Police had to be called in halfway through a planning committee meeting after far-right protesters became "abusive".

Members of the English Defence League were at the meeting of Chelmsford Council's planning committee and are said to have caused a disturbance. The incident happened shortly after councillors agreed to plans for a Waitrose supermarket, along with 39 apartments, to be built on Royal Mail's sorting office site.

Members of the EDL are against the relocation of the Islamic Community Centre, which has been on the site for 20 years. Although not contained within Waitrose's plans, a separate proposal has been made by Muslim Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Essex to reconstruct a four-storey centre at the rear of the site.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "We were called to assist at the planning committee hearing after a disturbance was reported involving EDL members present in the room. We escorted them out of the meeting but no arrests were made as it was determined no offences had occurred."

Council leader Roy Whitehead said discussions are set to take place about how to avoid a similar incident in the future.

Mr Whitehead said: "Myself and the council's chief executive are going to meet up with the local police superintendent to discuss how matters like this can be dealt with. The plans themselves for Waitrose are great and I have been working with the supermarket for the past seven years to get it back into the city after it left 14 years ago."

A spokesman for the supermarket said the incident involving EDL members was "unsavoury".

However, development surveyor Grant Hobday said the company is pleased the council has given its thumbs-up to the plans. Mr Hobday said: "We will now seek to finalise our plans and once Royal Mail has achieved its ambition to relocate, we hope to start on site in spring 2014 and open in spring 2015."

About 180 jobs will be created by the supermarket.

Chelmsford Weekly News, 23 October 2012

View the Original article

A group of church leaders, community groups and political parties are preparing to unite against the English Defence League (EDL) this weekend.

EDL members are expected to descend upon Chelmsford town centre on Saturday, 18 August and United Chelmsford is preparing to march. The protest coincides with the first day of V Festival at Hylands Park.

United Chelmsford's Celebration of Unity will be starting from Tindal Square at 11.30am and marching through the city at 1pm, the group expects their numbers to swell to 200 as they take a stand against the EDL.

Malcolm Wallace, Secretary of Chelmsford TUC, speaking on behalf of United Chelmsford, said: "This will be a magnificent demonstration of our City's opposition to racism and islamophobia. The divisive policies of the EDL stand in sharp contrast to our multi-cultural Team GB and the spirit of the Olympics."

A police spokesman said: "The English Defence League (EDL) have provided notification that they will be gathering to rally and protest in Chelmsford city centre around 1pm on Saturday. A large group of protesters, under the banner of Unite Against Fascism, (UAF) have informed police that they will also protest and march at the same time."

United Chelmsford was set up two weeks ago after the EDL staged a rally on Saturday, 21 July against a proposed mosque in Regina Road. Three men were arrested and were held on suspicion of committing racially aggravated public order offences. A 35-year-old from Rochester, Kent, a 19-year-old from Dagenham and an 18-year-old from Yateley, Hampshire, are due to answer bail on 9 September.

The proposed mosque would replace a house in the road where Muslims have gathered to pray for more than 20 years.

Essex Enquirer, 15 August 2012

View the Original article

Chelmsford TUC along with other local organisations and faith groups will register their opposition to the EDL's proposed march in the City on 18th August. We will assemble at 11.30am at Tindal Square CM1 1LX and march through the town at 1pm, returning to Tindal Square for speeches. We urge you to join us in rejecting racism and islamophobia in our community.

When the English Defence League announced they were to march in Chelmsford on 18 August 2012 we responded by relaunching our Statement Against Racism and Fascism. 151 people signed it immediately. If you would like to add your name to the total, do let us know.

If you would like to add your Chelmsford organisation to the above, please contact us through the Secretary.

For anti-racist links and information on the Race Relations Act please go to Trade Unionists Say No To Racism.

We Declare Our Opposition to Racism and Fascism

We, the people of Chelmsford, are totally opposed to all those who seek to promote racism in our society. We strongly believe that the lessons of history show that racism and fascism, if unchallenged, will provoke fear and intimidation among many within our City. We believe that diversity is a strength and a cause for celebration, and that those who promote racism divide our community.

All signatories to this statement have a shared belief in justice, fairness and equality. We oppose racism wherever it takes place.

We declare our willingness to co-operate with political parties, faith groups and others that take a stand against those that promote racist and fascist political views.

Agreed by: 

POLITICAL:

Alliance for Green Socialism,
Co-operative Party,
Chelmsford Borough Council,
Chelmsford Conservatives,
Green Party,
John Whittingdale OBE MP,
Labour Party,
Liberal Democrats,
UK Independence Party,
Respect,
Simon Burns MP,
Socialist Workers' Party.

LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS:

Amnesty International Chelmsford Group,
Soroptimist International of Chelmsford,
United Nations Association.

FAITH:

Central Baptist Church,
Chelmsford Jamia Masjid (Mosque),
Chelmsford YMCA,
Father Ivor Morris Church of the Ascension,
Jennifer A. Hodgkin, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers),
Major Michael Highton, Divisional Commander of the Salvation Army, London North-East Division,
Rt. Revd. John Gladwin, Bishop of Chelmsford,
Rev. Dr. Paul Beasley-Murray, Senior Minister, Central Baptist Church,
Rev. Elizabeth Caswell, Moderator of the Eastern Synod of the United Reformed Church,
Rev. John Alan Cox, Christ Church URC,
Rev. Anne Brown Chair of Essex, Beds, & Herts Methodist District,
Rev. Sheila Martin, Regional Minister, Eastern Baptist Association,
The Essex Churches Council for Industry and Commerce,
Thomas McMahon, Bishop of Brentwood Diocese.

EMPLOYERS AND UNIONS:

Frankie Whiffen, President Anglia Ruskin University Student Union,
Chelmsford TUC,
Communication Workers' Union (Essex Amal),
National Association of Schoolmasters and Women Teachers (Essex Federation),
Royal College of Nursing (Essex),
Thompsons Solicitors,
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (Anglia 1 & 2 branches),
Unison (Mid Essex Hospitals, Chelmsford Borough Council & Essex County branches).

View the Original article

Not content with getting three of its members arrested during a recent demonstration in Chelmsford, the English Defence League is returning on 18 August to continue its protest against the plan to build a so-called "mega-mosque" in the Essex city.

The EDL Essex division are publicising the event on their Facebook page. As you can see, one EDL member has responded to leftist critics of the demonstration by posting a link to a Youtube video (see above) featuring a song by the neo-Nazi band Whitelaw entitled "Kick the Reds In" (this is what passes for a witty pun in Blood & Honour circles).

Objections to the EDL's endorsement of this fascist and antisemitic video have been immediately deleted by the EDL admins, but the link itself has been allowed to remain. But then, this only confirms what we already knew about the political links of the Essex EDL leadership, doesn't it?

Essex EDL – "not racist, not violent, just no longer silent"? Actually, no. In reality a gang of Nazi-sympathising thugs who openly threaten to burn down mosques and kick their political opponents' heads in.

View the Original article

Three men were arrested today on suspicion of committing racially aggravated public order offences at a protest staged by members of the English Defence League.

Around 30 people took part in the demonstration in Chelmsford city centre, a spokesman for Essex Police said.

A 35-year-old man from Rochester in Kent, a 19-year-old man from Dagenham, Essex, and an 18-year-old man from Yateley in Hampshire are currently in custody.

The protest started at around 2.30pm and was contained by police, who had received no prior notification of the demonstration taking place. It was concluded by 4.30pm, the spokesman said.

Press Association, 21 July 2012

Judging by the photo below (from Hope Not Hate) the figure of 30 would appear to be an exaggeration.

The protest was apparently against the plan to build a new Islamic Centre in Chelmsford. The EDL have been promoting an online petition, Stop The Proposed Mega Mosque in Chelmsford Essex UK ("We are asking people to vote NO! We like our community the way it is and do not want a forced influx of any particular demographic").

View the Original article