To not want the EDL in my town?

[NoMoreRacismPlease]

This will probably out me already and its my first thread!
The fucking fucking EDL are coming to my town tomorrow and I am beyond words about it.
We have a very mixed population, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Eastern Europeans, Africans etc and have had hardly any trouble wrt racism for years and years.
People have mingled happily here for ages.
One incident involving Muslims (amongst the 100's of similar incidents perpetrated by every other group of people) and the nasty racist scumbags are descending on my town like rats.

I have been to many an Anti fascist demo in my life so this is not new to me, but I am raging that they have turned my town against one another, divided us already and they are not even here! Everyone is now suspicious of each others intentions, I have already fallen out with someone I thought I knew quite well when it turned out he'd be marching in bloody support of them!

To make it clear I believe in free speech so would not ban them (as much as I'd like to!)

So AIBU to want them to take their nasty football hooligan tactics and racist veiws and shove it up their collective arses and crawl back the swamp from whence they came?? I am really so very very angry.
Of course I will be at the front of the "anti" protest but I just wish they had never though of coming.

[EauRouge]

If you really want to piss them off, organise a cricket match. Everyone loves cricket I don't understand it at all. Mixed teams, obv.

[WorraLiberty]

When the EDL marched through my town, they were largely ignored by everyone.

They probably went home in tears...

[NoMoreRacismPlease]

Turtely thats good but lots of marches I have seen both in rl and in videos have had that sort of thing going on.

[NoMoreRacismPlease]

EauRouge you are a genius!

[feetheart]

NoMore - count me in - no clue about cricket either but I can make a mean scone :)

[RazzleDazzleEm]

oF COURSE YOUR not BU who does want them!

[EauRouge]

I'm only up the road from you (if you're where I think you are) and I'll happily bring a couple of packets of jammy dodgers and a box of Lady Grey.

[NoMoreRacismPlease]

Right next time its tea and scones followed by a cricket match as a protest. That one might actually change the world! though will still be confused by cricket

[calmet]

I can't stand the EDL, they came to our town too. I didn't attend the demo against them though as I think they welcome counter demonstrations. They are looking for a fight. But it is a hard one as I wouldn't want people in my town to think nobody cared that the EDL were there.

[NoMoreRacismPlease]

Thank you everyone. Has actually calmed me down a bit am now thinking of skinheads with flowery teacups in their hands being handed biscuits by lovely Muslim ladies

still not looking forward to tomorrow though

[ShineSmile]

Yadnbu, no one wants them near any town.

When EDL came to Cambridge, Muslims served them fresh biryani.

[AgaPanthers]

Looking at the sort of idiots supporting the EDL, it doesn't look like fun. A guy on the EDL Stevenage march item says " Kettering coming down yeeee"

and then look at his Facebook page, his posts:

"I went on a date with a muslim last nite,i thaught it was good, i was nieve when it blew up in my face" (spelling left unchanged)

"Yeee man year probation over 1 more year licence n im done ,!"

and lots of photo of weighlifting, tattooos and big dogs with studded collars, a photo of his oafish looking friend being arrested with comments.

I googled him, he was imprisoned in 2010 for violent robbery of 15-year-old and 16-year-old teenagers, using knives & baseball bats.

www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/top-stories/violent-teenagers-used-baseball-bats-in-attack-1-2338992

But presumably there's more recent violent offences, because you wouldn't still be on probation for that now I think?

Anyone know if probation terms would allow him to go to an event like that? (Not an expert)

(He has a young child too.)

[AgaPanthers]

It's a shame the UAF will be there too, also spoiling for a fight.

[Helpys]

aga you might want to report that and have it taken down, unpleasant as he sounds, he shouldn't have his details posted here.
Very likely that he'd be in breach of his licence.

[Elledouble]

We were out in town when the EDL were marching last year. We walked along the canal to where we were going rather that go through the city centre so as not to see them. We could hear them though. It was really horrible.

[ILoveCoreyHaim]

I have had 2 huge marches near me, I just stayed away from town that day. From reading about it he next day sounds like the anti edl marchers were as bad as the edl ones and there was a video of them abusing the police.

I think the more you ignore them the quicker they will go away. Fight with them, throw stuff at them, attack them or the police and your just as bad as them. There are extremists on both sidesides from what I have seen.

[MuttonCadet]

I don't agree with doing nothing, I think the rise of racism and fascism in the country is getting worrying. But peaceful protest is the way forward (love the idea of handing out tea and biscuits).

The only way evil prevails is for good men to do nothing, (or similar can't remember the exact quote).

[WorraLiberty]

Ignoring a march and not giving them the attention they crave, isn't doing nothing.

If they have no-one to fight with, the march passes off much quicker and without press coverage.

[LadyNexus]

I think we should sterilise all fascists!

(..... Oh hang on......)

[IwinIwin]

Wear a 'free hugs for those that need them sign' and hold out your arms as they come past. Makes it clear what you think they need.

[kentishgirl]

tea and biscuits has been done and I think it's a great response to them

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-22689552 (with a football match as well)

I also really like the American clowns who protest white power/Nazi/KKK marches by taking the piss in a clever way
colorlines.com/archives/2012/11/clowns_use_humor_to_protest_kkk_rally_in_charlotte_nc.html

You can't beat hate with more hate. Make them into fools.

[DenzelWashington]

If there is no time for tea and biscuits, what about some music and a few English Disco League posters? Fight hate with humour.

[kentishgirl]

yes, get an English disco league thing going at the side of the road. Nothing annoys someone and deflates their message to show how ridiculous it is, than to make fun of them.

[daphnehoneybutt]

Recently we had EDL in our city on an anti grooming platform. It was great when someone pointed out that several of the ringleaders had actually done jail time for child molestation. Knowledge is power.