Al Quds Demonstration in London

Yesterday was the London march for Al Quds day financed and organised by the government of Iran with the assistance of Hezbollah and Hizb ut tahrir. March for England and a group of valiant Iranian exiles have counter demonstrated against this for some years, joined this year and last by Casuals United and members of the EDL, prominent among whom were the Jewish Division and the LGTG division. As usual with a March for England event the marshalling was very effective and the atmosphere good humoured.

The message of the Iranian exiles was that if the government of Iran treats its own people with such brutality how can they hope to liberate anybody else.

This year the march was to take a different route. It formed as usual at marble Arch and went down park Lane but instead of continuing down Piccadilly to end with speeches in, or near Trafalgar Square this year it doubled back on itself and into Grosvenor Square for a rally outside the American Embassy. 

It was supposed to move off at 2pm and MfE and the other groups (see photo above) gathered in the spot allocated by the police in front of the Hilton Hotel from 1.30. More joined later coming from places as far apart as Wiltshire, Lancashire and Wales. I can report that the ladies cloakroom of the Hilton is excellently appointed. I went up to Marble Arch to see what was happening. Demonstrators, including some clerical looking types with an air of authority, were still nonchalantly arriving after 3pm. eventually the police stopped one lane of traffic for them and they moved off.

I caught part of their pep talk before they moved. It went something like “Remember brothers, in America they are siting round the table thinking up more ways they can kill our brothers and sisters.... this is our platform to show them... keep in columns of four, for your own safety and security, but spread along the length as much as you want. Remember we will be facing some dangerous Zionists and Fascists later".

The police allowed me to stand up some steps above and to the side of the counter demonstration. The photographs below speak for themselves.  I have video clips which I will put on YouTube later, and more photographs which I will put on Flickr.

In the above photograph you can see the stele of the memorial to the victims of the 7th July London bombs.  After the march crossed Park Lane I followed it (with others) in the direction of the US embassy. The Iranians (a mixed group including young women and a young Jewish man) had tackled the march again with their Free Iran flag. The police and the Marshals were holding back angry, ugly marchers who were enraged by this show of independent thinking and action. They next quickly made their way down some back streets and caught the march again further on. I have some video of their efforts and I have great admiration for them. The hatred of the marchers towards this small group was visceral and even more virulent than their contempt for MfE and the EDL and quite disturbing.

The march entered Grosvenor Square and formed up outside the US Embassy. Those members of the EDL who had made their way were penned by the police over the far side of the square, behind hedges and out of sight of the speeches and demonstration and were not allowed to leave.

The rally began with a chant in Arabic which I thought might have been evening prayer but wasn’t. Speeches began. I took a few notes of things which caught my ear.

Zionism will not triumph in your bosom. The Zionists days are numbered.

We would like to welcome Sister Yvonne Ridley back to Al Quds, you all know her.

The highlight of her rant – The British Government fails to keep a register of Israelis in the UK. We know there are at least a dozen Israeli reservists in the Metropolitan Police; these racist scum must be rooted out. 

I don’t think so, ducky. It was news to the copper standing behind me as well.

The next speaker called on his brothers and sisters – "See the ones who are against you, the EDL, the JDL, Zionists and those (something) who oppose the Iranian Government. These who join against us must beware". 

The army of Egypt is not the army of Egypt, The army of Iraq is not the army of Iraq, The army of Syria is not the army of Syria, these armies are Muslim armies. Make da’wa to our brothers and sisters . . . the Muslim army will deny the US and 10 Downing Street . . . must defeat Israel.

Will we die to liberate Palestine? YES, YES, YES, screamed the crowd.

We are at the US Embassy because they are the biggest supporter of Israel. This is the platform for their aggression.

We must join the boycott of Israeli goods. Brothers, how many of you have Nokia phones? By this time next year you will not!  

I can't see that one happening somehow. Making their mothers and wives avoid Israeli dates for the fast breaking is one thing, doing without the latest status gadget is a different matter.  

When the small boy was brought on the podium to sing, and then encouraged the crowd to join in (it is true there is no music in Islam) I decided I could live without hearing George Galloway, who was scheduled to speak and so I left.

I conclude with a final comment from Potkin Azarmehr. It is very wrong for the British Government to allow members of the Iranian Intelligence Agency onto the streets of London photographing members of the British Public for their own purposes.

http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/29477

MUSLIM extremists will be stopped from marching on Wootton Bassett “by hook or by crook”.

Hate cleric Anjem Choudary’s planned demo where locals have mourned more than 100 fallen Brit troops will be halted before it starts, a right wing group vowed last night.

The fundamentalist group Islam4UK has deliberately targeted the Wiltshire town because its residents routinely line the streets to pay their respects at processions of coffins bearing soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

But right-wing protest group March For England last night said it would prevent Choudary’s extremists entering in the town.

Group spokesman Dave Smeeton said: “If this march goes ahead we will stop Islam4UK by hook or by crook.

“If the Government don’t act we have no choice. The people in Wootton Bassett are an icon for our fallen servicemen and women.”

But Wiltshire Council will not ban the demo. Deputy leader John Thomson said: “We may not agree with others’ views but we have a tradition of allowing them to express them.”

A police spokesman added Islam4UK did not need permission to carry out a protest.

But British Muslim groups fear a backlash if the march does go ahead.

Shahid Murasaleen, of Minhaj-ul-Quran International UK, said: “This march will simply incite hate crime against innocent law-abiding British Muslims.”


Link

The planned March for England event taking place in Brighton on Sunday and a nearby event organised by Unite Against Facism (UAF) on the same day has resulted in a clash between two of Brighton and Hove’s prospective parliamentary candidates.

google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad); Simon Burgess, Labour candidate for Brighton Kemptown, supports the UAF event and insists it “does not encourage confrontation or violence in anyway”. However, Paul Perrin, UKIP candidate for Hove, has slammed those supporting a “potentially violent and dangerous ‘counter march’ to take place on the streets of our city” and adds that they have: “some very serious questions to answer regarding their caviller attitude to public safety”.

The Unite Against Facism event has been organised by members from the University of Sussex and their original Facebook event was entitled “STOP THE RACIST EDL IN BRIGHTON”, although this has now been changed to “Celebrate Brighton’s Unity, Oppose the Racist EDL”. Currently 550 people have pledged to attend the event at Victoria Gardens in Grand Parade on Sunday 25th April.

However, March for England organisers have stressed that they are not connected to racist groups. They have explained that they’ve previously banned BNP MEP Richard Barnbrook from attending an event, while they stress the English Defence League are not planning to hijack the event.

However, Burgess, along with Liberal Democrat PPCs Paul Elgood and Berni Millam and Green PPC Ian Davey, have all signed a statement appearing on the UAF Facebook event page, which has infuriated Paul Perrin.
He said: “It is shocking that people, including some of our elected representatives (and at least one parliamentary candidate) should attempt to call a mob on to the streets of Brighton and Hove.

“That they should do this on the mere rumour that an established, peaceful, fun family event may be attended by some members an unpleasant (but legal) organisation is almost beyond belief.”

However, Simon Burgess, has challenged March for England to do more to distance themselves from EDL and stressed that he would not be opposing their event should they do so.

He explained: “If the march organisers are trying to prevent the EDL from attending why does their website include links to other far-right organisations including the EDL ? If they are actively working to remove those links and asking EDL and similar racists groups not to attend then I am not against the march. I am in favour of celebrating St George’s Day.

“The UKIP candidate is not reading the UAF page properly it does not ’suggest a mob on to the streets’. It says ‘Let’s celebrate our unity in opposition to the EDL. There will be a unity festival to defend and celebrate multiculturalism in Brighton, join us.’ The UAF is not encouraging
confrontation or violence in anyway.

“I would not support any violent demonstration, I am supporting a celebration of diversity”.
Mr Perrin has responded to Simon Burgess by saying: “If they are so naive as to not see where their letter would lead, it just shows how unsuitable they are for their roles/jobs.”

*Comment*

It certainly seems legitimate to fear that calling for an event, that has previously been peaceful, to be opposed could in fact lead to an unsavoury confrontation between two events taking place within a close proximity.

News From Brighton would therefore appeal to everyone involved to clarify that a confrontation is not sought.



http://newsfrombrighton.co.uk/brighton-and-hove-news/ppcs-clash-over-march-for-england-event-in-brighton/

The organiser of ‘March for England’ has dismissed accusations that the English Defence League are planning to hijack the Brighton event, which is due to take place on Sunday 25th April.

google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad); The march, which follows St George’s Day on Friday, is the third such event held in Brighton and is billed by the organisers as a family event. However, Brighton Unity has organised a Facebook campaign to protest against the march from taking place due to the prospect of EDL supporters attending.

March for England organiser Dave Smeeton told News From Brighton: “I can assure you the EDL will not hijack this event. Richard Barnbrook, BNP elected London assembly member, emailed me about attending our remembrance parade in London 2008. He was told he was not welcome. Steps were taken by myself and our security team to make sure he didn’t attend. From contact i have made with the EDL leadership team they are not promoting or advertising this event. Or attending it.

“Anybody attending our parade on the 25th who tries to promote any political party or wearing any right wing badges will be turned away. This is a parade for England and that is all.”

http://newsfrombrighton.co.uk/brighton-and-hove-news/march-for-england-insist-edl-will-not-hijack-event/

What in previous years has been a happy family day out ending with a pub lunch was threatened this year by students and others from Sussex University in the form of Sussex UAF who declared the parade ‘racist’ and that they were not having the English Defence League (and by extension in their blinkered minds the BNP) ‘Marching through our liberal City’.

They set up a facebook page, endorsed by people who should really know better like Labour and Green councillors and candidates, officials from three trades unions (including the one I used to be a Branch Secretary for, a member for 33 years, oh that I had seen such vigour on our behalf when my colleagues and I were tossed on the scrapheap) and lecturers.

Calling themselves Brighton’s Unity they organised a rally to celebrate Brighton’s Unity from 10am until 3pm on the green opposite both their university building and the pub booked for the family lunch. Debate broke out arguing that MfE are completely separate from the EDL, predate them by several years, are not racist, this is an established family day out and so on. This is March for England's statement on their website:-
We WELCOME everyone to March For England, Regardless of Colour, Culture or Religion or Non Religion, United we can make this country a more better place, free from a Un-Democratic Government that ignores the people, Free from Hardline Extremists of all Religions or facist groups that bring Non Cohesion and so much more The EDL declared that they are separate from March for England, that they were not attending and had not organised any St George's Day parade anywhere.

The reaction from the students was depressing. Older wiser heads in Trotskist circles urged them to be reasonable. To paraphrase their argument, patriotism may be outdated and objectionable but to challenge ‘soft nationalists’ in this way will be to push them towards the far-right and thus counter productive. Better to tolerate them while watching what they do.

 Younger students were less sensible. "We will watch your silly march", said one, "and so long as it remains acceptable we will allow it to continue". She sounded like Lady Bountiful of the Manor, patronising the peasants – who died and made you Queen dearie? The worst was when a boy, Alexander (Alex) Ghionis, called for those attending Brighton’s Unity on Sunday to ‘Bring weapons’ The UAF admins of the Facebook page had been deleting any comment opposing their position, overnight all comments were deleted and argument shut down.

I heard this morning that Ghionis, a privately educated social science student (I have no compunction about naming this privileged boy – I read with my own eyes his advocating the use of force upon an event I was attending with my family) was arrested by the police early on Sunday morning. The day before the parade a notice under Section 12 of the Public Order Act 1986 was served on March for England requiring them not to make any speech or hold their customary minutes silence for the fallen of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So Sunday morning my family and I arrived at Brighton Station where we could see MfE mustering, and a police cordon protecting them from some young men who seemed interested in entering the waiting area outside the station. I won’t put it stronger than that.

We decided to have a walk around town to see what  Brighton Unity were up to. There was a heavy police presence keeping a watchful eye on numerous groups who were hanging around the parade route. The celebration of Brighton’s Unity, about 50 of them with flags of the Unite Union, were at that point sitting on the green listening to a CD. Walking a little further we spotted the March for England parade crossing the road at the top of the hill (note the number of yellow high vis jackets of the police and MfE’s own stewards) above us.

We moved into what turned out to be a good position to watch them come past. These are a few of our photos. At the end of the parade was a small counter parade consisting of a half dozen or so of what my colleague Mary calls  ‘dozy bints’ who wanted to "Save the Dragon". Two of them gave me a flyer, printed up to look like the March for England poster, and informing me that they were protesting about the demonstration ahead of them. “What the St George’s parade? What have you got against St George? Are you not proud to be English?” “Er, I’m proud to be British” “But not English,” “Yes, but this group is racist.” “What makes you say that, what have they done to make you say that?” “Well, they associate with known racists.” “Give me your evidence, what have they said or done that justifies you labelling them racist?” “Well they demonstrate outside Immigration detention centres” “Really? Which ones and when?” (A quick glance at MfE's events and gallery pages will confirm that they have never done any such thing.) “Er, I don’t know, but read our leaflet. We should make everybody welcome, everybody is welcome in Brighton,”   And so they went on.

I think they were essentially well meaning and they will grow wiser with age. I won’t bore you with the whole conversation, just remember that bit about ‘everybody welcome in Brighton’. While I was deep in this discussion I heard a chant of ‘get a wash, get a wash, get a wash’. My husband told me that one bystander had singled out a member of MfE in the parade and hurled abuse at him, ‘Hey, you, fat c**t’ A steward asked him to moderate his language in the presence of women and children and the chant drowned out further foul language. The parade had moved on quite a way by this time so we decided to return to the green to see their arrival at the designated stop. By this time the students and UAF had a speaker to listen to, an older man with wild long grey hair. We could hear snatches of his speech, 1% of the population own 80% of the wealth, was one of his points.