Skip navigation

Indymedia UK is a network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues

Nazi EDL attack Palestine Peace Protesters on Sat 12 June 2010

Geoff Dexter | 15.06.2010 10:07 | Flotilla to Gaza | Anti-racism | Palestine | Social Struggles | Birmingham

15 EDL members attacked a Palestine Solidarity Campaign stall and peace vigil in solidarity with Palestine.

Hi all,

Please find below link to photos from Saturday.

The peace demonstration was made up of people of all backgrounds representing Birmingham's Diversity.

It followed the Israeli attack and murder of peace activists on a convoy to Gaza. The EDL chanted racist and islamophobic abuse and attacked one of the stalls, physically
assaulted protesters and threatened further violence.

The Palestine demonstrators held their ground and did not retaliate. In doing so we forced the police to finally remove the EDL. The peace demonstration continued for another 45 minutes afterwards growing to 100 people having drawn the support of the wider public. The message is clear the EDL will not be divide or intimidate us in our city and Nazis are not welcome here.

Clearly it is a worrying development that the EDL feel confident enough to attack Palestine demonstrations but the events on Saturday clearly show their actions carried no resonance with the wider public and we should not allow them to intimidate us. Unity and numbers are the key to defeating the far right and we should continue to hold our activities without fear, actively unite all of our communities both over the question of Palestine and through Unite Against Fascism.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffdexter/sets/72157624268020580/detail/

If you want the full size photo just click on all sizes and download
the full image.

Kind regards

Geoff Dexter
Birmingham Ramallah Twinning Initiative.

Geoff Dexter


Additions

fuck the edl

15.06.2010 13:27

this was the edl,from their forum:
A few edl from the midlands mainly west mids(Approx 25),decided today would be a nice day to take a trip to Birmingham town center, have a few drinks and watch the england match,
Between pubs we came across stalls and various groups on about Freeing palestine,
somewhere in the process of asking what it was all about ,It was found out that we were EDL members,
As it was an informal meeting etc no one was wearing any insignia .
Well next thing we have a raging commie twat on a megaphone giving it the usual nazi bnp guard dogs racist bullshit,
By this time also a largish group of asian youths and commie sympathisers had gathered, and were getting a bit hostile,
Long story short, some of them decided the odds of 4/5-1 were good enough to come and try attacking us.
So naturally as we are a defence league, we defended ourselves,
After a couple of attacks the Commie,s and palestinian sympathisers decided the numbers were still not in their favour, And held back waiting for reinforcments, i should imagine,

Once the Police arrived
Despite women getting hit and bottles thrown at us, we were once again in the wrong,
We decided to leave this scene , As freeing palestine was not on our agenda Today,

We went on our way to do what was originally planned. have a beer a chat and watch the footy later,
Unfortunatley once the Police knew which bar we were in, The landlord decided we were not allowed any more service .. And Police asked us to leave the premises, But only by one door where we would be filmed and have our details taken,,
Well i dint leave by that door and wasnt filmed. As i am an ordinary citizen and dont agree with this big briother bullshit,
After it was realised we were not going to be allowed in anywhere,
it was decided to go home,
Nice,
once again it was nice to meet more moderate Muslims , And commie stirrers,
And thanks Police officers, for once again making us look like we did something wrong,
If any pics come out ill post them.
i am proud to say We didnt take a backwards step, And only defended ourselves when attacked..



also see here on youtube:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGBXQm0i7N0
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fmx67wXBnE

antifash


Comments

Hide the following 18 comments

EDL certainly have Nazi links

15.06.2010 10:55

Some of the EDL are out-and-out neo-Nazis. It's true that many of the rank and file are just "useful idiots" to neo-Nazis and Zionists, like football hooligans. Also Zionism has the idea of racial purity and the chosen people, like Nazism did.

The people with the Israeli flag were either just Zionists using the EDL for their own purposes, or else they were common garden fascists (who are probably antisemitic themselves) using it because they know if will annoy Muslims.

anon


EDL - defenders of Israel

15.06.2010 11:01

Unfortunately its not the first time, see

 http://www.inminds.co.uk/qudsday2009.php#counterdemo

Racism attracts racists, so the EDL are natural supporters of Zionism.

observer


behind the words

15.06.2010 11:01

No supporter of the EDL, but Dexter is a SWP/UAF member, and the usual guff about the EDL being nazis (though some are) is inserted in a post ostensibly about a Palestine protest, any attack on innocent people should be opposed, but it basically becomes an advert for UAF/SWP,

always look a bit deeper where the SWP are involved.

look now


More info please

15.06.2010 11:14

Do you have any more information on the nature of this confrontation? What were the chants of the opposition? Was this explicitly an EDL mobilisation? Did they sound like they were local lads? What was the nature of the assault? Was an arrest made? etc. Cheers.

Thanks4thesnaps


Nazis waving Israeli flags?

15.06.2010 11:22

In the link posted there is a picture of these people waving an Israeli flag. Now, I think they're morons and I'm sure they were purely doing it to wind up the muslim protesters and kick up a fight but Nazis don't wave Israeli flags.

Also, you claim they're EDL.. Where are their accessories (flags, sweaters, facemasks etc) that the EDL are so keen on? I think the EDL are knuckle dragging goons of the highest order but there's no evidence that these people are EDL. I also think it's quite clear they aren't Nazis, even if they are fuckwits.

Using such language makes you look like a bit of a tit.


"The anti-hypocracy [sic] league" Said:

"if Israel was not a Jewish state then you people would not give a damn about what Israel does. "

It's nothing to do with whether it's a Jewish state or not, that's a very childish and fingerpointing way of looking at things and stinks of either a) paranoia or b) using unfounded accusations of antisemitism to defend the indefensible.

Joe Malik


!

15.06.2010 11:42

For fuck's sake enough!

Will you middle class arsewits all stop arguing about the EDL, and what/who they are, are they fascist, patriot, nazi etc.
"What is the specific nature of their existence?" - this isn't a poncey university fucking debating society for fuck's sake!

Who cares?

What the EDL are is a threat. They are racist, ignorant bigots. They are scapegoating Muslim communities like Hitler scapegoated the Jews. They are the useful idiots of rich bastards like Alan Lake. They are dividing the Working Class.

They are now starting to attack anti-bigotry protests (albeit soft targets, fucking cowards) and they have to be stopped!

So stop the debating and get out on the streets.

IHTF


not surprised really...

15.06.2010 12:14

In my home town, on the main street,UAF and the SWP are always getting little sixteen year old boys to shout at people about things that they have very little knowledge of in the first place - usually with the most gigantic megaphone they can find!!!!

I am on 'the left' (whatever that means when students like you lot hog the lime light all the time) and I go bright red (seriously!) when I see you on the streets pissing everyone off and fundamentally winning NOONE over to your point of view (whatever that is, liberalism as far as I can make out!).....

You lot should really try and understand the dynamic of things at the moment. I am signed up to one of your email lists and all I ever get is emails from some fucknut going: 'EMERGENCY NARTZIS EVERYWHERE' When in all actuality a working class white man looked at you the wrong way.

FFS just look at the state of that girl in that picture! Stop playing at wadical politics and see these people for the joke that they are!!!!!!!!!!

Your giving fuel to some narrow-minded populist fantasy, and winning noone over to anything resembling decent politics...

But I suppose you won't read this anyway, and if you do the best response you could muster is NARTTTTTTZZZZIIIIIII!!!!!!!!



david


this might shed a bit of light

15.06.2010 15:14

The zionist hate machine has infultrated the hateful EDL:
 http://www.thejc.com/node/32535
The above link is from the jewish chronicle. Article by Mark Israel

ben


link from above

15.06.2010 15:17

Here's the article:
EDL step up their Jewish recruitmentExtreme-right English Defence League sets up ‘Jewish division’ to lead the fight ‘against jihad’


By Marcus Dysch, June 3, 2010

An EDL activist at a recent demo
The English Defence League, the extreme right-wing anti-Islamic-fundamentalism group, has launched a "Jewish division", encouraging members of the community to "lead the counter-Jihad fight in England".

It has signed up hundreds of followers on Facebook since the launch last week. Supporters include an ex-Community Security Trust volunteer who claims "a lot of Jewish guys want to get stuck in".

One follower wrote on Facebook "we are all Shayetet 13", in support of the IDF naval special forces unit involved in the Gaza flotilla incident.

But Jewish community organisations responded to the initiative with shock, saying the EDL intimidated Muslim communities and claiming its support for Israel was "empty and duplicitous".

The former CST member, Mark Israel, claimed Jews should back the EDL as an alternative to existing community groups.

He said: "I've been involved with groups like CST and the 62 Group for 40 years.

"At first I thought the EDL was an off-shoot of the BNP but I have been investigating them. They are very pro-active, unlike the Board of Deputies. They are our allies. We have a common cause. These guys want to have dialogue with the Jewish community.

"I know a lot of Jewish guys who want to get stuck in and want to support a physical presence. It is not your typical thing people want to be associated with, but in this day and age we need something like this. Is the CST enough?"

The EDL mission statement says the new division is for "Jewish supporters of the EDL, and supporters of Jewish people everywhere. We are non-racist/fascist and anyone is welcome if they want to live under English values and fully integrate into our way of life".

Last September the EDL brandished the Israeli flag at a demonstration and called on supporters to launch a counter-protest against a pro-Hizbollah march in Trafalgar Square.

Mark Gardner, CST communications director, said: "The EDL intimidate entire Muslim communities, causing tension and fear. Jews ought to remember that we have long experience of being on the receiving end of this kind of bigotry."

Jon Benjamin, Board of Deputies chief executive, said: "The EDL's supposed 'support' for Israel is empty and duplicitous. It is built on a foundation of Islamophobia and hatred which we reject entirely.

"Sadly, we know only too well what hatred for hatred's sake can cause. The overwhelming majority will not be drawn in by this transparent attempt to manipulate a tense political conflict."

ben


Apologies

15.06.2010 15:19

Sorry, it was an article by Marcus Dysch and NOT Mark Israel

ben


Nazis wave Israel flags

15.06.2010 15:53

Someone said "Nazis don't wave Israel flags". Some Nazis don't but orthodox Nazis do. To commemorate the Nazi party's support for the Zionist colonisation of Palestine; Hitler had a coin minted with the reversed Swastika on one side and the Star of David on the other . The BNP; under the direction of their Nazi leaders; do support Israel.

The leaders of the EDL wish to impose on us in England the type of state control that Israel exerts through it's watch towers, laws against inter racial marriage and so on in Palestine.

The suggestion that anyone who knows their history or is prepared to debate the present is middle class is a piece of anti working class bigotry.

Theory and Practice


worrying development

15.06.2010 15:59

worrying development. we should expect a lot more of this. especially during the world cup. please note that its wrong to say that the EDL attacked, though. it seems there was apprehension on both sides for any physical confrontation. There was verbal to and fro on both sides, but there wasn't an attack from anyone. lets call it what it was.

fuckEDL


i.e.

15.06.2010 16:24

A bunch of idiots yelling and screaming at each other.

What a lot of unpleasant people. Next time I hope a massive Asian copper comes along and nicks you all for breaching the Queen's peace - Palestards and EDL alike.

anon


@FuckEDL

15.06.2010 16:42

There were blows here, though thrown by the muggy looking girl with the tidy lyle&scott top on- as shown in the video posted on here.
But yeah, no need to blow this out of proportion but it is advisable for groups to be prepared for potential confrontations that could erupt.

antifascist casual


sap paper

15.06.2010 16:59

whem you consider that the swp paper carried the headline smash the edl(think before the edl went to bolton) isnt this exactly what they want i think were gonna be seeing lots more of this because the edl numbers will be swelled by lads just out watching the football could be a hot summer

anybody


lollercoaster

15.06.2010 17:12

Hang on a minute - getting hit by a little girl who is with some EDL mongs is being "attacked by fascists"?

If you'd been attacked by fascists you'd know about it mate - those bastards come armed and don't mess about.

anon


EDL on Tour and coming to a town near you soon

15.06.2010 21:55

But running fast in the opposite direction shitting their pants hiding behind the pigs and only stopping to piss against the nearest cathedral whilst their beloved leaders shop them to the filth

TOSSERS

Road Hog
mail e-mail: infidel@EDL.com


Deb EDL Zombie in the pink jumper.

18.06.2010 20:33

Nice pose.... he he he

anon


Links