Opposing the Jewish Defense League/English Defense League rally

[blake 3:17]

Community Open Letter Denouncing the Jewish Defense League’s Rally in Support of the English Defense League


On Tuesday, January 11, 2011, the Jewish Defense League of Canada (JDL) will be hosting a rally in support of the Islamophobic English Defense League (EDL) in Toronto. The JDL is hosting an online address from Tommy Robinson, the leader of the EDL. Both groups have a history of violence aimed at Arab and Muslim people. We are community groups that work daily to fight racism. We have come together to condemn the Jewish Defense League for their Islamophobia and for their support for the racist English Defense League.

Who is the English Defence League (EDL)?
The English Defence League is a far-right extremist organization that was founded in 2009. Their organizing principles are to oppose the ‘spread of Islam’ in the United Kingdom. The EDL has organized violent street marches that target Arab and Muslim people.They operate in the UK, but have been reaching out internationally to make links with extreme-right groups in Sweden, the United States, Canada and Israel. They are part of the alarming rise in fascist, racist and neo-Nazi organizing in Europe over the last few years, including attacks on Muslims, immigrants and Roma people.

Who is the Jewish Defense League (JDL)?
The JDL is a far-right, pro-Israel organization that was founded in the 1960s by Meir Kahane, an extremist who advocated violence against, and even the mass-murder of Palestinians and Arabs. The racist, violent ideology advocated by Kahane, and embraced by the JDL, has motivated hate crimes against Palestinians and other Arab people. An FBI report has identified the JDL as “a right-wing terrorist group” and Kach and Kahane Chai – two groups associated with the Kahanist movement – were even banned in Israel for their extremism.
In Canada, the JDL is allowed to operate with impunity. They have not been condemned by the government and are often interviewed by the media as a legitimate organization. They are led by Meir Weinstein – a longtime follower of Kahane, who was a spokesperson for the Kahanist movement and once joined a Facebook group called ‘Death to the Arabs’. This rally is part of their escalating racist tactics – they have a history of bullying and intimidation of Palestine-solidarity activists in this city.

Who are we?
We are community organizations that are alarmed by the rise of extremist right-wing groups globally. These groups are exploiting the global economic crisis, to stir up racist and anti-immigrant sentiment. We have seen the consequences of extremist right-wing organizing too many times in history. We will fight any attempts to use racism and hatred to divide poor and working people.

As community organizations that work daily to fight racism, we have come together to denounce this racist and fascist rally in our city. As long as groups like the JDL and EDL are spreading their hatred and violence, we will be here to oppose them.

RACISTS ARE NOT WELCOME IN OUR CITY!
Signed (in alphabetical order):
Anti-Racist Action (ARA) – Kitchener-Waterloo
Barrio Nuevo
Canadian Arab Federation
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA)
Common Cause – Toronto Branch
Educators for Peace and Justice (EPJ)
Faculty 4 Palestine
First Nations Solidarity Working Group
Greater Toronto Workers’ Assembly
Guelph Sense Of Security
Independent Jewish Voices Toronto
International Jewish Anti-Zionish Network (IJAN), Toronto
KW Spot Collective
Labour for Palestine
No One is Illegal – Toronto (NOII)
Not in Our Name (NION): Jewish Voices Opposing Zionism
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)
Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG-Toronto)
Palestine House Community Centre
Socialist Project
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA-UT)
Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA)
Toronto Coalition to Stop the War
Women in Solidarity with Palestine (WSP)
We invite groups to sign on to this Community Open Letter Denouncing the Jewish Defense League’s Rally in Support of the English Defense League. To sign on, please email [email protected] ([email protected])

[Red Commissar]

How big is the JDL? I can't really imagine it is all that big, but it is a good to see opposition to any type of group like this. Even better would be a counter-rally to them.

[9]

This is so crazy.
What is?

[blake 3:17]

Originally Posted by blake 3:17 http://www.revleft.com/vb/revleft/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1984593#post1984593)
This is so crazy. What is?

I took my tiny preface out because it was too ambiguous. The craziness is the JDL/EDL allience, although it is perfectly in line with both groups. I work in a number of the signatory groups.


How big is the JDL? I can't really imagine it is all that big, but it is a good to see opposition to any type of group like this. Even better would be a counter-rally to them.

I'm not sure. They've gotten bigger over the last couple of years. I'm not sure that a counter rally is being planned -- we try to avoid engagement with the JDL unless they pick the fight first, and then it's just peaceful outnumbering and making sure that people feel safe coming to Palestine solidarity events.

They made a bit of a splash when they lobbied to keep George Galloway out of Canada. Galloway ended up debating one of their leaders on national television.

They're pretty wacko -- one of their leaders has persistently tried to FaceBook friend me and put me on their mailing list for a while. They were doing weekly educationals and military training exercises. The mainstream Zionists try to distance themselves as much as possible. In a certain sense they're a bit of a blessing. Bnai Brith and the Canadian Jewish Congress have stepped back a fair bit from throwing around slurs of anti-semitism. Most of their censoring work is way more diplomatic and backhanded these days.

[9]

I took my tiny preface out because it was too ambiguous. The craziness is the JDL/EDL allience, although it is perfectly in line with both groups.
imo the English Defense League is obviously a far right organization, but I'm not convinced that they're really fascists. Kahanists, on the other hand, generally are. Kach, for example, was absolutely an out-and-out fascist party, of the sort that would make the EDL look like cute little baby lambs.

Also, why is there EDL in Canada? :confused:

[freepalestine]

are the JDL a terrorist group-or are they separate from the Kahanists,who are.
in my opinion the JDL are nazi's.



imo the English Defense League is obviously a far right organization, but I'm not convinced that they're really fascists. Kahanists, on the other hand, generally are. Kach, for example, was absolutely an out-and-out fascist party, of the sort that would make the EDL look like cute little baby lambs.
yeh but they are relatively a new group.




as for JDL heres a lightweight JDL/JTF vid
J4WJVO_Y9WU

[blake 3:17]

Also, why is there EDL in Canada?

The JDL invited them.

A story from Canada's furthest right national newspaper: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Anti+Islamic+group+from+hold+rally/4066857/story.html

[blake 3:17]

are the JDL a terrorist group-or are they separate from the Kahanists,who are.
in my opinion the JDL are nazi's.


I'm not aware of the local JDL being involved in terrorist attacks. I'm also not aware of them engaging in street violence the way the Neo-Nazis were doing here in the early and mid 90s. It's clear they are total creeps but I hope they don't go that route. There was some pretty brutal street fighting, a couple of South Asian people were killed by skinhead Klansmen and a comrade was stabbed while selling a left paper.

Here's a link to their site: http://www.jdl-canada.com/

[blake 3:17]

Apparently there was a counter rally and several people were arrested. More to follow.

[Red Commissar]

Apparently there was a counter rally and several people were arrested. More to follow.

Well shit (I'm assuming you mean they came down on the counter protest?)

[blake 3:17]

Yeah. Just got an email about it but it was unclear. More tomorrow.

[blake 3:17]

Most of the people arrested were let go without charges. One person was charged with assault police.

From today's National Post:



Anti-Islamist group draws fierce protests



Stewart Bell, National Post; With Files From Tamsin McMahon · Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011
Police arrested several protesters outside a Toronto Jewish centre where the leader of the controversial English Defence League was speaking over the Internet to supporters on Tuesday night.


Demonstrators blocked the street in front of the Toronto Zionist Centre, shouting "EDL go to hell" and "neo-Nazi fascist thugs" until forced onto a sidewalk by police. An officer had to receive medical treatment after one of the protesters struck him in the stomach with a protest sign, said Sergeant Todd Jocko.


Up to four people were arrested but had not been charged as of press time last night. Eight officers on horseback were eventually brought in to control the small crowd.


Inside, Tommy Robinson, leader of the EDL, a British anti-Islamist group, was addressing about 50 supporters through an online video feed projected onto a movie screen. "Canadians wake up. The Islamicization of your country is on its way," he said.


The rally in support of Mr. Robinson was organized by the right-wing Jewish Defence League under the banner "stop political Islam," but Canada's largest Jewish organization opposed the event, citing the tactics of the EDL, which is known for demonstrations that often degenerate into violence.


"Islamic fundamentalism is a real threat. But fighting it with generalized hatred against Muslims, as does the EDL, is only a recipe for fuelling more conflict," said Bernie Farber, CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress. "We join with all the leading British Jewish organizations in condemning the intolerance and violence that the EDL represents."


The Toronto rally is believed to be the EDL's first foray into Canada since the group formed in 2009 in response to what Mr. Robinson calls the "Islamization" of Britain.


"We're fighting for our children, we're fighting for our freedom. Islam stands fundamentally against everything we stand for," Mr. Robinson, 27, said in his 15-minute speech.


The Toronto support rally comes as the EDL is trying to forge international links with like-minded groups in Europe and North America. "The EDL needs international support to help it support the values of freedom that Britain was once famous [for]. Now is the time to step forward and stop political Islam," read a flyer posted on the JDL website.





Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Anti+Islamist+group+draws+fierce+protests/4094687/story.html#ixzz1ApqAWDUI

[communard resolution]

Some confusion here. There are elements in the EDL (such as Roberta Moore) who have set up an EDL Jewish Division aka Jewish Defence League. Some sources, such as the Israeli Ha'aretz newspaper, claim that Moore is a follower of the Kach party and an admirer of the American far-right Jewish terror group, the Jewish Defense League.

It seems that Moore named her EDL Jewish Division - which consists of approximately three real life members and many more imaginary members on facebook - after the American terror group. The American Jewish Defense league that the EDL has now forged links to may be identical with that terror group, but it might just as well be a different group of people who use that name.

We will see.

[blake 3:17]

For those of us on the Far Left, I know don't how much it really matters about the exact distinctions of some of these Far Right groups. I've been to many protests against them, and some have been very effective, and some have been either rather pointless or even counter-productive.

A basic premise of socialist (including anarchists, etc) politics is "Peacefully if we may, forcibly if we must". If the fascists do start using violent tactics, we'll easily outnumber them, and if we're physically attacked, we'll protect ourselves. The thugs rely on brute force, in our organizations we have many more tools at our disposal -- our groups are composed of workers, trade union activists, teachers, academics, artists, musicians, dancers and film makers.

In the 90s here, one of the striking features of the Neo-Nazi subculture was how STUPID they were. The biggest mover and shaker was shot to death 6 years ago almost exactly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Droege

The local JDL seem a step above this cretinism, but it's highly variable. Zionism is such a powerful force in the city compared to Neo-nazi politics that equivalents are hard to make.