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.
After the series of protests all over the Muslim world, protests happened in Afghanistan as well, people stood up bravely and declared the action of the American film makers very hostile towards the Muslim world. Many U.S. embassies have been targeted and stormed, U.S. Flags were burnt and replace by Black flags with the Muslim words. According to a witness of the entire episode said that in the place of the U.S. Flag, a black flag was lifted with the words “There is no God but God, and Mohammad is his messenger”. While U.S. flag was burnt and pieces were shown on camera, many believed that the filming agitated the riot up to this extend.
The movie is called “innocence of the Muslims” which has been blocked in all Muslim countries. “In Washington, the White House acknowledged that it had sought to discourage distribution of the video that sparked the protests but insisted that it had made no formal request to the video-sharing Web site YouTube, which is owned by Google. Tommy Vietor, the National Security Council spokesman, said the White House had asked YouTube “to review whether it violates their terms of use.’’ Google said this week that it had blocked access to the video in Egypt and Libya.”
“The people are going to raise their voice to show we are not silent. With the last breath in our body we will be against those who are insulting to our religion and prophet,” said Haji Samar Gul, an 80-year-old protester at the Kabul demonstration. “We shouted death to America, death to supporters of America, death to slaves of America.”
“The police did not open fire at all, we used other techniques to control the protest,” said the city police chief, Ayub Salangi, who was among those hit by the protesters.
“There were protests in four places around the city; more than 2,500 people participated. The police managed to control them, although they burned one vehicle.”
Some protestors from the village areas also joined the protest and expressed
“I joined with them because I thought it was my duty as a Muslim to condemn those who made this film,” said Waleed Khan, a 35-year-old from eastern Paktia, where insurgent violence is much higher than in the relatively secure capital.
“My relatives who are in Paktia were filled with anti-government and anti-American feeling when they heard about this film,” he added.
Police bullets also killed the protestors brutally, this presented a miserable image of the protests in Afghanistan that shaped up horribly.
“The Afghan police, who in the past have often responded to unruly crowds with gunfire, seem to have taken a much more restrained and professional approach today,” said Heather Barr, Afghanistan analyst at Human Rights Watch.
“Police reportedly did not open fire on protesters and used crowd control techniques instead. If this is true, it represents an important improvement in Afghan policing and the police leadership deserve appreciation for defusing what could have been an incident with a significant body count.”
WHITE PLAINS — As supporters held up signs protesting Islamophobia, a coalition of community leaders and residents gathered downtown Thursday to denounce anti-Muslim advertisements posted at Metro-North stations throughout Westchester County.
The coalition revealed its plan to counter the anti-Islamic campaign, calling on Metro-North to distance itself from the advertisement and donate revenue earned from its publication to an organization that combats extremism.
Paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative – a group led by Pamela Geller – the ads associate the religion of Islam with 19,250 terrorist attacks carried out by extremists since Sept 11, 2001. Printed in large block lettering on a dark background, an asterisk denotes that number is rising, and a slogan below reads: "It's not Islamophobia, it's Islamorealism."
"The bigotry and hate this ad directs at Muslims and Islam is totally unacceptable in Westchester or anywhere else," said Priscilla Read, a community activist who helped organize the event. "Our purpose is to raise awareness about what this ad represents, and mobilize action in support of our Muslim neighbors."
Geller told The Journal News the advertisments highlight the reality and magnitude of Islamic jihad and the mainstream media's cover-up of it.
Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to publicly denounce the signs, suggesting a disclaimer be placed on Metro-North platforms saying the agency does not support the advertisement.
Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for Metro-North Railroad, said it does not endorse the viewpoint expressed in the ad but refrains from banning advertising based on its message. Anders added that the railroad relies on advertising to generate revenue. MTA chairman and CEO, Joseph Lhota, has indicated the agency will discuss its policies on political ads later this month.
"When I first saw the word Islamorealism, I thought, 'Hey, maybe these people actually met some Muslims'," said Rev. Gawain de Leeuw of St. Bartholomew's Church in White Plains. "But I know these people. I know they are opportunists who seek to prey on the fears and worries of hard-working Americans. But what they don't know is that this will not work. Toleration is a part of our American DNA from the very beginning."
The massed ranks of the National Front at their anti-mosque protest in SunderlandAnti-racists saw off a National Front-organised protest in Sunderland on Saturday. The fascist National Front was protesting at Sunderland council's recent decision to grant planning permission for the construction of a new mosque in the Millfield area of the city.
Up to 150 people – local Muslims, trade unionists, Greens and socialists – responded despite less than 48 hours' notice, gathering to counter the anti-Muslim demonstration.
Anti-racists successfully challenged the fascists' plans, outnumbering them by three to one, and undermined the limited local support for the NF's message. We highlighted the NF's poisonous beliefs via chants of "Nazi scum, off our street" and banners whose slogans included "Get the Nazis out of Sunderland". After an hour and a half, the NF skulked off.
Protesters gathered in Keighley for a demonstration by far-right campaign group the English Defence League (EDL) this afternoon. About 100 members of the organisation arrived at Church Green off North Street and were shouting and chanting.
Dozens of police officers were at the scene. Mounted police were positioned at one side of the green and officers positioned at other points in the town centre.
Members of the EDL were trying to surge through police barriers, and someone let off a firework. Demonstrators jostled officers, and more police, including mounted officers, attended the site to keep the action contained within Church Green.
