International links

The EDL leadership is increasingly trying to establish links with like-minded groups in Europe and North America. Its international links include:

Sweden EDL guru Alan Lake addressed a Sweden Democrat conference in September 2009 at which proclaimed that it was necessary to build an anti-Jihad movement. He spoke of the need for “people that are ready to go out in the street” and boasted that he and his friends had already begun to build alliances with “football supporters”.

Germany A hundred people rallied at the Dutch Embassy in Berlin to support the Dutch Islamophobic politician Geert Wilders. The Islamphobic Pax Europa Citizens’ Movement and the stridently anti-Muslim and leftist “Politically Incorrect” blog run by Stefan Herre, a teacher from Cologne, organised the event, which was also attended by Portsmouth members of the EDL.

France EDL leaders travelled to France in early July to meet representatives of the Identity Bloc and Vérité, Valeurs et Democratie (Truth, Values and Democracy). Identity, which has fewer than 1,000 members, is not anti-Jewish and even has contacts with some hardline members of the right-wing, ultra-nationalist Jewish Defence League. VVD is a website launched in December 2009 which is neo-conservative, anti-Islam and claims to be part of an “anti-Sharia Alliance”. The EDL visit came shortly before an attempt to launch a French counterpart of the EDL in early September. There is the League 732 and the French Defence League (LDF). The LDF wants to work with the JDL, in contrast to League 732. However, the LDF is a curious mix of Identity followers, hooligans and autonomous nationalists who are not particularly willing to work with Jews.

Netherlands The EDL linked up with the Dutch Defence League to hold a rally in Amsterdam on 30 September, in support of the anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders. He distanced himself from the EDL and the rally was an embarrassing flop.

United States Eight EDL supporters travelled to New York to attend a protest against the planned Islamic centre two blocks from Ground Zero on the anniversary of 9/11. However Tommy Robinson was refused entry to the USA. The event was organised by Stop Islamization Of America and was addressed by the former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Geert Wilders and the New York Senate candidate Gary Berntsen. The organisers of the event later publicly defended the EDL despite its link to violence, football hooliganism and racism.

There are also several Facebook groups that are spin-offs from the EDL. They include the Norwegian Defence League, Russian Defence League, Belgium Defence League, Australian Defence League, United States Defence League, Serbian Defence League, Norsk Defence League, American Defense League, Italian Defence League/Casuals United, Swedish Defence League, German Defence League, Cyprus Defence League, Chinese Defence League, Canadian Defence League, Lebanese Defence League, Nigerian Defence League, Indian Defence League, French Defence League, Indonesian Defence League and the Ulster Defence League.

 

Last updated March 2011