TOWER TO THE PEOPLE

AS SCHEWS REPORTS BACK FROM THE ANTI-FASH FRONTLINE...

It was going to be the ‘Big One’, the EDL’s grand day out in the capital city. They proudly proclaimed that on 3rd September they were going into the “Lion’s Den” the “Islamic hell-hole” – and what they no doubt had in mind when this hare-brained scheme was first announced was something like an Orange march through London’s biggest Muslim community, with drums beating and the chant of  ‘E.E.EDL’ echoing off the walls of the East London Mosque as terrified Muslims fled. What actually happened was a half-arsed piss-up miles from Tower Hamlets. They predicted thousands would attend and only attracted hundreds. EDL Facebook posters have been reduced to claiming that Aldgate is, by some spurious definition, ‘in Tower Hamlets’ which is the equivalent of  trying to pass off a Calais booze cruise as a seaborne invasion of the European mainland.

The Home Secretary intervened early and banned marches for thirty days in the six surrounding boroughs from September 2nd. This is old hat to the EDL, who until recently always had their marches banned and resorted to ‘static demonstrations’ in car parks around the country. These static demos basically revolved around drunken EDLers trying with varying degrees of success to break out of their police cordon and go on the rampage.

The ban seemed to come as bit of a surprise to the Unite against Fascism lot though – who had planned a march from Weaver’s Field around Tower Hamlets. To their credit, despite calls from the authorities for anti-fascists to stay at home now that a ban had been implemented, they re-located their protest to within 200 yards of the East London Mosque (the EDL’s stated target), meaning that there was at least a strong presence on Whitechapel High St.

EDL.O.L

In the run-up to the event it was clear that the EDL leadership were getting panicky about numbers, posting on their official Facebook page “All the talking has been done leading up to today. Lets now see who walks the walk into tower hamlets for the ones who have been on the walls for weeks now saying cant wait for this one. well if you dont show you should hang your heads in shame.”[sic].

This seems to be a perennial problem for the League, they have thousands of wifi-warriors and facebook friends and for a demo in a safe zone like Luton they can turn out maybe three thousand on the streets, however anything more adventurous than that and their numbers start dropping into the hundreds. In fact Saturday’s demo was the same sort of size as their last ‘Big One’ in Bradford (see SchNEWS 737).

From the start of the day it was clear the cops had mobilised huge numbers to keep the two sides apart. The recent riots (see SchNEWS 783) have left the Met with no wish to take chances. Their plan was to corral the EDL at Liverpool St Station and march them to within shouting distance of Tower Hamlets.

But it was the Railways Union (RMT) who pulled off the biggest game-changer of the day. The rail workers refused to allow the EDL to travel by train, forcing them to change their plans repeatedly at short notice. Eventually they were forced to gather at King’s Cross on totally the wrong side of the city.

A representative of the RMT had this to say: “The fascist EDL will be in London tomorrow morning. I have informed management that if they appear on any of our stations or trains, then there will be refusals to work on safety grounds of serious and imminent danger and stations will close. The RMT will not allow staff and the public to be put in danger by these thugs, who assaulted people on their last demo.”

When smaller groups of EDLers tried to get around on trains, some resourceful troublemakers stopped them in their tracks by pushing the emergency stop buttons on the trains. Eventually cops somehow got one train running and by 3pm had got the EDL to Moorgate tube.

Spotters reported the crowd to be around the eight hundred mark. For reasons best known to himself EDL leader Tommy Robinson aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon turned up to rally the drunken overweight patriots dressed as an Orthodox Rabbi (sadly not a rabbit as reported on Twitter).

The EDL leader broke his bail to be there, so a disguise made sense, but mocking the religion of the state of Israel who they’ve been trying to court is  exactly the sort of boneheaded stupidity that makes the nationalist mob stand out.

Meanwhile the anti-fascist presence in the East End was building up. With police concentrating on creating a sterile zone around the EDLs protest site numbers were gathering at the junction of Commercial Rd and Whitechapel High St from midday onwards. (for geography buffs this is actually the boundary of Tower Hamlets). The way ahead was totally blocked and small groups that went scouting for routes into the EDL pen were soon turned back.

Eventually the bulk of the UAF counter demo made its way down to junction to stand with the local youth and the non-aligned anti-fascists, numbering over 2,000.

An hour passed scuffling with the police (with a few de-arrests) and waiting for an EDL break-out that never came. Most only saw a few George Cross flags fluttering in the distance. Eventually the flags retreated and the day seemed to be over – a slightly anti-climactic no-score draw. Some groups of non-aligned anti-fash set off in the hope of encountering the league but were turned back by cops.

DOUBLE-DECKED

However by blind-chance (or possibly an over-reliance on Sat-Nav)  locals were given the chance to go 1-0 in injury time. One EDL coach tried to make it past East London Mosque, with predictable results (see thoroughly amusing video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP9DTdIDn5A).

The coach driver eventually sped off with hundreds of local youth and anti-fascists giving chase. Police vehicles raced alongside trying to head off the crowds and prevent a lynching. The coach was ambushed again in Mile End with rubble being hurled off a footbridge. Abandoning ship, the leaguers turned to the police for protection and were bundled onto a commandeered bus and promptly nicked for violent disorder. Unconfirmed reports of attacks on other coaches are circulating.

Where now for the EDL? A dismal trudge around the country defending regional car-parks from the Islamic Caliphate? There are now splits aplenty as Tommy Robinson sets himself up as an unelected Fuhrer – with others being chased out of the movement or leaving to set up rival ‘Infidels’ groups (North West, North East and counting). For more excellent analysis albeit with a slightly contrived Scottish accent check out http://malatesta32.wordpress.com. With the war in Afghanistan drawing to a close and Al-Qaeda on the back foot all over the Arab world their whole ‘raison d’etre’ seems to be withering away.

Meanwhile judging by numbers on Saturday the autonomous anti-fascist movement does seem to be finally waking from its slumber and beginning to make its presence felt on the streets.

TOMMY ROT

Having pushed himself to the front of the EDL, Dear Leader Tommy Robinson seems to have developed a bit of a messiah complex. His Rabbi stunt was bound to end up with a re-arrest for breach of bail and considering that he vowed he’d breach his bail conditions the moment he stepped out of court, remand was obviously on the table. Of course he’s now trying to pass himself off as ‘political prisoner’ by going on hunger strike and his loyal followers are even petitioning Amnesty International for recognition of his ‘political prisoner’ status. Meanwhile in the SchNEWS office we’re tucking into a falafel by way of solidarity.

* www.brightonantifascists.wordpress.com

 

CRAP ARREST OF THE WEEK... NOT

For being being attacked by anti-fascists...

Much to our surprise it was the EDL who answered last week’s callout for more Crap Arrest stories, when 44 of the EDL bus-tards got nicked for violent disorder after er, getting their coach smashed up by anti-fascists. Nice one guys, keep up the good work.

 

ISRAEL: SIEGE MENTALITY

Last week the UN released its Palmer report on the deadly Israeli attack on Turkish ship the Mavi Mamara that killed 9 Turkish peace activists delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. The non-binding report surprised many as it directly contradicted previous UN rulings - claiming that Israel’s siege of Gaza is a “legal security measure”. Less surprisingly the report stated that Israel used excessive force.

Quite how ‘legal security measure’ is defined remains open to debate, but considering that the investigation panel compiling the report included former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe – a man who spent most of his time in office ethnically cleansing his country’s indigenous communities – readers can draw their own conclusions.

The already frosty relationship between former allies, Turkey and Israel, has degenerated yet further. Following the report, Turkey downgraded its diplomatic status with Israel to “fuck you” and cancelled virtually all military/security agreements with the Israelis.

“Our people were murdered by an army outside of combat conditions,” Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkish foreign minister said. “What is binding is the International Court of Justice. This is what we are saying: Let the International Court of Justice decide.”

Just as the Palestinians are preparing to go to the UN in their bid for international recognition as a member state, Israel has again launched another in a series of PR own-goals; pushing regional superpower Turkey into fighting the same corner as the Palestinians. Turkey will no doubt be able to swing a fair number of central Asian and eastern European states to punish Israel and support the Palestinians.

Turkey is a much more stable country than its Middle Eastern neighbours. It booted out its generals a few years ago, and the old subservient-to-the-west autocrats have been replaced with a religiously conservative but economically social-democratic government. Conservative Islam is firmly pro-Palestinian, so the harder line PM Erdogan takes against Israel the more he assures his party’s popularity in the polls.

The United States is deeply worried at this breakdown in relations, and former US military chief Robert Gates (it’s always the former chiefs that speak their mind!) stated recently that the USA received “nothing in return” for its unconditional support of Israel’s far-right government. He went on to say that Israel is  “endangering his country by refusing to grapple with Israel’s growing isolation and with the demographic challenges it faces if it keeps control of the West Bank.”

But let’s not allow politicians to take all the credit; without the tireless work of Turkey’s pro-Palestinian activists mobilising public opinion, these developments may never have materialised.

And there’s still a long way to go before reaching the Promised Land...  

* See also www.freegaza.org
 

 

FOR WHOM THE DALE TOLLS

Thanks to a slip-up by Basildon Council the date for the £18m eviction of Dale Farm has been made public.

Bailiffs and police will start ‘securing’ the site from September 12th, and will commence removing caravans and bulldozing homes on the week beginning September 19th.  Supporters of the travellers said “We URGENTLY need people to come down to Dale Farm from the week of the 12th to support the community as the eviction approaches. The eviction is likely to be protracted (90 families will be evicted plot by plot from over fifty plots). It will take a mass flow of supporters over this entire period (from 12th Sept until the end of September) to fend off bailiffs and stop the destruction of this community.”

David Cameron has, to no great surprise, given the thumbs up to the eviction, while at the same time rushing through legislation that will allow his  rich developer mates to build just about anywhere they like ( - the all new National Planning Policy Framework).

The Dale Farm eviction has been condemned by a broad coalition of groups, including Amnesty International, trade-unionists, and anti-racism groups.

The 19th will be a critical day for the residents, but there plenty of preparation work to do also. The council has threatened to close roads around Dale Farm in advance of the eviction, so it is recommended that people come as many days before the eviction as possible.  Sleeping space in homes is available, but take a tent if you can as bed space is likely to be limited to those in need. People are welcome at Dale Farm any time. See http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/activity for details.

 

NAME 'EM AND SHAMAN

Is this really what the misuse of drugs act 1971 was supposed to protect us from?

Peter Aziz, a 51 year old shaman from Devon, has just been banged up for fifteen months for leading an ayahuasca ceremony.

For those not in the know – ayahuasca is a traditional South American hallucinogen. It’s main active ingredient is DMT, a powerful hallucinogen that according to one SchNEWS reporter on the psychedelic frontline, “creates a powerful totally immersive out-of-body experience, with none of the confusion you’d associate with say acid, psilocybin or ketamine. Yes you vomit but as a cleansing moment at the end of the ritual.” It is used throughout the Amazon region as a regular religious and healing tool.

Now not all of Peter’s claims (judging by his website) would stand up to scrutiny. But there is a small underground culture of ayahuasca use in the UK that will now have to run scared of the authorities for deciding what they want to put in their own bodies.

Anyone participating in a ceremony would know what to expect – despite the likes of the Mail claiming that Peter ‘spiked the sacred drink with class A drugs’ as if he’d been rumbled slipping a pill into the communion wine. In fact he was doing nothing secretly – which was his undoing.

Disgracefully it was the BBC who put someone in the ceremony as an infiltrator and reported him to the cops.

Who says the witch trials are consigned to history?

 

ANOTHER THROW OF THE DSEI

What are you doing on the September 13th? Wanna disrupt a London death fair?

Government-subsidised international arms exhibition DSEi is returning to London Docklands this next week (see SchNEWS 690, 689). DSEi lets big-shot arms manufacturers flog their wares to anyone who wants to bomb/gas/shoot, or otherwise kill/maim/repress, citizens around the world with the latest technology.

Fortunately, Disarm DSEi ain’t gonna take it lying down (or maybe they will, in the middle of a road), and are organising to shut down the evil event.

* See www.dsei.org

 

CALAIS CALL OUT

In Calais (France: pronounced Callous), an early morning raid on Tuesday (6th) of the ‘Iranian Jungle’ signalled the end of a relatively quiet couple of weeks in terms of police repression of sans papiers. The CRS took all the tents (the migrants’ only shelter), personal possessions including passports, and arrested seven people.

Having been implored to resist their racist urges in respect of last week’s Eid celebrations, it seems the cops may now be back into their usual raid-arrest-harrass routine.

Calais Migrant Solidarity have issued a call-out for activists to come spend some time in Calais asap due to low numbers. See http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com and SchNEWS 780.

 

BACK TO SHAC

SHAC have had a busy couple of weeks targeting Astrazeneca, a major pharma company and Huntington Life Sciences customer.

Declaring a week of action against the company, SHAC held protests against their head offices in Luton on the 31st August, as well as a tour of demos against their shareholders in London: BlackRock, Invesco, Legal & General (who, incidentally, also invest in the manufacture of cluster bombs) and Axa on Friday 2nd. Worldwide, actions against Astrazeneca -  and their subsidiaries and shareholders - have taken place in Atlanta, San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chile, Canada, Ireland, France and the Netherlands.

For more info see www.shac.net

 

AND FINALLY

Another heads up for the most abused word in the English language – ‘community’ (my god, do we have to rip off Private Eye every week, Ed.) It’s long been a favourite of politicians trying to conjure up an ideal of unity in the face of riot-torn Britain, and we’ve all had a chuckle at non-sequiturs like the ‘piano tuning community’ or the ‘toilet cleaning community’.

However Detective Chief Inspector Alex Murray of West Midlands police, in an interview with the BBC, has raised the spectre of a group we should all be wary of - the ‘violent extremist community’.

He doesn’t go into detail but SchNEWS imagines a motley crew of jihadists, zionists, white supremacists, Orangemen and survivalists all coming together under an umbrella group headed up by Ian Paisley and Abu Hamza demanding that the non-violent, un-extreme majority listen to them for a change.

Now Alex isn’t coming down on the whole community – that would be rank prejudice – he’s only warning us about “certain elements within the violent extremist community”. Well it’s nice to know they’re not all going to be tarred with the same brush.