- Target:
- Home secretary Theresa May
- Region:
- United Kingdom
- Website:
- uaf.org.uk
The English Defence League – an organisation of racist and fascist thugs – has planned a march through multiracial, multicultural Tower Hamlets, east London on Saturday 3 September.
In response, Unite Against Fascism and local umbrella group United East End have called a national demonstration against the EDL in Tower Hamlets on that date, to show our unity and the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists.
We urge all antiracists and antifascists to sign the petition below and to join us in Tower Hamlets on Saturday 3 September.
More details of the UAF/UEE event – including transport from around the country and leaflets for download – can be found on the UAF website
We, the undersigned, welcome the banning of the racist English Defence League’s march through Tower Hamlets.
However, we believe the headlines claiming the EDL have been ‘banned’ from Tower Hamlets are misleading. The EDL will still be holding a static protest in the borough.
We are also appalled to discover that the home secretary, Theresa May, has agreed to the Metropolitan Police's application for a blanket ban on ALL marches across five London boroughs – Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest – and the City of London for 30 days.
This is a huge attack on everyone’s civil liberties and prevents people’s rights to oppose racism.
We have the democratic right to peacefully march through Tower Hamlets on 3 September to show unity of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Black, Asian and LGBT communities, trade unions and all those against fascism and for freedom, and to voice opposition to the EDL’s attempts to divide us.
Our legal advice says there is no law that says if one march has been banned, all marches in that area must be banned.
It is our human right to peacefully march in Tower Hamlets.
We therefore support the joint Unite Against Fascism / United East End protest on Saturday 3 September.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Right to march against racist EDL petition to Home secretary Theresa May was written by Martin Smith and is in the category Civil Rights at GoPetition.