On the EDL's site yesterday the demo wasn't listed.

They called the demo off a week ago.
Did no one tell you?

The EDL 'called off' their Swansea demo beforehand as well in an attempt to convince antifascists not to show. All indications - including chatter on their forums this week - suggested they were using the same tactic in the run up to Newport.

All day yesterday there were EDL spotters and Redwatch photographers hovering around the square, being challenged, photographed and shown-out by Antifa.

The point here is not that the EDL kept us waiting around all day; instead that we brought the South Wales community together across religious, ethnic and cultural lines to the point where people were willing to show out - and hang around - for each other. Newport may have its problems but it is not a racist city. The EDL pulled a no-show because we appeared so organised and unified in our diversity that they knew they couldn't win. There was a strong Antifa presence on the square, and gangs of lads with half of Pill waiting on text - if the EDL had turned up there would have been bloodshed.

This is a victory for Newport Communities Against Racism. If they hadn't created the buzz that they did over the last month or so the EDL wouldn't have been scared off and the day would have looked very different.

I'm concerned to see people claiming this as some kind of victory over the EDL they changed their demo location over a week before this and if activists don't know that and the real reaons for the other event then that's speaks volumes about the innerectual state of anti fash work in this country

Whatever the state of fascism or organised racist groups on a UK wide level, that kind of bigotry has never been able to get any kind of foothold in Newport.

15 years ago the BNP said it was gonna march through Newport, a huge confrontational and intimidating crowd of local people didn't let them off the train platform.

Yesterday we proved that whenever such bigoted scum say they are gonna come to our city we'll remind them that we don't tolerate shit like that.

The EDL knew they would have got fucked up if they came to Newport, so they ran away in fear, the few EDL spotters who were in town were fucking lucky the police got to them before any of us did!

Sure in other parts of the UK there is a lot of work needed to kick these scum off the streets, in Newport we don't have those kind of problems.

Was good to hear the speakers from No Borders highlighting the real dangers of state racism and the violent immigration system. The next step for us is to defend people targeted by UK Border Agency and show the immigration racists we aren't willing to allow dawn raids in our city either!

The trouble for the edl is that they have galvanised the left. They are, repeatedly, organising the left into mass popular objection to their racism. As a BNP front group they are failing. The BNP know this. The eBay postal scam is still gathering them cash - but for how long?

We're looking forward to giving the EDL a good kicking in Leeds next week.

is this some kind of Newport in-jargon?: "half of Pill waiting on text"

just wondered, that's all.

Pillgwently, known locally as 'Pill' is the docks area of Newport. very near to town and full of what outsiders consider 'rough' pubs and social clubs, as well as two of the cities mosques.