RESULT!!!

The actual banning of Islam4UK and the effectual banning of the EDL will only create more and more tension until something finally gives – which, in turn, will give the state an excuse to come down on ALL supposed dissident groups, including anarchists.

We’re rightfully proud to be anti-fascist, but in the meantime our everyday life is becoming ever more fascistic as basic liberties – such as Habeas corpus, the right to silence, trial by jury, the right not to be tortured, etc., etc., etc. – are being whittled away in the name of ’security’ and ‘for our own protection’.

Some people believe that these liberties are merely concessions granted by the powerful, but they can also be seen as a work in progress. Each represents a hard-won victory on the slow march towards a free society founded on equality, mutual aid and cooperation – i.e. every liberty brings us closer to anarchy.

All too often significant sections of the Great British Public find themselves in fundamental disagreement with government policy, or find themselves deeply concerned about a serious social or environmental issue that has failed to engage the population as a whole.

The "accepted" means of registering such disagreement, with the obvious and clear intention of seeking to effect some sort of change, has traditionally been through letters to the Press, or to one's Member of Parliament, or even to a Government Minister.

All too often however such efforts result in, at best, a dismissive response or, not unusually, a patronising nothing at all.

Ramp up the action a bit then, and we have signatures collected on a petition and delivered to the relevant authority. Effectiveness? Well, if one's lucky there'll be a mention in the media, followed by... frequently a patronising nothing at all.

Which is where we move into the grand British tradition of a protest or demonstration; customarily a march, sometimes a picket or other static "demo"... a form of expression much favoured by those who feel themselves ignored, overlooked, or sidelined in the prevailing political climate.

In exceptional cases, or where the cause rouses sufficiently deep passions and where no noticeable effect has been achieved by lesser means, we enter the rather more contentious realm of "direct action". Which can take many forms, but generally entails some form of civil disobedience or even acts that may fall foul of the law...though not necessarily of the ideal of Justice!

That said though, even direct action has a worthy tradition and a certain sense of legitimacy; I'm reminded, for example, of the Suffragettes. Indeed, the very institution of Parliament that we so affectionately regard as our own has its roots in, albeit rather extreme, direct action! Such is the nature of protest in this country.

Were such freedom to protest curtailed, what other recourse would the public have when they perceive themselves as largely disenfranchised by what is often seen as a mockery of a genuinely representative political system, that our "leaders" still glibly refer to as "democracy"?
Yet that freedom to protest, so lovingly and unthinkingly embraced by all manner of political activists and advocates of social causes has, over the past few years, come under increasing threat.

The most obvious and public example of this was the rendering illegal of protests and demonstrations within a specified distance of the Houses of Parliament absent police approval!
And since when, one might ask, is it necessary to secure police approval of a demonstration in a supposedly "free" society? Does that not already constitute, in essence, one of the elements of a repressive regime in which the police can arbitrarily dictate, without consultation and without accountability, which protests are considered "acceptable" (and would that be "politically acceptable" perchance?) to the State?

However, there are other far more insidious trends at work that threaten our freedom to protest in a much more fundamental way than having to seek police permission before demonstrating outside Parliament. And though insidious, the effects of those trends are becoming increasingly apparent.
 http://www.fotdmike.me.uk/writings/policestate.html

The raid over the weekend of the far right scum should indeed raise concern and

Increasingly of late the police have been seizing mobile phones and computers and enforcing strict and restrictive bail conditions which makes continued political operation of those arrested impossible. Bail is extended to often over a year before any charges are brought. Just because it’s currently the EDL who are copping it tonight doesn’t mean we won’t be next.Protestors arrested at the Radcliff power station school raid were similarly banned from contacting each other.It’s an insidious development brought in by the poice with connivance of the Home Secretary and proving extremely effective at disabling political movements from effective action on the streets.

 http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/edl-leadership-arrested-bradford-demo-off/


Conversely every affront to liberty takes us further from our goal. The EDL are wankers and we should be thankful that the highly provocative Bradford march has been stopped, but armed police raids against political organisations – regardless of whether they’re fascist scum like the EDL or Islam4UK – should never be seen as a good thing.

are as much protesters as any of us. They are taking advantage of collective strength to push a political perspective. Just because it isn't your political perspective doesn't change that.

I think the poster above is right. How does it help us if the police gain confidence in deploying this sort of tactics. They will be just as happy to do it to the black block, strikers, animal rights protesters etc.

The EDL are mainly just working class lads making a point. And yes, they are up for a ruck, and they will happily fight anyone who'll fight them. Anarchists haven't been willing to. But they seem happy for the police to do thier dirty work for them.

That doesn't bring much respect.

"The EDL are mainly just working class lads making a point. And yes, they are up for a ruck, and they will happily fight anyone who'll fight them. Anarchists haven't been willing to. But they seem happy for the police to do thier dirty work for them. That doesn't bring much respect."
That really wasn't the case on Saturday. Anti facists got round the police lines and got at least a few punches in against the SDL. They chased some EDL to the train station throwing fireworks at them. The S/EDL were scared of us, not of the police.
I share Ian Bone and others concern about the police raids. These should be opposed although I would find it difficult to protest against my enemy (the State) attacking my enemy (radical Statists).
The police raids are about the State trying to regain the initiative after the day was won by the Anarchists. We have not been intimidated. The EDL say that it is the police action that made them cancel Bradford but the truth is that we would have beaten the police and the racists there too.
Racism isn't about "working class lads making a point"; it is about the employing class bastards who own the papers and the oil companies trying to divide and rule.
People were really educated by their experiences on Saturday. People started off listening to UAF but soon rejected them when it became clear that Amar Anwar was were lying when he said the SDL were at Haymarket. We sang "Harry Roberts is our friend. He kills coppers".

Arrests of EDL activists seem to be helping foment a kind of mild panic across some Indymedia postings, about an imminent crackdown on activists. The cops are getting their own back on the EDL in revenge for the EDL stomping a defenceless copper in Stoke, but since the EDL lie about everything else, it's best to take EDL claims about cops raiding their homes with "machine guns" with a fairly hefty pinch of salt.

After all, EDL also said they'd cancelled their last demo because left-wingers were going to "attack" Asians! Basically the EDL are pathological liars, and remember that as career-hooligans, in some cases the legacy of mutual hatred and violence between them and the police goes back decades

It's too early to say whether cancellation of EDL's Bradford demo is definite, but if it is then that's ANOTHER big victory for Anti-Fascism, whatever the circumstances

WELL DONE TO EDIN AFA .... BRILLIANT WORK

Yes, I agree with what you are saying ultimately but:-

"Anarchists haven't been willing to. But they seem happy for the police to do thier dirty work for them...That doesn't bring much respect "

I misread this at first. What you are saying here is actually converse. The police have been cracking down on muslim communities since 911 and they have suffered a massive amount of repression, over 1000 homes were raided post 911 yielding no terrorism related arrests. There are few muslims in the UK who do not know someone effected by these raids. This state strategy was about sending a clear and chilling message to muslims that political dissidence will be stamped down upon like a tonne of bricks.

The EDL are perfectly happy for this type of crackdown from the state and are braying for further repression. They do not share out anarchist outlook whatsoever.

Spot on. The real wankers are the ones with money and power who are pushing this Daily Mail rascism and manipulating the whole thing for their own ends.

And terrific to hear that anarchos stood their ground in Scotland. All credit to ya. If we are to defeat EDL politics we have to do it on the streets. The UAF lot are cowardly scum, nuff said.

We hate the police as much as the EDL do. More. We should make that clear. The police support the system that pushes this rascist shit in the first place. Allowing them to throw their weight around, stopping people from travelling to demos, and raiding houses with guns, only serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the end of the day.