Rochdale welcomes the English Defence League

A crowd of racists are planning to descend on Rochdale at the weekend, as if that town hasn't suffered enough. Do turn out for the counter-demonstration, or at least read Ben's excellent piece on why the EDL are bunch of unpleasant fantasists.

They infest the West Midlands and Stoke to a very unhealthy degree, though their recent Luton event was a ridiculous flop. The plain truth is that not only are they too stupid to develop a convincing narrative for their problems (it's much easier just to blame Muslims), they're too stupid to understand that turning up in depressed towns, abusing the locals and smashing up a few shops while giving Nazi salutes isn't the way to persuade anyone.

Just to be clear - because I'm aware that EDL-types have difficulty with multisyllabic long words:

You are scum.
The vast majority of the UK's population are far too intelligent to fall for your lies.
You make the BNP look like the master-race, and they're poisonous, vicious, incompetents.
Muslims and immigrants didn't make your areas horrible: capitalism did, and you've helped.

It's OK Paul, don't wear yourself out

Saturday saw the massed cohorts of liberals and antifascists contain the threat of the English Defence League Nazis as they tried to march in The Dark Place.

One notable absence was one Paul Uppal, who is apparently MP for The Dark Place South West. Clearly he's content to allow these Nazis to march unopposed, or thinks that it's not his job - as senior elected representative for the area - to lead opposition to racism.

There's a fairly bullish report of the day's proceedings here - this bit amused me, as a Stoke City (Potters) fan:

The police held them away from the public, while they waited for their West Bromwich coach which got most of those remaining back in time to end their afternoon in further unhappiness as the Potters gave the Baggies a hammering. The handful remaining were escorted away by police.

Racists march in Wolverhampton

Word is that the English Defence League (essentially thugs without the strategic skills to join the BNP) are planning to demonstrate in Wolverhampton tomorrow. They marched in Dudley recently and went on the rampage.

A (peaceful) counter-demonstration will meet in Queen Square at 11.30. Try to turn out.

(That said: I'm away).