Around 27 members of Britain First were confronted by three times as many local activists and residents when they turned up in Cricklewood Broadway today. Ostensibly they were demonstrating against the Muslim Brotherhood office above a shop but their agenda was really anti-Muslim, anti-Mosque and anti- immigrant, using the MB office as a pretext.
(Update: It was never a 'Muslim Brotherhood office' but a small newsagency sympathetic to them)
In fact they had no placards or leaflets to explain to the local community why they were there. Brent people were present, not to demonstrate in favour of the Muslim Brotherhood, but to say that they did not want Britain First to come into the area and disrupt and divide their diverse local community.
Britain First were penned in a small enclosure and made no attempt to string their banners across Cricklewood Broadway and stop traffic as they had intended.
The 'Brent United' demonstration was supported by Brent Trades Council and Brent Fightback and Labour Executive member Cllr Margaret McLennan attended as did Liberal Democrat, Cllr Sami Hashmi.
Britain First
Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism gave out a leaflet to passers by, many of home joined them, explaining the origin of Britain First in evangelical Protestantism and anti-abortion campaigns, and its associations with Loyalist paramilitaries. The BNP had found them too extreme and their leader James Dowson is on bail for violence.
Brent united against Islamophonia
Local campaigners and residents told Britain First they were not wanted in Cricklewood and a 9 year old boy used his megaphone to passionately tell them that his best friend was a Muslim.
The numbers of Britain First supporters gradually reduced during the afternoon and eventually the dozen or so remaining were escorted by police to Cricklewood Broadway accompanied by cries of derision from local residents and the chant of 'Brent united will never be defeated'.
More has emerged about Britain First, the organisation planning to demonstrate outside the proposed Muslim Brotherhood's offices in Cricklewood on Saturday afternoon.
It is clear that the demonstration is part of their anti-Muslim, anti-immigration agenda with the Muslim Brotherhood office as a convenient hook on which to hang their Islamophobia.
I have received the following information about Britain First which is the brainchild of James Dowson
This group are not a straight forward splinter from the BNP as your
local paper described them, but the key persons were both in the BNP and the
man Dowson, unless the police can tell you otherwise is still on bail for
his part in the very serious violent disorders in Ulster last year during
the marching season. During those riots some of the worst Ulster has
witnessed in years many police officers were hospitalised.
Dowson who was described at one time as "The man who owns the BNP" now
runs the group that are coming to your neighbourhood, He has a long time
record of support various causes such as playing a role in a violent
Anti-Abortion Campaign.
They are desperate for publicity and the police are correct to say the
EDL are doing something in another part of the country that day. Despite all
the false trails they are far from finished and the EDL are still holding
regular activities around the country at least every two weekends, on
one recent weekend they were able to mount two activities in different
parts of the country.
There will be a peaceful static demonstration outside 113 Cricklewood Broadway on Saturday January 18th from 1.30pm celebrating the unity of our diverse community. It is supported byt Brent Trades Council and Brent Fightback.
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
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.
"Islamophobia - bigotry against Muslims - is as unacceptable as any other form of racism. Its aim is to divide us by making scapegoats of one community, just as the Nazis did with the Jews in the 1930s.
Today they threaten the mosque, tomorrow it could be a synagogue, temple or church. Today they threaten Muslims, tomorrow it could be Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, blacks, gays, travellers or Eastern Europeans.
There is no place for Nazis, racists or the BNP in Harrow's multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious community."
This is part of a joint letter signed by local Labour MPs Gareth Thomas, Tony McNulty, Barry Gardiner and Dawn Butler opposing tomorrow's right-wing demonstration at Harrow Mosque. The letter has also been signed by Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow and local trade unionists, community associations and activists.
The demonstration has been called by Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) but has been hijacked by the English Defence League and British Defence League and other far-right groups and individuals who have been publicising it on their websites and Facebook. It has been deliberately scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of 9/11to label all Muslims terrorists and to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to give maximum offence. SIOE claim not to be racist (they just hate Islam!) but an image on their website depicting an evil face superimposed on a mosque looks like something from the Nazi era, and the comments made by supporters reveal their true nature.
A counter-vigil,organised by Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism,will be held on the pavement outside Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, opposite the new mosque building which is still under construction. The vigil begins at 1.30pm with a rally at 6pm.
This is the biggest threat by racists and Fascists to West or North West London since the National Front marched in Southall 30 years ago. They must be opposed once again.
