Muslim organisations have written to the Prime Minister and Home Secretary calling for the proscription of the English Defence League as a terrorist organisation.
The organisations say: “the recent surge in Extreme Right-Wing violence, driven by extremist figures led by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as ‘Tommy Robinson’… has created a climate of terror for ethnic minorities and Muslims across the country.”
They say that law enforcement and intelligence agencies have failed to contain this growing threat so they have come together to request that the EDL is proscribed as a terrorist organisation.
The Muslim, Black and Asian legal organisations are: Association of Muslim Lawyers, Society of Black Lawyers, Black Lives Matter, Legal Action for Peace, Society of Asian Lawyers, Federation of Redbridge Muslim Organisations, Aziz Foundation, Restless Beings, Muslim Women of Merton, Finsbury Park Mosque, Muslim Public Affairs Committee, Muslim Professionals Forum, Balham Mosque & Tooting Islamic Centre, Muslim Association of Britain and Parents United.
Their letter states: “Yaxley-Lennon has been inciting his followers by fuelling hatred towards Muslims and ethnic minorities including refugees. On 1st June, he launched his documentary ‘Lawfare’ which covers his warped perception that there is a ‘two-tier policing’ system of the pro-Palestinian protests as opposed to those that were against the pro-Palestinian protests in support of Israel’s ‘plausible genocide’ of the Palestinians…
“You will have seen from video footage of those that support Yaxley-Lennon’s dangerous rhetoric, the phrase ‘two-tier policing’ is now also being used repeatedly across mainstream media as well as amongst his followers online…
“Since his first protest on 1st June, Yaxley-Lennon has increased his rhetoric by inciting his followers to commit violence against Muslims, refugees and ultimately people of colour. You can see that he has continued to repeat his claims of ‘two-tier policing’ which is now being extended to extremely dangerous and sinister claims of a ‘two-tier government.’ At the time of writing, Yaxley-Lennon continues to publish conspiracy theories and false narratives.
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“We consider that Yaxley-Lennon has been inciting terrorism via his tweets to large audiences. In a video on 4th August, he said in anger ‘Men will rise up, they were always going to rise up, they have to rise up to defend their families.’ A hotel, housing asylum seekers, was set on fire by his supporters on 4th August in Tamworth placing their lives and hotel staff at risk…
“In light of Yaxley-Lennon’s conduct including incitement and the continued association and presence of former EDL members at his protests, it is our view that EDL meets the statutory test to proscribe EDL in order to protect the public from its members…
“We cannot in good conscience risk our lives or the lives of our families by returning to normality until the EDL is proscribed. The government’s responsibility to protect its citizens is paramount, and we urge you to act swiftly and decisively to restore peace and security. We remain open to dialogue and are ready to assist in any way possible to ensure the safety of all citizens and refugees in this country.”
English Defence League
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Home Secretary may proscribe an organisation if they believe it is concerned with terrorism, and it is proportionate to do so.
Under the Act, terrorism means the use or threat of action which involves serious violence against a person, serious damage to property, endangers a person’s life or creates a risk to life, to influence the government or intimidate the public.
It must also be carried out with the aim to advance a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.
The EDL was founded in 2009 and experienced its heyday in 2011.
Editorial credit: Lois GoBe / Shutterstock.com
Tommy Robinson – a former member of the BNP who had a criminal conviction for assault – became the group’s de facto leader shortly after it was formed.
Ideologically, it rejected the idea that Muslims can truly be English, while promoting Islam as a threat to European values and blaming a perceived decline in “English culture” on high immigration rates.
The profile of the EDL rose dramatically between 2010 and 2013, but soon began to lose momentum – partly due to in-fighting among the group’s different factions.
The group was then revealed to have links to Norwegian far-right activist Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of a series of bombing and shooting attacks in July 2011 that killed 77 people.
Robinson left the organisation in 2013, amid fears he could not control the group’s more violent followers.
Robinson said on X: “The riots are by local residents fed up. Nothing to do with the EDL which closed down over a decade ago.”
On the other hand, Merseyside police said supporters of the EDL appeared prominent in the Southport disorder after rioters clashed with police outside a mosque.
