14 September 2009

Harrow Repulses the Fascists



With all the talk of the English Defence League and how they represent a popular movement, it is heartening to hear that they were put to flight in Harrow when they sought to demonstrate against a mosque. It's a pity that racist scum like Tony McNulty, former corrupt Immigration Minister, was allowed to speak. New Labour have been the prime cause of the rise of the BNP and associated fascists.

Below is a report that I was sent:


Tony Greenstein


They Shall Not Pass
September 11th will now be remembered as the day the people of Harrow prevented the fascists and Nazis, from marching. It is the day that Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Christians, men, women, gays, trade unionists, old and young, all stood together in the street and asserted that “they shall not pass”. Nor did they.

In defending the Mosque, we defended all the synagogues, temples and churches from the threat of racist attacks. In preventing the fascists and racists from being able to hold their provocative “static demonstration”, we the people of Harrow stood together in the best traditions of the anti-fascist movement and asserted that “they shall not pass”. Nor did they.

Speakers at the Rally included: Weyman Bennet and Lee Jasper from Unite Against Fascism, a speaker from Harrow Mosque, the Leaders of the Labour and the Conservative Groups on Harrow Council, Tony McNulty MP; the UNITE convenor from the local bus garage, the National Union of Teachers and the local Green Party

Messages of support were received from Ken Livingstone, Navin Shah, and the bishop of Willesden. All reiterated the message that Harrow is, and will remain, a united multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi – religious community. “We, the people, will not allow the racists to run amok in our town to threaten, insult and attack us”.

A motley crew of, at most, 20 racists and fascists attempted to march from the Harrow and Wealdstone station end, but hardly had they got in sight of the Mosque but before they were chased off by the youth, only to be taken into protective custody by the police and driven away in a prison van. So embarrassed were the “English Defence League” by the pathetic turnout that they claimed to have called off their “rally” beforehand.

Over 2000 anti-fascists held the streets and defended the Mosque. The promise of police protection was not needed nor did it appear. Instead the riot squad were out in their normal provocative manner, with shields and batons ready. From 1.30-8p.m., the streets were peaceful, with unity, chanting and speeches.

There was much discussion as to whether the streets should be occupied by the anti-fascists, or whether it should allow a free flow of traffic. Quite clearly the argument was understood by the vast majority that it was “our streets, and not for the fascists and racists to be allowed to march on.”

The Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism group was formed 6 weeks ago, when we first noticed the threat from the EDL. Since then, we tirelessly leafleted stations, held regular street stalls and contacted as many local groups as possible. Thousands of leaflets and posters were issued, with hundreds of names collected for a petition showing support for the Mosque. A delegation then handed in this petition of support to the Mosque Committee on Friday 11th to show the community is one.

In Luton the EDL ran riot, in Birmingham they were sent packing, in Harrow they were chased away with a clear message: NOT WELCOME. In Manchester and elsewhere over the next few weeks, these successes can be repeated by the same mobilisation of thousands.

However, we should not be fooled by the size of the sad bunch that turned out on Friday in Harrow. These are the British National Party under a different flag. Griffin and his crew know that if they show their real face of thuggery, it might cost them votes, so they come over all respectable, leaving the “English Defence League” to do their dirty work on the streets.

Now the BBC plans to allow Nick Griffin to take part in Question Time on TV on the grounds that the BNP is a legitimate political party. We should not allow them to peddle their racist filth and incite attacks on people because of their skin colour or their religion. The BBC should reverse their decision.

The Government, police and DPP can if they want, prosecute these groups for incitement to racial hatred. The websites they use to espouse their Nazi messages can be closed down. Instead, we saw the police turn their shields on the anti-fascist youth. So much for community policing!

The victory of the anti-fascist, anti-racist movement in Harrow now requires that the Left, trade unionists, socialists and youth groups all come together to pursue an electoral arrangement to ensure that, as a matter of urgency, we defeat the BNP and other fascist organisations.

4 comments:

  1. So why did you defended "all the synagogues" ???

    Doesn't look like you like these Isrealis. Do you??

    Looks like you are blinded as you commentet the muslim radicals as anti-racist! Too blind to see who are the real racists??

    Did you ever think of what these muslims whould have done to the protesters if the police wouldn't have protected them? They would have murdered them for sure.

    Open your eyes!!!

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  2. I see someone who is concerned about the safety of neo-Nazis and racist thugs. Can't say it keeps me awake at night!

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  3. so they were there defending the different races/cultures in harrow? or they were chanting Allah Akbar to say in other words " britain is ours so fuck off trying to get it back! " ?? take your pick because people like you are helping them take britain for themselves... its seriously not about colour - just simple things like foreigners ( they need to be gone, its over populated here already ), if you are born here but are a different colour fair enough; but just dont start talking all these bullshit languages and opening shops with arabic writing on...english only! the races are not the issue - islam is the real issue...

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  4. I think Allah Akbar means 'god is great'. As an atheist I have no gods.

    It is typical of the white British underclass, whose thinking is done by the tabloids and whose cliches are almost always the same, believes that Britain is theirs.

    Which part of Britain? The thousands of acres of grouse moors that were kept off-limits to the proles by the rich? Or maybe the wealth of the country which has been handed over to the bankers at the same time as benefits are cut to the bone.

    It is the oldest trick in the book to set the poor at one another's throats.

    Everything our anonymous right-winger bleats about was said about the Jews in their time. They want to take over Britain, their culture is not 'our' culture - as if the culture of the ruling class was ever the same as that of the working class.

    Oh and they spoke Yiddish and German and not English. All of this is deja vu, a repetition of bigots long since gone. And who benefits? The bankers and their Tory/New Labour friends who fool the sub-prole anonymous fools of our time.

    Oh and the Talmud and the Jewish religion were also the 'issue' of the time, at least for fascist idiots who were unable to see kids walking to school with no shoes. No poverty is the issue, whatever the colour.

    Because if you are rich you can always come to Britain, whatever colour you are. But if you are poor.... How the Tories/New Labour must be grateful for idiots like those in the EDL.

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