By News Desk
October 11 2012
A packed public meeting called by the We Are Waltham Forest campaign showed the determination of local people drive the English Defence League out of the borough for a second time.
Thousands of local people turned out on 1 September to block the EDL’s march route and prevent the fascists’ rally. The EDL’s 200 thugs were comprehensively routed.
But in a desperate gamble, the EDL has declared it will make a second attempt to demonstrate in the east London borough on 27 October.
The move has enraged people across Waltham Forest, who are disgusted at their community being targeted by the fascists in this way.
Tonight’s meeting focused on stopping the fascists again. It brought together a broad swathe of the local community, from trade unionists to faith groups, Turkish and Kurdish community group Gik-Der and the Woodcraft Folk.
MP’s unity call
Local MP Stella Creasy called for renewed unity against the EDL, while London Assembly Member Jennette Arnold declared there was ‘No place for the EDL in Walthamstow!’.
Jennette spoke movingly about her trip to Oslo, where people urged her to stop the EDL – the organisation that gave inspiration to Norway’s fascist mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.
The meeting heard local rabbi, Richard Jacobi, express the overwhelming mood of unity and solidarity, saying: ‘We are all one human race. Human beings were created to be diverse.’
Irfan Akhtar of the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques said the success of the mobilisation against the EDL last month had given local Muslims the confidence to confront the EDL.
Rail workers say ‘No platform’
Glenroy Watson, said his RMT rail union would do everything possible to stop the EDL using the tube on 27 October – RMT members have previously taken action to ensure that staff and members of the public are not endangered by the fascist thugs on the tube and railways.
There would be ‘no platform for EDL – literally as far as my industry is concerned’, he said.
A speaker from the floor said the anti-EDL demo on 27 October had to be even bigger than on 1 September. ‘Help us build the biggest anti-fascist demo ever.’
The Waltham Forest Council and the local paper have spoken out against the EDL. But UAF’s Martin Smith emphasised the importance of mobilising on the streets again to stop the fascists.
‘We have to march’
Simply celebrating the diversity of the borough was not enough to counter the threat, he said. ‘We have to march against the Nazi EDL on 27 October.’
UAF is mobilising nationally to support the We Are Waltham Forest demo – we will have transport details on this website soon.
Originally published by UAF
By News Desk
October 11 2012
A packed public meeting called by the We Are Waltham Forest campaign showed the determination of local people drive the English Defence League out of the borough for a second time.
Thousands of local people turned out on 1 September to block the EDL’s march route and prevent the fascists’ rally. The EDL’s 200 thugs were comprehensively routed.
But in a desperate gamble, the EDL has declared it will make a second attempt to demonstrate in the east London borough on 27 October.
The move has enraged people across Waltham Forest, who are disgusted at their community being targeted by the fascists in this way.
Tonight’s meeting focused on stopping the fascists again. It brought together a broad swathe of the local community, from trade unionists to faith groups, Turkish and Kurdish community group Gik-Der and the Woodcraft Folk.
MP’s unity call
Local MP Stella Creasy called for renewed unity against the EDL, while London Assembly Member Jennette Arnold declared there was ‘No place for the EDL in Walthamstow!’.
Jennette spoke movingly about her trip to Oslo, where people urged her to stop the EDL – the organisation that gave inspiration to Norway’s fascist mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.
The meeting heard local rabbi, Richard Jacobi, express the overwhelming mood of unity and solidarity, saying: ‘We are all one human race. Human beings were created to be diverse.’
Irfan Akhtar of the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques said the success of the mobilisation against the EDL last month had given local Muslims the confidence to confront the EDL.
Rail workers say ‘No platform’
Glenroy Watson, said his RMT rail union would do everything possible to stop the EDL using the tube on 27 October – RMT members have previously taken action to ensure that staff and members of the public are not endangered by the fascist thugs on the tube and railways.
There would be ‘no platform for EDL – literally as far as my industry is concerned’, he said.
A speaker from the floor said the anti-EDL demo on 27 October had to be even bigger than on 1 September. ‘Help us build the biggest anti-fascist demo ever.’
The Waltham Forest Council and the local paper have spoken out against the EDL. But UAF’s Martin Smith emphasised the importance of mobilising on the streets again to stop the fascists.
‘We have to march’
Simply celebrating the diversity of the borough was not enough to counter the threat, he said. ‘We have to march against the Nazi EDL on 27 October.’
UAF is mobilising nationally to support the We Are Waltham Forest demo – we will have transport details on this website soon.
Originally published by UAF