English Defence League to march in Stoke...

I did look on a few Muslim websites and read blogs after the demonstration against the Royal Anglian Regiment in Luton last March. Most of the comments were opposed to the demonstration, some vehemently regarded the participants as hotheads and that there would be a reaction against Muslims generally.

It would be a terrible mistake to assume a view that all Muslims support the position taken by the demonstraters. Most want to get on peaceably with their neighbours

As for the EDL, I saw Denham's comments comparing them to the 30s BUF and it is interesting that they choose to march in Stoke in January. In the 30s the BUF were very strong in Stoke having 500 members- the largest membership outside London. Of course Mosley did have some local connections.

For whatever reason is Stoke particularly susceptible to far right activity?

The English Defence League are a bit of a joke, but potentially a dangerous one. It would seem that after that disgusting demo by Anjem Choudhary and co in Luton some footie hooligans saw the public reaction and realised that they had a way of gaining respectability in the public eye.
There is absolutely no doubt that known hooligans are involved with the group. There is little doubt that their intent is to inflame the situation and they strive for confrontation at every opportunity seeking to radicalise more muslims.
Anyone with an iota of intelligence should see these people for what they really are. They are NOT politically motivated like the BNP. They are football thugs who realise that the "away days" are coming to end because of the standard of policing at football games. Therefore they are now targetting British muslims under the current climate, hoping public opinion will get the authorities to turn a blind eye if they do decide to turn to violence. They know the public have no tolerance for footie violence but believe they may tolerate violence against muslims.

"For whatever reason is Stoke particularly susceptible to far right activity?"

Try some of these:

- Poor history of educational attainment.
- Comparatively low wages.
- High levels of deprivation.
- Cyclical inter-generational unemployment.
- Uncertainty and despair at loss of traditional economic base.
- Widespread feeling of betrayal by left-wing politicians.

Now add to the tinder-box:

- Relatively recent influx of (perfectly legal) immigrants....

BANG! You get an explosion of right-wing extremism.

The factors above are just a few reasons why I think this fascination with the far-right in the city is a symptom, rather than the primary problem. Nasty symptom nonetheless.

Tackling racist extremism with political solutions is like trying to treat cancer with painkillers. You're just focusing on the immediate symptom, not the root causes.

The bigots who fill the EDL's ranks were always there. But now the conditions are right for them to crawl from their ponds and show themselves in large(ish) numbers. They sense that there has been a shift in opinion in areas like Luton and Stoke which makes their brand of mindless hatred more acceptable, although they seem to have misjudged Birmingham, thankfully.

How should we welcome them? I would love to see the streets lined with people of all ages and races, all standing calmly and booing these idiots so loudly that they abandon their march and goose-step back to Luton.

'The British National Party are very keen to distance themselves from the EDL. It is known however that a key BNP activist, Chris Renton, designed the EDL's website.'

There are many more connections to the BNP and other racist groups than that - ten minutes with Google will supply the information.

It has also become clear that the EDL is not simply objecting to the 'spread' of Sharia in the UK at all. If it was, it would enter into a dialogue with Muslim groups where and when possible. It doesn't because, like the BNP, it is simply anti-Muslim. More info here: http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2009/12/harrow-mosque-shunned-by-islamo...

Finally, Stoke may want to cover any ancient monuments up before the EDL arrive. They are no respectors of antiquity, as witnessed here: http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2009/12/piss-poor-edl-defending-england...

Excellent comments from all above.

The EDL are a menace, a lot just using the anti-extremism claim as an excuse to get beered up and fight, but with some more sinister figures pulling the strings.

Impartial Observer

I understand the list of reasons that you gave e.g. poverty and low educational attainment on why the far right have done so well but the list is not exclusive to Stoke and could apply to most cities in the UK.

The exact list could apply to Liverpool, but the experience of that city is that political activity has a left wing focus certainly in the 80s. And add to the mix in Liverpool religious sectarianism- I believe that there was a Protestant Party that won Council seats in the 50s/60s in the City.

But to get back to Stoke

My recollection of living in the City in the 60s and 70s on a Council House estate was that there also was an insularity about Stoke and anyone of my generation and older will have witnessed the certainties of life being taken away from them- work, comradeship and respect.

How many times have I sat in meetings and heard really scornful, disparaging comments, usually by middle class professionals who live some distance away from the place, directed at the people who now live on the estate I used to live.

We have to give people who live in places like the Abbey a sense of worth and respect which has being leeching away over the years- although it still just about survives in the shape of the sterling characters who live there.

In a previous post I was enthusiastic about LETS/ Timebanks which might be one vehicle to unlock the potential and reinvigorate the areas and once more give people hope and sense of place.

I'm still out on the EDL but one thing I will say is I don't think they are nazis. What i think they are is a reactionary patriotic group full of football orientated men, like some people who opposed the Irish republican movement in the 80s and 90s.

We'll have to wait and see what happens with their protest here, but from the chanting of some of Stoke citys football supporters at arsenal a few weeks back it seems they may have a lot of support.

How about visiting there website to see the truth what they are all about instead of falling for media lie and anti-British far left propaganda

just checked out the edl site i must say i found it to be very intresting

EDL neo-Nazi scum like Wigan Mike and Lincoln Loyal worship Adolf Hitler, and make frequent Hitler salutes. They would hardly come clean of their true intentions on their propaganda website, would they?

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The EDL, the BNP and Stoke by ‘E. Malatesta’
Submitted by E. Malatesta on Dec 20 2009 11:03
tags: UK English Defence League anitfa BNP EDL Stoke UAF
The EDL, the BNP and the possible co-operation of local football firm ‘the Naughty Forty’ has serious public order implications at the January demonstration in Stoke.

The EDL, the BNP and Stoke by ‘E. Malatesta’

The sudden stepping down of Stoke BNP group leader councillor Alby Walker interestingly coincides with growing anxieties over the January protest by the EDL in the same city, the potential support of local BNP members, the involvement of the local football firm and an enormous bill for heavy policing. Following the EDL’s last performance, the cost to Nottingham is now put at £200,000. This does not bode well for the forthcoming EDL shindig. The way to avoid a repeat of this large sum being passed onto the people of Stoke is to ban the demonstration.

Stoke BNP
Alby Walker has stepped down as group leader after 3 years amidst “rumours of growing friction within the group over its future leadership and political direction.” He is only 1 of 9 other councillors but this still bodes ill for Stoke BNP as Walker is seen as someone who can actually perform rudimentary council work. It is a generally acknowledged fact that BNP councillors do not have a great record: when they realise that they are not leading the Aryan revolution but have to sit in on dull meetings about street lights and refuse collection many first lose interest and then their positions through laziness, boredom or failure to get re-elected. The list of crap councillors is as entertaining as it is inept.
http://www.zen26144.zen.co.uk/articles/crapcouncillors.htm

However, Stoke BNP are seen by some to have created a stronghold and one that is unwilling to be influenced by party HQ down south or by other northern Nazi factions. One poster on the Northwest Nationalist forum claims: “Stoke BNP have been rather strange. They seem to have kept themselves away from both Griffin and us.” Another replied: “Stoke BNP have got it right, they don’t like interference from head or regional office and have some great people … Stoke is BNP heaven for canvassing.” Stoke has a large white working class community and their various resentments are something that the BNP have capitalised on.

The Stoke Firm
Stoke City’s football firm The Naughty 40 or N40 have established a reputation for being game. The Stoke hooligans were also involved with the Oldham riots in 2001 when the N40 joined up with Oldham’s Fine Young Casuals and caused mayhem. However, Mark Chester, N40 member and author, thinks that this connection was overplayed and wrote “with the Stoke firm racism was never an issue, so never on our agenda – and I must reiterate that.” They had originally gone for a ruck with the Oldham lads but then became embroiled in the rioting. Whether the N40 still comply with Mark Chester’s sentiments will be seen in January.

It is important to understand the football firm mentality here. Despite the fact that many teams are sworn enemies and harbour long held grudges, during England games in particular, these rivalries are often put aside for the ‘greater good’ of ‘supporting’ England by smashing up bars and urinating in the streets. In 2001, the Stoke and Oldham firms put their differences aside and attacked the Asian community, sparking reprisals. Although the EDL/Casuals United comprise many different firms it is unlikely that the N40 will attack them for ‘taking liberties’ on their turf. Firms have long kept in regular contact through mobile phones and the internet to organise rows but despite this technology the increased surveillance and heavy policing means it is very difficult for them to meet up. What the EDL does is give the chance for firms to get together, drink heavily and have a go at the police and any Muslim or anti-fascist protestors whilst carrying out a ‘legitimate political protest.’ Something which they are unable to do on match day. It is a justifiable fear that the N40 may well link up with local BNP supporters and the EDL with the inevitable outcome of multiple arrests, scuffling, the EDL being kettled into a Wetherspoon’s or similar and the people of Stoke ending up paying for it all.

The EDL, Nazis & The BNP
The EDL continued claims to be non-violent, non-racist, non-BNP and non-Nazi have been shown time and again to be a complete and utter falsehood. A quick survey of arrests at EDL demos seems to counter any idea that they are for peaceful purposes. They claim to our English heritage but how urinating on Nottingham Castle does this remains unclear. 16 EDL were arrested in Nottingham, 7 on Public Order Offences. The documentary footage clearly shows the EDL having a go at the cops when they were kettled in at the Castle. At the Manchester do police arrested 44:
“Twenty-nine were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, four were arrested for affray, three for possession of an offensive weapon – one of whom was also arrested for possession of drugs. Three men were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences. Five were arrested for on suspicion of breach of the peace.
Hardly non-violent: a further 90 arrested in Birmingham in September and 35 at the one in July. There have been skirmishes with opposing demonstrators but the majority of friction is between the EDL and the cops. The EDL does not seem to be promoting peaceful demonstrations in any way and whatever the leadership says about liaising with the cops, video evidence shows that they have little control over who comes on the demos and how they behave. The EDL claim to be not-anti-Islam but anti-Extremism but how these demonstrations actually stop this is extremely vague. Picketing a mosque is one thing but holing up in city centre pubs with the inevitable police containment seems pointless and further illustrates the fact that they just want to drink, fight and cause trouble.

There are documented examples of the EDL singing racist songs like and images of them Sieg-Heiling. Despite attempting to stamp out the Sieg Heil brigade the leadership of the EDL have systematically failed to do so. Any resolution of demonstrators to not salute is swiftly dissolves in gallons of lager. As for the claims to be multi-ethnic, the vast majority of people on their demos appear to be white, shaven headed, angry looking geezers.

Despite the BNP’s Nick Griffin calling the EDL a “proscribed organisation” members are clearly involved and have been connected to the EDL, not least the likes of Chris Renton who set up the website and Liverpool BNP member Liam Pinkham, who has been done for racially aggravated intentional harassment. The EDL claim to hate Nazis and there was an altercation earlier this year between Combat 18 members and the EDL which ended with a C18 member being battered with a fire extinguisher. Others have put this down to inter-firm rivalries. Regardless, what the leadership say on their websites and what happens on the streets are usually completely different things. On the website they claim that they will stop the Sieg-Heiling. They have not.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443283.html?c=on#comments

The EDL claim that the images are biased and they are really holding their arms aloft in traditional football style. The evidence does not support this. They claim that they do not want Nazis on their demonstrations but then the likes of Michael Heaton, associated with the Aryan Strike Force, the tiny BFF and the NF is photographed in attendance. Heaton has undeniable Nazi links and has also just been arrested for soliciting murder. The EDL leaders are keen to publicly discourage any anti-social behaviour but perhaps not meeting in the pub might help with this. On the EDL’s sister website, Casuals United they appeal for calm:
“things like charging at police and singing "Harry Roberts" songs aren't gonna get Joe public to join demos … I know a lot of you are ex-lads, but this ain't a football match, its a serious protest group.”
These appeals seem to fall on the waxen ears of protestors.

The Nazis & EDL
On Northwest Nationalists, the far right anti-Griffinite site, there is a difference of opinion over the outcomes of Stoke with one poster having seen “this one half caste guy about 45 with the stoke mob with a 70s style afro who was stood on a table taunting the old bill shouting B,B,BNP.” To their general amusement. Others are not impressed and between the UAF and the Zionist stooges” they “couldn't care less which of these gangs ends up with more casualties.” This accusation of being covertly run by an ‘evil Jewish cabal’ is a common worry on these websites: “there is clearly a Zionist influence behind the scenes of the EDL.” The BFF website also agrees: “because there [sic] are part of ZOGs footsoliders [sic].” However, illiteracy apart, for some at NWN, “at least the edl get of [sic] there arses and get out on the street.” The determinedly non-Nazi, non-racist, EDL responded to comments by inviting the NWNers to the demo:
“maybe tag along to one theres two in the midlands stoke and dudley in new year. you colud [sic] then find out for yourself what there all about.”
Inviting known Nazis to your demo is probably not the best way to ‘stamp out’ the Sieg-Heiling.

Conclusion
That the situation in Stoke is potentially volatile is beyond doubt: the EDL will hope to pull numbers, local BNP supporters (not necessarily members) will no doubt get involved and the Naughty 40 and other firms may drop by with tea and cakes. There will be a large anti-fascist counter demonstration and a massive police presence. When all the smoke clears, as with Nottingham, it will be the good people of Stoke who end up paying for it all. The only way to avoid this, the inevitable violence and arrests, the general disruption to the city is to ban it.

E. Malatesta

Just to point out the comment above is posted all over the internet like a rash.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en...

FashHater: And you views on Kettling as a police tactic "The documentary footage clearly shows the EDL having a go at the cops when they were kettled in at the Castle" Is that not the intent of Kettling to deny Protesters access to water, food warmth or access to toilet facilities Were EDL "urinating on Nottingham Castle" as an attack on English Heritage or as protest against being Kettled?

If NorScarf promote their cause of anti white extremist in another area well away from EDL, who can EDL be Violent too? EDL then can do there lawful protest against Islamic Extremists and everyone has and their say in a peaceful and productive way, unless police decide to kettle both groups.

As for Banning the EDL demonstration will you (or NorScarf) also call for the banning of any Islam4uk marches or for action to taken against those distributing or fly posting Islam4uk (or similar group) around the City (and not by their elders)

A call to arms then by the peacefull NorScarf, "when all the smoke clears" is that from NorScarf candle lite vigile, or is E. Malatesta planning something more hardcore, as Islam4UK claim that "Islamically speaking only Muslims and children are innocent. "?

http://libcom.org/user/e-malatesta

Member for
6 hours 24 min

his busy spreading the word

Cllr Barnes you reaction to the provication across the UK

Oh dear what going on here, Cllr Barnes

Muslim protesters pelt Tory peer Baroness Warsi with eggs during walkabout in Luton

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232153/Baroness-Warsi-pelted-eg...

Many will remember her from Question Time with Nick Griffin

The male protesters accused her of not being a proper Muslim and supporting the death of Muslims in Afghanistan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8387331.stm

Video included

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/8387110.stm

Nice one Ian spot on as usual.
The one on Baroness Warsi shows how much the Muslim men think of "the most powerfull Muslim woman"
As for Malatesta, what a load of left wing garbage.

She's a bit young for a peer isnt she?

There is no place in British society for sharia law, never has been and never will be. Most British Muslims are also against the voilence and abuse that these new islamic extremists breed, the problem is the goverment havent stepped in to say what most policitians know but wont say either and that is we are a christian based society with charitable compasion, not a nation waiting for some holly muslim leader to dictate to us the principles of a religion still stuck in the dark ages in some communties eyes.

We need to stop pandering to sensitivities and tell the truth, then and only then will politicians regain the trust of the electorate.

Controversial i know, but then again who knows, i could set a new standard for others whom seek election too?

There is a very real problem, not only in Britain but across europe, with the creeping islamification of these lands.
Here in Stoke-on-Trent, the foul lies spread by Islam4UK are allowed to pass with out comment, yet when the British stand up to complain, out come the lefties with their favourite vocabulary of racist, fascist.

You are bellyaching hypocrites of the worst kind. You label these EDL members as violent thugs, but it is the far left that has time after time provoked violence in situations the likes of which we'll see in January, and it's long past time that the public saw you uaf scum for the troublemakers you are.
If any group needs reining in, it is these far left
pressure groups that offer nothing but violence and negativity, who come on to our estates with their lies and smears but don't produce anything any realistic alternatives in the way of policy ideas.

Who do the EDL do Hitler salutes if they are anti-, racist, Mister Troll-In-Chief Trevor KKKelway???

Searchlight have an excellent article on the ugly face of British football hooligan fascism on the Hope Not Hate website. They are first class researchers who help dig the dirt on neo-nazi groups like the EDL, BNP and NF.

Searchlight are a trusted source of information on the British fascist scene, and Lancaster Unity are also great!

www.lancasteruaf.blogspot.com

Lancaster Unity are closer to Hope Not Hate than the UAF since they broke aay from the UAF to become independent.

www.hopenothate.org.uk

Only one way to deal with this f-----g bag of biggots, let the cavemen drag there knuckels round the streets, some may keel over dead thought loss of blood, but what the hell, see if I care. Ignore them, we'll bound to get the touring left wing prats giveing them whatfor, but they are just as bad. I don't think the locals sould give any ofvthen the time of day, just tell both sides to f off and do one.

Warren,

You've summed the whole thing up. How are you BTW? Getting better I hope.

Why have they chosen Stoke, a BNP stronghold to hold a demonstration? I'm genuinely puzzled at this.

Of course the UAF - that other branch of neo-Naz*S will duly show up and if we're not careful we'll get the town centre smashed up.

Ps: fancy Mike Barnes resorting to Sh*t Stirring! I wonder if he's going to back up his words by getting in there, waving his red flag as he gives the despicable right-wing scum a good kicking?

No chance - or at least he'll make sure any carefully stage managed incident gets faithfully recorded by some gullible hack on the Sentinel!

I'm Pooter BTW. Having a bit of a problem signing in at the moment.

Or check out

Tundra Tabloids.......
Keeping tabs on the most outrageous happenings in the Middle East, Islamist extremism and Islamist hegemony in Scandinavia, and on the political correctness that allows them to flourish

http://tundratabloid.blogspot.com/search/label/EDL

Seems splits within all groups in fighting all around, and now PnP linked with Fashwatch

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443817.html

Sure to get Antifa down now for a nice ruck

http://www.antifa.org.uk/foundstat.htm

I like the way forward as concluded in this report

http://www.redpepper.org.uk/Anti-fascism-isn-t-working

2 Focus on policy
We should develop the ‘expose them’ model into one that, instead of revealing ineffective details about individuals, concentrates on why their polices will not deal with the social problems driving people into their arms. If we cannot make this clear to those already intensely concerned with these issues then our propaganda is failing and is at best talking to those who would never vote BNP anyway. This will require a direct challenge to Searchlight/UAF and other mainstream anti-fascists as they continue to empty their publications of all but the most inane type of content criticised above. This, of course, needs to be linked to the activity of the ‘community union’ type groups mentioned above.

3 Abandon Labour
Searchlight need to abandon their default pro-Labour position and use their existing networks and resources to get behind local campaigns, actively challenging the conditions that are breeding support for the far right. (This seems unlikely to happen.)

4 End the marches
Stop the marches, labelling, shouting, and so on. Marching into an area that you do not know and have no continuing interest in and shouting what’s right for that area is alienating and counter-productive. People do not like being told what’s best for them and will kick back against or simply ignore this sort of activity.

Once again Barnes stirs it and dissapears.
Maybe their would not be so much trouble if the "peacefull" Muslims decried the extremeist a bit more, instead of keeping quiet.
One Muslim spoke out against the scum in Luton.
It should have been more and this problem we would not even be debating.
As for this march, democracy means they are entitled to march and protest.
If they are left alone then the police will deal with them if they cause trouble.

Here is my view of this whilst not agreeing with the EDL or the BNP I feel we as a country are going down a very dark path indeed if we stop peoples freedom of speech, I think this quote by Che Guevara sums up how I feel "1 mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter".

It seems to me that the problem is highlighted by some of the hysterical, exaggerated posts above.
People, whether you like them or not, have a fundamental right to speak out against what they see as
damaging to their culture, history, or traditions.

Now it may well be the case that there are a small minority of thugs within the ranks, or associated with, the EDL, but that short memory you pro-islam supporters suffer from has made you forget the uaf rioting outside the BBC because Nick Griffin was appearing there, or the BNPs Red, White, Blue in Derby, where once again, the uaf attacked the police in a completely mindless display of violence.
Or how about the violence and intimidation at the Oxford Union?
You make the case for banning the EDL because of the potential for violence, when these are the very tactics being used by the left!

You should spend some time and read the posts on the Socialist Unity site. Here you will encounter the lefts attitude to casual violence against those they disagree with, yet none of them seem to recognise the hypocricy this position entails.

There is a point also, that EDL demonstrations have only become violent after confrontation with far left lunatics, and muslim youths deliberately wound up to cause trouble. Not a single instance of this is mentioned despite it being spread all over the internet and media.

They have a legal right to protest against the islamification of their country, especially when it is happening with no mandate from the people, so those like Barnes who is inciting violence from others toward the EDL with his pathetic 'let's demonstrate against them', knowing full well this is likely to cause trouble, should be as accountable to the courts as any others that set out for trouble.

Let the march go ahead, stay at home, minimise the chance for trouble on the streets of this city, that is what any responsible adult would do.

Good lord, Pondy thinks I'm a reponceabule adult now, better then being a left wing this that and the other anyway.

Strange how the far lefts politics are good and the far rights is bad?????????

Most Jews I know and I am one see the Muslims as threatening but the EDL as not threatening.

The Muslims are armed and EDL are not and if you look at the Koran 4.89 which says "kill all non-beleivers" you realize just what is prompting the Jihad; you've only got to look at the antics of the Jihadists to see this >

http://thereligionofpeace.com

The EDL are a single issue group, fighting against militant Islam. We invite all people regardless of race, sex or sexuality to join us in this fight. If you want to know more, come to our forum at http://s1.zetaboards.com/EDL_The_Forum/index/ you will be most welcome.
The EDL also have an informative media site which I recommend you visit first. http://www.edlmedia.com/
Don't believe the propaganda that the leftist media and the UAF spew out about the EDL and don't believe the EDL either. Work it out for your selves, talk to both sides, and various other sources. That's what I and many of the new EDL supporters have done, and is the reason why EDL support is rising fast.
Hope to see you at the forum.

PS. RE: Ketlan who thinks that a few minutes on Google will yield any kind of unbiased objective truth regarding the EDL, or any other group for that matter. You are a complete idiot.

Interesting stuff. I want to talk to these EDL people. Somebody who knows them step forward.

As a neutral observer, I can't help but notice that everytime a party decides to support England/British culture then it's classed as racist! Why is this?
Why do these partys exist if all is well?
Where is the representaion for non religious folk in this country?
Why do opposites like the UAF always stir up trouble at these events and not just let them go by peacefully without much publicity?
Why are partys like 'New labour' not branded as racist? Afterall, they do crusade in the name of the west and democracy in the middle east killing many thousands along the way!

Why can't people just be nice and get along?

I am not a Stokie born and bred, but have lived there for the last five years or so. Lived in Silverdale and worked in Shelton. I originally come from a West Midland town with a large Asian community and all I can say is that Stoke is a strange town, friendly to outsiders, but with a wierdly racist outlook considering it has no massive areas of immigration like Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Leicester or Bradford, and even in the areas it does have there are no 'No go areas'. So there seems to be little or no friction between the races, though the usual urban myths abound. I was told before I left by a mate (In his 40s) that a friend of a friend had been told by Asian youths that white people were'nt allowed to walk in hanley Park cos it was a 'Muslim Park' and that this bloke was frightened for his life. Absolute bollocks. I worked 20 yards from the park and parked my car there every day. I also walked through this park every day, and in no time saw any trouble of any kind, or in any way felt threatened. There are parts of the Black Country and Birmingham where I would definitely not venture alone (Both black and white areas). The first time I heard the above story was after the Preston riots on a news item last year, but someone has taken it and transferred it to Stoke, where people are daft enough to believe it.
All I can say is that Stoke needs the EDL like it needs a hole in the head. What it really needs is investment and a chance to rebuild industries. When the Black Country steel industries shut down people diversified into small workshops which now abound around the area, but from what I can see this is virtually impossible with a pot bank, and there's nowt to replace it.
Finally, I've just watched the footage of the EDL rally on their media site and all I can say is the last time I saw such a pantomime it was at the theatre in hanley, with Jonathan wilkes and Sunita out of Coronation Street.

I AM a "Stokie born and bred" born and brought up in Abbey Hulton, educated in the 50s and 60s, left school with no qualifications and worked mainly in the pottery industry and have had more than my fair share of the "dole" due to the decline in the pottery industry,
I no longer live in Stoke, I moved away less than a year ago, but still have family and friends living there,

MY brother was with the demonstrators from the UAF on Saturday, as would I have been if I could,
what was seen there had little or nothing to do with Islamic extremists and the "fear" of, it was an excuse for drunken football hooligans to cause trouble,
I have been called names, "traitor, reverse coconut" etc, and a few more I wont print here, for expressing my views on Stoke on Trents local newspapers comments pages and various other websites,
it would seem that I am not "patriotic" because I don't salute the foes our fathers fought, or want to smash up my home town, attack British police, and attempt to attack a peaceful counter demonstration who were only exercising THEIR right to "fee speech"
and if that's true then long may I remain "unpatriotic"
but they're not racists,
and one of the main responses to my posts seems to be, that BECAUSE I oppose racists and thugs, then I OBVIOUSLY support Islamic extremists!!, these people seem to be unable to grasp that it IS possible to be equally as opposed to both,
they...(the EDL) use the "excuse" "it was only a small minority of the EDL who caused trouble, whereas the vast majority were well behaved"
and yet, when one puts the SAME point to them about Moslem's,( only a TINY minority of the Moslem population of this country support extremists) they refuse to accept it,

why dont we all join hands with GOD and dance along side him in heaven .