The English Defence League headed over to Aarhus, Denmark on Saturday in an attempt to kick start a supposedly continent-wide anti-Jihadist movement.
In reality less than 200 members of various European Defence Leagues actually bothered to turn up (with 50 countries in Europe this averages out at an impressive 4 members per country). The far right was greatly outnumbered by an anti-fascist counter-demo – with about 4,000 people coming out to oppose them.
EDL leader Tommy Robinson wasn't even able to finish his speech before being pushed out of the park by police for his own safety. Several autonomous blocs of anti-fascists had split off from the main demonstration and were fighting running battles with police in an attempt to welcome the EDL and friends personally to Denmark. Small groups of EDL managed to hurl their half-finished bottles of Carlsberg at the approaching Antifa as they were herded onto coaches and out of town. Three of the buses that the police were using to help the fascists escape were immobilised by a mob of antifascists.
There were around 70 arrests, mostly of counter protesters, as the police attempted to protect the fascists. Several rightwing blogs are already whinging about being attacked by militant lefties and immigrants – though they can't be that surprised given the amount of time they devote to vilifying and attacking both groups.
Following on from this massive success the EDL have already told members to “START POLISHING THEM DEMO SHOES BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA BE HITTING THE STREETS AGAIN, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER”. Given the excessive use of caps-lock they must be really serious – the Facebook moron-o-meter suggests they'll be heading to Oxford or Bradford in the coming weeks.
The fuel of the far right – half truths, misrepresentation and lies.
Saturday 21st April 2012 evening saw LARC (London Action Resource Centre) play host to a talk from a speaker from Anti-Fascist Action Ireland.
Update on Sunday 22nds anti-fascist action in Brighton.
As SchNEWS dives into the path of the March for England
Anti-fascists counter piss-poor Infidel
turn out in the North West.
Prisoner solidarity action for imprisoned anti-fascist Jock Palfreeman
Farcical day out for the EDL in Brighton's Churchill Square
UPDATE Report from Anti-fascists in Hyde 25/02/12
After the disturbances in Rochdale, Asian youth turned out to confront the EDL in Hyde. SchNEWS spoke to one anti-fascist who also made the trip.