Comments

Comment 1 | From: Siobhan | Date: 10 October 2009, 17:30

The BBC just said 'about 2,000 people attended a protest organized by the EDL.' Brilliant.

Nick replies: The BBC haven't exactly done a great job in covering these protests today and here's another example...

Comment 2 | From: Harry | Date: 10 October 2009, 17:48

Private armies like the EDL need to be leglislated against. And in future, local authorities must go through their byelaws with a fine toothcomb to find any excuse not to allow explosive far right political gatherings. I mentioned before about perhaps Alan Lake (as EDL financer and mastermind who thought it was clever to recruit football hooligans to fight in city centres, must be held to account through huge law suits, and hopefully sued for millions of pounds. I still can't see why the EDL can commandeer Piccadilly Gardens for a so-called event, when proper event organisers have to fork out thousands of pounds to use the evry same space for music and arts events, events which although do not breach the peace, the organisers must foot the bill for security, policing and insurance. As a condition of being allowed to hold their gathering in a public place on a weekend, they should have been charged at least £450,000 to cover all the expenses already mentioned, including compensation for loss of trade for local businesses. Then there's the tax and the VAT the EDL should have been charged for putting on a public event (it was called an event not a march... It was the tax man who got Al Capone and friends. It does seem strange that you can put on an event which instils fear and hatred amongst the local populaution for free, with guaranteed crime, traffic disruption and falls in business takings, but try to put on an unlicenced music event in a town centre such as a free party or rave, to entertain young people, without payment, and you will be both targetted by the criminal justice act for playing "repetitive beats", and you will be refused permission to gather. Try to go ahead without permission and you will get arrested. Put on a neo-fascist political event and you can use whatever public space you like, free of charge, and the police won't arrest you for being anti-social, actually, they will look after you and give you free support, protection and friendship. This is just plain wrong! The criminal justice act needs to be updated, and local authorities need to start charging inflamatory political events for policing and insurance.

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Meet Tommy Robinson leader of the English Defence League

What happens when the EDL comes to town

credit: consequential films

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