Tag Archives: Craig Burridge

2016/09/08

EDL march in Nottingham

By East Midlands Anti-Fascists

So the EDL marched in Nottingham, last month, or was it the far right extremist Casual Infidels? So many of the same faces popped up that it was hard to tell the difference, but then the fascists have always been an opportunist lot. EDL, BNP, National Front, EVF, Casuals United, Infidels – all different names for the same bunch of losers, who shift alliances according to where they can get the most cash, gullible followers or both.

While they were enjoying their taxpayer funded street drinking – was it the cops or the local council who generously provided their portaloos? – we took the opportunity to document the diehard few who still cling to the EDL banner.

EDL marching in Nottingham featuring Ian kellett *Sunglasses and Union Jack scarf), Craig Burridge (white vest, cap, lanyard), Jack Stevens (black coat, hood up) and Daniel Hall (red shirt, black cap)

EDL marching in Nottingham featuring Ian Kellett (sunglasses and Union Jack scarf), Craig Burridge (white vest, cap, lanyard), Jack Stevens (black coat, hood up) and Daniel Hall (red shirt, black cap)

All of the main organisers and participants from the previous Casual Infidels outings were there, including Daniel Hall, Jack Stevens (who got convicted of criminal damage for throwing a flare at the demo just this week), Craig Burridge, Andrew Shaw, Jimmi Rae, Adam Repton, and Ian Kellett. In fact, Worksop’s Craig Burridge – a key Casual Infidels organiser – was one of the EDL’s security crew. There were a lot of other faces from other parts of the country who turned up to the last Casual Infidels demo as well: Luke Hathaway (Walsall), Spencer Shirley (Colne), Conrad Ayscough (Halifax) and Gaz Jones (Manchester).

Craig Burridge, Worksop EDL and Notts Casual Infidels

Craig Burridge, Worksop EDL and Notts Casual Infidels

Far left: Daniel Hall (Mansfield, Notts Casual Infidels) chatting with Luke Hathaway (Walsall, United Patriots)

Far left: Daniel Hall (Mansfield, Notts Casual Infidels) chatting with Luke Hathaway (Walsall, United Patriots)

Andrew Shaw (Centre, blue hoodie): Worksop EDL and Notts Casual Infidels

Andrew Shaw (Centre, blue hoodie): Worksop EDL and Notts Casual Infidels

Right: Jimmi Rae, Worksop, Notts Casual Infidels

Right: Jimmi Rae, Worksop, Notts Casual Infidels

Spencer Shirley, Colne EDL

Spencer Shirley, Colne EDL

Centre, rolling cigarette: Conrad Ayscough, Halifax EDL

Centre, rolling cigarette: Conrad Ayscough, Halifax EDL

Left: Gaz Jones, Manchester EDL

Left: Gaz Jones, Manchester EDL

In addition to the Casual Infidels, the few members of Leicester EDL who have stuck it out turned up including Craig Elliott and Simon Smith.

Simon Smith, Leicester EDL

Simon Smith, Leicester EDL

Another familiar face from the Notts Casual Infidels demo was this chap (see picture below) who turned up with his camera to take a few pics for Redwatch. He was also trying to pass himself off as a bystander at the Notts Casual Infidels demo in July.

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Confused steroid man

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2016/06/21

Who are the Casual Infidels?

By East Midlands Anti-Fascists

It’s been an exciting week for the Notts Casual Infidels. Their uncensored Facebook “banter” delighting in the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by a ‘lone wolf’ fascist made them instant national hate figures – even in the blackshirt-supporting Daily Mail.  No doubt there will be many angry people demanding to know who is behind their online hate campaign.

First, their spokesman who runs their Facebook page, Jamie Ray Upton AKA Daniel Hall from Mansfield. Jamie was accused of pocketing the cash he made from sales of EDL merchandise when he was a member as well as using it to fund his own projects, and was subsequently booted out of the organisation. Keen to keep on the gravy train he started his own project, the Casual Infidels. Before becoming infamous for inciting the murder of Labour MPs, he was last seen collecting donations in a Cancer Research bucket in Market Square on his way to the Casual Infidels disaster of a demo. Draw your own conclusions as to where the money was really going. The latest news is that Upton’s Facebook post is under investigation by the police so he may we may not see him again for a while.

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Jamie Ray Upton AKA Daniel Hall

No chancer like Upton can operate without a sidekick, preferably one who can provide some muscle (or, at least, some bulk) without asking difficult questions. The Notts Casual Infidels lieutenant is Craig Burridge, a racist Worksop Town fan who (sometimes) brings a small mob of others to the demos.

Craig Burridge

Craig Burridge

Jimmi Rae - Worksop

Jimmi Rae – Worksop

Andrew Shaw - Worksop

Andrew Shaw – Worksop

At NCI’s latest flop demo, Upton brought some lads along from Mansfield with him too. Unfortunately, the only ones he could find were fresh out of their first year of GCSEs. But then, he clearly has no qualms about grooming them for a role in his far right organisation.

Outside of these two towns, there is no solid support for the Casual Infidels. A few younger ex-EDL from Nottingham seemed interested, notably Jack Stevens and Adam Repton, but there are tensions between fascists from out of town and the city that will only have been exacerbated by the recent loose cannon comments on Facebook.

Jack Stevens - Nottingham EDL

Jack Stevens – Nottingham EDL

Paul Jeffery – Nottingham

Ian Kellett (Nottingham) and Wayne Grisenthwaite (Manchester) - both were at recent NCI demo

Ian Kellett (Nottingham) and Wayne Grisenthwaite (Fleetwood, Lancashire) – both were at recent NCI demo

Steven Morgan - Nottingham

Steven Morgan – Nottingham

Of course, this small handful of Notts ex-EDLers are not enough to hold even the tiniest demo in Nottingham, given the overwhelming opposition. They rely on the EDL tactic of bussing people in from all over the country to get their numbers up to more than a car-load. For their recent demo there was a sizeable contingent from the North-West (Gaz Jones – Manchester, Spencer Shirley and Melissa Lewins – Colne, Wayne Grisenthwaite – Fleetwood) as well as Halifax (Conrad Ayscough – accused of assaulting a muslim woman in the street on his visit to Nottingham), London (Lucas Phelan) and Littlehampton (Pete Gillett).

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Lucas Phelan

 

Spencer Shirley (Colne), Lucas Phelan (London), Pete Gillett (Sussex)

Spencer Shirley (Colne), Lucas Phelan (London), Pete Gillett (Littlehampton)

 

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Conrad Ayscough

Finally here’s a few more faces from that demo:

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2015/11/27

Anti-immigration protest in Nottingham

By East Midlands Anti-Fascists

On the evening of October the 19th, a group calling itself Notts Casual Infidels organised a protest in Nottingham against “Uncontrolled Immigration” (the fact that immigration is ‘uncontrolled’ in the UK will come as a surprise to migrants imprisoned in detention centres, but let’s leave that aside for now).  A group of about 20 fascists spent a while drinking themselves brave in a Wetherspoons pub on the City’s Market Square, before venturing out to wave a large St.George’s Flag and a home-made banner.

They stood on the edge of the square with their flag for a while, opposed by a much larger anti-fascist group, mobilized at short notice.  When the anti-fascists, numbering about 100, moved towards the pub, the police formed lines to keep the two groups separate.

A familiar face on the demo was Jimmy Saville fan Bob Brindley, aka “Nottingham BNP”.  He stood at the edge of the NCI contingent, waving his grubby Union Jack.  He quickly scuttled off when the antifascist demo moved closer.

 

 

It seems the NCI are linked to the remains of Nottinghamshre EDL – note the rotund guy on the left in this photo from the evening…

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Craig Burridge

He’s Craig Burridge, from Worksop EDL.  Here he is again at the anti-mosque march in Lincoln in July…..

In the gutter, gazing at the bars…

 

Also from Worksop EDL was Andrew Shaw….

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Andrew Shaw

 

Here’s an ex-Nottingham EDL activist – melancholic chauvinist Adam Repton (in the cap):

The NCI spokesperson on the evening was Jamie Upton…

‘Honest Jamie’

Upton also used to be a prominent local EDL activist, but fell foul of the EDL hierarchy in January, accused of stealing funds.  So, it looks like the NCI is another of the many little splinter groups that have emerged from the remains of the EDL (in this case, perhaps with suspiciously full pockets….).  It could be said that they are, ironically, themselves refugees from the wreck of the EDL.

 

Some more photos of the NCI on the evening…

 

After a while, the NCI dispersed, and after being shepherded around the market square by the police, went back into the pub, to enjoy the traditional far-right pastime of drinking beer under the watchful eye of the constabulary.

The antifascist counter-protest subsequently dispersed, with one arrest as someone tried to break through police lines.   Some time later, the NCI finally emerged from the warm shelter of the pub and took a photo of themselves on the empty steps of the Council House.  They had an abandoned UAF placard with them as a ‘trophy’….recovered from a bin on the market square!

We go where we want (as long as all the antifascists have gone home)

It’s fair to say that the NCI’s first demo was hardly a success – they were heavily outnumbered, and spent most of the evening being slowly pushed back into the pub by police.  The highlight of their evening’s political activity seems to be a sign found in a bin – whatever floats your boat, lads….

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