In regards to the non reactionary posters who have asked what has caused the EDL and what are the solutions? Both are complex questions.
EDL members previously would have been working class males who worked in manufacturing/blue collar jobs etc, in the last 30 yrs this group has been dramatically disempowered both financially, community wise and within their role in the family. Traditional working class communities have been fragmented, with the destruction of manufacturing and via social and enviromental changes.
We have one million young people unemployed, the self serving trade union movement does nothing to reach out to these people. Is it any wonder they are totally alienated from the politics of class ?
In juxtaposition we have a media which for 10 years has led a political and sinister campaign against Muslims.
The Sun, Mail etc are responsible for creating a hysterical environment in regards to Islamic terrorism. They are massively responsible for also creating the atmosphere which has led to the EDL.
Everyone needs a group they feel they can belong to, groups like the EDL offer a collective focal point for disempowered working class white males to feel empowered. Just like football hooligan firms have in the past, just like universites do for the middle classes.
We also have, isolated Islamic communites often with cultural attitues which are alien to the working class communites they exist alongside, some towns in the north of England are totally polarised.
Thus simply mocking the EDL is not enough, trade unions need to reconnect with the poorest in society not just middle class public sector workers and engage them.
Islamic communites should also be engaged and their most backward cultural practises challenged.
Efforts should be made to engage people from both communites and to integrate as much as possible.
The EDL is simply a symptom,.
Mocking them wont make the cause go away and unless the causes are radically challenged they will get worse.
Mocking people often with obvious social problems and educational problems as UAF often do is not going to sort the problem out.