve.”

The Daily Star rejected the suggestion it supports far-right organisations. “For the record, the Daily Star editorial policy does not hold any negativity towards Islam and the paper never, and does not endorse the EDL.”

Since making his resignation letter public, Mr Peppiatt has received numerous emails, phone calls and text messages from unknown sources. One such message says: ‘We r (sic) doing a KISS AND TELL on u.’ Whilst an email reads, ‘I’m one of your FB [Facebook] friends and it’s about time you were honest with people. Stop the bullshit Pepps. We all know everything about you. Meet me at 8pm outside GH.’

Independent

EDL Rochdale: Piss Poor!

The EDL turnout at Rochdale today was rubbish. When are they going to leave us alone?

The English Defence League demonstration in Rochdale today was extremely feeble. About 350 turned up and there were 35 arrests, i.e., 10% of them. This will no doubt be interpreted as a massive victory by the under fire leadership. The EDL claim this was a regional demo but it was still a piss poor effort. The hoodies and flags on display were mainly from Wigan, Bolton and Leeds with 1 or 2 other few towns as well. Rochdale division, if one exists, maintained an extremely low profile. The cops and commentators on Twitter said that the vast majority of EDL had been bussed in, i.e., were not from round the Dale.

The EDL still brag about outnumbering the opposition and no doubt will do so tonight on their web forums. Well, the reason why there isn’t a massive turnout against them is because many anti-fascists realise that the EDL are not worth it and that the EDL’s bother over ‘Islamism’ is insignificant compared to the economy, the government coalition and the middle east. However, the local youth did turn out in force – and in some rather fetching black ensembles. Nice!

Yet again the vast majority of the EDL were bussed in from outside, escorted and then kettled by the cops whilst annoying the local community - rather than representing them. They are whining about the cops having a go at them and numerous members were bitten by plod dogs. The EDL threatened to demonstrate at Dagenham and in the East Midlands but the Dagenham protest against the mosque has been hampered by the split between the EDL and the English National Alliance led by Bill ‘Bunter’ Baker, the pastryman’s friend. The EDL and ENA fell out last week after Baker had made a twat of himself on TV, something which the publicity hungry EDL leader, Stephen Caxley-Robinson resented because if anyone is going to make a twat of themselves on TV it is going to be him! From what we can gather, fuck all happened in the East Midlands either.

Still, EDL watchers this week will no doubt have been amused by the EDL Islamic Division Facebook group prank. And whilst the EDL are desperate to assure people they are not BNP, who turned up to ‘protect’ the BNP stall in Barnsley last week from beastly trade unionists, but the EDL. So much all the ‘hard work’ the leadership do purging the ranks of fascists. Fuckwits.

Bury Black Pudding at Indymedia

EDL Latest

Warning : this article may contain ‘big words’ so to help the EDL trolls, here is a link to the dickshunry : http://dictionary.reference.com/

Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, Luton! Massive cuts of public jobs, increased fuel costs, VAT rises, ‘Allah is a paedo.’ The ‘unstoppable’ English Defence League continue to prove themselves hopelessly out of step with the reality of politics both locally and internationally and insist that the ills of the UK are created by millions of Islamic extremists. In the UK, Muslims represent 3% of the population and the % of extremists is slight. The EDL believe that we are about to be subsumed by sharia law and that Muslims are ‘out-breeding’ ‘white Brits.’ Lads, in grown-up politics the real issues are the Middle East, the economy and the ideological attack on the public sector by the Tories. You have yet to identify or expose any extremists in any of the places you have had your piss-ups. The only extremists arrested have been EDL members. The ‘inclusive’ EDL claim to ‘peacefully oppose’ Islamic extremism and think that ‘ordinary’ Muslims will not be offended by chants of ‘Mohammed is a paedo.’ The leadership blame this on a few ‘loose cannons’ but do not understand that the point of leadership is to control the ‘loose cannons’ and prevent this kind of thing. And this ‘loose cannons’ excuse has no political credibility because it has happened on every demo so far.

The EDL’s Jewish division is also a ‘loose cannon.’ Roberta Moore of the Jewish division has blundered massively over her affiliation with the Jewish Task Force and even the EDL have realised that the JTF, and indeed Moore herself, are a political liability who do no-one any favours. But she is a ‘loose cannon’ and a girl so she is probably just confused, the poor dear. The EDL think that anyone who opposes ‘Islamic extremism’ must be okay and on their side but the reality – which is where the rest of us who can read exist – know otherwise.

Another loose cannon in the morbidly obese shape of Bill Baker has been ‘proscribed.’ The portly leader of the English Nationalist Alliance, friend of pasties everywhere, has been booted out of an increasingly fragmented EDL. In case you don’t remember, the ENA have been piggybacking the EDL for a while now and have had a couple of sparsely attended demos here and there and were utterly humiliated in Brighton last summer. Even the ‘leadership’ of the EDL have realised that Baker is an unreconstructed Nazi and is doing their ‘multicultural racism’ pose no favours. Baker is after the kind of cash that sympathetic idiots willingly handover to the EDL for a ‘burka’ facemask and the thrill of being part of a barney now that they can’t get away with it at footy matches.

The embarrassments continue and it is almost sad to list them. There is the ongoing row over the Birmingham division’s tactless photo op with masks, guns and loyalist flags which the EDL are claiming that us nasty ‘fascist-anti-fascist UAF’ (i.e., anyone who does not like the EDL) have photoshopped. Best of all was the Richard Price incident with Stephen Napoleon-Lennon first supporting him, then saying Price was never part of the leadership and then the total turnaround and saying he was leadership but after being exposed as a sex offender he is now ‘proscribed.’ Some callous wag suggested anti-fascists sing ‘Pricey is a paedo’ at counter-demos but that just not nice. (Oh, and remember, when the EDL go on about ‘Asian drug gangs’ remind them about Price’s conviction for crack and cocaine which I am sure he bought from a respectable ‘white’ dealer and the fact that many EDLers are partial to a toke and a snort now and again and members have been arrested for drugs on demos).

The EDL blunder from crisis to crisis with the diminutive Steven Yaxley-Mainwaring at the helm of an increasingly contradictory, naïve and misguided ship of fools, still convinced that political efficacy is judged by how many pissed idiots you can gather at a Wetherspoons of a Saturday. Well done. Coke snorting woman beating ex-convict Napoleon-Lennon claimed on Newsnight to a rather bored Jeremy Paxman that ‘I ain’t political nor nuffink’ but forgot to mention that photo of him at the BNP meeting with Richard Edmonds. Something the EDL trolls have yet to comment on.

The EDL are always going on about opposition being middle class as if being a balding, fat, unemployed, football hooligan was somehow inherently noble. They should remind themselves that double-barrelled Caxley-Lennon owns a tanning business as well as ‘a couple of properties.’ Not very working clarse that, is it? And neither is Alan Lake founder of the EDL. Captain Yaxley-Mainwaring’s bank account has been frozen over money laundering allegations and it is a commonly held view that he has done a Griffin and siphoned off cash from the burka and hoody proceeds. He has been accused of this in the past by former EDL ‘martyr’ Snowy who also claimed Caxley-Trousers was an Irish republican. And speaking of Ireland, EDL supporters claim that their chant of ‘no surrender’ has no loyalist overtones, i.e., no relation to the footy chant ‘no surrender to the IRA’ – which is like saying the Hitler salute is in fact a Roman one and no negative connotations were intended.

The undoing of the EDL could well be over money like the BNP and Nickclops Griffin who could not keep his hands off all that lovely lolly. There were moves to make people pay for access to the EDL website but this seems to have been shelved as it is such an obvious racket. The website itself still features pro-BNP sentiments which are eventually deleted by the dozy moderators and the section for opponents to comment has been removed. So as the British government are making massive cuts in public spending and affecting pretty much every area of life the EDL fail to expose any extremists. They limp from PR crisis to PR crisis blaming Islam for the world’s ills and Stephen Hyphen-Mainwaring’s legal troubles are coming to a head. But will his Special Branch handler step into the breach and save him in time? No.

The next EDL demo is set for Rochdale on 5th March. See you there.

'Accountant' at Indymedia

EDL chief’s bank accounts frozen in cash inquiry

The bank accounts of the English Defence League’s leader have been frozen as part of a money laundering investigation.

EDL chief Tommy Robinson, 28, said he was last year arrested for ‘financial irregularities’ and was issued with a Luton Crown Court order on August 11 preventing him from making any withdrawals from or charging any purchases to his accounts.

In a YouTube video Mr Robinson, who has just moved home to an unknown location from Lower Stondon, said he is entitled to take out £250 each week to cover living expenses while the investigation is ongoing. But other than that he cannot touch the money, the amount of which is unknown, although Mr Robinson, who led the 1,500- strong EDL rally in Luton town centre on February 5, said the figure is £6,000.

He said in the online video: “The £250 comes out of my own bank account which has my money in it anyway. I have had to stop working because if I do work, and say I earn £600, next week it goes into a frozen account and I am allowed £250. My solicitor has told me these orders are called disruption tactics in order to disrupt my life, disrupt everything I am doing and pretty much stop what we are saying, put pressure on me – and of course it has put pressure on me.

“This doesn’t cover my living costs. It prohibits me from dealing with any finances at all and that’s all in order to stop the EDL and our goals and what we are doing. They have given me this because between the years 2007 and 2009 I had more money going through my bank accounts than I paid tax on. Whoopy doo. It wasn’t all my money anyway. I bought a couple of properties and I have got partners that I am 50 per cent with. This will all come out if they decide to charge me.

“They haven’t charged me so they slapped this restraining order on me. I’ve been on it for six months. My bail date was February. My solicitor said they would probably bail me for another six months and I’ve been bailed until July again. They are just keeping my money frozen for 24 months. I’ve only got that £6,000 in my account and that’s going to run out soon. I can’t work because I can’t take any credit card payments at my tanning shop and the business is struggling.”

A police spokeswoman said: “A person has been arrested in connection with money laundering but as the investigation is still ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further.

By Sophie Scott of Luton on Sunday

Q: When does a tabloid become crude propaganda? A: When it starts printing it

The Daily Star patronises its readers by repeatedly publishing lies

Tory chairman Baroness Warsi recently complained that Islamophobic chatter had become acceptable at dinner parties. I hate to break it to you, Baroness, but if they're saying anti-Islamic stuff while you're sitting at the table, imagine what they come out with when you nip off to the loo.

A few weeks later, David Cameron delivered his speech on multiculturalism, and Warsi's notional dinner-mates doubtless nodded in agreement, even though the very word "multiculturalism" has so many definitions it almost requires translation. It's not black and white. Which is ironic.

As a result it was possible to draw almost any conclusion from Cameron's speech, from "segregation is unhelpful" to "send 'em back". Cameron is many things – including an android, probably – but a racist he is not.

So he was doubtless dismayed that his speech went down well with the BNP's Nick Griffin, who interpreted it as a "huge leap for our ideas into the political mainstream". When I read that, my sense of hope took a huge leap into a shit-filled dustbin.

The speech was also welcomed by Tommy Robinson of the English Defence League – and Stephen Lennon of the English Defence League. Who are both the same person, Robinson being Lennon's pseudonym. Mr Robinson-Lennon claims he's opposed only to extremist Muslims, not moderate ones, although how he hopes to tell them apart when he seems unsure of his own name is anyone's guess.

But then certain elements of the EDL seem confused by names in general. Several of them have been heard chanting "Allah, Allah, who the fuck is Allah?" If they don't know who he is, perhaps they ought to read that book they want to ban.

Robinson-Lennon recently appeared on Newsnight, up against Paxman. Not a classic battle of wits, but nonetheless the EDL's man came out on top: while middle-class viewers may have chortled at Robinson-Lennon's relative inarticulacy, others may have seen a member of the establishment sneering at a working-class white guy. Admittedly, Paxman sneers at everybody; he can't catch sight of his own reflection in the back of a spoon without asking who the fuck he thinks he is. But it reinforces the view that the white working classes are marginalised and looked down on by the media.

Not the entire media, mind. Some tabloids do little more but speak up for the white working classes – the Daily Star in particular. Which would be great, if the Daily Star didn't patronise its readers by repeatedly publishing lies.

Sometimes they're daft lies. Take the lie about the company behind Grand Theft Auto planning a game called Grand Theft Rothbury, inspired by the Raoul Moat saga. "We made no attempt to check the accuracy of the story before publication . . . We apologise for publishing a mock-up of the game cover, our own comments on the matter and soliciting critical comments from a grieving family member," read part of the paper's subsequent grovelling apology.

Sometimes they're visual lies. Take the time it Photoshopped a bald scalp and headscarf on to an image of Jade Goody in a wedding dress, to make it look as though she'd posed for the picture during chemotherapy.

Sometimes the lies appear on its front page, in a way that might alter a reader's view of Muslims. When not furiously recounting whichever grotesquely offensive stunt professional button-pushing irritant Anjem Choudary's come up with this week – stories which are not lies – it gets worked up over other "Muslim outrages" with little or no basis in fact. Take the story "MUSLIM-ONLY PUBLIC LOOS: Council wastes YOUR money on hole-in-the-ground toilets". Weeks after that appeared, the Star admitted that "the loos may be used by non-Muslims and were paid for by the developer".

And sometimes it doesn't quite lie, but misrepresents by omission. Take the story on 8 February "WE'LL STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR BRITAIN'S BRAVE WAR HEROES", in which it is reported that "The English Defence League is planning a huge march after two Muslim councillors snubbed a British war hero given the George Cross". It refers to an incident in Birmingham where two Respect party councillors remained seated while more than 100 other politicians gave a soldier a standing ovation. Nowhere in the article does the Star mention that there were many other Muslim councillors (Tory, LibDem and Labour) present at the same event – all of whom did stand and applaud.

In other words, the Daily Star is either grossly irresponsible in its sloppy representation of the facts, or engaging in overt anti-Muslim propaganda.

Who can blame a reader who, after reading such a skewed version of events, is gripped with anti- Muslim fervour?

On the same page was a phone poll: DO YOU AGREE WITH THE EDL POLICIES? 98% of the respondents did. If I read the Star every day, and believed it, I'd join the EDL too.

Not that you have to be a dedicated reader to be exposed to its influence. Just pop into WH Smith's. There they are, those headlines, the steady drip-drip-drip: MUSLIM-ONLY LOOS and BBC PUTS MUSLIMS BEFORE YOU and MUSLIM SICKOS' MADDIE KIDNAP SHOCK (No, I haven't made that one up). Drip drip drip. Bullshit or exaggeration masquerading as fact. And to what aim?

On 9 February the Star ran a front-page headline claiming ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE TO BECOME POLITICAL PARTY. Even that turned out to be dubious – their leader had merely said "we aren't ruling it out". Inside, another phone poll asked whether readers would vote for the EDL. 99% said yes.

Do they believe what they read in the Daily Star?

I believe this is a wonderful country. All of it. The people are inherently decent and fair-minded. All of them. We should resist crude attempts at division, wherever they come from. Because we deserve better. All of us.

Charlie Brooker in The Guardian

It’s not all what it appears

A strange night in Luton last night. Not long after midnight word came that joint EDL leader Kevin Carroll had been the victim of a gun attack on his family home. According to the EDL's facebook administrator, Carroll had been shot at several times by Muslim gunmen and armed police were sealing off the area.

Twenty minutes later, "straight from the horses mouth" it was reported that Carroll's window had been broken and that Kevin Carroll had chased the assailant/assassin in his van and then on his return home was shot at by a man (no longer Asian?) and Kevin suffered a broken toe.

Not to be left out, and not for the first time, Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley Lennon) then reported that armed police were at his house (again) and that the Luton demo would still go ahead "even if one of us was killed." Indeed, as relayed by Wigan EDL, "it's Fucking on!"

By the time the BBC were reporting the event this morning, Carroll had merely gone to "investigate (his broken window) and saw a man who appeared to be holding a shotgun. No shots were fired."

Of course, the truth has come too late as for hours and hours now and as far away as America, it is being reported that Muslims have tried to assassinate an EDL leader. The vile outpouring of anger and threats from those who have swallowed the false story of an assassination attempt is a real cause for concern.

Still on the EDL facebook page they're reporting "that Kevin Carroll lead the gunman away from his family thru gardens & expected to die when landed poorly. His ok and said nothing has changed for Luton... A true soldier & joint leader to the cause!"

And of course, there is a reminder that there still remain a few tickets left for the trip to Luton. They write that "After the events of last night I hope the people that werent (sic)going to Luton are changing their mind." And for those unsure, the £20 they charge for the trip gets you there (Luton) "and back!"

Draw your own conclusions as to how and why things have gone bump in the night.

Hope not hate

Police arrest EDL protest’s leader

ONE of the leaders of the English Defence League (EDL) has been arrested after police received complaints about his speech during their protest in Peterborough on 11th December.

Guramit Singh (28), from Nottingham, was arrested yesterday (22nd December) on suspicion of intentionally causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.

Cambridgeshire Police received two complaints after Mr Singh, an unofficial leader and spokesman for the EDL, gave a speech during the EDL’s two-hour protest in the city on Saturday, December 11.

Mr Singh was addressing around 1,000 EDL supporters and hundreds of onlooking members of the public during his speech, which was delivered outside Peterborough Magistrates’ Court and has since been uploaded onto YouTube.

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said: “A 28-year-old man from Nottingham was arrested on suspicion of intentionally causing religiously aggravated harassment alarm or distress, under section four of the public order act 1986.

“He was questioned in Nottingham and has now been bailed.

“Police are investigating whether any further criminal offences were committed during protests in Peterborough.

“The arrested man will return to a police station in Cambridgeshire in February.”

The EDL held its protest claiming to be against Islamic extremism and its perceived rise in England.

The protesters went from outside the Peterborough United Football Ground, in London Road, to Peterborough Magistrates’ Court in Lower Bridge Street, where they gathered for a static protest and were addressed by Mr Singh.

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the other unofficial leader of the EDL, confirmed that Mr Singh had been arrested.

Mr Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, said: “Guramit was arrested in the morning.

“The EDL are fully behind him and we don’t think there was anything wrong with his speech.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he has been arrested but it does disappoint me.”

The EDL’s decision to come to Peterborough to march and protest sparked the biggest policing operation in the history of the city.

Around 1,000 officers from 18 forces across the country were drafted in to police the EDL march as well as the counter demonstration which was organised by Peterborough Trades Union Council.

The operation cost Cambridgeshire Police an estimated £750,000 to pay overtime and draft extra officers in for the day. It resulted in 10 arrests on the day.

Police investigations are ongoing following the marches and officers have asked anyone with information to contact them on 0345 456 4564 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Peterborough Today

EDLs "Tommy Robinson" at Luton BNP Meeting ?

Are we mistaken, or is that the English Defence League's Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (AKA Tommy Robinson pictured on the far left at a 2007 Luton BNP meeting in the King Harry Pub?

Speaking is Richard Edmonds, veteran Holocaust denier and BNP activist with a string of violent convictions. Also present on the top table is the then Beds/Bucks BNP organiser Steve Sherwood as well as John Pater, activist with the BNP as well as the national socialist November 9th Society.

Three Counties Unity

EDL’s Dutch Courage Runs Out!

Well, what a wash-out. After months of trumpeting and blether the English Defence League’s band of hooligans and ‘chav scrotes’ were humiliated in Amsterdam yesterday, attacked by antifascists and Ajax fans and harried by the cops. At least they didn’t have time to fight amongst themselves as they usually do. There is some interesting YouTube footage, involving some shaky camera work, of them running around cluelessly, pursued by Dutch Antifa and plod. At one point there seemed to be more photographers than EDL all believing the hype that this was going to be another Bradford ‘little big one.’ In the end it was ‘the little little one.’ The images show a faintly confused bunch of fat blokes in hoodies wandering about. One of the EDL vans was trashed and there were 34 arrests. They had a little stage and Tommy Robinson AKA Steven Yaxley-Lennon, ex-BNP and jailed for assaulting a copper, gave a ‘rousing speech’ to his mates and then they went home. No surrender? They did. Completely.

According to Hope Not Hate about 60 turned up to ‘support’ Geert Wilders, the anti-Islamic Dutch MP who has publicly distanced himself from the lager swilling, loud mouthed hooligans for obvious reasons. So if that is the case, why did the EDL bother? So they can get their necessary media injection and show their mates in the pub how famous they are. This kind of behaviour shows the EDL as a vanity operation, boosting the egos a of a few nobodies with criminal records.

Battered

A poster on the EDL website said a group of EDL turned up on Friday night and the following day were attacked by Ajax fans who told them to go away in no uncertain terms. The EDL are now making threatening noises about revenge should Ajax come to the UK. We shall see … One hapless EDL got battered and ended up with a shattered leg. He had the misfortune to have no travel insurance either and had to travel back to the UK in considerable discomfort. The ‘Malatestas’ have had a whip round and will be sending 50p to the EDL as fast as possible. The poster admits that the public were also opposed to the EDL presence – which comes as no surprise. The EDL seriously think that ALL the ‘public’ and ALL football fans have the duty to support them. Well, they don’t: lots of people despise them or are merely bored by their posturing. The Dutch authorities didn’t want them there either and throughout the week the demo was moved about and they ended up with an out of town spot at the Western docks. In his ‘rousing speech’ Yaxley-Lennon criticised the mayor for moving the demo – as if a gang of drunk hooligans with a violent reputation should be welcomed with open arms wherever they go. The Dutch will have seen what the EDL have done in place like Stoke, Bradford and Leicester and have the absolute right to move them wherever they want. Would the EDL like the Ajax fans to demonstrate in the middle of Luton?

A Successful Failure

The Gates of Vienna website has declared the event a success but this is difficult to reconcile with the facts. The EDL had a poor turn out. The local football supporters attacked them. The person who they were ‘supporting’ publicly rejected them. The general public were hostile. The media coverage was negative. And the hope of uniting with other anti-Islamic factions and footie fans did not materialise. Well done. They had difficulties in getting the numbers for various reasons, mainly that the DSS won’t pay for ‘chav scrotes’ to go abroad on a jolly. One poster wrote: ‘I’m going, most people will be meeting round the red light district where the bars are next to the canals. I’m going on my own my mates cant afford it or aren’t allowed by there Mrs.’ Which just about sums them up.

What Price Fame?

What is more alarming than the EDL’s ‘international mobilisation’ is the relationship between Tommy Robinson and Katie Price. There was a picture of them schmoozing widely circulated on the net but now Katie is doing a desperate PR job distancing herself from the EDL. Meanwhile on the EDL web forum there is anti-Katie consternation and it is difficult to tell who is disowning whom. Both seem embarrassed by the turn of events. As they should be.

Anyway…

Despite all the photos of the EDL seig-heiling, and the dual membership of fascist groups by key members – Jeff Marsh, Steven White, Luke Pippin (Combat 18) etc. – they are still going on about being non-racist and this process of denial is sounding politically weak. The next ‘big one’ scheduled is in Preston on 27th November but there could be a few flash’ demos on the way.

Malatesta

Scum on Saturday

Violence flares at English Defence League protest in Leicester

Officers wearing riot gear and dog handlers worked to keep a crowd of EDL supporters under control as bricks and coins were thrown at police. The EDL held a static demonstration and Unite Against Fascism (UAF) staged a counter-protest in the Humberstone Gate East area of the city.

At least 1,400 officers were drafted in from 12 other forces to deal with the demonstrations, the city's largest policing operation in 25 years.

EDL supporters arrived from across the country in coaches throughout the morning. They were permitted to gather ahead of the protests in Hotel Street, Leicester, with police monitoring the groups in four different pubs.

With many wearing EDL branded hoodies and carrying banners, they met in and around the pubs, monitored by officers and police evidence gatherers. Some chanted ''EDL, EDL" while others carried banners reading slogans including "Sharia laws will destroy Britain and all our British values''.

Before the protests started, police said one person was arrested for drugs offences and another three people were also arrested.

Earlier this week, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, authorised a blanket ban on marches in Leicester, but the groups were still permitted to hold static demonstrations in Humberstone Gate East in the city from 2pm to 3.30pm. The area was shut down by police today, with rival groups placed either side of metal barriers.

Much of the city centre appeared quiet and some shops were boarded up near to the protest site.

Police were using Section 14 of the Public Order Act which meant officers could take action against anyone who protests outside that place and time. They were also using stop and search powers, and were supported by the dog unit, mounted unit and East Midlands Air Support Unit.

At one point a policeman was put into a buggy-style ambulance on a stretcher. Some EDL protesters were also treated by police medics, it is unclear what their injuries were.

Police said around 1,000 EDL supporters had turned up and approximately 700 UAF demonstrators.

Telegraph


Morons chant: "You're not English..."


EDL heroes in side-street

More:

EDL Protesters Attack Sky News Truck

Five arrests during Leicester protests by EDL and UAF

Clashes break out between EDL and black and Asian people

Nick Lowles updates

EDL - Nazi Salutes, Guns and Knives

People oppose the EDL because of what it is, not because of what some EDL activists say they'd like it to be, and the facts are simple - the EDL is being used as a Trojan Horse by Nazis and BNP activists.


Whether EDL leaders planned it that way is a moot point, but EDL leaders Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and Chris Renton (aka John Sheridan) are BNP, Jeff Marsh (aka Joe Casuals) promotes Nazi music in his blog and says he supports voting BNP, Paul Ray says he's NOT anti-BNP but he was shunned by EDL leaders for opposing Renton linking with Nazis, Joel Titus says he opposes the BNP but accepted BNP activists as friends on You Tube, and EDL poster-boy Guramit Singh is a proven racist.
Other movers and shakers in the original EDL include NF activist David Tull and BNP activist David Cooling. With that kind of leadership, of course it's the EDL's fault Nazis turn up at EDL demos!



Thanks to UK Fightback

Cracks appear at the heart of the EDL

A new wave of infighting and backbiting is engulfing the leadership of the English Defence League.

At the centre of the growing discontent is the claim that EDL founder Tommy Robinson, aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon aka Paul Harris, is lining his own pocket through the sale of merchandise.

We have reported on these rumours for quite some time but now they have exploded publicly. A recent EDL meeting in West Yorkshire, shortly after their failed protest in Bradford, descended into recriminations and frustration at the Luton-based leadership.

Tommy Robinson hit back furiously. “Who do people think they are when they slate others who have done nothing but put their hearts, their souls, their time and relentless effort into the defence of our country, much to the annoyance of their families, their partners and even themselves?

“And what do they get other than a constant barrage of unwarranted abuse, hostility and fabrications propagated to inflame those hostilities?”

He went on: “So I’ve made millions from merchandise have i? Iv skimmed monies from the EDL movement and basically shit on our grass roots members making a living off it? Im supposedly parasiting off EDL success to line my own pockets am i?

“How fucking sad are these people?”

And he concludes: “Seriously these so called and self styled “EDL Members” need to take a good long look at themselves and see the harm they are causing, to divide is to conquer but i know that sometimes something has to be broken so it can be fixed. People who need to break away because of rumour, hearsay, and lies are welcome to leave, i only want real people with the best intentions for this movement involved. I have no time for political platitudes, for massaging egos, for babysitting or wet nursing so called “members” who have hissy fit tantrums, members who are the cause of the majority of strife within the movement.”

The organiser of the West Yorkshire meeting was John ‘Snowy’ Shaw, one of the two EDL members who staged the Dudley rooftop protest. Stung by Tommy Robinson’s attack, he meekly rolled over like a sad puppy.

“I said two things on Saturday that were passed onto me that I now know 100% are totally untrue, firstly that Tommy had made thousands of pounds out of EDL and secondly that Kevin didn't use his real daughter in the documentary. I would like to offer my most sincere apology to both these men for bringing their good names into disrupt, by repeating these lies that were brought to my attention instead of what I should of done and spoke to them personally. That was a grave error on my part and believe me or not I never went to that meeting with any intention of saying those two things and regretted them when I did, we are all human and we make mistakes I should know I have made plenty. I feel that some people have used my passion and commitment to the cause to manipulate me for their own agenda, maybe the fact that I am fanatical about EDL was my down fall.”

He concluded: “I don't now or have never wanted to cause a division within EDL, I only want what's best for the cause.”

The problem for Snowy is that he has caused a division and despite the public apology Tommy Robinson is not in the mood to forgive.

Nick Lowles, Hope not Hate.

EDL Openly Display Guns and Knives

People oppose the EDL because of what it is, not because of what some EDL activists say they'd like it to be, and the facts are simple - the EDL is being used as a Trojan Horse by Nazis and BNP activists.

Whether EDL leaders planned it that way is a moot point, but EDL leaders Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and Chris Renton (aka John Sheridan) are BNP, Jeff Marsh (aka Joe Casuals) promotes Nazi music in his blog and says he supports voting BNP, Paul Ray says he's NOT anti-BNP but he was shunned by EDL leaders for opposing Renton linking with Nazis, Joel Titus says he opposes the BNP but accepted BNP activists as friends on You Tube, and EDL poster-boy Guramit Singh is a proven racist. Other movers and shakers in the original EDL include NF activist David Tull and BNP activist David Cooling. With that kind of leadership, of course it's the EDL's fault Nazis turn up at EDL demos!

Since being exposed in this video, Welsh Nazi Calan Llwyd has changed the name of his Facebook profile to "Calan Redkiller Mccommiesmasher" lol, and restricted access to his photos. Sorry mate, WAY too late! ;)

bnpinfo

English Defence League leader scurries into the shadows

The far-right English Defence League reacted badly to the unmasking of its secretive leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon in last month’s Searchlight.

Confirmation that Yaxley-Lennon, who used the nom de plume Tommy Robinson while hiding behind a variety of masks and disguises, had also been a member of the British National Party may have come as little surprise to seasoned anti-fascists, but many in the EDL found it hard to believe that their leader had been unmasked as a racist, criminal thug.

“Robinson” quickly removed his Facebook page and the various EDL administrators of numerous other Facebook pages and websites were flooded with imitators who appeared in the names of both Yaxley-Lennon and Robinson. The EDL issued a press release promising to “respond” to Searchlight’s “article of lies” but as yet, no reply of any kind has been forthcoming.

What has become clear is that the EDL is seriously underprepared for sustained media scrutiny and intrusion. The constant exposure of the amateurish playground nature of its internal squabbles is causing confusion and embarrassment.

Formed only last year, the EDL mushroomed from a coalition of former football hooligans into an enormous street army with the propensity for large-scale disorder and city centre confrontations with the police. But its lack of a coherent political and ideological strategy has thrown up potentially explosive contradictions.

The announcement that the EDL has formed both LGBT and Jewish divisions has caused discomfort not only among the hard core of heavy drinking “laddish” homophobes among its casual ranks, but also notably on the extreme far-right. The forming of self-interested “divisions” within the EDL umbrella conflicts with the organisation’s insular aims, but also highlights how desperate the EDL is to define itself as the complete opposite of what it in reality is.

That Jews or members of the LGBT community can align themselves with and stand shoulder to shoulder with Nazi-saluting football hooligans, or worse still the likes of Mike Heaton who was imprisoned in June for stirring up racial hatred, says much about not only the endemic nature of Islamophobia in this country, but also the damage to the cohesive political narrative in this society. Of course, the tiny numbers of the Jewish and LGBT people who support the EDL are in no way representative of their communities, but the seemingly endless onslaught against Islam from the national media and an unnervingly uncritical acceptance of an identity agenda by some on the left have resulted in divided views in the wider, and generally secular anti-fascist move-ment on how best to tackle the growth of the EDL.

The EDL is not as scientifically or chemically driven an organisation as those on the traditional far right in this country, but it is as dangerously toxic in sharing the features of knee-jerk reactionism and racism of both the BNP and the UK Independence Party. The EDL’s growing pains are by and large a stark reminder that some of its key activists learned their politics back in the 1980s, when the hooligans that dominated the football terraces ran with and accommodated thugs who held deep-rooted and unequivocal nazi and fascist beliefs, some at the very core of their gangs. While racism is the core dynamic and currency of the EDL, the supposed desire to defend the rights of the LGBT community as well as giving succour to, and receiving support from, the absolute and most ill-informed fringes of the Jewish community says more about the EDL’s relationship with the tabloid press than about adherence to nazi philosophy and principles.

After Searchlight’s exposé of Yaxley-Lennon, the EDL held a series of emergency meetings and discussions, while Yaxley-Lennon went into hiding and his parents threatened to throw him out. The group has begun using Ulster loyalist language and imagery and attempting to forge relationships with people from one of the notorious football hooligan gangs in the province.

It is also in the midst of a bizarre internal dispute, with one faction lined up behind a convicted German nazi terrorist with a black wife and his friend, a disgraced former loyalist terrorist. Rudderless for almost three weeks, the EDL finally issued a statement on 12 July, acknowledging growing grievances and announcing a new structure of regional organisers. The statement concluded that “the English Defence League is ready to move on to the next step in our counter Jihad fight”.

Matt Collins in Searchlight (via Hope Not Hate)