Category Archives: EDL

Stop the racist EDL demonstrating in Newcastle #newcastleunites Sat 25th May 1pm Newcastle City Hall

On Saturday the 25th May, the EDL plan to march through the centre of Newcastle. They will attempt to bring their hate filled views to the streets of Newcastle.

Newcastle Unites Against the EDL is leading a counter demonstration on this day and are calling on people to join together to show that the North East rejects the EDL and their racist views. Apublic meeting is also being held on Thursday 23rd May 6.30pm at Robert Stewart Memorial Church, Wingrove Rd, Fenham

For uptothe minute reports on the day make sure you follow us on twitter at @MHtwafa or follow on #newcastleunites.

The route of the counterdemo will start from the assembly point outside Newcastle City Hall at 1pm,, then head through John Dobson Street- Saville Place – Northumberland  Street – Percy Street – Newgate Street (main demonstration).

 

 

 

 

Sunderland Charity shop used as front for racists

It has been revealed, in the same week as yet another racist EDL protest in Millfield  that one of the leading names behind the North East EDL appears to be fraudulently representing a national charity. Going by the online name “Angel Unites Patriots”, Pam Branningan has been working in a charity shop which claims to be run on behalf of Help for Heroes.

Angel Unites Patriots has been responsible for a series of disgusting and derogatory postings about Muslims whilst claiming to represent the charity (see here). Help for Heroes is a charity which helps members of the armed forces, regardless of their race or religion.
She has regularly made postings about her behaviour towards Muslims at her place of work, known as Charity’s Place” on Chester Road, Millfield. Help For Heroes has confirmed that it has no shop in Sunderland and that she is not a registered collector for the charity.
On the day of the Millfield protest, the shop was filled with EDL supporters and closed early for the EDL demonstration. Brannigan was later spotted drinking with her EDL friends prior to the demonstration.

There have been a number of worrying signs that for some time the far-right have been using the forces’ charity Help For Heroes to promote their own vicious fascist and racist ideology. Elements of British fascism have been documented as fundraising for Help For Heroes – and at the same time promoting their own cause. This particular example from Sunderland has to make any decent person concerned about just what is going on.

Help For Heroes has made it clear that they want nothing to do with the group in the Sunderland shop, however as a popular charity they are in a position where their name and branding can be easily used, by groups who see the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as extensions of their own street thuggery and intimidation of Mulims here.

This whole nasty affair also justifies the genuine concerns that many people had at the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; that they would cause a rise in Islamophobia and cause tension on our streets.TWAFA has nothing but contempt for the ideology of the Taliban and the methods of Islamic Fundamentalist terrorists. They are every bit as fascist as anybody in the BNP or the EDL, however, what we also say loud and clear is that millions of ordinary Muslims both here and across the world feel exactly the same way.

Help For Heroes could do worse than to disassociate themselves from the fascist far-right by coming out strongly against any attempts by fascists to association with their charity. Help for Heroes stated clearly that “The activity in Sunderland is certainly not sanctioned” .

Organisations like Help for Heroes could play a vital and positive role in helping prevent racism and keeping our communities across Britain safe by stating that they clearly understand that millions of ordinary Muslims also oppose the likes of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

When one considers the sacrifice made by British servicemen between 1939 and 1945 in defeating the fascism and racism of Nazi Germany it is enough to make you weep. It would be a terrible shame if Help For Heroes were to allow itself to become tainted with Islamophobia and racism.  They must speak out.

See Hope Not Hate
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Nazi Millfield Maths: 50+50 = 600

Despite enlisting racists from around the country, last Saturday saw the EDL turn out yet another dwindling demonstration in Millfield, Sunderland.

Less than 100 people turned up (see photo) As usual, drunk and disorganised, the EDL were out to stir trouble and protest against a the Millfield Mosque again.The EDL protest resulted in 3 arrests, reportedly :a 27-year-old man was arrested for possession of cannabis, a man aged 38 was arrested for threatening behaviour and a 16-year-old boy was arrested for a breach of the peace.
Very few members of the public even saw this pointless protest which the EDL claimed was 600 strong.
Yet again a supposedly peaceful English Defence League demonstration is nothing of the sort and has been accompanied by criminal behaviour. It is also clear from words of Chief Superintendent Kay Blyth that local people are sick of demonstrations in their area, causing disruption and the potential for serious division within their communities. It does appear that rather than merely being peaceful protests, EDL demonstrations are in fact nothing more than attempts at intimidation of local Muslims and an attempt to sow the poisonous seeds of division in local communities.

As for the EDL claiming that Northeast England was its own, then that really is stretching credulity to breaking point. The Northeast has always been a strong anti-fascist region; and the drunken, violent behaviour from the EDL reported above will no doubt help to keep it that way.

See Hope Not Hate Northern Echo

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Durham North East Infidel charged with firearm offences

Paul Duffy, from Seaham, County Durham, a leading member of the North East Infidels (an EDL splinter group) was arrested over the weekend and charged with firearm offences. Duffy used to be North East regional organiser for the EDL and is being held on remand in HMP Durham, awaiting trial.

This is another example of the dangerously close the relationship between groups such as the EDL and the NEI is with violence and criminal behaviour. Duffy was among one of the houses raided by the Counter Terrorist Unit earlier this year, but for whom subsequent race hate charges were dropped.
See Hope Not Hate

TWAFA

Extreme right target mosque plans and upset Sunderland locals.

The locals of Millfield are sadly seeing the effect of how the far right operate when they swoop into communities in order to raise their own profile and to progress their own agenda.Plans for a mosque in Millfield have been approved by Sunderland City Council but resident opposition groups are objecting to the plans. The situation has resulted in protests by the extreme far right groups coming in to the area from elswhere and claiming that they represent the locals.This in turn has been met with protests by local anti-fascists making it known that the far right are not welcome in any area.
Local residents have now said they want any protests to be peaceful, and resent the manipulation of this local issue by the far right, especially following the events on Oct 6th 2012 at Millfield which resulted in 13 arrests.

Yet the far right have pledged to continue to demonstrate in Millfield once a month, despite bringing fear to communities through the sudden arrival on their doorsteps of a bunch of disorderly and drunk yobs.

The far right claim that residents wishes are being ignored. However this is exactly what the far right are doing by bringing fear to the streets of Millfield.

Sky News found that many local residents who were opposed to the mosque, were also opposed to protests by far-right groups. This is good to hear, for very good reason.

Let us take a moment to see what kind of characters are involved. The far right protesters are a mix of several groups, including the EDL, the National Front, the Scottish Defence League (not many members in Millfield), the North East Infidels (an EDL splinter group) and finally the “Northern Patriotic Front”.

The BBC quote Simon Biggs, of the Northern Patriotic Front. Biggs has been active in the far right for many years. A former cockney, who at the last protest, swooped into Sunderland along with groups from Bradford and Edinburgh to hijack this local issue for their own racist agenda.

Biggs activities go deeper than racism, as he has spent many years organising the Newcastle branch of the Neo-Nazi National Front and has a conviction for racial assault under his belt so peaceful protest is unlikely to be his forte, and the groups are unlikely to be representing the needs of locals.

The last protest in Millfield ended in terror for local residents, when this band of flying thickets took to the streets. It is at least heartening to see that their tactics of hijacking local issues for their own racist cause has been exposed.

See BBC, Sky News

Far right bring violence to the streets of Sunderland

The FAR-RIGHT turned up to protest outside the site of a planned mosque in Sunderland yesterday and were faced with an opposition of antifascists and locals. The fascist groups consisted of the EDL, North East Infidels and National Front, most of whom travelled from as far afield as Bradford and Edinburgh to terrify and intimidate locals. Not surprisingly the presence of the far right involved many drunk and violent characters, and the day resulted in 13 arrests for public order offences, affray and being drunk and disorderly. This news footage shows the typically violence behaviour of the far right whenever they swoop in to other communities to stir up race hatred and community tensions. In this incident, firecrackers were thrown at the police. This is yet another violent and drunk protest by the far right which costs locals their safety and cost the tax payer for the policing of the violence that is guaranteed wherever they gather.

The far right and peaceful protest rarely go hand in hand. Whever they assemble, violence is sure to follow. This incident comes just one week after horrifying scenes at a far right protest at Wallsall.
See BBC, Sunday Sun, Sky News, Sunderland Echo VIDEO footage