EDL is a protest group and has never done any violence... the people who are calling them a 'hate group' and acting as if they are nazis here are speaking from the popular ignorance that believe Islam is wrong/dangerous means you are violent.
The EDL has never done any violence, eh?....
Association with violence and anti-social behaviour
Video of damage being caused to a restaurant in
Leicester. A supporter of the English Defence League was later convicted for his involvement in the attack, and admitted causing criminal damage worth £1500.
[39]
The group states that its aim is to demonstrate peacefully in English towns and cities,
[32] but conflicts with
Unite Against Fascism (UAF), local opposition and other opponents have led to street violence, anti-social behaviour and arrests. A proposed march in Luton in September 2009 was banned by the police, citing a threat to public safety.
[40] There is normally heavy policing of these demonstrations, due to the likelihood of violence. The cost of policing these demonstrations has ranged from £300,000
[41] to £1 million.
[42] Journalists that have covered EDL marches have received death threats,
[43] for instance journalist Jason N. Parkinson from
The Guardian wrote about receiving a death threat by email from someone he described as an EDL organiser, as well as death threats sent to Marc Vallée, a fellow journalist.
[44] The National Union of Journalists also released a statement about journalists who had been intimidated after covering EDL demonstrations.
[43]
Four specialist national police units involved in policing hooliganism, extreme violence, and terrorism are investigating the EDL.
[25] After their second demonstration in Birmingham Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe of West Midlands Police: "Really, there was no intent to protest. I think they knew that the community was very much against them coming to the city, which... potentially would generate violence".
[45] Before their Manchester demonstration of October 2009, the EDL held a press conference, during which they burned a Nazi flag and asserted that "There is no militant undertone. We will peacefully protest but we will not be scared into silence".
[46] During the Manchester city centre demonstration Mat Trewern, from BBC Radio Manchester reported that "At one point, earlier on, when it became extremely tense, members of the UAF tried to break the police line between the two groups.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed a man, believed to be heading to the protest, had earlier been arrested in Birmingham on suspicion of distributing racially aggravated material.[47] One week later, at a Welsh Defence League demonstration, supporters burnt an anti-Nazi flag and made Nazi salutes.[48]
In January 2010 in Stoke-on-Trent, EDL members broke through police lines; four police officers were injured and police vehicles were damaged. The BBC's Matt Cooke said there had been few problems with the Unite Against Fascism demonstration.
[49]
In March 2010 in Bolton, 74 people were arrested in the demonstrations; at least 55 of the arrested were from the UAF and nine from the EDL.
[50][51][52][53] Weyman Bennett, joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism was arrested and charged with conspiracy to organise violent disorder,
[54] Martin Smith, of
Love Music Hate Racism and Dr. Moran, joint secretary of Greater Manchester UAF were among those arrested on conspiracy charges.
[55] Police said that UAF protesters were responsible for most of the trouble and that they had turned up intending to cause trouble saying "It is clear to me that a large number have attended with the sole intention of committing disorder and their actions have been wholly unacceptable."
[56]
At their second Dudley protest, on 17 July 2010, there was widespread damage to local property, the local council estimated the bill to be over £500,000.
[57] On 11 September 2010, police in Oldham received an advance call from the EDL. Around mid-day approximately 120 supporters had descended on the town. A separate mob of around 50 members attacked a police car with bottles. There were 8 arrests for public order offences.[58][59]
On 9 October 2010, a police officer and several civilians were injured during protests by the English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism in
Leicester.
A Sky News van was attacked by members of the English Defence League[60] who had earlier thrown fireworks, smokebombs and bricks at police[61] and smashed windows of the city's International Arts Centre.[62] There were also clashes between EDL supporters and local black and Asian youths as a group broke out of the EDL protest site at Humberstone Gate East and engaged with the locals. One man from
Tyne and Wear was later convicted of causing criminal damage to the value of £1500 to a restaurant in this area of the city.
[39] Riot police fought to maintain control over the sporadic fighting that ensued.
[63] Thirteen people were arrested, one on suspicion of assaulting a police officer,
[64] only one was from the city of Leicester
[65] and the cost of policing the demonstration was put at £850,000.
[66]
In February 2011, prior to an EDL march in Luton, national British newspapers ran headlines with expectations of violence.
[67] The march, which was held on 5 February 2011, was concluded without major incident.
[68]
On 10 August, during the
2011 England riots Acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner Tim Godwin expressed concern that the EDL and the BNP were seeking to exploit the situation after 90 EDL members joined vigilantes in Enfield claiming that their physical presence would discourage trouble-makers.
[69][70] The EDL also gathered in
Eltham for the same purpose.
[71] EDL officials claimed they were safeguarding local businesses, but separate reports claimed the EDL were attacking black youths.[72]
On July 2011, the EDL visited Muslim MEP Sajjad Karim at his home with a crowd of EDL members, which Karim believed was an attempt at intimidation and threatening behavior.[73] A video was later released of the protest, in which Karim refused to accept a letter from the EDL.[74] The EDL has been accused of spray-painting and attacking mosques,[75][76] and charged with arson against mosques.[77][78] Extremist members of the EDL have been involved in physical assaults against Muslims.[79][80] EDL members have been convicted of graffitying EDL initials on mosques and Asian-run businesses.[81]
EDL members have been reported attacking an anti-fascist concert in Yorkshire.[82] EDL members have been jailed for attacking staff at office buildings which had hosted anti-EDL meetings.[83] EDL members have also attacked a bookstall in Sandwell.[84] The EDL has also been reported attacking non-white people on London Underground.[85]
Some news reports have shown pictures which are claimed to depict EDL members posing wearing paramilitary outfits, with guns and crossbows.[86][87]
On 7 December 2011, EDL activist Simon Beech was one of two men jailed for 10 years for an arson attack on a mosque. Sentencing the men, Judge Mark Eades stated: "It seems to me your purpose was not to get at extremists, but to get at Muslims in general and your purpose can only have been to destabilise community relationships." Chief Superintendent Bernie O'Reilly, who heads Stoke-on-Trent policing division, said: "This was a planned attack to try to blow a mosque up in a residential area."[88][89][90][91][92]
In the early hours of Monday 12 November 2011, two EDL activists were arrested for posting bomb threats on Facebook against Birmingham Central Mosque. They were later released on police bail, pending further enquiries by West Midlands Police.[93][94][95][96][97]
English Defence League - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Destroying property... attacking homes and mosques... beating up coloured people in the Subway... attacking police and the media...making bomb threats...
...
...
... non-violence? Do some research.
