Police are continuing to investigate after an anti-racism concert was stormed by protesters chanting support for the English Defence League.
Three men were arrested on suspicion of affray after a hail of rocks and bottles were thrown into the 150 strong crowd of music fans and at windows at The Well venue, Chorley Lane, near the city centre. Two people were injured at Saturday’s all day Rage Against Racism event. One man had teeth knocked out.
Kevin Berry, assistant manager at The Well, formerly Joseph’s Well, suffered an injured wrist during the fracas while shielding himself from a missile as he stood behind the bar. He said: “A group of around 15 people, estimated to be aged between 16 and 23 barged into the premises shouting and chanting ‘EDL’. They were throwing bottles and rocks. The police attended quickly and arrests were made. Despite the incident, the event continued without a problem. We had to carry on. It would mean that these people would have stopped the benefit gig and all the hard work done to arrange it. The group also allegedly posted their plans on Facebook and afterwards boasted on the internet about what had happened.”
Organisers today said that the concert continued as planned until the early hours of Sunday morning. Star guests at the punk, ska and reggae event included The Mighty Oppressed, Low-Life UK and DJs Jon Firth and Jamie Headcharge.
Four windows were broken, including one at offices above the venue. Two people were injured in the attack.
All money raised at the event will be donated to the Unite Against Facism organisation and local projects.
The EDL claims to be a street protest movement which opposes what it sees as the spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in England.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “Officers were called shortly before 2.40pm on Saturday to reports of a disturbance at The Well. One man received a serious facial injury and others received minor injuries, with damage also caused to the premises. Three men were arrested on suspicion of affray, and were bailed pending further enquiries, which are being led by City and Holbeck CID.”
Witnesses are asked to call 0845 6060606.
Yorkshire Evening Post
There should be far more than three arrests if the police stop treating the EDL with kid gloves.
ReplyDeleteThe Hitler-loving EDL are now openly posting footage of their racist attacks up on YouTube: -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=108207555940055&oid=258616132923&comments
Can somebody please pass on details of this despicable racist attack to the police so the neo-Nazi EDL bastards can be traced via the IP address and locked up in prison where these scumbags belong.
There is, as yet, no way of reporting internet racism to the police.
JOHN GALLIANO BLAMES ANTI-SEMITISM ON ANTI-DEPRESSENTS: -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion/529010/john-galliano-s-prescription-drug-addiction-revealed-as-racism-trial-begins.html
(ANOTHER PISS-POOR FASCIST COP-OUT!)
More money for donkey rides and ice creams for Weyman then.
ReplyDeleteStill waiting to hear where Weyman and co were when the two Muslim men were attacked in Dagenham.
I THOUGHT MY BROTHER MIGHT BE DEAD: -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=25160
Aidy, the video has either been deleted or is unavailable due to privacy settings. Have you got the youtube link? If so I'll pass the info on.
ReplyDeleteCheers John.
As I understand it, the money raised will not be going to the UAF.
ReplyDeleteThose of us who attended are and remain very anti-SWP.
The video has now been removed from facebook and youtube, but it is still available on this link: -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.twitpic.com/5exbfg
The suspected racial attacker who if there was such a thing as justice would receive a sentence in court, is called COBZ SMITH.
http://www.twitpic.com/5exbfg
ANYONE, INCLUDING ANTIFA INTELLIGFENCE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT COBZ SMITH????????
Thanks for the info and video
ReplyDeleteURPROVOKED RACIAL ATTACK BY EDL MEMBER....
ReplyDeletehttp://andycarrington.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/nazi-watch-sickening-unprovoked-racist-attack-by-edl-member-da-cobmeister-aka-cobz-smith/
PLEASE REPOST ON THE LANCASTER UNITY WEBSITE, THANKS!
Cobz Smith is also known as the Cobmeister.
ReplyDeleteHe's a leading EDL thug, and has connections with the leadership.
Surely the cops know where he lives, so they can send the black mariah around to pick him up.
I'd like to see fucking evil EDL neo-nazi thugs like Cobz Smith being locked down.
Cobz Smith is a facsist c*nt!
ReplyDeleteGood Article
ReplyDeleteDa Cobmeister Cobz calls himself when he's not beating up random Asian men on tube trains under the orders of Stephen Yaxley Lennon.
ReplyDeleteCobz Smith is no different from the racist thugs who killed Stephen Lawrence.
ReplyDeleteWill he get away with his crime also???
Can somebody please report Mr Smith to the Met Police in London, so he is arrested for the video and /or racial attack?
ReplyDeleteI do not live in London so I cannot pop into the cop shop.
But is there are any readers in London, please print out the twitpic and call into a London police station demanding that the police arrest Mr Smith under suspicion of this vile racist attack.
It is so serious, Smith will be tracked down ASAP and charged.
It's not rocket science to track down Cobz's IP addy so the coppers can make an arrest. The vid was loaded to the net by Cobz and Cobz alone suggesting he was either the attacker or part of the gang that carried it out.
ReplyDeleteIf the police take no action, they are most defo instututionally racist.
ReplyDeleteHow for fuck's sake can an unprovoked racist attack go unpunished?
The police definitely are institutionally racist - but the bigger problem is that they probably by now see the EDL as a useful weapon against the left.
ReplyDeleteas any of the 635 lads been arrested ?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know where there is a pic of any of these thugs so that the police may be informed?
ReplyDeleteI see the bnp had a protest in Bolton today/ video up on BNP tv. What hypocrits they are having Adam Walker interviewing Gri££in on child rape. Walker a sexual prediture and Jefferscum Snort Snort.
ReplyDeletePlease repost the excellent "Chasseurs De Skins" video on the Lancaster Unity blog to discover how French anti-fascists have historically stood up against racism, Ketlan!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.borderxer.co.uk/2011/05/antifa-chasseurs-de-skins/
Someone said that holocaust-fantasising EDL bankroller Alan Lake of EDL Final Solution-fame, also has
ReplyDeleteconnections with the anti-Semitic Hungarian Fascist 'Jobbik' party.
Does anybody know more about this? This would be particularly interesting given lake's funding of an English fascist organisation they claim is not anti-semitic.
BNP HYPOCRITICAL IN THE EXTREME!
ReplyDeleteJefferson in court yesterday..NOT on trial this time!
Clive is used to court appearances and prison, he is a very dodgy man but still Nick Griffin places him in charge of ALL party finance ! You gotta laugh. Could anything be more ridiculous? YES, Adam Walker campaigning against Muslim sexual predators who perv on young white English girls. Eh, WHY WERE YOU AND YOUR BROTHER KICKED OUT OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION ADAM????????????????????????????
Are Christian perverts better than Muslim ones? WELCOME TO TEAM GRIFFIN.
Kitchen was there too , the granny porn freak, what planet are the loyal GRIFFINITES on these days.
"Please repost the excellent "Chasseurs De Skins" video on the Lancaster Unity blog to discover how French anti-fascists have historically stood up against racism, Ketlan!"
ReplyDeleteAll very well but it's in French and a lot of us don't speak it.
"All very well but it's in French and a lot of us don't speak it."
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of vers of "Chasseurs De Skins" on YT and elsewhere w English subtitles. Here's one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU07m_Cr-jg