The EDL Demonstration in Luton

Live-blogging is now officially closed. Reports on today’s events in Luton will be posted separately as follow-ups. The first one will be along shortly.


This is the live-blog for the EDL demo in Luton. Updates will be added to the top as the day wears on.

The speech given by Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff is here.


Update 12:14am EST:

Tommy Robinson interviewed by ITN before the demo:


Hat tip: Thrasymachus.


Update 11:35am EST:

New photo from St. George’s Square:


From the EDL page on Facebook:

English Defence League (EDL) 6 coaches 9 minibuses and thousands on the trains and cars at least 6,000 in attendance in Luton today well done to all attendance we will never surrender we will only grow

Hat tip: Politically Incorrect.


Update 11:09am EST:

A video from overhead (hat tip Nilk) of the EDL demonstrators approaching St. George’s Square. I can’t help but compare this crowd to the ones we saw earlier this week in Tahrir Square in Cairo:


New tweets:

@NemesisREPUBLIC Nemesis Republic
RT @hopenothate: Rumours flying around. 1. Koran burnt on Farley Hill estate 2. a mosque attacked in Bury Park. Neither true. #EDL #Luton

@sunny_hundal sunny hundal
EDL demo now officially finished. Now is when the trouble usually starts. But lots of police here

Luton Voice
Police say about 5000 #EDL members attended the protest in #Luton today #UAF about 300

BBC report about the EDL and UAF rival protests

KGS has a screencap of a UAF thug raising his hand to strike an EDL member, taken from the Telegraph video.


Update 10:10am EST:

A video from earlier in the day, EDL marching to the demo location:


Hat tip: Politically Incorrect.

More videos here.


Video from St. George’s Square, Luton. Someone, possibly Tommy Robinson, is speaking:


Photojournalist

New tweets:

LutonVoice
Gangs of Asians are driving round attacking white people. #EDL #LUTON #UAF

@inayatb Inayat Bunglawala
Over half of EDL crowd has already left. Very much a damp squid so far. Let's hope they go home peacefully #edl #luton

Hat tip: Kitman.

Note from Nilk:

The twitter feed is interesting, as the majority of those tweeting appear to be against the EDL. One of the themes is the lack of numbers — anywhere between 1500-3000, but both of those are still good numbers.

Especially when you consider the police presence, and the usual disparaging media lead up to it all.

Mr. Bunglawala doesn’t seem too happy that on the whole the demo’s been peaceful. Usually people complain about the headkicking. I guess this time it’ll be the lack of headkicking.

Update 9:39am EST:

New tweets:

TheOneDonPedro Pete Jones
by LutonVoice
UAF under attack from Muslims in #Luton #EDL

@LutonVoice Luton Voice
Black flags of jihad seen in Bury Park. #EDL #LUTON #UAF

@counterfireorg Counterfire
by Biggervoice
#Counterfire reporter: #Luton: We're kettled. #EDL allowed to march. 3,000 of them including supporters from Germany and Spain #UAF

@LutonVoice Luton Voice
Muslims are rioting in Bury Pary #EDL #LUTON


Update 9:20am EST:

@aoifeusob Aoife
Listening to Austrian islamophobe lie about Islam and Muslims in #Luton

From Facebook:

Julie Simpson Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff giving really good speech at the mo.

Julie Simpson Just spoke to someone watching her, he said she's amazing

Hat tips: Politically Incorrect, Nilk.


Update 9:12am EST:

UAF kettled at Birdcage Roundabout:


Article in The Telegraph

I’m not sure where this report originated:

Jon Doe UAF supporters understood to be trying to break through police cordon to reach EDL crowds in St George’s Square. Being ‘pushed back hard’ according to radio.

Hat tip: Politically Incorrect.


Update 8:59am EST: More photos courtesy of Nilk:


New tweets:

Guardian journalist tweeter on the march so far:

mrmatthewtaylor: Best organised and biggest #edl demo I've seen in luton today. Feels like a movement on the rise

@counterfireorg Counterfire
by Gixibyte
#Counterfire: Over 1,000 muslims and anti-fascists assembled in Bury Park #Luton #NoToEDL #UAF


Update 8:47am EST:

From Facebook: The UAF is at Birdcage Roundabout.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson is speaking, calling for “leaders, not appeasers”.


Update 8:40am EST:

A brief video clip, apparently taken from the UAF front lines:


Hat tip: Politically Incorrect.


Update 8:34am EST:

Sky News report

Luton street view

New tweet:

@LutonVoice Luton Voice
UAF are not wanted in Bury Park. Muslims send them on their way #EDL #Luton


Update 8:23am EST:

From the EDL: updates are being posted on Facebook by EDL on the ground.

New tweet:

@policemonitor NetPol
by NazisNotWelcome
Edl chanting at local people - if it wasn't for the coppers you'd be dead #UAF #EDL #Luton


Update 8:15am EST:

New tweets:

@julesmattsson Jules Mattsson
EDL March Begins - much pushing, stewards try to stop crowd attacking police. #luton http://yfrog.com/h8pikabj

@counterfireorg Counterfire
#Counterfire: Police keeping #EDL at the station, preventing them marching to St George's Square #Luton #NoToEDL #UAF


Update 8:09am EST: Photos courtesy of Nilk:





Update 7:55am EST:

New tweet:

@counterfireorg Counterfire
#Luton #Counterfire reporter: #UAF stopped by mounted police after breaking through lines. Now Kettled #NoTo#EDL

Hat tip: Nilk.


7:24 EST:

The EDL live feed is here.

Tweets from Nick Lowles, leader of “Hope Not Hate”:

hopenothate Nick Lowles
There are 18 EDL coaches lined up along Dunstable Road waiting to enter Luton ;( #EDL #Luton

hopenothate Nick Lowles
It seems that the police have turned away EDL coaches from Sheffield and the Midlands :) #EDL #Luton

Luton railway station is supposedly occupied by screaming UAF-types, video here.

Other video will be coming later, perhaps several hours from now.

Hat tips: Kitman, Nilk.