EDL Leadership Arrested -Bradford Demo Off

Nail on the fucking head not I give a toss about the so called rights of this racist scum, but we need to think on the likes of The SWP fronts The UAF along with some people within our own circus have played into the agenda of this no fucking conspiracy here good news about the planed Bradford Demo, also bad news as it was certain the youth and olders was planning to give them a good kick in do what the likes of The SWP alleged anarchist I say alleged because some people refused the nature of The Problem before us.

Now I hope we wake up smell the fucking coffee understand our own fucking failings and begin to organise as a well known person said of late the events of the last few years, have some positives, it gives us as Anarchist a golden opportunity ill repeat this once more we either take now or stay the same, our only way foreword is to organise one of the biggest Don't Vote campaigns.

The working class are not only under threat from the far right, an elected Conservative Party with a majority will simply continue to see the rise of fascism, the attacks of New Labour on the working class will seem nothing in comparison, we need a hung parliament alas it will not involve gallows (fucking shame) but will further weaken the sham of democracy along with the far left who are asking the working class to vote New Labour, it is our time comrades.

"our only way foreword is to organise one of the biggest Don't Vote campaigns"
It's enough to make one cry. I call your bluff - are you 'The Outlaw' from over at libcom?
I do apologise if not, and will give you the benefit of the doubt and explain why it is that I think the views you gave in your comment are not going to get the anarchist movement anywhere.
People will appreciate the benefits of anarchism when they see it in action - when anarchists get involved in workplace and community organising. When we use anarchist tactics (non-hierarchy, workers' control, direct action, etc.) to get something that benefits the participants and others. One-off campaigns that even if 'successful' won't actually improve things for anybody. The way to build an anarchist movement is NOT through sales pitches, (hey guys, this thing here is called anarchism, it's pretty cool. Sign up. Yay for anarchy!) but instead through bringing anarchist influences and ideas to struggles, and inciting those struggles. We must highlight the evils of capitalism and the state not in an abstract way but with regards to how they affect us all in day-to-day struggles.
What have 'Don't Vote' campaigns ever produced? Workers' control? An end to sexism, homophobia or racism? Or have they cemented people's opinions of anarchists as drunk punks who don't care about the real world (and judging from your comments and the way this whole 'Don't Vote' campaign is building up, also hate the english language - it doesn't make you look any more working class, ok?!)?
I hope this doesn't come across too negatively, I don't mean any disrespect to those participating in events that I don't think will be effective, but constructive criticism is essential. And, in theory I'd be totally prepared to work with and organise alongside you or any others involved in this campaign. We've got to criticise each other and shouldn't pander to others just because they're anarchists too, but we've more importantly got to always remember who we're really fighting. (Neither the Tories nor 'New' Labour. But capitalism and its protector, the state, as well as all other forms of oppression and hierarchy)

As to the original article: While I think it's shocking the cops coming into anybody's house armed to the hilt, I can't pretend their Bradord demo's cancellation is cause for tears. So long as they don't play the helpless victim of conspiratorial forces card, and get loads of public sympathy and coverage. Which they probably will - think the BNP.

If anarchism is so good - it would of happened years ago.

I kind of agree with Normanski's views on anarchism - it will never work. Society is all about compromise where one group of people will always infringe another group of people. Hence a governance is needed to draw the lines in the sand.

Not that I like the government - but that doesn't mean anarchism is the answer defacto.

sad to say unable to find any other reference to these arrests

i just cracked a good bottle of whiskey for nothing...
this article is obviously based on this report ->  http://europenews.dk/en/node/30094
some EDL did apparently get arrested,(1)
but the bradford demo looks to still be on (2)
this report is mostly false info. if not please can someone reference it with an actual report.

(1) http://www.englishdefenceleague.org/100220-sdl-scottish-defence-league-edinburgh-february-2010.html
(2)  http://www.englishdefenceleague.org/english-defence-league-future-demos.html

Below is a link to the EDL website confirming the arrests, raids and the calling off of the Bradford demo:

 http://www.edlmedia.com/1_1.html

though it wasn't easy to find. these peoples inability to design an easily navigable website probably says something about their general intelligence!

not that we should see this as the end of the struggle against the EDL/SDL/WDL etc etc.....

Since when were the police allowed automatic machine guns?!?! I think this is the most disturbing part of the entire article!

"If anarchism is so good - it would of [sic] happened years ago."

You could also say if an end to murder and rape was so good it would have happened years ago. Do we therefore deduce that ending murder and rape is a bad thing?

A lot of tribal societies have had a kind of anarchism for thousand of years anyway. Anarchism hasn't happened recently not because it isn't good, but because authoritarianism has been so successful in controlling people.

The actual banning of Islam4UK and the effectual banning of the EDL will only create more and more tension until something finally gives – which, in turn, will give the state an excuse to come down on ALL supposed dissident groups, including anarchists.

We’re rightfully proud to be anti-fascist, but in the meantime our everyday life is becoming ever more fascistic as basic liberties – such as Habeas corpus, the right to silence, trial by jury, the right not to be tortured, etc., etc., etc. – are being whittled away in the name of ’security’ and ‘for our own protection’.

Some people believe that these liberties are merely concessions granted by the powerful, but they can also be seen as a work in progress. Each represents a hard-won victory on the slow march towards a free society founded on equality, mutual aid and cooperation – i.e. every liberty brings us closer to anarchy.

All too often significant sections of the Great British Public find themselves in fundamental disagreement with government policy, or find themselves deeply concerned about a serious social or environmental issue that has failed to engage the population as a whole.

The "accepted" means of registering such disagreement, with the obvious and clear intention of seeking to effect some sort of change, has traditionally been through letters to the Press, or to one's Member of Parliament, or even to a Government Minister.

All too often however such efforts result in, at best, a dismissive response or, not unusually, a patronising nothing at all.

Ramp up the action a bit then, and we have signatures collected on a petition and delivered to the relevant authority. Effectiveness? Well, if one's lucky there'll be a mention in the media, followed by... frequently a patronising nothing at all.

Which is where we move into the grand British tradition of a protest or demonstration; customarily a march, sometimes a picket or other static "demo"... a form of expression much favoured by those who feel themselves ignored, overlooked, or sidelined in the prevailing political climate.

In exceptional cases, or where the cause rouses sufficiently deep passions and where no noticeable effect has been achieved by lesser means, we enter the rather more contentious realm of "direct action". Which can take many forms, but generally entails some form of civil disobedience or even acts that may fall foul of the law...though not necessarily of the ideal of Justice!

That said though, even direct action has a worthy tradition and a certain sense of legitimacy; I'm reminded, for example, of the Suffragettes. Indeed, the very institution of Parliament that we so affectionately regard as our own has its roots in, albeit rather extreme, direct action! Such is the nature of protest in this country.

Were such freedom to protest curtailed, what other recourse would the public have when they perceive themselves as largely disenfranchised by what is often seen as a mockery of a genuinely representative political system, that our "leaders" still glibly refer to as "democracy"?
Yet that freedom to protest, so lovingly and unthinkingly embraced by all manner of political activists and advocates of social causes has, over the past few years, come under increasing threat.

The most obvious and public example of this was the rendering illegal of protests and demonstrations within a specified distance of the Houses of Parliament absent police approval!
And since when, one might ask, is it necessary to secure police approval of a demonstration in a supposedly "free" society? Does that not already constitute, in essence, one of the elements of a repressive regime in which the police can arbitrarily dictate, without consultation and without accountability, which protests are considered "acceptable" (and would that be "politically acceptable" perchance?) to the State?

However, there are other far more insidious trends at work that threaten our freedom to protest in a much more fundamental way than having to seek police permission before demonstrating outside Parliament. And though insidious, the effects of those trends are becoming increasingly apparent.
 http://www.fotdmike.me.uk/writings/policestate.html

The raid over the weekend of the far right scum should indeed raise concern and

Increasingly of late the police have been seizing mobile phones and computers and enforcing strict and restrictive bail conditions which makes continued political operation of those arrested impossible. Bail is extended to often over a year before any charges are brought. Just because it’s currently the EDL who are copping it tonight doesn’t mean we won’t be next.Protestors arrested at the Radcliff power station school raid were similarly banned from contacting each other.It’s an insidious development brought in by the poice with connivance of the Home Secretary and proving extremely effective at disabling political movements from effective action on the streets.

 http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/edl-leadership-arrested-bradford-demo-off/

Conversely every affront to liberty takes us further from our goal. The EDL are wankers and we should be thankful that the highly provocative Bradford march has been stopped, but armed police raids against political organisations – regardless of whether they’re fascist scum like the EDL or Islam4UK – should never be seen as a good thing.

The events over the weekend are bad news, the kick in that The EDL would have got if they had gone to Bradford is now not going to happen, so the state like to think? and just why are those nicked bailed to Sheffield? Could it be collusion in the fact Mark Collett A former Youth Leader of the BNP, Mark Collett is currently the party’s Director of Publicity. He featured in the 2002 documentary Youth, Nazi and Proud and appeared in court alongside Nick Griffin in 2006, charged with race hate offences. Young, Nazi and proud – Channel 4 News is also standing in Brightside Sheffield are the events last few days related needs to be asked? Now we have the real prospect of seeing the fascism of The EDL on the streets of Sheffield, along with the other anti working class lefty scum shooting there pointless slogans while telling us to Vote Labour and now doubt The AWL (the lefts anti Semitic brigade) will be alongside with the circus that is Socialist Campaign to Stop the Tories and Fascists meanwhile New Labour are asking for A Future Fair For All! We agree a A Future Fair For All! Is one of anarchy.