Anti Fascists rout EDL in Waltham Forest.
The Edl suffered another humiliating setback in London on Saturday.the EDL only managed to mobilise a measly 200. In recent months it has become clear that the periphery of the EDL has been stripped away and all that is left is the Nazi hard-core. That was what was on show on Saturday.
The antifascist mobilisation however was extremely diverse reflecting the full variety of London life.Their 200 were confronted by a mobilisation of about 4000 anti-fascists
The Police plans for the march had to be altered due to anti-fascists mobilising against the Nazis and thereby throwing the EDL onto the back foot.
Originally the Police had planned to march the EDL down Forest Road from Blackhorse Road tube station to the town hall for a rally.
This route was blocked by the anti-fascist march, which staged a sit-down protest at a key junction. This changed the EDL's plans for the day
Anti-fascists split split into different groups, some staying at Hoe Street with others breaking off to occupy other key points. The EDL march was rerouted through the back streets of Walthamstow, where they met abuse and hostility from local people.
One group of several hundred anti-Nazis broke through and occupiedthe EDL’s rally point outside the town hall. EDL leaders Tommy Robinson and Kev Carroll were there with a handful of her supporters. They had to hurriedly take down their sound system.
Robinson and Carroll were visibly shaken by the size and anger of the anti-fascist presence at the very place they had planned to hold their rally. The pair were later witnessed having a blazing row with each other.
“They shall not pass”
that became the slogan of the day.
Hours later they were dragooned back,sorry faced but probably no wiser to Blackhorse Road where they were greeted by officers in riot gear deployed to shield them from the righteous anger of local residents.
Meanwhile hundreds of anti-fascists including members of unions the FBU, Unison, Unite and RMT were finally released from separate police “kettles” to march triumphantly back towards the town centre.
A diverse alliance had been brought together to oppose the fascists
Waltham Forest Council of Mosque’s Irfan Akhtar said all the borough’s mosques had thrown their weight behind the campaign against an organisation hoping to “bring hatred and division.”
According to the Morning Star, Green MEP Jean Lambert, a local resident, said: “When the EDL are on the streets we have to be there as well.”
She attacked the government for its criticism of multiculturalism, declaring: “I make no apologies for using the word and defending it.”
Unite Against Fascism’s Weyman Bennett was also among the speakers, telling the crowd: “The council leader said the best thing to do is ignore them. That’s a mistake.
“Every time they are ignored they grow stronger."
London is now a no-go zone for the EDL. After Tower Hamlets you would have thought they would have known better, but apparently not. Continued opposition has reduced their numbers significantly, but as became clear in Luton, when National front members were openly selling their literature in front of stewards, they are now being dominated by hard-core Nazis.
The sight of Tommy Robinson and Stephen Carroll openly squabbling as they scuttled away from their assembly point was a sight to enjoy,so this was a significant defeat for the fascists.They couldn't march from their assembly point and their rally was stopped.
"Whose streets?"
"Well, certainly not yours Mr. Robinson."
This was another significant victory for the antifascist movement. However, as always there is no room for complacency. In the present economic climate there are possibilities for them to regroup as circumstances change.
The EDL was once again confronted and stopped.
They did not pass.
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