Upstream | October 12, 2009 | Comment on this video (3)

English Defence League & Unite Against Fascism Manchester Protests

JasonNParkinson
Warning: This video contains language some may find offensive. It is not published to offend, nor to support the opinions of the EDL or other racist groups, but to expose the truth behind this growing UK far right group.

Saturday 10 October 2009: The English Defence League (EDL) appeared on the streets of the UK again, this time in Manchester.

Unite Against Fascism (UAF) called a counter protest to what they consider a fascist group with links to the British National Party (BNP) among others.

Despite a recent Guardian newspaper investigation exposing the links of the EDL to the far right (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/11/english-defence-league-chaotic-allia...) the group maintain they are not racist, not fascist and have a multicultural support of thousands, as their own video tries to promote (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sIamEP1LhE&feature=PlayList&p=14F3AC5F17...).

But, as has been caught on film in their past protests, when EDL supporters chant, "Take your Allah and shove him up your arse", that single line is an offence to every single Muslim on the planet, not just those considered extremists.

Also on Saturday, as with other EDL manifestations, their supporters were caught yet again on film and photograph doing Nazi "seig heil" salutes and chanting racist rermarks like "If you all hate Pakis clap your hands".

Away from the main group EDL supporters clashed with UAF protestors and police. 48 people were arrested. The policing bill for the day was £200,000, employing some 500 officers and plenty of police dogs to keep the two protests apart, which led to several serious bite injuries on protestors of both sides and journalists.

News reports claimed more anti-fascist supporters were on the street than the numbers of EDL, some 1400 anti-fascists and 700 EDL supporters, but from this video it was a close call, with up to 1000 EDL members descending on Piccadilly Gardens by 5pm. Other EDL groups continued to roam the streets where several more clashes with local youths and riot police occurred.

The concern here is the massive increase in EDL supporters since the clashes in Birmingham. From the T-shirts it showed the EDL were willing to travel vast distances to protest - from places like Southampton, Bristol, Arsenal in London and Scotland - and showed the rapid increase in EDL divisions.

Another concern, shown clearly in the interview in this video - young white citizens, due to disillusionment with all other political parties, including the BNP - and the current economic and social ills - they are joining the ranks of the EDL, despite openly admitting there are racist elements in the group.

Previous EDL films

http://current.com/items/90662089_birmingham-fascist-anti-fascist-street-fights....

http://current.com/items/90919637_far-right-group-return-to-birmingham.htm

http://current.com/items/90939125_far-right-attempt-harrow-mosque-protest.htm

Blog

http://jasonnparkinson.blogspot.com/
  1. groups:
    Upstream,   VC2 Top Contenders UK
  2. tags:
    Police,  Protest,  Fascism,  Party,  16 more
  3. credits:
    JasonNParkinson film and edit
  4.     
    |
    Embed video:
    |

3 comments // English Defence League & Unite Against Fascism Manchester Protests // Video

  • skepticat
    • 0
      skepticat  

    • I didn't catch the racist slogans. When can they be heard? To be honest, this looks more like a promotional vid for the edl than one 'exposing' them. Plenty of young thugs could see this and think it looks like a fun day out.

    • 2 years ago
  • petermarshall
    • 0
      petermarshall  

    • Excellent work, and it makes the attitudes of the majority of the EDL very clear.

      It's been obvious for some years that there is a disillusioned and disaffected working class, and that the BNP has been rather more successful than than established parties and the left at reaching them. Though of course it is vital to oppose them - as UAF are doing - there does need to be something else on offer.

      Talking to some of these guys at earlier events I think there are a few who dream of it as multicultural - and I met a few black guys at earlier demos - but they are clearly outnumbered and certainly out-voiced by the straightforward racists. You can't imagine there would be many EDL left if they had a purge of racist thugs.

      Difficult to assess police behaviour at a distance, but you did appear to have been able to do the job well, though the dogs didn't seem under proper control.

    • 2 years ago
  • filkaler
more from Upstream:
from the community

top videos