The Last Gasp Of The EDL?

‘We’re going nowhere down the road!’

Well what a resounding success that wasn’t! The English Defence League’s ‘last national demo’ in Birmingham at the weekend was more like the last gasp of an increasingly riven and moribund mob. Scarcely a couple of hundred bothered to turn up to stand in the rain before being shunted into coaches and moved out again. As usual the EDL said they would demonstrate ‘where we want, when we want’ but of course it was an utter shambles, they bottled out and plod gave them a time and a place only to shift it in the last few days and gave them two hours tops to do whatever it is they do these days.

Various EDL Facebook sites were asking where was the usual opposition and the answer is that most antifascists can’t be bothered with the EDL anymore as they are clearly going nowhere and besides which, there are more important things going on at the moment. EDL splits, rivalries, rows over money, egomania and plain bad behaviour has seen the ranks dwindle over the last 6 months or so and they are looking weaker and weaker with every demo. The Infidels break away has affected the EDL’s numbers significantly. As with all fascist grupuscules too many people want to be Del-Boys and not enough want to be Rodney’s. The average EDL eejit hasn’t much money to spend gadding around the green and pleasant to be kettled in by coppers and ignored by the media. Any media attention they’ve got has been wholly negative because rather than talking to journalists the EDL attack them instead. Lads, as journalists are your conduit to the national media and they determine the tone of reportage, attacking them is not going to endear you to them.

The EDL really thought they would fare better than previously in the jewel of the Midlands: 1st time they went, loads got nicked, they got battered and were humiliated. Did they really think that this time would go smoothly? The local MP and various councillors called for a ban given the large policing bill they were landed with the last time the EDL came to ‘defend’ the town. Plod proved wiser than usual and had them under heavy manners right from the moment they got off their coaches. Then the 250 assembled in the drizzle and were told off by the speaker for throwing fireworks and bottles in their usual ‘peacefully protesting’ manner. Shame on you boys! The speaker did not condemn the racist statements and half-arsed Nazi salutes though. Most of the pubs either closed or refused to serve beer to them and they ended up in the Walkabout Aussie theme bar whilst the riot cops outnumbered them outside. Liverpool, Croydon and some Yorkshire members managed to get out of bed and probably wish they hadn’t as they could have donated all that hard earned to the EDL’s royal couple, Stella and Charlie. Nottingham EDL’s Joanne ‘Bus Stop’ Dickens said she was going as did Hayley and the Plymouth EDL/Combined Ex-Forces despite the fact Tommy had said they were ex-communicated. Has Tommy been fibbing again?

Anyway, to cap it all off, after the usual long winded speeches, bored and drunken yobs ‘spoiled it’ for the assembled numbers by fighting amongst themselves again. The fallout on the forums was inevitable: many complained that the static demos are getting nowhere; that the racists and Nazi saluters are still there (they’re your core constituents chaps!); that many were drunk and out of control fighting with cops and stewards; and that once again EDL looked like drunken, racist hooligans. Well, that’s because you are! Much dismay, accusations of bottling, resignations and insults were flying about on the net which was great fun to read. There has been a call for an EDL national meeting which will no doubt be a disaster and end with a load of pissed up hooligans all trying to have their say and fighting with each other instead of sorting out their political future. And the numbers of supporters at demos continues to decline. One of the reasons is that many EDL have been arrested and their bail conditions prohibit them from going anymore. That is if they haven’t been sent to prison already! Scarcely a week goes by without yet another EDL lobo-case being sent down for their stupid, drunken, racist antics.

Check out our friends on Everything EDL and EDL News for more info on the recidivist yobbos!

And where was ‘Sir’ Tommy? At Tower Hamlets he promised us he would show up for every national demo despite his bail conditions. However after getting remanded on the nonce wing following the Tower Hamlets ‘victory,’ Tommy has not been overenthusiastic about another stint at Her Maj’s Pleasure – though this may be about to change. Tommy also hasn’t learnt from his many previous mistakes: after the Jodie Marsh and Joey Barton photo fiascos, he was pictured with some crap magician who has since denied knowing who he was. Maybe you should ask Jeremy Paxman instead Tommy, he REALLY likes you!

Infi-Del Boys

After the sparsely attended embarrassment of their Leeds debut, the Infidels ended up meeting renegade EDL, SDL and other partial-wits for a show of, err, strength, in Newcastle. However, they did a lot better than the Newcastle National Front turnout which numbered a pathetic 8 fascists stood looking clueless in the Toon. Feeling their usual lager bravery some Infidels and other National Front Bottoms attacked the Occupy Newcastle site which fascist forums claimed to be a ‘victory.’ But this was not enough violence so the associated eejits decided to battle it out between themselves instead and happily kicked each other in the testicles for 20 minutes. Don’t take our word for it! Check out our friends in Lancaster!

Check out the axe merchant! This infighting reveals yet more splits amongst the tiny far right grupuscules and the blossoming romance between the Front Bottoms and the Infidell-ends is over.

The EDL and other associated grupuscules are scab organisations doing the self-defeating work of the ruling classes for them: they attacked the Occupy Newcastle site which is protesting against corporate greed and the unaccountability of capitalist organisations; they threatened to attack students who were protesting against education cuts and view all students as ‘middle clarse’ which is naïve beyond belief; and they opposed the massive march against cuts which was protesting against the decline in living standards, government austerity and attacks on public sector jobs and pensions. No doubt, they will oppose future demonstrations which are supported by tens of thousands – unlike their squalid little demonstrations which most people and the media completely ignore.

Fail, Bail, Jail.

So, this has not been a good year for Tommy Robinson: the Infidels split and other petty fallouts have drastically affected numbers on EDL demos; Tommy got nicked and remanded at Tower Hamlets, spent some time inside on the nonce’s wing on ‘hunger strike’ and on his release he went for a Halal Nando’s which gave him a poorly tummy; he got a guilty on the Luton football hooligan thing and he is still under investigation for fraud and has had his assets seized. When the headbutt case comes up on the 3rd November he probably won’t be going home for tea that night (his favourite is spaghetti hoops and fish fingers. No foreign muck for Tommy!). All of which will leave the EDL leadership in the less than capable hands of Hel ‘And Damnation’ Gower, who is 70 and everyone hates (she likes Soleros and Weetabix best) and Kocaine Kev Karol (turkey Twizzlers and a whole Vienetta), a less than gifted public speaker and organiser. Maybe it’s time for Tommy to wrap it up and grab what little cash is left before it all goes horribly wrong. Or not.

P.S…

Our antifascist friends way down on the south coast have launched a call for a more coherent antifascist organisation. Check them out here!

Malatesta's Blog

Thanks to NewsHound and Malatesta (cheeky monkey) for the heads-up