LUTON - BUT NOT BURNING
The EDLs much-vaunted 'homecoming' to Luton last week-end was, in the end, a damp squib. Only around 800 leaguers (estimates vary between 600 and 1,000) actually bothered to turn up as opposed to around 3,000 last year. This marks the end of a year of declining attendance at demos and much infighting for the EDL. Luton is feted as their hometown - 'Where it all began' and the poor attendance doesn't bode well for Tommy's little soldiers.
This demo was also supposed to be the launch pad for Tommy Robinson's (aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) political career - unelected as ever, he's ascended to the dizzying heights of the deputy leadership of the British Freedom Party (currently polling even lower than the Lib Dems). In the event the BFP were kicked out of the hotel before a word was spoken and forced to hold their press conference on Twitter. Not a good start even by the bungling standards of the UK far right.
Opposing them was a crowd of around 1,000 organised by the UAF under the banner 'We are Luton'. This feisty demo marched around the suburbs, tried to break out into Bury Park (the town's Asian area) but ultimately ended up in a park miles from the EDLs rally.
The real story of the day was the massive police mobilisation - Bedfordshire cops spent £1.2 million policing the two crowds, who got barely a glimpse of each other. Small groups in town were stopped, searched, identified and then marched in the direction of their respective kettles.
What next for the English Defence League? 16th of June will see them kettled in a car-park in Dewsbury for another national demo and at some point in July they're gonna try and march through Bristol - something some locals are said to be "really looking forward to".
BONEHEAD REVISITED
Meanwhile as the main body enters its decline - the EDLs splinter groups are starting to try and get into scraps with anyone they can find on the left. Two SWP paper sellers were attacked by a mob in Lewisham on 28th April - one pensioner on the stall suffered a broken cheekbone. Five idiots from the local NF/Infidels turned up to a public sector workers' picket line in Bootle today (Thurs 10th) in attempt to intimidate strikers.
For continual anti-fascist updates
Contrary to the EDL claiming that "police confirm Luton demo attended by around 3,000" they actually stated - "The protestors themselves are thought to have numbered possibly up to 3000 for the EDL and around 1000 'We are Luton' although these are not confirmed." It seems they too were quoting the early inaccurate figures.
While Luton Today initially stated that "around 3,000 EDL supporters took part in the demonstration in Luton, Bedfordshire, and another 1,000 people gathered for a counter protest" this quickly dropped to "it is estimated a total of 1,000 [EDL] protestors took part" in later articles. The BBC also went with "about 2,000 demonstrators from the groups".
Incidentally the SchNEWS hive mind is of the opinion that 1,000 fascists on the streets is still far too many, but we have more confident our estimate is based more on counting than any hidden agenda to down play the EDL. We too cringe when the SWP, UAF etc. make wild estimates in the other direction.
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Guest post from Rough Music.
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