With just a day to go before the racist English Defence League (EDL) tries to march in Waltham Forest, east London, anti-fascist activists in the local community are having a final push to build opposition.

"I don't like it that a group of racists will be marching here tomorrow – no one needs or wants them," Osman, a local market trader, told Socialist Worker. "But it has been really good to see people coming together to oppose them. Hopefully the EDL will be stopped."

Mosques in Waltham Forest have been promoting the counter demonstration. The borough's council of mosques has released a statement encouraging people join the We Are Waltham Forest demonstration.

Mr Rashid is secretary of the Lea Bridge Road Masjid. He told Socialist Worker, "The only way to stop the police letting the EDL march is to make sure they are out on the streets against them. We've been publicising the anti-EDL demonstration at every prayer and event we've held – and we've received a positive response each time."

Anti-racists held a final leafleting session on Friday in Walthamstow's busy market.

"The fear people had of the EDL has gone – it's now turning into anger," said Roger from We Are Waltham Forest. "We've had a lot of young people saying they will be coming and that their friends will be there too."

The EDL march will take the racists past Forest Road fire station. Firefighters there are planning to line the road to jeer them as they pass.

"We totally condemn the EDL coming to Walthamstow in this provocative manner," said Tim Roedel, borough secretary of the firefighters' FBU union. "We will have members from London at the counter demonstration. And our members at Forest Road are planning to show their opposition to the EDL when they pass the fire station."

Ursla from We Are Waltham Forest told Socialist Worker, "A lot of people have been out today to have a final push to build the demo. When you walk around the area you can see a lot of posters, not just in shop windows but in people's home windows.

"We have even had young children saying they are making their own placards at home. Everyone opposed the racism should be at the demo tomorrow because we are going to stop the EDL."

Socialist Worker, 31 August 2012

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Over at Harry's Place Hasan Afzal of British Muslims for Israel is crowing over the success of their campaign to secure the cancellation of next month's "Month of Mercy" conference at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London organised by the Al Muntada Trust.

As we have previously noted, the "call to action" issued by Harry's Place received an enthusiastic response from the racist thugs of the English Defence League and the associated hooligan group Casuals United.

Unsurprisingly, both the EDL and Casuals United share HP's glee over the cancellation.

It is interesting that Hasan Afzal makes no mention of the reason given by the Principal Hayley Group, the hotel operator responsible for the venue, for cancelling the booking. We are left to assume that it was the dangerous "jihadist" ideology of the Al Muntada Trust that led to the decision.

However, as you can see from the Casuals United screenshot, the explanation given by the venue operator was as follows: "The safety of our staff and guests is our absolute priority at all times. After careful consideration and liaison with the local police force we have taken the decision to cancel the booking."

I had emailed the Principal Hayley Group myself, urging them to reject calls to cancel the conference, pointing out that the people behind the campaign were extremists like the EDL and Harry's Place. This morning I received the same email quoted by Casuals United. 

I emailed back saying that I couldn't understand how a conference organised by an entirely peaceful organisation like the Al Muntada Trust could have compromised the safety of staff and guests at the Grand Connaught Rooms. I received the following explanation: "We cancelled the event due to the risk of public disorder, damage to our property and safety of our staff. This decision was made on Police advice."

So it wasn't the supposed "jihadist" ideology of the conference organisers that caused the cancellation of the booking – it was the threat of violence from opponents of the conference. In other words, Harry's Place managed to get the conference cancelled by mobilising far-right racist thugs against it. They must be really pleased with themselves.

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The Belgian press has reported that three Vlaams Belang politicians staged a protest at a school in Schoten, where many of the students are Muslims, because it had organised a barbecue that included halal meat.

The protestors climbed over the wall into the school grounds and, according to deputy head Jacques Gits, "intimidated the children and pushed pork sausages down their throats". One of the students, who were aged between 12 and 14, added: "They said that halal meat is not real food and that our stomachs needed filling."

Vlaams Belang claim that they were responding to objections by parents to the "halal barbecue", although the school itself says that the only complaint it received was one anonymous phone call. School head Ilse De Bast explained: "This week was about other cultures and their customs. Every child was free to bring food from home for their classmates to taste. There was halal meat, but also other food."

In reply to criticisms, VB leader Filip Dewinter said that the protest "was meant to be funny". He added: "It would be better if schools stopped exposing children to such multicultural activities."

It appears that the story was broken by the Anti-Fascist Front who also provide a summary of press coverage.

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Two elderly people from the Muslim community were assaulted on Friday-Saturday night in Amiens. The two attackers claimed to be from the far right, it was learned on Sunday from the Regional Council of the Muslim Faith in Picardy and the Somme prefecture.

The victims, two men aged 70 and 71, were attacked around five o'clock in the morning while they were on their way to the mosque in North Amiens for Fajr prayer, which takes place at dawn. After being violently abused by two men "with very short hair and claiming to belong to the extreme right" the two men were beaten up.

Their lives are not in danger, but they were admitted to Amiens hospital with injuries particularly to their legs and ribs, according to the Regional Council. Their attackers, meanwhile, had fled.

Two complaints were lodged on Saturday afternoon at the Amiens police station and an investigation has been launched by the Amiens prosecutor, the prefecture has confirmed, adding that the area where the assault took place was not equipped with CCTV cameras.

France Soir, 7 May 2012

Via Islam in Europe

See also Courrier Picard, 7 May 2012

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Jailed again: Martin PottleThree men who joined a hooded and masked gang to attack Kingston Mosque with sticks and bottles have been jailed today. Judge Geraldine Kent overturned their pleas for leniency after hearing that all three men still denied being involved in the attack on November 21, 2010.

David Morris, 21, bought the bacon later strewn over the mosque and was caught out when he photographed co-defendant Alfie Wallace holding a stick. He was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to six months imprisonment for racially aggravated criminal damage.

Racist Alfie Wallace, 19, was sentenced to a total of 12 months in a Young Offenders Institution for religiously aggravated criminal damage and violent disorder. The court heard he had shouted out "I'm being arrested by a black man" in connection with another earlier offence.

Martin Pottle, 24, was sentenced to a total of 14 months in prison for religiously aggravated criminal damage and violent disorder. He had lied to police to try and pretend he was nowhere near the mosque before admitting during the trial that he was.

CCTV from a mosque camcorder identified him as among the fleeing gang by a distinctive streak in his hair. He was on bail for affray when he joined the attack.

Some of their acquitted former co-defendants in the trial, Paul Abley, Jordan Ellingham, Adam Khalfan and James Stacey watched from the public dock.

The court heard from Morris' defence counsel Mr Robertson that he was polite and helpful and said it was a borderline case for prison.

Wallace's counsel Miss Macatonia said he was only 17 when the attack took place and he had a scheme connected with the Olympics to help young people with right-wing views.

And Mr O'Toole representing Pottle said since he completed a six month prison sentence for affray he had a child with his girlfriend and wanted to turn his life around.

But delivering her verdict Judge Geraldine Kent said: "You had no legitimate reason to go to the mosque at all. This is not a case of a legitimate protest that spiralled out of control.

"The attack on the mosque was an unprovoked attack against innocent people inside the mosque and it frightened members of the public who should be able to go about their daily lives in a residential street without fear."

Kingston Guardian, 27 April 2012

As we have noted before, Pottle, Abley and Ellingham are all associates of former EDL youth leader Joel Titus. The six month sentence for affray that Pottle served was as a result of a fight between rival gangs of football hooligans in 2010 that also led to the jailing of Titus and Abley.

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