natjack Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I was meaning more the apparent official endorsing of certain areas as 'belonging' to certain groups. But if you want to talk around it, fair enough. But you can't turn a blind eye forever and then complain about the consequences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T 42 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 If you're that dedicated to defending England, why go with the american spelling? Selling tatty sweatshirts isn't my idea of intelligence. I think you are mixing up selling it with buying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastbank Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I think the police attitude was that they couldn't walk there because Tommy's marches have a habit of degenerating into racist abuse. I've never had any problem walking through Tower Hamlets, on account of my not being an EDL march. If you want to argue that free speech should extend to people's right to effectively cause a riot, be my guest. But let's not pretend that this is just about the EDL and Muslim communities - it isn't. The police have powers to stop people protesting wherever and however they want, and it's not exclusive to the EDL. The do it to the left too all the time. he knew what he was doing...seeking publicity...could have easily walked from south east london to woolwich...where he has support...but that wouldn't make the headlines..and sell merchandise...its all about the money..and he's coining it in.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melthebell Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 seems that tommy and his edl organisation are coining it in...have you seen the price of their merchandise...he has got himself a nice little business..on the back of fuelling hatred...and his opponents call him thick....:hihi: is it that he's not thick or that the edl supporters who buy it are? *scratches head* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenRivers Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I think that's a little over-stated. While they're low enough to use a child with cancer as a reason to march about and cause trouble, I'll stay out. There are wiser critics of religion than these fools. However, a monumental balls up of policing. Imagine if Robinson and Caroll had been stabbed walking through Tower Hamlets near the extremist East London Mosque, they'd have become martyrs and recruited hundreds or thousands more to the EDL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica23 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I was meaning more the apparent official endorsing of certain areas as 'belonging' to certain groups. But if you want to talk around it, fair enough. But you can't turn a blind eye forever and then complain about the consequences. I'm not talking around it, natjack. You're imposing your own narrative onto the situation. If you want to read a situation that is, in fact, 'racist group want to have march past mosque to cause riot and police say they can't' as 'police endorse Tower Hamlets as belonging to Muslims' that's your choice - but as I've pointed out, this is not exclusive to the EDL and Muslims, it's what the police do with any group who want to protest: assess the situation and impose limits as they see fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastbank Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 is it that he's not thick or that the edl supporters who buy it are? *scratches head* its what they believe in...and throw their money at it...what about the eastbank defence league....think i could flog some sweatshirts...:hihi: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halibut Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I'm surprised at this, especially given your comments after meeting them the other weekend. They knew they'd be arrested for doing what they did; they haven't been arrested for criticising Islam, not even remotely. They were arrested because they didn't stick to the pre-arranged route that the police had imposed on them. Exactly the same powers and laws that saw 60 plus anti-fascists arrested for sitting down in the road a few weeks ago to stop the BNP. There is no right to free protest in this country wherever you like. Have a look here. The police can basically determine how you do it and how many of you do it, and if you choose not to stick to the arrangements, you'll get arrested. We can argue the rights and wrongs of the legislation, but it applies to everyone. Claiming that EDL leaders have been arrested for criticising Islam and are therefore free speech martyrs who should be supported is just factually incorrect. Only someone who was sympathetic to them in the first place could really see this as the state cracking down on them because it's illegal to criticise Islam. Y'all should probably pay more attention to the state cracking down on everyone. Remember the grossly disproportionate sentences handed out after the London riots? Remember Archie Meadows? The UK Uncut Fortnum and Mason arrests? The preemptive visits known activists get from the Met before demos? As a general tendency, I don't see Sheffield Forum leaping to the defence of left-wing protesters when they get arrested. It's never a case then of the state proving them right with their heavy-handed policing, is it? No, in those situations it's the police rightfully showing students and the unwashed who's boss and reminding them what a decent country we live in. And yet, miraculously, when it comes to Tommy and Kev suddenly a white Englishman's right to propagate vile racist and Islamophobic tripe becomes a hugely important thing to fight for and action by the state only confirms their righteous message. Strange that. An excellent post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Sleeps Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I think you are mixing up selling it with buying it. No I'm not. Don't make my points for me. Selling tatty sweatshirts is not my idea of intelligent. It may very well make them wealthy men, but that doesn't make them intelligent. recruited hundreds or thousands more to the EDL. The EDL don't "recruit". They have no membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Sarah Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 If you're that dedicated to defending England, why go with the american spelling? :confused:What an odd thing to say:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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