City councillors have voted in favour of calling on police to ban future marches through Hull by groups such as the English Defence League. A march along Spring Bank by EDL activists earlier this month triggered ugly scenes and ten arrests. It was the first time the extreme right-wing group had staged a march in the city.

Former Humberside Police Authority chairman Councillor Colin Inglis, who proposed the motion, said he had no intention of criticising the police over their handling of the march. He said: “I think the police would dearly love to stop things like this but before they do, they need some comfort there is not going to be criticism from people like us. This is about putting down a marker for the police from us as politicians in Hull, saying we will support them doing this in a robust manner.”

Cllr Inglis said a video of the march filmed by the Mail clearly showed that many involved were not even from Hull. The Hull Daily Mail did a great service in recording that event. “Just looking at that video, you might have thought they were a bunch of football hooligans. If they had been, and this had happened inside the KC Stadium, the police would have no doubt dealt with them and banned from the stadium for life. However, this was on a public highway and the police allowed them to do it.”

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Harlow Strong organiser Leo Hartley plans to press ahead with Sunday’s (June 23) march – despite mounting opposition from community groups who fear the event will attract right-wing extremists.

The rally, which was originally set up under the banner of the controversial Woolwich Strong movement, is described as a “peaceful t-shirt charity march” by Mr Hartley.

But critics, including the Harlow branch of Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and local trade unionists, fear the event is a front for far-right political group the English Defence League and have urged organisers to call it off.

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A union leader will today address worshippers at two mosques to take a message of support to the Muslim community and condemn recent attacks by extremists. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey will visit two mosques in East London and meet Muslim community leaders.

He said: “Unite condemns the recent attacks on Muslim men and women by far right extremists and racists and offers the hand of friendship. Unite believes that every person in our community should live without fear and intimidation. Trade union values of fairness, justice and respect are what guide us and why we refuse to let our communities be divided by people pushing an agenda of hate and discrimination.”

The visit is the latest in a series of events aimed at easing tensions following the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby closer to the Royal Artillery barracks in south-east London in May.

Asian Image, 21 June 2013

See also “‘No place for EDL on our streets’ – McCluskey in solidarity visit to mosques”, Union-News, 21 June 2013

A seafront pub landlady has defended her decision to let members of the far-right English Defence League meet in her pub. Nicola Tiney, who runs the Borough Hotel, in Marine Parade, Southend, spoke out in the face of a social networking website campaign, urging drinkers to shun the pub.

Police were out in force at the weekend in Southend in response to reports the group’s Essex branch was planning to meet in the town. It later emerged members spent Saturday afternoon in the pub, prompting the setting up of a “Boycott the Borough Hotel” page on Facebook.  The reggae band Goldmaster Allstars have cancelled their July 6 gig, saying they “feel they can no longer be associated” with it.

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