EDL Whiteshirts on the streets of London

[PAH]

How dare some 'English' chaps gather on the street to protect their community.

Depends what they think is their community.

No problem if it's their real community so they're doing the same as the other groups.

Not so good if they use it as a staging platform to 'protect England'. How can they protect England from what is essentially themself?

If these groups want to show a true united front, mix ranks with the other religious based groups and put on some distinctive gear like those New York guardians that tried to keep the underground safe. I think they wore red berets so people could distinguish them from the yobs.

Otherwise the rozzers will have to work out who to cosh if we get lots of vigilantes roaming the streets. Up to now the other groups have stayed protecting their property and religious buildings. What buildings are the EDL going to protect?

[shaunbhoy]

I was chatting to a friend in London about this this morning, and he was all for the EDL presence, as his trains ran on time this morning.

The trains ran on time in Nazi Germany. It was just the variation in new destinations that caused such alarm.

[Incognito]

Well I did see clips of them pelting the top deck of an omnibus because there were a few black kids on. Not all innocent 'protect our houses' fun.

I'm not defending them or their views, I'm defending their right to hold them. You don't engage with a community by ignoring them, look at where that got NI.

[KentPhilip]

So what do you make of the video link I posted? There are plenty more.

In the video I can see a lot of passionate EDL supporters shouting and protesting. There was a little criminal damage to some fences that were put in their way. Cost of damage £2000.

In London yesterday several buildings were burned to the ground. Cost of damage: £5 million, including a business that had been going for over a hundred years destroyed.

The EDL won't stand for what happened yesterday, and I'm with them.

[Incognito]

Up to now the other groups have stayed protecting their property and religious buildings. What buildings are the EDL going to protect?

I believe the debate is centering around an EDL arranged gathering to protect their local area, Eltham.

[Old Greg]

I'm not defending them or their views, I'm defending their right to hold them. You don't engage with a community by ignoring them, look at where that got NI.

You certainly don't ignore them. Here's what a Mr A. Hitler of Berlin said:

"Only one thing could have broken our movement – if our adversaries had understood its principle, and from the first day had smashed, with the most extreme brutality, the nucleus of our new movement"

Now, I'm not a fan of Hitler so am not into the extreme brutality, but they must certainly be opposed.

[minestrone]

I'm not defending them or their views, I'm defending their right to hold them. You don't engage with a community by ignoring them, look at where that got NI.

I don't disagree but they are a bunch of loonies who are happier than a looter in a box of blackberries just now.

[NotAllThere]

Nonsense, the EDL want nothing more than law and order on the streets...

Testicular nonsense in itself.

The EDL want their ideology picked up by the populace and swept to power on the popular vote. They'll use anything to further that end.

[Incognito]

I don't disagree but they are a bunch of loonies who are happier than a looter in a box of blackberries just now.

That and the 'stinky arse' post must be two of your best this year.

[NotAllThere]

You certainly don't ignore them. Here's what a Mr A. Hitler of Berlin said:

"Only one thing could have broken our movement – if our adversaries had understood its principle, and from the first day had smashed, with the most extreme brutality, the nucleus of our new movement"

Now, I'm not a fan of Hitler so am not into the extreme brutality, but they must certainly be opposed.

When I saw a rioter throwing a brick at police lines, it did occur to me that a few rooftop snipers really could have stopped all this in its tracks. Probably at a lower body count than we're currently at.