They are dying,
off the top of my head about 10 have been sent down in the past month with a few more to come soon, with Tommy more than likey at the end of the month....
There is a demo in London this weekend, can't see more than 100-200 turning up....
Less than 100 turned up!
If you look at what is going on behind the scenes in the EDL, all is not well. In the north they are haemorraging individual members, and in some cases whole divisions to the NWI. Most of the Scottish Defence League is completely tied to Ulster Loyalism so includes a number of proper old-school nazis. So while they pay lip service to supporting the EDL, they mobilise more people to Infidels 'activities'. Also within the SDL there are Scottish 'nationalists' who are seen as traitors by the Loyalist element who see anything which threatens the union or the crown as beyond the pale (if you pardon the expression!) There are individuals within the SDL who would probably kill each other if they actually met in real life. Their facebook pages are full of threats of violence to each other and much discussion of Celtic v Rangers. There are growing elements in the EDL who want to push the SDL to choose one way or another. This has been precipitated by certain members of both the SDL and NWI publically slagging off Tommy Robinson.
The piss-poor attendance at recent rallies has started to expose divisions between the 'multicultural pro-Zionist' EDL and the old school nazis. The fascist element have toed the 'non racist' line as a means to attracting greater numbers to the organisation (in an almost identical way to their counterparts in the BNP who were promised electoral success if they kept their more overt racism under wraps). But as with the BNP, when that goal hasn't been achieved, a lot of the those told to keep quiet are now seeking more freedom both within the EDL or outside with the Infidels. The Oxford Division have now said they will not march with the EDL after they publically slagged off one of their members for giving a nazi salute. When the EDL were warned off last weeks 'Nationalist' demonstration in Leeds, one of the first responses from a 'wavering' EDL supporter was "Good! At least that means we won't have to march with any fucking Jews!" The Brevik massacre has also helped this split with the less politically aware supporters genuinely shocked to learn of his links with the EDL and even more surprised to hear others openly praising him and what he had done.
The other factor in this, is the growth of the far-right in Europe at the moment. Those who have learned to hide their fascism and nazism of late are relishing jumping on that bandwagon. Last Saturday in Leeds proved that this may be a little premature in the UK!
Meanwhile at EDL Towers the coterie of Tommy fans are engaging in ever more public disagreement. Hel Gower (ex-BNP and C18 groupie) and Roberta Moore will literally come to blows before too long and usually spend hours at each rally just glowering at each other, then slagging one another off on facebook. I think that battle will be resolved once Tommy goes to jail next month. If Moore loses, she will take the EDL name with her as well as a sizeable amount of the cash. A lot of these people really do believe their own publicity and some, like 'Angle' Donna Mortimer, are seriously considering what they shall say when they are invited to appear on Question Time which she sees as both inevitable and imminent.
Unfortunately for them, the more politically 'savvy' supporters are those who came from other far-right organisations like the NF and BNP. With these people going, the EDL is being left in the hands of the less politically experienced supporters who treat the EDL like one big social group many of whom spend a lot of time chatting and posting on facebook but will not do anything out of their own immediate area. These are the people who have provided cannon fodder and some have ended up being arrested, charged and eventually sent to jail. (Danny Parker, Durham 2 etc.) They read about things that they don't really understand, get all wound up and angry, then get pissed up and go out and shout the odds and smash things up and end up going to jail. And there is now a growing number of less celebrated EDL supporters in and out of the courts each week after incidents at rallies and protests who are getting little or no support from the organisation. This hasn't gone unnoticed particularly when their celebrity criminals like Robinson, seem to get all the publicity, petitions, press coverage and above all, money.
These 'social' EDL members are genuinely upset and angry about what they see as imminent 'Islamification' and Sharia courts around the corner. These are the people who really do believe all the Xmas banned, and schoolkids being force-fed halal food stories and that Tommy Robinson was sweating during his Paxman interview because the BBC make-up woman was a Muslim and refused to do him. These are the 'sheeple' of the EDL, desperately looking for some leadership. Although misguided, they do have a strong sense of right and wrong and if Tommy Robinson is exposed for coining it in off the backs of the ordinary supporters they will turn on him and those seen as being in league with him.
The rally in Brum on the 29th. will be a good measure of the state of the organisation. Football isn't a consideration with this rally as they have had marches and rallies before during the season, and attracted 1000's. They are now only attracting 100s. They have already shat off the 'return to Tower Hamlets', possibly because, for all their bravado and macho shouting, they recognise they got away lightly last month and could end up being seriously humiliated if they try it again.
Short of another proven Muslim terrorist attack in the UK, I would not be in the least surprised if the EDL disappeared completely within the next six months. And I predict that most of those involved as anything more than 'facebook likes', will return to having little or no political involvement.
I could be wrong but there you have it for what it's worth.
john x