Has the Daily Star turned its back on the EDL? The red-top pledges to oppose "extremism and fanaticism no matter what quarter it comes from".
Dan Hodges
25 March 2011
New Statesman
The Daily Star's flirtation with extremist right-wing, if not right-wing, politics appears to be over. Last month Richard Desmond's flagship red-top raised concerns it was preparing to formally endorse the English Defence League after publishing an editorial entitled "Don't Dare Ignore The EDL" with accompanying splash "English Defence League To Become A Political Party".
Fortunately it now appears Star editor Dawn Neesom, described in her Wikipedia biography as a staunch West Ham fan and avid kick boxer, has experienced a conversion on the road to Luton, and will be adopting a more circumspect approach to the group who have been bringing booze fuelled chaos to Britain's multi-ethnic communities. A letter from Daily Star publishers Northern and Shell, to Nick Lowles, editor of anti-extremist magazine Searchlight, pledges, "Our stand has always been and always will be that of strongly opposing extremism and fanaticism no matter what quarter it comes from, whether it be burning Poppies or copies of the Koran". It goes on, ""We assure Searchlight that the Daily Star will continue to endeavour to be a fair and accurate newspaper serving a true United Kingdom and all its people".
An editorial response from Lowles, who has been campaigning for the Star to distance itself from the EDL, expresses his belief that "the newspaper will not be backing the street gang or any other extremist organization". He adds, "We welcome this statement and what we understand to be a change in direction. We will remain vigilant to keep the newspaper to its word".
Despite a perception the Daily Star was morphing into the house magazine of the far right, the truth is the Star stable has adopted a more ambiguous stance to both the EDL and their floundering forerunners in the BNP. The Sunday edition of the paper has run a number of hard hitting exposes of both organizations, and was highly critical of the Prime Minister's recent Munich speech on multiculturalism. Under the headline "David Cameron Boards the EDL Bandwagon" the paper charged "Bungling David Cameron was last night accused of "stoking the fires" of race hate just hours before a thuggish far right march".
There have also been indications Richard Desmond has himself been concerned about his Daily's courting of the EDL. Guardian media commentator Roy Greenslade, who was heavily critical of the Star's favourable editorial, quoted a spokesman for Desmond insisting the proprietor had no prior knowledge of the paper's stance. The Independent also agreed to change its online headline "Has Richard Desmond decided to back the English Defence League?", to, "Has the Daily Star decided to back the English Defence league?" following a request for a correction from Desmond
The Star's decision to break from its balaclava clad suitors comes at a time when the paper has been facing internal as well as external scrutiny over its reporting of ethnic minorities, especially the Muslim community. Whistle blower/disgruntled former employee Richard Peppiatt claimed in a resignation letter to Daily Star management Islamaphobia had become a key weapon in the paper's fight for circulation; "Muslims are branded "beardies" or "fanatics", and black-on-black killings ("Bob-slayings", as I've cringingly heard them called in your newsroom) can be resigned to a handful of words, shoehorned beneath a garish advert". In response, the Daily Star issued a statement which claimed, "Regarding the allegations over the paper's coverage of Islam, he, [Peppiatt], was only ever involved in a very minor way with such articles, and never voiced either privately or officially any disquiet over the tone of the coverage. For the record, the Daily Star editorial policy does not hold any negativity towards Islam and the paper has never, and does not endorse, the EDL."
Whatever the truth of the Peppiatt allegations, the withdrawal, or non-extension, of the Daily Star's support will be a seen as a blow to the EDL at a time when the organization is struggling to manage internal tensions over its future direction. Alan Lake, the EDL's shadowy millionaire financier, is keen to channel his progeny towards the political mainstream, and has been attempting to build connections with the European and international right, including fringe elements of the US Tea Party movement. In contrast Tommy Robinson, the EDL's self-styled 'General' is said to want to remain true to the movement's 'grass roots' strategy of street level demonstrations and confrontation, even though effective policing and community organization are reducing the opportunities for disorder so beloved by many of its members.
The 'tit's, bums, QPR and roll your own fags' agenda pursued by the Daily Star's inaugural editor Derek Jameson is not to everyone's taste. But the capture of a national newspaper endorsement, form whatever source, would have been an important feather in the hoodies of the EDL. Dawn Neesom and Richard Desmond's change of heart, however belated, is to be welcomed.
The EDL scum are always trying to deny that they're litle more than nazis. But it's like hearing a slimy guy who's just been caught looking at child-porn saying 'b.b.b.b.but I'm not a paedophile!'
Attention EDL scum - Nazi is just a shortened version of the German spelling of nationalist. You hate an entire group of people for nothing more than their religion. You would see these people removed from England because you think they're taking over everything. You are Nazis.
Violence erupts as EDL threaten to burn Koran on Grays High Street
16th April 2011
yourthurrock.com
POLICE AND members of the English Defence League clashed on Grays High Street this afternoon after a Muslim stall was upturned and threats were made to burn a copy of the Koran.
Member of the EDL and Hope not Hate had gathered near to Grays Railway Station around lunchtime today (Saturday). Both groups clashed at Grays Railway Station where the EDL attempted to get the UAF supporters back on the trains. A number of EDL walked down the High Street where they saw a stall run by the Ahmadyya Association.
According to chairperson Basharad Ahamd Pir: “They scattered all our books and turned the stall over. One of them then got a lighter out and held the Koran and demanded that we burn it. It was very frightening but we remained calm. We are here to preach peace and love and will be back next week”.
Mr Pir thanked the local MP’s Jackie Doyle Price and Stephen Metcalfe who were manning a “No to AV” stall around the corner. On police arrival, Ms Doyle Price pointed them to where the EDL were protesting. Both MPs roundly condemned the activities and met with the stallholders afterwards to ensure they were alright.
Essex Police confirmed that they had been called to a number of incidents. A spokesperson said: “We were called to Grays railway station after reports that members of the EDL had gathered there. We kept them under close observation near the area. There were no arrests.”
The EDL's main facebook page has been taken down by Facebook. It had 85000 people who 'liked' it and that's the number they would quote as their membership... oh dear.
Some hackers have managed to find a load of personal information about the EDL and they're currently making a right mess of the EDL forum...
I'd post a link to the info, but it has stuff about Lennon's kid so I won't. But if you're a long-term member and you want to see it, send a pm and I'll sort it.
This is from their official facebook page. Apparently one of the admins has taken it over because of Tommy Robinson apparently pocketing money from merchandise and donations.
In order to process your complaint more efficiently and to be able to send you to the correct members of this page (so they can laugh at you) it would be beneficial if you could fill in the following details, deleting where appropriate:
I, being best described as a:
Deluded, thick cunt
Long standing Neo-Nazi shitbag
Naïve hysterical female of questionable weight
Violent thug with no understanding of the issues but having a love of using my fists and head-butting
Kind of person you would not leave around vulnerable people
Fifteen year old teenager who thinks it is big and hard and rebellious to hang around with racist dickheads because they give me Stella
Derek Fender (so all of the above)
Hel Gower (so all of the above but without Fender's charm)
Roberta Moore (visitor to this planet)
have come to this page to rant by typing badly about one/more than one of the following:
You being traytors
You being "muzzie" lovers
You supporting "muzzie" peados
You being unwashed
You being elitist, common, communist, Nazis
Charlene Downes murder
You being wrong about Tommy now he has ranted his evidence to us
Halal
Burqas
Sharon Law
Asda
You being MAC lovers
You being anti-English
You not SPORTING ARE TROOPS
You supporting poppy burning
You not understanding how the EDL are defending you and your families
You insulting Tommy even after he has had death threats, protection for his family, a bullet proof vest and everything!
You posting details of EDLers personal stuff online even though you don't
You being members of the UAF
You saying we are racists when we are not, we just hate “Pakis”, Islamics, “Pakis”, Muslims, “Pakis”, ragheads, “Pakis”, goat shaggers and brown people who are “Pakis”
Muslim taxi drivers
Saying we are racist when Islam is a religion so there!
To tell you that I/we have Sikh, black or brown friends who aren't “Pakis”, so I/we cant be a racist
Other (please elaborate in this highly unlikely event)
I will now insult your sexuality/body parts/hygiene/intelligence/your mother before disappearing after being demolished by humour and facts I don't understand. I will be/not be using caps lock.
Signed (place your mark below for those EDLers who can't spell their name)
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From the facebook group - "Still Laughing At The EDL"
The 'Jewish Division' of the EDL has been having some internal problems, which saw the bigoted maniac freak Roberta Moore de-admined from her own page.
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