On 10 October, the far-right English Defence League got over 500 people onto the streets of Manchester, and had more or less a free run of the city centre.
The day set a very dangerous precedent.
Estimates of the number of anti-racist protesters differ. There were many outside the 400 or so cordoned into Piccadilly Gardens by police, but those outside were unorganised. Photographs taken from local skyscrapers make claims of 2,000 anti-racists difficult to credit.
There was little presence from trade unions, from ethnic minorities, and even from the Asian community. The anti-EDL mobilisation was mostly one of leftists and students.
By the end of the day, the EDL:
- Had successfully marched through a mile of busy city streets, with chants like "Muslims bombers off our streets", "Al Qaeda off our streets", "This is our country", intimidating and threatening both people of ethnic minorities and anti-racist shoppers and town workers.
- Had successfully pulled in not only organised fascists but also many young and not-so-young hooligans.
- Had attracted to them other young people who may initially think that the EDL are not racists but who are excited by their street activity. The exhilaration, the sense of belonging to something, anything, that isn't as depressing as the everyday hopelessness that they feel, may carry them on to becoming active, embittered and organised racists.
The opposition to the EDL on the day, organised by the UAF, had been essentially corralled to half of Piccadilly gardens. Outside of Piccadilly Gardens there was no organised anti-racist presence.
There were a number of street skirmishes between the EDL marchers and onlookers. Extensive footage on Youtube and elsewhere shows the violent behaviour of many on the EDL mobilisation.
Meanwhile gangs of incoming hooligans, making their way to join up with the other EDL supporters, circled the northern areas of the city centre, eventually starting a well-organised march with dozens of placards. They started from Great Ancoats Street and marched towards the centre, picking up planted contingents from local pubs and linking up finally with the initial EDL contingent that had established themselves in Piccadilly Gardens soon after midday. They then finally marched down to Victoria Station from where they were bussed out. By that time they had grown to over 500.
There can be no room for complacency about our response to the EDL in Leeds on 31 October and Nottingham on 7 December.
Fascist websites and discussion lists show not only competitive envy and hostility to the EDL, but also a belief that the older and more established organisations could and should do the same sort of thing as EDL. Before these EDL marches, fascist groups had mostly been going for the suits and ties and the ballot box, rather than the balaclavas and the streets. Now the National Front and eventually the BNP may again take to the streets.
In Leeds and Nottingham, and in every town, working-class activists have to consider how serious counter-protests can be organised.
Activists should mobilise widely and democratically with the aim of bringing together the overwhelming numbers of people who would have been shocked at the EDL's racism.
They should not play with ideas of getting the police to ban the EDL. In Manchester, the police cordoned in the anti-fascists and let the EDL march through the city centre.
Appeals for police bans disorganise those who should be busy mobilising and not lobbying. When they "succeed" in getting a ban, as in Luton, the ban leads to the same restrictions on anti-racists as those who they are opposing. And the EDL and other fascists are very capable of defying it. The EDL had no "right" to march in Manchester, but they did!
Anti-racism in the working-class movement in Manchester may not be strong, but it is not as weak as the UAF protest might suggest. An ongoing, active and democratic campaign is needed to pull it together.
It is needed now there as well as every other town: making connections into all working class communities, explaining the nature of the racist organisations we face, and, as far as possible, promoting activities based on class answers to the problems working-class youths face rather than racist or communalist ones.
The EDL is not known as much as the BNP. Many of its public statements are meant to throw people off the scent. A campaign has to inform and explain that whilst political-Islamic clerical fascism has to be opposed, the EDL is not a movement either for secular equality or the rights of Muslim women.
We need to physically confront fascists and violent racists to stop them organising and linking up with naïve and alienated working-class youths.
We should not allow ourselves to be seen as championing or celebrating the status quo. Anti-racist protests shouldn't be just about "celebrating multi-culturalism'". They should be about building multi-racial working class unity for democracy and against the injustices in society; especially racism but also for rights for women, for gays, and for working-class people denied jobs and housing. We should defend individual rights to practise religion, but not allow ourselves to be seen as defending political-Islamic clerical fascism, Sharia law etc. even under the guise of "multi-culturalism".
Acting on such premisses, an anti-racist organisation should have planned to ensure that it was well informed about what the EDL were doing. They should have had many people gathering intelligence
If there was anyone gathering information about what the EDL were doing in Manchester, it was not relayed to anti-fascists.
The lack of effective stewarding, information gathering and thought-through organisation of the UAF counter mobilisation in Manchester indicates that the organisational base of that mobilisation was too narrow.
Broad, inclusive, working class anti-racist organisations are urgently needed in every town threatened by the EDL and other fascist provocations.
Comments
Some pictures
Click here for some images of the day
1) Of the midday EDL gathering in Piccadilly Gardens
2)and 3) Attempts to provoke the UAF into a fight in Piccadilly Gdns
4) to 9) The start of the EDL march in Oldham Street
10) and 11) Small gangs of local youths joining in with EDL chants
emphasising the negatives?
As a politically unaligned anti-fascist who was there on Saturday this article seems to me unduly negative. As many media reports state, the EDL forces were outnumbered by us by at least two to one. The EDL did not simply "establish themselves in Piccadilly Gardens soon after midday" but they were taken to an area of the Gardens by a large contingent of police after being confronted by anti-fascists and boxed off and protected by the police, first in narrow Back Piccadilly and then in a couple of more visible locations. It was during this period that the police used horses and dogs against anti fascists to protect the EDL.
No doubt there were many university students within the UAF contingent but(listening to the accents) there were also plenty of locals, especially young people, including school and college students. I saw few left wing paper sellers. It was a challenge getting so many people to stick around for five hours (there was some coming and going) and - a symbolic victory - the EDL failed to hold their planned 5 pm rally (they were taken away by the police before then).
The fact that the EDL contingent was significantly swelled by the local feeder march is a big cause for concern and suggests that more of us should have done more than just turn up on the day. But, faced with a national EDL mobilisation, I am glad that we did. No cause for complacency, and lessons to be learned, but the outcome could have been much worse.
EDL outnumbered?
Up to the point where more EDL racists marched into the Gardens, the EDL were indeed outnumbered. After they marched in, we were outnumbered. This was absolutely clear and we should be honest. The EDL were not "fucked over" as one UAF spokesperson claimed. We may have prevented them from rallying at 5pm but they managed to stage a police protected racist parade through central Manchester on a Saturday afternoon whilst we were hemmed in by the police. Different tactics, better organisation etc... could have prevented this from happening. We need to learn the lessons of last Saturday and urgently apply them.
Yep
That's not how I recall it. The balance of forces looked less promising at one point later in the afternoon (some of our people had gone and many of theirs had just arrived) but then we were joined/re-joined by some fresh forces, including a big group of young Asians, and we clearly had the edge again. The EDL's plan to rally at 5 in the main square after we had gone did not happen. That we need much bigger numbers etc. is beyond dispute, especially given the scale of the police mobilisation.
Piccadilly centric?
I rather feel John only reflects the view as seen in Piccadilly Gardens. Yes it was good that people were there in some numbers and sustained it in the face of both heavy policing and fascist intimidation.
But when looked at from the view of Asian or anti-racist people not in Piccadilly Gardens, or from how the EDL viewed it themselves, it was nothing like any victory. It was a serious setback.
Habitually, the UAF never reflect honestly on mistakes. No debate, no analysis, no discussion, no toleration of any criticism. Just rallies, self-congratulation and triumphalism. That could be the recipe for disaster. There is nothing wrong with honest accounting and debate. So let's continue the debate.
But for those who didn't see the EDL outside the Gardens I think the video below gives some feeling of how it felt to ordinary Mancs shoppers.
i say what i saw
Of course I am recounting what I saw in and off Piccadilly Gardens between 12 and 5 - I think more accurately than the original article and that's why I responded to it (I came across the article via a Google search for reports of the day). There were more of us than them, but we need many more (with so many police). No doubt this is a big challenge ahead.
UAF stupid triumphalism
Just to back-up my earlier reply about the dangerous triumphalism of the UAF. Here's from the Manchester UAF website
'UAF spokesman Mike Gilligan said: “It was a tremendously successful day for the anti racist movement.
“The EDL were run out of town, they were not very powerful, they were out numbered and they completely failed."'
'Run out of town' is simply ridiculous as any observation of the heap of video footage now available will show.
I am of migrant background
I am of migrant background myself and I think this country is too complaceant about Islamic exteremism. This can perhaps be due overtly political correct culture of this country but for heaven's sake I think everyone should have a right to protest.Perhaps if you anti-facists and upper class political elites in this country turned up whereever muslim thugs apeared with offensive posters, offensive slogans, offensive dresses ( yes, many people are offended to see people covered in black burka, they scare children, they scare me, I am they scare moderate muslims too, many of whom fled islamic persecution) then it would not have come to this.
If you turned up here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaCavMzBja4
as you did here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F9heqnI_aM then perhaps things like EDL won't grow.
You need to also ask why no ones protesting against the Hindus ( there are quite a few of them) or the Sikhs, or the buddhists, but Muslim extremists if they ( Muslim jihadists) are so nice!
I also think islamist are using the socialists in the country( well, this is ironic that there is an alliance between these 2 in first place as the Jihadists faught the socialists in Afganistan for decades, and slaughtered them mercilessly in Pakistan, Malaysia and other parts of the globe.They are enemies in many of the muslim countries)for political islam will use anybody and anything to gain an upper hand.It's perhaps a wake up call for all!
You can counter demonstrate, get the EDL banned but the issue won't go as long as the liniency, apathy of the government and so called liberal elite towards this evil radical islam remains unchanged.
Islamism
Swami, I'll take at face value your claim that you are "of of migrant background myself and..think this country is too complacent about Islamic extremism" rather than a white racist posing as such.
Two quick points:
1. have a look around the rest of our website: we are far from soft on Islamism or criticising reactionary practices associated with Islam, defending mainly Muslim Asian communities (the very large majority of whom are not Islamist) does require you to drop such criticism or redefine anti-Asian racism as 'Islamophobia'.
2. on a related point, do you really believe that whatever their current propaganda the assorted ex-BNP/NF members and racist football hooligans who make up the core of the EDL really have a problem with Islam as opposed to Asians? Tell that to the non-Muslim Asian guy they beat up in Luton or the Asians they indiscriminately threatened and abused on the streets of Manchester.
Islamism and the sad state of this country!
Please do take it from face value Mathew that 'I am of migrant background' and I hope that 'you are not a Muslim Jihadist with a hidden agenda posing as a socialist with an intent of exploiting the socialist generosity and courage' for standing up against any injustice because that’s what radical Muslims do!
If you are not an Islamist then you should know that you are a ‘Kufr’ a name that you are entitled by the fundamentalist Islam (and by all means please do look up what it means for you to be ‘Kufr’ and it’s implications ie. ‘By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the citizens of Hell-Fire’). How sweet, its just one! If you are not Islamist posing as a socialist please ask a Muslim friend what other implications await you since they won’t be able to lie about the heavenly injunctions in the Qur’an or denounce them! Ask them what they think about LGBT issue that you so care about if you are a true defender of human rights. Hope you like them.
But it is sad though that you can not have a discussion about something as disgraceful as Islamism without being labeled as ‘racist’, ‘Islamophobe’ or such other names. I have looked many of footages on youtube. ’Football hooligans’ they may look like ( by the way, that’s how most poor English people look ) but none of them had any racial slur. When does a criticism of religious fundamentalism become a race issue? I have seen the footages they seem to sing songs, and chant against ‘extremism’ which the whole country is perhaps doing just in quiet!
It is sad though that it has come to this that anyone (particularly people of anglo-saxon origin ) who discusses or feels in a way other than the Islamists and their allies do they run the risk of being seen as racists which the middle class don’t want to be seen as on the other hand many moderate in Muslim community can’t speak against it for they run the risk of being labeled ‘Murtadd’ therefore provokes repercussion (least Fatwa or death threat) from these Islamic thugs and alienation from t Muslim community but speak to them ( both middle class and the moderate Muslims in person you will learn the truth and it will hurt.
On your point 2. innocent people being victims by the EDL. Well that’s the saddest aspect of it. Innocent people get caught in ugly situations that extreme Islam causes. Find out what happens in southern Thailand, find out what happens in Indonesia, what happened in India ( in all these conflicts there are different antagonists the Buddhists, the Christians and Hindus but a common protagonists, the radical Muslims. How holy, innocent they are!) On whether actually EDL has done or thugs from other groups have taken the opportunity who can say? All I can say from the many footage I have seen on you tube from news and different people including UAF folks is these EDL guys ( some of them I must mention do look like hooligans but hey when middle class of a society won’t care enough to make stand who is left?) are singing songs, chanting and holding English flags and placards against Islamic extremism. In which country of the world holding up your own flag is racism?
After all who do you blame for that anger of working class English men? May be when the Islamist thugs come up with hateful slogans against the fallen soldiers (if anyone disagrees with an unlawful war they should take it Westminster. Why the funeral procession of ordinary men and women who gave their lives on duty? They did not make the decisions to go to war!), when they turn up at Westminster cathedral and outpours their slurr again the faith of the very people who have hosted them generously, desecrate graveyards in Manchester with out any consideration of showing a little respect and no ‘UAF’ turns up to protest against that may be there is reason why such anger can come out irrationally. What rational was there for 7/7 and how many from the Muslim community have actually condemned this outright without getting around to explain terrorism a bit differently and pointing finger somewhere else? All this sounds awful but it’s the reality and everyone else in the world including the British indigenous people is nasty except the radical Islam!
May be you would do a service if you used your intellectual abilities to debate, campaign and to raise awareness on the issue of both racism and radical Islamism instead of fuelling into negative publicity by carrying placard against BNP at EDL’ protests and counter demonstrating in large numbers because all this is doing is feeding more and more energy into EDL’s cause (they are robbed off their right to protest, shouted upon for saying what they think. Check out the footage from Manchester where a UAF lady is shouting when EDL are holding a 2 minutes silence in remembrance of the fallen soldiers.). If you really think they are ’ racists’ I think you should simply ignore them at best and document and report them to police at worst for people are clever enough to make up their own mind. You may disagree with me Mathew but I respect that for this what I believe lies at the core of British values which some ( the likes of Islamists and fascists) would like to take away. I would like to see how my post stays on your website unedited.
typo/UAF
Swami, there was a typo in my first post that I think may have misled you: I meant to type "defending mainly Muslim Asian communities (the very large majority of whom are not Islamist) does NOT require you to drop such criticism". I agree that it is possible to criticise Islam(ism) without being racist. However, you are kidding yourself if you think that is what the EDL are about: a quick look at the backgrounds of their leading activists will soon confirm my point that they are fascist football hooligans who are using this issue as a cover to attack Asians.
As someone brought up as a Catholic, I've got enough punishment promised to me in the afterlife to start worrying about Islamic threats as well. As for "I would like to see how my post stays on your website unedited", as it doesn't breach the published editorial policy I don't think you've got any grounds for concern on that point.
Pete is right about the UAF's default triumphalism. Mike their Manchester spokesperson and leading local SWPer was also interviewed on TV saying that the demo was about showing that Manchester was a 'multicultural city', something you'd expect to hear from the council chief executive rather than a professed revolutionary socialist.
EDL
I totally support the EDL, I am Irish and my wife is Filipino. The EDL is totally against Islamic extremism and whatever way you want to twist what we do, we are here, we are growing and we will not be bullied by no one.
Some questions
Are you sure that the EDL are only against "Islamic extremism"? If so, how are you sure? How do you account for the current and/or former membership and affiliation of some leading EDLers with the BNP, Ulster Loyalists, German neo-Nazis etc...? Just who do you think Alan Lake is and what do you think about his association with far-right Swedish political parties? When you grow big enough, what do the EDL propose to do next? If you can't convince the government to 'act' against Islamists (as is implied on your website) what will you do next? ... how far are you willing to go to fulfill your supposed aims? Stand in elections, perhaps? If you do, what else will the EDL say apart from promising to act against Islamists? If the EDL is non-racist, why have individual bystanders of Muslim/Asian appearance been attacked by supporters? What do you make of the claim elsewhere on this website that the statements and activities of the EDL bear a similarity to antisemitic populist movements in pre-WWII Europe?
These are just a few of the questions that an EDL member could usefully answer. How about joining a real debate?