Victory in Bolton and the upcoming events

On Saturday 50 people from North London travelled up to Bolton to join 3000 UAF protesters from across the country who successfully opposed the racist English Defence League's anti-Muslim rally.

The UAF protest was split up by the police - around 2000 UAF protesters held the north side of Bolton's Victoria Square from early morning and thoughout the day. A further 1,000 anti-racists were prevented from joining the main UAF demo until late afternoon. Once all the UAF supporters were finally allowed to gather together, they took part in an impromptu anti-racist parade through Bolton.

Around 800 EDL racists brandishing anti-Muslim placards were marched into the south side of Victoria Square by police at around 3pm. When a group of local Asian youths joined the UAF protest, the EDL responded with fury, hurling bottles and coins at the counter demonstration. The racists were hustled out of the square by police a short while later, around 4pm.

The scenes in Bolton on Saturday underline the urgent need for the trade union, anti-racist and workers' movement to mobilise against the EDL and the fascist BNP. We cannot stand by and let EDL racist thugs intimidate Muslims and spread terror on our streets.

We need to make sure all anti-racists and anti-facists are at Dudley on Saturday 3rd April to oppose the EDL's next demo. Contact uafnorthlondon@googlemail.com or 078453 291 469 for a coach ticket asap!

A few interesting links:
Analysis of the media coverage of Bolton - http://exposethebnp.com/2010/03/20/the-battle-of-bolton-and-the-media/
Video of the Bolton demo on Saturday 20th March http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np09fgMgpN4

BOLTON TOMORROW

Only 2 tickets left for the coach to Bolton - get in contact now to get your ticket before they all run out.

It is set to be a good day tomorrow - around 60 coaches from across the country are heading to Bolton to show solidarity with the people of Bolton and to say NO to the racist EDL.

To make sure that it is an absolutely brilliant day, we need to make sure everyone who opposes racism is on a coach to Bolton. To get on the North London bus leaving Finsbury Park - call 07853 291 469.

National Demo against the EDL this Saturday!

Only 3 full days left till Bolton - have you got your ticket yet? We are fast filling up on our second coach, so you must buy your ticket asap!

The racist English Defence League are hoping to march again - this time through Bolton - to whip up race hatred against Muslims. When they were allowed to march through Luton and Stoke recently they smashed cards, attacked shops and assaulted Asians. UAF have called a counter protest in Bolton this Saturday 20th March, meet 11 am at Victoria Square. It is ESSENTIAL that all anti-racists attend this demo - we are the majority and we need to show this to the EDL and BNP.

The coach will leave Finsbury Park at 6am and will bring us back - tickets cost £18 (students and employed can have a lower rate if needed). Please contact if you are interested, we need everyone there.

Email uafnorthlondon@googlemail.com or call 07853 291 469 to get a seat on the North London bus. If you need to catch a bus from somewhere else in London/England there are details of all other coaches on www.uaf.org.uk

UAF opposed the EDL march on London

On Friday around 350 anti-facists confronted the racist EDL who marched on London to 'greet' Islamaphobe Geert Wilders at the Houses of Parliament, who was showing his film 'Fitna'.

Black and white, students, workers and trade unions came out to oppose the EDL, who were allowed to protest at Paliament by the police - despite a ban for all other groups. Anti-facists groups managed to mobilise 350 people at one day's notice and held the road for over two hours stalling the EDL. However, the police picked off the protest one by one and used dogs and horses to keep anti-facists kettled in, whilst they allowed the racist EDL to march.

The EDL chanted "Muslim bombers off our streets" and some were seen raising Nazi salutes as they passed UAF protesters. Members of the Nazi BNP were photographed on the protest, including Chris Renton from Weston Super Mare.

Anti-facists protesters continued to oppose the EDL until the end and were addresed by a number of union delegates and MPs. Steve Hedley of the RMT union said “The BNP have put on suits in an effort to get elected. But the EDL is their street fighting faction. These are our streets, they not going to be the Nazis’ streets.”

Jeremy Corbyn MP told anti-racists, “If we want a decent and democratic society free of racism then we have to stop the BNP and the EDL.”

The EDL cannot be allowed to march. All anti-racists and anti-facists must attend Bolton on Saturday 20th March to prevent the EDL terrorising ethnic minorites and whipping up race hatred.

Contact uafnorthlondon@googlemail.com to book your caoch ticket from Finsbury Park.

Picture by Guy Smallman - http://www.guysmallman.com/ - brilliant photos of the demo on Friday among others.

Emergency protest this Friday 11am!

UAF demo against the rally called by the EDL to greet and support Gert Wilders, the Islamaphobic Dutch MP. Wilders has been invted to the House of Lords by Malcolm Everard MacLaren Pearson, Leader of UKIP, to show his racist film Fitna.

Wilders was banned from coming to the UK before due to his racist remarks. He has described the Netherlands as facing a “tsunami of Islamification” - the Netherlands Musilim population is 6%. Also, he has said that a “head rag tax” should be issued on Muslim women who wear headscarves.

Protest against this racist coming to whip up race hatred and bolster the BNP. The EDL have arranged coaches to bring people in and the police are allowing the EDL to march. It is crucial that we do not let the EDL march in London - we need a big crowd to stand up and show that these racist and thugs are not allowed on our streets.

It is vital that we get as many people down as possible - please tell all your friends/colleagues etc.