Dewsbury rejects racist EDL


Eye witness report

Arriving in Dewsbury on the day of an English Defence League (EDL) march, I was immediately met with an incredibly tense atmosphere. Police vans patrolled round the town centre. Many shops, even large chains, were closed and those that were open had only a few customers visiting.

When the EDL arrived in Dewsbury, people greeted them with jeers and insults, before they moved down to the Unite Against Fascism (UAF) demo. While there, the EDL continually tried to break their kettle and instigate a fight.

Following both rallies, I made my way back to Leeds. There, by sheer chance I got off my bus right next to where the EDL buses were emptying and immediately heading to pubs in Leeds as the centre swarmed with police. And the EDL were again met with contempt. People even ran out of shops and pubs the EDL entered to let the police know.

People in West Yorkshire showed that they weren’t interested in the divisive, racist views of the EDL.