This is a press release from Hope Not Hate
In just a few weeks time the English Defence League intend to march through Tower Hamlets. They want to peddle their hatred along Whitechapel Road and directly past the East London mosque. There could be nothing more incendiary to the local Muslim community.
Yet astonishingly, given everything that London has experienced in recent days, the Metropolitan Police are still willing to give this EDL hate march the green light. I fear that if the EDL are allowed to march, there will be chaos and violence.
There’s no point in pretending otherwise. This is why we are demanding that the police ban this march. You’ve signed our petition so I know you share my concerns.
The Home Secretary has left it to the police to decide about the ban so it’s the Met we have to convince. As well as explaining the threat we really need to demonstrate a groundswell of local opinion against the march. That’s why we are organising a big day of action in Tower Hamlets on Saturday.
Can you join us on Saturday?
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/detail/londonregion/wb2
The next few days are going to be crucial if we are going to achieve the ban. We need to collect 5,000 local names in six days. By demonstrating local opposition we can force the police to request a ban. The police have a duty to protect us and this is what we are demanding.
Come out campaign this Saturday
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/detail/londonregion/wb2
The police have cancelled football matches and close shopping centres this week but inexplicitly they are refusing to ban a hate march in Tower Hamlets. Only we can now force them to act.
It is awful to predict disorder and The HOPE not hate team will do everything to prevent it happening. But let there be no misunderstanding – if the EDL march goes ahead I fear the worst. And these views are felt by virtually everyone in Tower Hamlets.
I am appealing to you for your help this weekend. We’ve shown before that when we act we can make a difference. We simply cannot allow the EDL march to happen. For the sake of Tower Hamlets, and indeed the whole of London, please help us this weekend