United East End mobilising to block EDL

From Searchlight:

The local Labour Party, including the MP Jim Fitzpatrick, the Mayor’s office and many councillors are calling on the police to ban the EDL from bringing their message of hatred and division into this very diverse but unified community.

SCORES of anti-fascist activists from a wide spectrum of local community, faith and trade union organisations have spent the last couple of weeks distributing leaflets and attending organising meetings to get a massive turnout this Saturday 7th September to block the Islamophobic English Defence League from carrying out their plans to march through Tower Hamlets.

But the police have given no indication of how they intend to manage the EDL, whether they will ban them, allow them a restricted static demonstration just outside the borough boundary in Aldgate as they did two years ago, or allow them to march through the borough just as they want.

Leading activists are surmising that the police have not made up their minds and will respond according to the turnout by the EDL and by the anti-fascists. So a huge mobilisation for anti-fascists is critical.

Glyn Robbins, United the East End

At a press conference in Tower Hamlets last Friday Glyn Robbins, representing United the East End, said that his family had lived in the area for over 200 years. 

But that doesn’t give me more rights than anyone else in this area. This area is changing and it always has but the EDL have a problem with change. The people who live here do not.
The Mosques here are open to local people to visit and they do a lot to build relations with the wider community.
The EDL intends to come into this area – and it seems they are going to be coming – they are a clear and present danger to our community. They come with a message of not just hatred and bigotry but also violence.
Our organisation, United East End, includes community and faith groups and trade unions and Rainbow Hamlets, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender group, who are not here today but they are very much part of our community.

Cllr Rachel Saunders, deputy leader Tower Hamlets Labour Group

Cllr Rachel Saunders, deputy leader Tower Hamlets Labour Group, said: “They won’t march through our community,” she said. “We will make sure the police take responsibility to make sure they do not. Our MP Jim Fitzpatrick is fighting for a ban on the EDL.”

Weyman Bennett, Unite Against Fascism

Weyman Bennett, joint leader of Unite Against Fascism, said the UAF has been opposing the EDL since 2010: “The EDL say they are opposed to Islam but they attack everybody and they are trying to divide communities.”

He spoke about the community centre in Muswell Hill that was burnt out and he had just visited the Harlow Muslim Centre the night before, which had suffered an arson attack – where the attackers had tried to drill into the gas supply to set their charges.

“These people used to attack synagogues; now they attack Mosques,” he said. “If they are allowed they will end up attacking everyone.”

Leon Silver, East London Central Synagogue

Leon Silver, of East London Central Synagogue, said that Tower Hamlets, or Stepney as it used to be known, has been home to wave after wave of immigrants for centuries; it is the first port of call for those coming into London.

In 1905 they passed the Aliens Act, which was aimed at Jewish communities. What was said about Jews then they are saying about Muslims now.
Every wave of immigrants into the East End has in time integrated into the local community. But they have not assimilated; they have kept their culture and identity and added it to the local mix, which becomes ever richer for it.
Outsiders like the EDL just don’t get it.
In the 1930s Oswald Mosley tried to come into the East End to spread division and hate and to attack the Jewish immigrant population. But the whole population came out to stop him, including the Irish dockers.
And when the EDL come in to attack our Muslim brothers and sisters we will all come out to defend them.

Dilowar Khan, East London Mosque

Dilowar Khan, representing the East London Mosque spoke on the history of the Islamic community in east London, which has existed for over a century now. 

We are no longer immigrants, we are part of the community and we don’t have another home to go to, so we are staying. We are part and parcel of the community here.
The Mosques in this country play a very positive role in turning young people into good citizens.

Rev Alan Green, Tower Hamlets Inter-Faith Forum

The Reverend Alan Green, chair of Tower Hamlets Inter-Faith Forum, said he had been a Church of England vicar in Tower Hamlets for 15 years. He said:

The EDL claim to speak for me when they say they are getting rid of Muslim oppression. But I am privileged to live here among the biggest Muslim community in London. I do not feel oppressed at all by the Muslim community in the east end but I do feel oppressed by the EDL threatening to divide my community and sow hatred.
They are all outsiders and they just don’t understand what it is to live here. They are very dangerous and they should not be allowed in this borough or anywhere near Tower Hamlets.

Other speakers at the press conference included Cllr Rania Khan of the Tower Hamlets Mayor’s group and Abdullah Falliq of the Islam Forum of the EU.

All photos: Daphne Liddle

Norfolk Humanists - next meeting September 19

Norfolk Humanists and Secularists get together every third Thursday of the month in the Friends Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, Norwich, 7.0 for 7.30 pm. We invite speakers to talk on a range of subjects not just relevant to Humanism but also to feed our abounding curiosity about the world. We don’t claim to have all the answers but think that the search for truth through rational debate is well worth pursuing. 

If, like us, you think life can be lived ethically without reference to religion and want to meet like minded people, please feel free to come along to our meetings or email us here

NEXT MEETING. 19 September when Michael Hill will be giving a talk on Astronomy and introducing us to the night sky. Hope you can join us at the Friends Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, at 7 pm. 

All welcome. 

My country is the world and my religion is to do good  

Thomas Paine, Norfolk born and bred

Norfolk Humanists and Secularists 

Norfolk Humanists on Facebook

Art and East Anglia

From the Sainsbury Centre:

On 14 September 2013, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia will launch its newly refurbished galleries with a major exhibition displaying the best art of Norfolk and Suffolk throughout history.

Storm on Yarmouth Beach by John Sell Cotman

"Masterpieces: Art and East Anglia" celebrates the rich and distinctive artistic heritage and culture of East Anglia, from antiquity through to the present day. One of the most ambitious exhibitions ever staged in the region, "Masterpieces" will present over 270 objects that the region has inspired, produced and collected, as well as treasures that have long been associated with the area. The exhibition is comprised of loans from over 60 major public and private collections, including the Royal Collection, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Gallery and Norfolk Museum and Archaeology Service.

"Masterpieces" brings together an extraordinarily diverse selection of material from across the visual arts: from paintings, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, glass, and jewellery, to photography, graphic design, fashion and costume, product and textile design – from the prehistoric period to the present day. 

The juxtapositions promise to be sensational: a flint hand axe worked at least 700,000 years ago will sit alongside an ironstone pebble from the same Norfolk beach carved into a reclining figure by Henry Moore in 1930.

There will also be a diverse events programme including talks, symposia, film screenings and family activity days.

Book now and discover our must see Masterpieces

Discover Norfolk’s history 

with Heritage Open Days

It’s nearly time for this year’s Heritage Open Days, 12th-15th September, with free events celebrating the county’s fantastic heritage for everyone to enjoy. Check out open buildings, guided tours and walks, exhibitions and performances across Norwich, Thetford, South Norfolk, Broadland, Great Yarmouth and further afield. There's plenty to see and do across the long heritage weekend with lots of drop-in activities and open buildings.

There are still a few pre-book events available – discover Norwich Cathedral’s medieval graffiti, tours of Rosary Cemetery, Francis Cupiss printing company in Diss, The History of Advertising Trust in Raveningham and Ships Ahoy! tours in Blakeney.From Monday 2nd September remaining and return tickets for pre-book tours will be available in person only from HEART at The Guildhall, Norwich.

Pick up the events brochure in cultural venues, tourist information centres, libraries, post offices, cafes and shops across Norfolk, or download fromwww.heritagecity.org/hods.

Nice little earner

From HOPE not hate:

EDL liars' plan Scandinavian visit

Gruesome Twosome: Trouble will follow

The twin evils behind the English Defence League, serial liars Stephen Lennon and his cousin Kevin Carroll, are planning a speaking tour of Scandinavia next month.

For Lennon, it will be his first trip out of the UK since his ill-fated trip to the US landed him in prison for using a false passport. For Carroll, it will be another opportunity for a wild drinking binge.

The two are guests of the Swedish Free Press Society and Dispatch International, front groups for Islamophobes. The aim of the tour is to rubbish allegations in the British press that the EDL are "football hooligans and despicable racists."

Despite the fact Lennon is a fraudster, a thug a convicted football hooligan and a liar, he will no doubt be presented as some kind of freedom fighter. Carroll will no doubt wear some kind of crucifix around his neck for the trip. Both will be bladdered.

The tour starts in Malmo Sweden on September 28 before moving to Copenhagen in Denmark the next day. Whether the pair even dare show their faces in Norway remains to be seen.

The last time the two went to Sweden, their old friend Paul "Posh Spice" Weston got so drunk, he thought he had been mugged.

Weston is not on the invite list for this trip, but what is guaranteed is that the pair will face an uphill task to be heard over the antifascist noise that will follow them.

Free Press: We call it a piss-up

Troublesome cleric more Prejudice than Pride

From EDP24 by David Freezer:

Controversial pastor investigated by police over Norwich Pride comments

A controversial pastor of a Norwich church group is under police investigation after describing the annual Norwich Pride celebrations as an “unashamed carnival of perverted carnality”.

The Rev Dr Alan Clifford, of the Norwich Reformed Church, has regularly made local headlines over the years for his strong views on religion, homosexuality and many other issues.

He is now waiting to hear if he will face prosecution for his actions, which follow an open email which was sent to the organisers of Norwich Pride and was copied to several other sources, including the EDP and Norwich Evening News.

The email was unprompted and sent following this year’s Norwich Pride parade on Saturday, July 27, which saw around 5,000 people join the colourful celebrations of equality in the city centre.

Mr Clifford was one of five people to hold a “gospel witness” on Gentleman’s Walk as the parade made its way from Chapelfield Gardens, along Theatre Street and Gentleman’s Walk and then up Gaol Hill to the front of City Hall.

Mr Clifford explained in his email that he had approached a stall on Hayhill and asked for some of the official Norwich pride pamphlets – a stall from which he was banned by Norwich City Council in April 2012, for giving out “hate motivated” literature.

He then offered leaflets entitled Good News for Gays and Jesus Christ, the Saviour We All Need, saying: 

You need them, they will do you good.

Police then provided a buffer as Rev Clifford and his fellow protesters walked ahead of the Norwich Pride parade.

Mr Clifford continued: 

The planned route took us past the market and the City Hall. Shamelessly displaying the City Council’s decadence, a ‘rainbow’ drape stretched along the entire width of the building. On the balcony the lord mayor [Keith Driver], resplendent in his ceremonial robes, waved to the crowd, supported by other members of the council. It was a truly shameful display of official support.

A Norfolk Constabulary spokesman confirmed the email was being investigated, saying: 

We can confirm a complaint has been received regarding offensive comments made in an email to Norwich Pride and the matter is being investigated.

This year’s Norwich Pride parade was the fifth time the annual event had been held, and brought to a close a week of events, including talks about gay rights at The Forum.

A Norwich Pride spokesman said: 

We received a very offensive email from Dr Alan Clifford immediately after this year’s Pride celebrations. It contained homophobic language.
Our mission at Norwich Pride is to ensure that we live in a city where everyone feels safe and proud to be themselves – and nobody feels hated simply for being who they are. We reported the email to the police as a hate incident and are pleased that they are dealing with it seriously.

Freezer@Archant.Co.Uk 

Google now ranks "English Disco Lovers" above EDL

From SQ magazine:

It’s not a good week for online presence of the English Defence League. One week after their website was breached by the ZCompany Hacking Crew, the right-wing troupe find themselves falling below their satirical rivals, the English Disco Lovers, on Google.

That’s right, should you feel curious enough to search for ‘EDL’ in Google, the website of the anti-sharia law pressure group is now below that of the counter-protest collective the English Disco Lovers, who fight back against EDL marches through the medium of 70s inspired disco dancing and launched their own website earlier this year.

The English Disco Lovers, who also raise money for causes that support multiculturalism and racial equality, say that they launched the campaign to “reclaim the hated EDL acronym from The English Defence League and make it stand for something positive.”

The EDL focus on renewing a sense of national identity through the removal of Islamic culture from English soil. While the organisation, much like the ever-so-slightly milder BNP, claim to be of a non-racist nature, it doesn’t take much time to read between the lines.

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Brilliant work from the English Disco lovers for non-violent, non-confrontational but effective protest - do your bit and click:

https://www.facebook.com/englishdiscolovers 
and http://www.edl.me/

EDL website hacking update

Update from SQ magazine: 

Gaz Ireland of Zcompany Hacking Crew (ZHC) has been in touch to confirm that it was his organisation, not Anonymous, who carried out the hack of the EDL website. 

ZHC say that while Anonymous were involved originally, this wasn’t their operation. 

ZHC claim there will be another member list release this evening.

Former EDL supporter sees the light

From *Bedfordshire Police FB comments:

Vile unacceptable racist language
I was a supporter of the EDL, I always believed they were doing something good for this country and I agreed with some of the things they were standing for. But after going to a few of their protests/demonstrations I started to open my eyes. On the coaches EDL 'supporters' constantly used vile unacceptable racist language. P*ki this and p*ki that, openly talking about burning down/petrol-bombing their local Mosques and all sorts of other disgusting things!

Ashamed and embarrassed 

It was honestly sickening to hear and it just made me ashamed and embarrassed that I was a part of this bigoted extremist group!
And oh, it wasn't just one or two of them saying these horrendous things, it was every single EDL 'supporter' I came across.

RUINING and DAMAGING this beautiful country

I've seen them start pointless fights with innocent/harmless Muslims on the streets! For no reason whatsoever. They weren't defending England! Instead they were RUINING and DAMAGING this beautiful country. They were bringing shame onto this country, they were making me ashamed to be British.

Using being "against extremist" as an excuse to promote hatred

Listen, I'm totally against extremism, we all are. But the English Defence League are using being "against extremist" as an excuse to promote hatred. They're just going the wrong way about it. Seriously, take a minute and go on the EDL Facebook page and read all of their vile comments that they all post! It's absolutely sickening to read!

The British Armed Forces are against the EDL.

The British Armed Forces are 100% against the EDL. They don’t want anything to do with them. Serving soldiers and those who have served in the army have come out and told the EDL what they think of them. They've told the EDL that they don't represent them and they don't support the EDL's racism, hatred and & attempts to divide. They actually despise the EDL more than we do.

Pointless march

And with the pointless march that's happening in Luton (Stopsley) basically the reason for this is that their "leader" Tommy Robinson LIED (again) and as usual most of his gullible 'supporters' have sadly believed him... He claimed “Goals for Gaza” is a charity for funding terrorists when it’s 100% not. It’s actually a brilliant proud charity for those helpless, homeless and hungry people who are sadly suffering in Gaza. So basically, the EDL once again misleading and brainwashing gullible people with their lies and misinformation.

The racist EDL do not represent this country

I just think it’s heartwarming to see the majority of people in this town and all over the country stand up to these racist, violent, brainless, ignorant shameless animals. The racist EDL do not represent this country and they certainly don't the people in it.

*Link no longer operative.

East Anglian EDL - Legends in their own Minds II

The Fantasy:

"Helped by the YOUNG LIONS the OLD LION defies his foes".  

That heroic lion appears again in an EDL recruitment poster, adapted from an old Empire recruitment poster, together with two very small cubs that, in reality, a lioness would keep away from the male and well out of any danger.

Comically the EDL photoshopper deleted a few words to make the poster seem to be recruiting for the EDL rather than overseas work, and of course in real life the EDL are adamantly against a migrating workforce.  

So there on the EDL version of this poster the Old Lion is showing the way to the youngsters.

The Reality

At the EDL demonstration in Birmingham last month, a little boy (face obscured) cowers in fear beside the criminally idiotic "OLD LION".  Good job, Dad.
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The Fantasy:

"Strong and true".  These are noble sentiments expressing steadfast, honest commitment to a cause.  This is the motto that appears on East Anglian EDL member Julia Howman's site (now gone).

The Reality:

"I will ALWAYS be true to myself, to promoting the legacy of my ancestors who died for me and mine so we could live freely, never ever to anyone else . . ." contradicts Julia Howman.

Howman declares that being "true" means being true only to herself and "never ever" to anyone else.  

This is the opposite of the traditional interpretation of the phrase "being true" which usually means a solemn dedication to defend an ideal or to commit to a person - not a solemn dedication to yourself.

Julia Howman's passionate commitment to herself has led her into a grasshopper far-right political career of expediency and opportunism. She stood for the English Democrats Party in 2004, then stood for the BNP in Sprowston in 2009 Norfolk County Council elections, and is now active with the EDL.

So much for being "true". 

Julia Howman, aka Julia Howe, Julia Angelcynn and AngelAethelflaeda, likened Norwich City Hall to the Kremlin in her speech for the EDL last November, and has quoted Nazi war criminal Joseph Mengele.

Another dangerous far-right East Anglian EDL fantasist

  

Giving East Anglia a voice?  Not my voice, AngelAethelflaeda.

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More "Legends in their own minds" to come . . .

East Anglian EDL - Legends in their own Minds I

2010

The Fantasy:

A powerful image of heroic strength and dignity accompanied the 2010 list of EDL leaders.  A list that included Anthony Bamford, at that time East Anglian EDL Regional Organiser.

The Reality:

Anthony Bamford and four other cowardly thugs threatened young women at a fast-food outlet on Prince-of-Wales Road, Norwich:  

"We'll come back every Saturday.  There will be a lot more of us."

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2011

The Fantasy:

EDL Norwich division's Nat Snelling is a would-be spy.  She recorded mothers walking their children to school at her local Norwich primary school, and published the pictures on her EDL site.  She identified them as potential Muslim terrorists - because they were wearing hijab.

The Reality:

EDL News identified the school involved and passed this screen grab and photographs to the headmaster. EDL News disguised the identity of the woman that Snelling took the photos of but gave unedited photos to the school. The school said the matter is now in the hands of the police.

The Reality - a drunken Nat Snelling arrested at an EDL demonstration

More "Legends in their own Minds" to come . . .

The Mass Sleep Out – What’s it all about?

The Mass Sleep Out (TMSO) is a national day of action being held on August 24th, 2013. 

On this day people will gather in towns and cities across the UK and sleep on the streets, to raise awareness of homelessness and the probable increase in homelessness brought on by the bedroom tax and other government cuts.

What started off as an idea has now captured the hearts, minds and interests of more than 2500 people across the UK who wish to stand against the measures being imposed by the coalition government.

The Mass Sleep Out has events planned in 50 towns and cities across the UK as part of our national day of action on August 24th.

Mass sleep out - NORWICH

(click above to visit Facebook page:

To coordinate and spend a night on the streets in order to raise awareness of the impact of mass homelessness and to show how homelessness will look when people can not pay the bedroom tax and generally can not afford to live with all the cuts and prices of everyday living going up.

If you do not want to sleep over, please come for a couple of hours to show your support.

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM ORGANISERS

THIS HAS NO ASSOCIATION WITH ANY POLITICAL PARTY.

*********NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL*********