Saturday was a poor day out for the English Defence League (EDL), even by their low standards.
Their London demonstration was not only poorly attended (even by their poor standards) but descended into a series of drunken brawls. That is standard.
Why the EDL persist with being the EDL is a bit of a mystery. They broke it and it has been beyond repair for a good few years now. Most of those who attended their marches and demonstrations in the past were soon convinced that nothing could be achieved by boozing and brawling in car parks. The endless splits gave and raised no opportunity to advance or improve either the quality of the membership of the group’s abilities.
Despite, for many, the EDL being the first and most significant symptom that anti-Muslim hatred in a small section of society could boil over into rampaging and violence and even become a social movement (if that’s your thing) it has achieved nothing.
The new leadership team of Ian Crossland and Alan Spence are now under increasing pressure from what remains of a small number of EDL addicts. Tonight a small number of activists will announce another split if they fail to remove Spence and Crossland. Most of those involved in this new split have still in some way, an attachment to the EDL’s founder Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson), indeed many are also active in Lennon’s new group, Pegida UK.
One of those lining himself up to be the new leader is Walsall based Liam Jones. Jones, a veritable and rotund array of colourful clothing has already distinguished himself in “patriotic” circles by being photographed drunk and with urine patches on his clothes.
Much of it is playing out on social media, but the current leadership do have their supporters too. The threats are starting now and should well and truly boil over by the time the beer gardens are crowded tonight.
They really are the new National Front. EDL News covered much of the argument here:
As we expose more activists involved in the anti-migrant campaign in Hampshire as having extensive links to the organised far right, it’s getting harder and…