Police arrest EDL members to 'avert planned attack' in London

[harvey007]

Source: London Guardian


Police have arrested more than 170 members of the English Defence League after reports of repeated threats to attack Occupy protesters camped outside St Paul's Cathedral on Armistice Day.

Scotland Yard said they believed a breach of the peace was about to take place after they got intelligence that the EDL were planning the Armistice Day attack. The law states officers can arrest if they believe the breach of the peace to be "imminent."


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/11/edl-arrests-london-occupy-armistice-day?newsfeed=true

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[northoftheborder]

2. I don't know what the "English Defense League" is.

[CJCRANE]

3. Grammar Nazis

Well, more like neo-nazis.

[Cronus Protagonist]

5. Equivalent to the KKK without the masks

uber-nationalist right-wing xenophobes.

[pampango]

7. Right wing street protesters, anti-Islam, anti-immigration, pro-tea party.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Defence_League

The English Defence League (EDL) is a far-right street protest movement which opposes what it considers to be a spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in England. The EDL uses street marches to protest against Islamic extremism. At many of their gatherings, EDL members have clashed with counter-demonstrators, including supporters of Unite Against Fascism (UAF).

Former Home Office secretary Phil Woolas stated of the organisation's tactics, "This is a deliberate attempt by the EDL at division and provocation, to try and push young Muslims into the hands of extremists, in order to perpetuate the divide. It is dangerous."<178> John Denham, the then UK Communities Secretary, has condemned the EDL, saying its tactics are similar to those of the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s, although he stressed that they did not present anything like the same "potency, organisation or threat".

American talk radio host Michael Savage became the first popular media figure to publicly announce support for the EDL, stating, "How does England take the Islamofascists spitting on their war dead, without letting the English Defence League wade into them with pipes and beer bottles, I'll never understand". Erick Stakelbeck, a terrorism analyst and commentator for Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, also expressed support for the EDL and compared its members to the members of the American Tea Party movement as being "mostly non-political average guys, many of them working class, who are fed up with their government's encouragement of destructive policies".

The EDL is reported to be developing links with right-wing elements within America. The EDL has European ties in the Netherlands, France, Denmark and Sweden, with supporters joining and hosting EDL demonstrators.

Gainesville, Florida pastor Terry Jones was invited to a rally in Luton in February 2011 to share his views on Islamic extremism. Anti-fascist group Hope not Hate successfully petitioned the Home Secretary to have Jones banned from entering the UK. In October 2010, American tea party activist Rabbi Nachum Shifren, travelled to England to speak at a rally

[northoftheborder]

8. Thanks for the definition and history. Scary to think they are linking up with American rightwing.

[Turborama]

16. The English Defence League uncovered (Video)

Formed less than a year ago, the English Defence League has become the most significant far-right street movement since the National Front. The Guardian spent four months undercover with the movement, and found them growing in strength and planning to target some of the UK's biggest Muslim communities

• Warning: Contains strong and offensive language

Matthew Taylor, Guy Grandjean, Teresa Smith and Jason Parkinson
guardian.co.uk, Friday 28 May 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2010/may/28/english-defence-league-uncovered?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3486

Edited to add this exposé by AJE which I posted in GD about a year ago: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=9614693

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Another example of the difference between English and US laws

Arrests before anything happened since something might happen

[dipsydoodle]

9. Generally referred to here in the UK

as maintaining public order.

The police were not protecting those at St Pauls specifically - that's just Guardian spin. Once the EDF had accumulated at one pub they decided to act. They'd have done the same if it had been a football match given the number involved.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Plus Telegraph spin, it seems

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8885128/EDL-members-arrested-on-Armistice-Day.html

So maybe the police really did say that, to each paper?

[dipsydoodle]

13. Actual background was more likely this

Police said the arrests were made to "prevent a breach of the peace". They released 176 people without charge.

A further three, who were suspected of affray, have been freed on bail.

The EDL said it originally planned to stop members of the Muslims Against Crusades (MAC) group from burning poppies near the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington.

MAC staged an anti-Armistice Day protest last year and said it was planning to do the same again this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15697632

Of what possible interest could St Pauls be to the EDF especially on Armistice Day - they're anti immigration and not much else. If they had any intention whatsoever to interfere at the church they'd just move in same as the protesters there and the local winos. If anything I'd say police intelligence was crook.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. See reply #11 (nt)

[Turborama]

11. It seems like this was related specifically to threats made against Occupy LSX...

From the OP...

The English Defence League had issued statements and made threats on Facebook to burn down protesters tents if they were still outside St Paul's on Remembrance Sunday, according to Phillips.

Some members of the EDL had also attempted to enter the encampment, most recently on Thursday night.

A statement by the EDL on Thursday was read to the Occupy LSX general assembly on Friday morning to make people aware that there was a threat being made. "They called us all sorts of names in the statement and said we should leave "their" church and stop violating their religion," said Phillips.

[dipsydoodle]

15. Today is Friday

Seems more likely bad intelligence. When the EDF meet up they don't do it a few days in advance of an event especially if there's a Saturday in the middle depending on whose teams are playing at home and whose are away. If they were really going to hit something they'd do it old skool like the ICF.

It not a matter of them attempting to enter - nobodys got permission to be at the church so anyone can join in like it or not. The situation regarding apparent permission was clarified when the first guy resigned - the one who writes for the Guardian. He stated quite clearly that at no point was anyone given permission to occupy and nothing has changed since. Non removal isn't permission.

:hi:

[Posteritatis]

12. More 'arrests since something was going to happen.' (nt)

[T_i_B]

18. Will let's see what they were up to

Not the sort of behaviour which is going to keep them out of trouble with the law.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8885128/EDL-members-arrested-on-Armistice-Day.html

Elements within the group later became abusive towards staff, with some allegedly leaning over the counter to steal food.

Officers were called back to the premises at around 12.50pm and began to "physically push them out" of the drinking spot, he said.

"Some of the staff aren't English and they were shouting at them, telling them to say 'England is better than where I'm from', and things like that," he said.

Another source at the pub said rowdy scenes broke out as supporters were removed from the venue. "They did not want to go," he added. "They resisted to the point they were throwing stools at the police and bar staff. It was not an average working day. The EDL decided to use this as a base. They were not happy that a number of our bar staff were not English."

[Betsy Ross]

6. Recent Frontline(?) Islamphobia

Great exposee on EDL.

[Ian David]

17. More TeaTerror.

http://tinyurl.com/TeaTerror
http://tinyurl.com/TeaTerror2

Scotland Yard arrest EDL members over alleged plot to attack Occupy London
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