EDL blocked and harried in Brighton

The Movement For England attempted to claim over the past few months that they were nothing to do with the EDL. The  organisers repeatedly stated that the EDL would not be welcomed and that their march would be a peaceful, family friendly event. Anti-fascists had been pointing out that this would not be so, as the presence of EDL banners showed. Their love affair with the State of Israel also seemed to be over, following the splits with JDL, as no Israeli flags appeared for once.

On the route, in response to the anti-fascists slogans of "We are black, white, asian, jewish and gay", EDL supporters shouted out, " you're not English anymore". Now how they knew the heritage of anti-fascists and could suddenly decide that the dna had changed is amazing. What is English anyway as we all have mixed blood of one sort or another? Do they then intend to deport those who are not pure? Where did the Angles, Saxons, Jutes,Danes and Vikings come from, certainly not Essex!

Well done to the anti-fascist movement in making every effort, under extremely difficult circumstances, in defending multi-culturalism and showing that the EDL were not welcomed here or anywhere else.

Report from  Peoples Republic of Hove blog

The EDL were chased around Brighton by anti-fascists and the photos give some idea of the massive and oppressive police operation (involving 5 forces) - oppressive, that is, towards the anti-fascist contingent. To the EDL, they could not have been more accommodating, even to the extent of facilitating a further drinking session for them after their march had ended, rather than just getting them out of the city as soon as possible.

Extensive use was made of the notorious Section 14 of the Public Order Act to try to intimidate anti fascists - it didn't work, and we were able to block Queens Road for over an hour. There were however a number of random arrests of activists.

Among the positives of the day -

- the "respectable" veneer of March for England was well and truly stripped away. This was without question an EDL march.

- different anti-fascist groups worked well together.

- although numbers were less than we would have liked, it was really encouraging to see the hostility towards the EDL from ordinary locals.