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Walthamstow EDL Protest Struggles For Numbers As Far-Right Swamped By UAF And Even Police

'Hundreds' Of Police In Walthamstow To Escort About 35 EDL Protesters
Ryan Barrell
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The north-east London area of Walthamstow has been brought to a standstill today by a protest organised by the far-right English Defence League and counter-protests by anti-fascist groups.

Witnesses say there are "hundreds" of police with vans, horses and dogs escorting a the EDL turnout of between 30-80.

Meanwhile locals have taken to the streets in their droves in an attempt to ward off the anti-Islam group. Local MP Stella Creasy was on the scene alongside the community. One tweeter said: "An EDL supporter has just done a Hitler salute to @stellacreasy on VE Day. This is what we're dealing with."

The Met Police's Chief Superintendent Gerry Campbell said: "When an organiser of an event comes to us, we need to balance their rights to protest with the impact their event will have on local businesses and residents.

"Previous experience has led us to believe that if the protest by the EDL and the counter-protest by the UAF were allowed to go ahead without conditions, there would be strong likelihood of serious disorder and serious disruption to the local community."

While numbers of EDL protesters seemed to be in double figures, hundreds of anti-fascists turned up:

Meanwhile, a much larger protest was taking place in Dudley, organised by the Britain First Facebook page.

Despite a considerably lower police presence in Dudley, one arrest was made and many locals became riled up over the group's Islamophobic sentiment.

EDL's Tommy Robinson Quits: 10 Moments in Power
Tulisa 'Driven From Home' By Tommy Robinson(01 of10)
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Tulisa was reportedly "too scared" to stay in her house after she repeatedly spotted the leader of the EDL filming with a cameraman in a car outside her home.The pop star and former X Factor judge was so worried by the actions of Robinson at her £6 million Hertfordshire mansion that she called police, the Sunday People reported in September this year.Robinson was questioned and searched though no arrests were made. (credit:Getty Images)
Tommy Tells Girl On Twitter 'You're Pretty Fit For A Muslim'(02 of10)
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The leader of the far-right group came under fire after racially abusing a girl who told him she was 15-years-old on Twitter.Tommy Robinsontold Twitter user 'Asianish' "You're pretty fit for a Muslim". Defending herself, she wrote back "I'm 15 and you've got the cheek to call Muslims paedos."He also accused Twitter of "#creepingsharia" for having a mosque on its homepage. It's a picture of the Taj Mahal. And it led to this hilarious Twitter movement..
Selfridges Criticised For Giving Tommy A Free Steak Dinner (03 of10)
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Selfridges was criticised for giving Robinson a free steak dinner by way of apology after one of their sales assistants refused to serve him in September. The English Defence League leader was allegedly told to “f*** off” on Monday, whilst visiting the London retailer's flagship store with a friend to buy a pair of jeans.Robinson, who filmed the incident, challenged the assistant, saying: "You won’t serve my friend because he’s friends with me... and I’m in the EDL." The assistant can be heard replying: "You can put me on the camera all you want mate, but I’m not serving you," before walking off.
Tommy Accused Of 'Stalkerish And Bizarre' Behaviour (04 of10)
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Just a week before he quit as EDL leader, Tommy was accused of "stalkerish and bizarre" behaviour by an anti-English Defence League campaign group.The website edlnews.co.uk accused the EDL leader of embarking on "a wild goose chase" in an attempt to track down and "have a chat" with their editor.He then posted a series of increasingly worrying images on Twitter.
Tommy's Criminal Record(05 of10)
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Be it drug offences or assault, the EDL has a colourful record to say the least. Tommy has been arrested at multiple EDL demos, most recently for allegedly obstructing police after attempting to do a charity walk dedicated to the death of soldier Lee Rigby. Among other convictions, he has also pleaded guilty to using someone else's passport to travel to the US and served a twelve-month prison sentence for assaulting an off-duty police officer who had intervened to stop a domestic incident between him and his partner Jenna Vowles.
EDL Leader 'Thrown Out Of Casino'(06 of10)
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Not only was the EDL leader and a friend allegedly refused service in Selfridges, but he was also apparently told to leave a casino due to his links to the right-wing group.Consequently, Robinson was questioned on Twitter as to how he can afford to shop in upmarket department stores and visit casinos while simultaneously asking for donations to the 'EDL Legal Fund'.
'Aggressive' BBC Interview Sparks Complaints(07 of10)
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A TV interview with the leader of the English Defence League prompted complaints to the BBC - because some viewers grumbled that Andrew Neil was "too aggressive".Robinson, who has convictions for violence, appeared on BBC1 weekend show Sunday Politics. In a message on the BBC complaints website, the programme team accepted some viewers may have found it "frustrating" that both Neil and Robinson had talked over each other towards the end of the slot.
Tommy's YouTube Rants(08 of10)
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It's difficult to pick just one video, but after a rally in Walthamstow, north-east London was thrown into disarray by Unite Against Fascism, the EDL leader released a series of particularly explosive clips on YouTube.During a range of soliloquies varying from impassioned and hushed, to swearing at the camera in fury, Tommy revealed the pressure he is under from all sides, and arguably revealed the first cracks in his tumultuous group, stating he lives in constant fear for his life.
Tommy Robinson and Fox News: The Perfect Pairing?(09 of10)
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Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade saluted Tommy Robinson with the friendly statement: "We've got your back".The English Defence League leader was doing "great work", according to the Fox News presenter.As the interview closed, after Robinson described a "takeover" of Sharia law in Britain and said police treated Muslims like "a master race", presenter Brian Kilmeade voiced hearty approval of Robinson's sentiments.Robinson had also previously appeared on Bill O'Reilly's show on Fox News.
Help For Heroes Reject Tommy's Funds(10 of10)
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The Help for Heroes charity said it would not accept any funds raised from a sponsored walk by the leader of the English Defence League in May.Tommy had planned to walk "just over 17 miles" from Westminster to Woolwich in London in June to raise money for the servicemen's charity.Robinson branded the decision as "political correctness gone mad."
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