Underhand Police Tactics at Dudley EDL Protest?

New eyewitness reports from last Saturday’s posted at the Atlas Shrugs blog provide more insight into what occurred and reveal a situation in which it appears that the police deliberately sought to break up the mass of EDL demonstrators by preventing a number of coaches from reaching the rendezvous point. Furthermore, at least one of these coaches and its passengers was sent to an area where circa 200 Muslims lay in wait. Subsequently, a small group of EDL men were set upon. This is alarming enough, but the fact that they are reported to have had wives, girlfriends and children with them makes this police redirection of the coach reckless at best.

Another eyewitness account published at Atlas Shrugs discusses an unprovoked police baton attack upon a protestor which left him with a head wound. Also, rather sinisterly, the riot police penning in the main body of EDL demonstrators were said not to have been wearing identification numbers. Similar tactics are said to have been employed in the Miners’ Strike back in the 80s.

This provides some context for the later anger of the protestors and their breakout from the compound. Atlas has suggested that these reports are indicative of a deliberate police effort to manufacture a situation in which the EDL could be readily and brutally dealt with whilst simultaneously portraying it as an aggressive force. Our new masters in Whitehall have already made their thoughts on Islam and the EDL abundantly clear: Islam good; EDL bad, therefore they will be looking for ways of stigmatising and banning the EDL. We need to ensure that an alternative narrative to that provided by the authorities and the official media is preserved. If any EDL members who were present in Dudley on Saturday wish to leave their accounts of the day in the comments section, please do so as they’d be welcome.