UPDATE from Brent Police on the intention of Britain First to demonstrate against the Muslim Brotherhood's Office on Cricklewood Broadway on Saturday afternoon.
To update you, it now appears the EDL will not be attending as they are demonstrating elsewhere in the Country; however I cannot rule this out.
The organisation that are confirmed as demonstrating is Britain First
Supporters of this event have been asked to muster at CRICKLEWOOD BR Station at 1400 hours.
From here the group would like to march the short distance in the road to the offices of the MB and then hold a static protest for approximately 1 hour and then disperse.
They intend to address the assembled group with a loud hailer. They have confirmed that union and St George flags will be displayed and a new BRITAIN FIRST banner which will take up the entire width of the road.
It is believed that approximately 30 activists will support and attend this event.
Although there is no intelligence to suggest that the group will go elsewhere we are still open minded.
We are aware how close this event is to a Mosque, the local Safer Neighborhood Sergeant has visited and will be in regular contact.
The MPS has public order trained officers on duty and Superintent Springer will be in attendance and in charge of the Police officers.
The Mapesbury Safer Neighbourhood Team have circulated the following information:
* EDL Demo Cricklewood Broadway on Saturday
Update from Mapesbury SNT
The
media has published details on the 14/01/2014 regarding the Muslim
Brotherhood setting up an office above an old Kebab shop in CRICKLEWOOD
BROADWAY. A photo of the venue shows a disused premise with the number
113 visible on the front.
Further enquiries have identified the building as 113 CRICKLEWOOD BROADWAY NW2 3JG which is covered by BRENT borough.
The right wing response has been for a
national call out for persons to attend the venue on Saturday 18/01/2014
in opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood setting up office in LONDON
The
Britain First right wing group has organised the event and have asked
people to meet at 1400 hrs on 18/01/2014 at CRICKLEWOOD STATION and
bring flags.
This
has also appeared on the main ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE facebook page It
this stage there is no indication of people who will attend but it is
guaranteed that people will attend on Saturday
I will keep you up to date with developments; we will develop an appropriate Policing response.
NOTE FROM WEMBLEY MATTERS The latest intelligence suggest that the EDL will be mobilising in Slough on Saturday and I have been told there is nothing on their Twitter feed about Cricklewood. It looks likely that it will be a small demonstration (perhaps no more than 20) by Britain First. This information is not definitive so please check Wembley Matters, Brent Fightback Facebook for updates.
Unite
Against Fascism has called a vigil after the letters ‘EDL’ – the
initials of the English Defence League – were allegedly found graffitied
on the Bravanese Centre in Coppetts Road, Muswell Hill, North London.
The Islamic community centre was destroyed in a suspicious fire in the
early hours of yesterday
Counter-terrorism
officers with the Metropolitan Police are treating the fire as
suspicious and investigating whether the attack was started deliberately
in a racist attack.
At
this stage it is not clear if the fire is linked to the murder of
Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich two weeks ago but there has been a
significant increase in reports of attacks against Muslims since his
death .
Unite Against Fascism says:
We
are deeply concerned about the fire of the Bravanese Centre and the
reported EDL graffiti. Our thoughts are with the Somali, Muslim and
indeed all the communities in the area that have been affected by this
incident. We ask people to join us at the vigil.
UAF
launched the Don’t let the racists divide us campaign in response to
the stepped up activities of the English Defence League (EDL), the
British National Party (BNP) and other racist and far right groups in
the aftermath of the murder, which have cynically attempted to exploit
the murder of Lee Rigby to pursue their own agenda directed against
Black, Asian and especially Muslim communities.
This
has already led to a spike in Islamophobic attacks and a wave of
assaults on Mosques. Muslim communities are experiencing verbal abuse,
women’s headscarves have been torn off as well as more serious threats
and violent attacks. Racists are simply stepping up their campaign. So
too must the anti-racist and anti-fascist movement in response to this
hate agenda.
DON’T LET THE RACISTS DIVIDE US VIGIL THURDAY 6 JUNE, 6-7PM BRAVANESE CENTRE 116 COPPETTS ROAD, MUSWELL HILL N10 1JS
Following Theresa May's decision to ban the entry of Zakir Naik, one of the main speakers at next Saturday's Peace Convention, it is not clear whether the Convention will go ahead. It may be postponed until Naik's entry is secured or may go ahead with a video link.
Meanwhile the EDL have claimed the ban as a victory and said they are switching their action on the 26th to Barking where there is a council by-election.
The Muslim Council of Britain and the Convention organisers have issued statements condemning the Home Secretary's ban on Naik who has been pilloried for being a 'hate preacher' on various blogs using various quotations attributed to him. The Islamic Research Foundation today issued a long press release taking each quotation in turn and giving the full context. I have reprinted this as a page on this site so that readers can make their own judgement.
However, for me the main issue is that whatever the pretext, it is important that we make it clear that the English Defence League are not welcome in Wembley. We have a successful multicultural community that of course is not perfect, but where people get along with friends, neighbours and work colleagues of all sorts of backgrounds. We do not want to see that community disrupted and divided by people who thrive on feeding prejudice, stereotypes and discontent.
Brent and Harrow UAF will be holding an organising meeting next week to discuss developments and I will post any further news on this site.
Cllr Ann John, leader of Brent Council, has written to Brent and Harrow UAF in support of the statement below which is being circulated throughout the borough:
I am writing on behalf of all of Brent Council’s 40 Labour councillors to support the statement you have made in opposition to the English Defence League’s planned demonstration in Brent.
Brent is Britain’s most diverse multi-cultural and multi-faith borough and our diversity is our strength. The planned demonstration is a deliberate provocation aimed at creating fear amongst the Muslim community and undermining community relations.
The EDL is not welcome here.
UNITE AGAINST FASCISM STATEMENT
●No to Racism
●No to Islamophobia
●EDL not welcome here
The English Defence League is threatening to demonstrate in Wembley on Saturday June 26th against a Peace Conference, organised by a Muslim charitable foundation and aimed at building understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. The EDL is an organisation of violent, bigoted thugs with proven links to the Nazi BNP. They should be condemned everywhere, but will be particularly unwelcome if they come to Wembley, part of this country’s most diverse borough. We are proud of our diversity. In the London Borough of Brent, people live and work together, children study, play and grow up together in peace and mutual respect, regardless of faith or skin colour. As residents and workers in the borough, we will not tolerate attempts to divide us or stir up hatred. We stood united to show that there was no place for racism and Islamophobia in the neighbouring borough of Harrow. We stand prepared to do the same in Brent.
This statement was initiated by UAF Brent & Harrow and national Unite Against Fascism. For further information or to add your name to the statement, contact: uafbrentandharrow@gmail.com
The English Defence League are apparently considering coming to Wembley to demonstrate against a conference aimed at building understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.
The conference due to be held at the Wembley Arena on June 26th, is the Al-Khair Peace Convention 2010 and its aims are set out on their website:
"Peace, internal and external be it on an 'individual' or at a 'worldwide collective' level is a must for effective human progress and realistic global unity.
For people of all beliefs, this conference will be a learning opportunity to realize, reflect on and correct their misunderstanding (if any) about Islam in the light of talks by authoritative and renowned international speakers.
Conference Focus * To create a better awareness and understanding of Islam and its message of peace for the entire humanity, in an objective way. * To remove misconceptions, false fear and hate of Islam and Muslims globally. * To realize that Islam is a just, righteous and peaceful way of life, with due care for human rights and moral values."
The fact that the EDL wants to protest at an attempt at dialogue speaks for itself. How to combat the EDL's unwelcome presence in Wembley will be discussed over the next few days by Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism and other organisations. I will post updates here as soon as I have them.
The organisers of the Convention have said that they will go ahead and that they are confident of their security arrangements.
Stephen Gash of Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) promised 1,500 people at his anti-Islam demonstration outside the Harrow Mosque.
In fact only 15 turned up, even though numbers were augmented by English Defence League supporters, and the rather sad little group, one wearing a blond wig and another a santa hat, were corralled into a cold car park and protected by police. A couple of them made speeches to the windswept car park observed by press photographers who out-numbered them 3 to 1 - all against the background of chants from several hundred anti-Fascist demonstrators, who sometimes broke into open gales of laughter at the sheer absurdity of the lonely little band in the car park. Stephen Gash the 'leader' even managed to be late and nearly miss the event! There is more than a touch of Captain Mainwaring about the man - without the lovability.
Given these numbers it is surely time for the local press to stop building up the group and cease publicising their baseless claims and their incitant comments.
Hundreds of anti-Fascist demonstrators made it clear that the Fascists were not welcome in Harrow and the diversity of the demonstrators once again showed that the local community were united in defence of the Harrow mosque.
Ajmal Masroor, a spokesman for the Harrow Mosque, crossed to the corral and spoke to representatives of the SIOE and EDL and invited them into the Mosque to discuss their concerns. His invitation was turned down and Stephen Gash said he wanted to talk to the Home Office instead. A similar invitation has earlier been issued by the group British Muslims for a Secular Democracy without success.
The SIOE has thus shown it is not really interested in dialogue or debate, but just in creating division. In my speech to the Solidarity Vigil, as Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brent North, I pointed out that what the SIOE, EDL and BNP have in common is racism and xenophobia. Despite the SIOE's website claim that racism is 'the lowest form of stupidity' they are quite happy to get 'nod and a wink' support from the EDL. At the September 11th demonstration anti-Mosque demonstrators openly gave Nazi salutes and EDL members were present again today.
The SIOE attempt to 'soften up' an area by organising a provocative demonstration, with EDL help, and any reaction is then depicted as Muslim violence. Having caused division the BNP then move in by leafletting the area, as they did in Harrow after the September 11th demonstration, trying to build electoral support on the back of the dirty deeds of their allies. It is important that we see them as overlapping organisations with a similar agenda, and take with a pinch of salt their internicine squabbles. The SIOE may be absurd and today's demonstration comical, but the racist and Fascist nature of the groups that build on their provocations must be recognised and their activities firmly opposed.
I congratulate Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism for organising a highly effective, united and peaceful demonstration
It wasn't a riot, as the Guardian website claimed, but a good humoured, lively and sometimes excitable demonstration of community solidarity against right-wing extremists which succeeded in keeping them off Harrow streets and well away from the Harrow Mosque.
The few stray rightists who did turn up were chased away by local youngsters who soon returned to the main demonstration. There were reports that Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) cancelled their demonstration when the police informed them of the scale of the counter-demonstration.
Today's events showed what can be done when a whole diverse community unites against those who seek to divide it. Given the SIOE's (and their supporters in the English Defence League and British Defence League) extreme provocation in organising the anti-Islam protest on the anniversary of 9/11, during Ramadan and after Friday Prayers, the solidarity vigil was remarkably restrained.
