Tag Archives: Craig Elliott

EDL march a “non organised” “disappointment”

The EDL claim that they had 160 people at their march in Nottingham on Saturday but photos of the rally only show around 100. They have haemhorrhaged support since their last march in the city in 2009. This is largely because most supporters have realised that the organisation is going nowhere and that piss ups and marches don’t achieve anything except hostility from the locals.

EDL supporters took to EDL pages to moan about the poor turnout and the “non organised whole thing”. Nottingham EDL agreed – “the numbers have dwindled down” they said admitting that “whatever else happens on the day is out of our hands”. They have lost control of their only tactic.

Disappointed

Another major turnoff for potential EDL supporters has been the constant infighting and jockeying for power (and cash) by all of the self-appointed leaders. The EDL “star speaker”, Pete Gillett, was the target of playground-style attacks from Daniel Hall AKA Jamie Upton, the all-talk-no-action leader of the Casual Infidels. Which is strange, seeing as he invited him to speak at the Casual Infidels demo in Nottingham only a month ago. Apparently Gillett is a “Kray-rent boy”, a “melt” and a “boring cunt”. This followed a major tiff between Gillett and other far right nobodies in the run up to the demo.

HallVsGillett

You might remember that after the NCI demo Gillett was accused of only being in it for the money and responded saying “I’m not doing demo’s [sic] I do not want to rub shoulders with cunts like them”. However, ever the attention-seeking self-publicist, Gillett changed his mind to get back on the grubby EDL podium.

After three blocked marches in a row for local fascists, it was clear that Notts police were going to push this one through by any means necessary and they drafted in coppers from over 20 forces to make sure the EDL got their march. Heavily outnumbered by over 400 antifascists the far right would never have had their way without their police minders.

As if the march wasn’t disappointing enough for the fash, Nottingham EDL organiser, Jack Stevens, (or should that be Jack Stevens, 26, of Oxford Street, Long Eaton) was arrested for throwing a flare and has been charged with criminal damage. He will appear in Nottingham Mags at the start of next month.

Craig Elliott AKA Craig Leicester, Leicester EDL organiser, threatened that the EDL would be back without police liaison next time. We’re not holding our breath.


Heavy manners in Tower Hamlets

The EDL are being very quiet about their latest failure this morning. Yesterday a pitiful 600 of their foot soldiers turned up for their latest “big one”, a demonstration that never had a chance of getting to Tower Hamlets. “Top boy” Tiny Tommy was arrested (to be debriefed by his handlers no doubt) at the end of the demo and several of the cannon fodder were nicked for carrying offensive weapons and fighting the police. Over a thousand people attended an anti-fascist rally at Altab Ali park and several hundred marched off in defiance of police restrictions. A group of over 100 actually made it to the EDL’s route before being kettled. Despite all of their macho bravado, the EDL were easily contained by the police but anti-fascists were much more effective.

AFN

The EDL is obsessed with the London borough, home to the East London Mosque and a large Muslim population. The last time they tried to go to Tower Hamlets, in 2011, they had 1,500 marchers on their side. Locals and anti-fascists made sure that they did not pass. This time the police drafted in a massive 3,000 officers to make sure that everything was locked down and resorted to the extremist tactic of arresting all 240 anti-fascists who were kettled near Tower Bridge and on Commercial Road. The charge? Disobeying the police!

Meanwhile, some fascist Leicester Casuals were also getting nicked. They’d decided to venture into the belly of the beast, the “no go area for whites” they’re always fantasising about and trying to control their terror as they passed the East London Mosque. Apparently, all the Muslim youth did was “chomped at us in some far away bongo bongo language” which they reckoned was a massive show of cowardice. Clearly disappointed that no one gave a fuck about them they were relieved to be bundled to safety by the police.

It was also a bad day for Craig Elliot, leader of the Leicester EDL who provides the sound system for EDL demos. He was arrested and held till midnight although he was cautious about saying what for. That will be one to look out for in the coming months.

In summary then, it was a very bad day for the EDL. The “Rigby bounce” has already been squandered, probably because more ordinary people who were duped into coming to their events have worked out what a bunch of racist losers they are and moved on. The turnout was very poor for a much-hyped national demo. They failed to go to Tower Hamlets for a second time. A much bigger and better organised anti-fascist movement turned out to oppose them and did a better job of challenging the police lockdown. The leadership were put under more police pressure with strategic arrests and late night chats in the cells. The EDL ship has no direction and is floundering.

Well done to the Anti-Fascist Network, South London Anti-Fascists and London Anti-Fascists for their great work in mobilising for the day! Solidarity with all anti-fascists arrested under police state laws! And great work by the Green & Black Cross who did some late night legal support for the arrested comrades.


Forgotten Estates and the EDL

Remember Thurnby Lodge – the Leicester estate abandoned by the local council until protests irrupted over plans to convert an old scout hut into an Islamic community centre? Well protests are still ongoing although the numbers turning out have dwindled significantly. Unsurprisingly, the far right hoped to exploit the issue to further their own anti-Muslim agenda and the BNP, EDL, Casuals United and 212 all descended like hungry vultures. Since then, evidence has emerged that demonstrates just how pivotal the EDL are in the campaign, which has publicly distanced itself from far right politics.

Leicester UAF have published an article exposing the links between the EDL and the Forgotten Estates protest group which has set itself up as the voice of Thurnby Lodge estate. It turns out that the leader of Forgotten Estates is none other than Chris ‘EMI’ Hopewell, a Leicester EDL member who proudly identifies as an East Midlands Infidel. Hopewell was pictured in the Leicester Mercury handing a Forgotten Estates petition to Leicester Mayor, Peter Soulsby, last month. Leicester EDL organiser, Craig Elliott and notorious drunkard, James Elliott, have also been involved in the protests, which they have used to prop up their own flagging organisation.

Chris ‘EMI’ Hopewell – leader of Forgotten Estates

As Leicester UAF put it:

The group have been drawing in people who normally wouldn’t touch the EDL with a barge pole, by giving the impression that their protests are driven by community spirit.

There is no doubt that in the early days, working class resistance to the dictates of the city council certainly were an important motivator in the campaign, but now, thanks to the EDL’s role, Forgotten Estates is focusing on the anti-Muslim element.

Unlike the UAF, we reckon that most people aren’t foolish enough to be taken in by the EDL’s hijacking of the group and have abandoned the protests rather than being associated with the far right agenda of Forgotten Estates. A recent post on Leicester EDL’s page illustrates their disappointment at not being able to get more political capital out of this Trojan horse.

The EDL in Leicester have gone from being one of the bigger, more active divisions to struggling on the ropes, a situation that reflects the national picture of the far right group. The Thurnby Lodge protests seemed like an ideal opportunity for them to inject their anti-Muslim poison into a genuinely popular, grassroots movement, but it seems they’ve even managed to fuck that one up.


What’s a racist Forest fan to do?

The recent news that Nottingham Forest is in advanced talks concerning take over by the wealthy Kuwaiti Al-Hasawi family has been met with a bit of a mixed reaction from xenophobic and anti-Muslim fans. They are happy to take the Kuwaitis’ money, of course, but less keen on the Islamic association with their club.

For Leicester City fans the situation is much easier. They’re pissing themselves laughing.

You may remember that back in January we reported on racist chanting by Forest fans at the Forest v Leicester match. Racist Forest fans have long taunted their local rivals with the claim that Leicester is a “town full of Pakis”, in reference to Leicester’s large Asian population. Now Leicester fans are getting their revenge.

Craig “Leicester” Elliott, organiser of Leicester EDL, wrote a post taking the piss out of racist Forest fans hoping that Al-Hasawi “makes all the pies halal, bans beer from the ground, turns the club shop into a mosque, replaces your matchday program with the quran and erects a model of the 5 pillars of islam at the trent end.” He specifically targeted Nottingham EDLer Jack Stevens for abuse.

Stevens was unapolagetic: “At least our muzzie putting money into us what r all the muzzies in lesta doin 4 ya … Still a town full of pakis !!!”. Nottingham EDL organiser, Richard Carroll agreed:

Craig they don’t chant “town full of pakis” cos of your ownership… Or cos your stadiums called prawn kung pow… It’s cos “your a town full of pakis..”

Good to see that there’s no relationship between racist Forest fans and Nottingham EDL then!

These idiots are fortunately a small minority. The majority just want to see our teams do well and good football being played. Only muppets like the EDL care about the race and religion of the people involved.


Easy meat

Blink and you’d miss them but 500 EDL members turned up in Rochdale yesterday to try to make further capital from the Rochdale grooming case. As I’ve said in a previous post, the far right have ignored a lot of the factual evidence and just followed their prejudices in “making sense” of this case, helped along by mainstream politicians like Jack Straw with his statement that some men in the Pakistani community “view white girls as easy meat”.

Given that the EDL say that they are so opposed to this mistreatment of girls and what they view as Islam’s mistreatment of women in general, you might think that they would be squeaky clean themselves. This is not the case. Another EDL member was outed for a paedophilia conviction recently, adding to the already extensive list. Experts suggest that male paedophiles flourish in environments where there is strong male bonding and an atmosphere of misogyny. The EDL is such a place.

Less than 10% of EDL members are female. The vast majority are men and the culture is correspondingly laddish and sexist. Indeed, EDL leader Tommy Robinson is a keen fan of the twitter feed of True Lad, who regularly tweets boorish sexist rubbish about “slags”, “fat girls”, making wagers for blow jobs from his girlfriend and even sexual assaults: “sneakily brushing against girls arses as they walk past in clubs. #covertarseratingLAD.” But then, girls are just easy meat to these people.

These offensive, sexist values are present throughout the male EDL (and are often considered normal and acceptable by the women as well). We have already covered the “lock up your daughters” attitudes of local members, the rape jokes and the perception that women should be domestic servants. There is plenty more abuse of women where that came from.

The most common perception of women is that they are sexual and domestic slaves, as summed up in this post by Adam Repton (Nottingham EDL member): “A real woman never lets her man leave the house hungry or horny”.

This is an attitude shared by Craig “Leicester” Elliott, Leicester organiser, who had this Mothers’ Day wish for Leicester mums: “Happy mothers day to all mums!  A little explanation to Leicester mums though! It’s such a special day for you on this day every year so this year we thought a special dinner was in order. In fact this dinner has got to be so special that were all off out to watch the footy whilst you cook it so we don’t get under your feet!”

Chris Conroy (Newark EDL organiser) is a man who clearly thinks a woman’s place is in the kitchen and nowhere else. “Why do women try to talk football? Do you see me in the kitchen discussing dishwashing strategies? No, you don’t.” When questioned by a woman who objected to his stance, he wrote “you fail as a proper female”.

These lads think that lounging around playing football is a “proper” man’s role whilst “proper” females should be happy to cook and clean.

Oh and be perved at by them of course, as demonstrated by Martin Wealthall of Nottingham EDL:

Any women who disagree with this servile role are just trying to spoil men’s fun. Steve “Bod” of Leicester EDL reckons “men were brought into this world to enjoy there life. women were brought into the world to make sure they dont”. Or as Chris Conroy puts it “Fucking females… lol! dont have a clue… text you with abuse before they even know the crack…get real cunt.” Lee Tams (Leicester EDL) adds “FK UM USE AND ABUSE”. After all, they’re just easy meat.

Not content to joke about rape and sexual abuse of women, the lads also like to fantasise about extreme physical violence and murder of their female partners. Ian Humphries of Leicester EDL likes to “joke” about breaking his wife’s jaw (the “sound barrier”) and burying her under the house.

All of this should demonstrate how hypocritical these EDL members are every time they complain about Muslims abusing women or the inferior status that Islam confers on women.

Anti-fascists are against the abuse of all women and children, not just when it is politically convenient for us. We want a world where women and men are equals, not one where women slave in the kitchen whilst their menfolk relax in front of the footy. Whether it is paedophile grooming gangs or the misogynists of the EDL, violence, sexual abuse and threats of abuse against people based on their gender need to be eradicated.