A ban on the far-right English Defence League (EDL) marching in Waltham Forest this weekend is set to be announced later today.

The Metropolitan Police is believed to have applied to the Home Office for the group to be barred from demonstrating in the borough on Saturday over concerns for public safety.

The Guardian, the council and community group We Are Waltham Forest have campaign against the EDL returning to Waltham Forest following a demonstration in September.

The group was blocked from marching to a rally near the town hall by thousands of residents and anti-fascist groups.

An event celebrating the borough's diversity in Walthamstow Town Square will still go ahead on Saturday.

Waltham Forest Guardian, 23 October 2012

Update:  See "EDL march: Police ask Theresa May to ban gathering", BBC News, 23 October 2012

Of course, the home secretary doesn't have the power to ban a static assembly, only a mobile procession. So the EDL will probably go ahead with their plans for a protest in Waltham Forest on Saturday (even though you would have thought, with a large part of their leadership having been banned from attending demonstrations in East London, they would be well advised to postpone it).

The police do, however, have powers under Section 14 of the Public Order Act to impose conditions on a static protest. If they believe that a public assembly might result in "serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community" or if the aim of the assembly is to intimidate others, then they have the power to "give directions imposing on the persons organising or taking part in the assembly such conditions as to the place at which the assembly may be (or continue to be) held, its maximum duration, or the maximum number of persons who may constitute it".

So the Met have the power under Section 14 to instruct the EDL to hold Saturday's demonstration somewhere well away from the centre of Walthamstow where their disruption and intimidation of the local community can be kept to a minimum.

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An anti-fascist protest group is due to hold a public meeting ahead of a proposed march by the English Defence League (EDL) in Walthamstow.

We Are Waltham Forest (WAWF) will discuss plans to oppose the march planned for October 27 after 3,000 people successfully diverted a previous EDL march of up to 300 people earlier this month.

The EDL has vowed to return to Walthamstow because of the diversion, and claims to be against Muslim extremists, rejecting claims it is a racist organisation.

Stella Creasy, Walthamstow MP, will be present at the meeting in Harmony Hall, in Truro Road, which starts at 7.30pm.

Organiser Sophie Bolt said: "Saturday, October 27 falls on Eid, a holy Muslim festival. This is why the EDL want to march. They plan to show 'Innocence of the Muslims', a poisonous film that attacks Islam and has provoked world-wide protests. We want to work together to wage the most effective campaign possible to keep the EDL out of Waltham Forest."

The Guardian and Waltham Forest Council have launched a joint campaign to get the march banned, called 'Waltham Forest - United. Together. Strong.'

A joint petition has already garnered more than 700 signatures and council leader Chris Robbins has met with assistant Met commissioner Mark Rowley to discuss his concerns.

To sign it please click here.

Waltham Forest Guardian, 27 September 2012

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Today your Guardian teams up with Waltham Forest Council to stop the English Defence League (EDL) peddling its hatred and prejudice in our borough for the second time in two months.

Our joint campaign "Waltham Forest – United. Strong. Together." calls on the government to step in and ban the EDL from going ahead with its planned march through Walthamstow on October 27.

The move follows hot on the heels of the EDL's last parade through the town on September 1, when its route was blocked by opponents who outnumbered the marchers by 10 to one.

Waltham Forest Council leader Chris Robbins has written to Home Secretary Theresa May to demand a meeting on the subject of banning the EDL from its planned return.

The council is also hosting an online petition – which you can sign to show the EDL how unwelcome it is here.

Over the coming weeks, we'll bring you regular updates on the campaign and tell you how you can get involved in keeping these people away from Waltham Forest.

Cllr Robbins said: "Knowingly putting our borough's residents in harm's way is not an option and I will do everything in my power to ensure the EDL is not able to spout its words of hatred in this borough. While we agree everyone has the right to protest, this latest stand by people with no connection to our borough is an abuse of that right."

Why should this group of right-wing thugs be allowed to come here whenever they like, spreading venomous rhetoric and trying to stir up trouble in an area where thousands of people from different backgrounds live perfectly happily together? Why should we stand back and see our residents put at risk?

Get involved, sign the petition and help us keep this malevolent group of right wing hooligans away from our borough.

Waltham Forest Guardian, 21 September 2012

In his letter to Theresa May, Chris Robbins states: "We called for a ban on the last march, but also encouraged residents to stay away from any counter protest. We refuse to do this again and will instead be calling on our whole community to come out and show everything that is great about the tolerant and diverse community who live here."

We understand that Chris Robbins also sent a copy of this letter to London mayor Boris Johnson asking for his support. It would be interesting to know what Johnson's response was.

[Illustration from EDL News]

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Campaigners have sworn to flood the streets of Walthamstow with demonstrators if an English Defence League (EDL) march planned for October goes ahead.

We Are Waltham Forest (WAWF) clashed with the EDL when it thwarted the group's attempt to march through Forest Road on September 1, blocking off part of the route with 3,000 protesters, and vowed to come again in larger numbers if the extremists return.

The EDL, which describes itself as a movement against Islamic extremism and denies claims it is racist, has announced a planned return to Walthamstow on October 27, postponing a demonstration in Norwich to come.

Leader Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said in a statement: "We're going back to Walthamstow and when we say we have to let bygones be bygones with many people across the EDL, everyone's welcome back. We need every man that's game going into east London on October 27. Roll on Walthamstow."

WAWF spokeswoman Sophie Bolt condemned the move. "It's utterly contemptible that the EDL have plans to march again," she said. "We will not be intimidated by these racist thugs. It's an abuse of our community to try and use Walthamstow to make some point.

"We will be coming out again and we will be calling on all those around the area who oppose fascism and the politics of the EDL to come and join us in a peaceful protest. There will be more than 3,000 of us."

A police spokeswoman said: "If this march, and any counter protest, goes ahead the Met will put in place an operation that allows both groups to hold a peaceful protest as is their legal right.

"We also have a duty to prevent crime or disorder, and minimise the impact that the protests may have on the local community."

Waltham Forest Guardian, 12 September 2012

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Waltham Forest has sent a message of defiance to the racist English Defence League (EDL), which plans to march in the east London borough next month.

Over 120 people packed into a We Are Waltham Forest public meeting on Tuesday evening. They pledged to build the biggest possible counter demonstration and to prevent the EDL from taking to the streets.

Speakers included local MP Stella Creasy, Weyman Bennett from Unite Against Fascism, and author Owen Jones. They talked about how the EDL targets areas with Muslim populations and uses its demos to spread hatred and fear.

The EDL has already flinched at the size of opposition to them in Waltham Forest, postponing its march from 18 August to 1 September.

"Let's be clear," Stella Creasy told the meeting. "We didn't want them on the 18th, we don't want them on the 1st – and we don’t want them at any time."

Speakers from the audience celebrated multicultural London and described the way these traditions had been forged in struggle. All agreed that the EDL should be stopped – and that a massive counter protest was crucial.

Socialist Worker, 1 August 2012

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