Misplaced Pages

#466533

156-464: The RVF emerged in 2002 after a split in C18. The long-established extreme right group had entered a period of severe inactivity under the leadership of Will Browning, leading to a sense of frustration amongst activists keen to reignite activity. As a consequence a group of militants under the leadership of Mark Atkinson, a long-term activist in C18, and John Hill, an Oldham -based organiser, split to establish

312-429: A central business district in the town centre , which is the local centre of commerce. In 1849, Angus Reach of Inverness said: The visitor to Oldham will find it essentially a mean-looking straggling town, built upon both sides and crowning the ridge of one of the outlying spurs which branch from Manchester, the neighbouring 'backbone of England'. The whole place has a shabby underdone look. The general appearance of

468-615: A nickname for people from Oldham. It was not until the last quarter of the 18th century that Oldham changed from being a cottage industry township producing woollen garments via domestic manual labour , to a sprawling industrial metropolis of textile factories. The climate, geology, and topography of Oldham were unrelenting constraints upon the social and economic activities of the human inhabitants. At 700 feet (200 m) above sea level and with no major river or visible natural resources, Oldham had poor geographic attributes compared with other settlements for investors and their engineers. As

624-521: A parliamentary borough in 1832 , Oldham's first parliamentary representatives were the radicals William Cobbett and John Fielden . Winston Churchill began his political career in Oldham. Although unsuccessful at his first attempt in 1899, Churchill was elected as the member of Parliament for the Oldham parliamentary borough constituency in the 1900 general election . He held the constituency for

780-570: A political party , its members often stressed their opinion that it was not a political organisation. Like other counter-jihad groups in Western countries, the EDL described itself as a human rights organisation, a characterisation not widely accepted among the British public. The EDL's informal structure lacked strict hierarchy, or clear leadership. In its early years, the EDL was controlled by

936-491: A 'phobia' about Islam, we just realise the very serious threat it poses". EDL members regularly referred to Islam as an "ideology" or a "cult" rather than a "religion". They perceived it as a threat to Western culture; evoking Samuel P. Huntington 's notion of the Clash of Civilizations , the group's discourse constructed a binary division between Western and Islamic culture, the former presented as tolerant and progressive and

1092-471: A Grade I rating. There is a mixture of high-density urban areas , suburbs , semi-rural and rural locations in Oldham. There is some permanent grassland but overwhelmingly the land use in the town is urban. The territory of Oldham is contiguous with other towns on all sides except for a small section along its eastern and southern boundaries, and for purposes of the Office for National Statistics , forms

1248-604: A Muslim population of around 18%—had a history of radical Islamist recruitment. On 10 March 2009, the small, extreme British Salafi Islamist group Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah demonstrated in the town to protest against the Royal Anglian Regiment 's homecoming parade following the latter's posting in Afghanistan . The demonstration—which was disowned by representatives of Luton's main Islamic communities—was

1404-503: A bus primarily carrying black youths. The EDL began to lose momentum in 2011. Contributing factors included regional rivalries between divisions, a resurgence of sectarian enmities between rival football firms, and personal squabbles. By early 2011, several divisions in northern England were referring to themselves as "the Infidels", expressing an increasingly separate identity from the EDL. Several northern groups expressed support for

1560-483: A centralised leadership team, in its heyday the EDL sub-divided into over 90 local and thematic divisions, each with considerable autonomy. Its support base consisted primarily of young, working-class white British men, some from established far-right and football hooligan subcultures. Polls indicated that most UK citizens opposed the EDL, and the organisation was repeatedly challenged by anti-fascist groups. Many local councils and police forces discouraged EDL marches, citing

1716-655: A county borough on 1 April 1889. The borough, while independent of Lancashire County Council for local government, remained part of the county for purposes such as the administration of justice and lieutenancy . In 1951 parts of the Limehurst Rural District were added to the County Borough of Oldham, and in 1954 further parts of the same district added to it on its abolition. Since 1961, Oldham has been twinned with Kranj in Slovenia . Under

SECTION 10

#1732772156467

1872-437: A deliberately provocative stunt, one which soon attracted media attention and anger that the authorities were permitting it to go ahead. A former regiment member, James Yeomans, organised a counter protest for 28 March. After local anti-Islamist blogger Paul "Lionheart" Ray publicised Yeomans' event online, various self-described "anti-jihadist" far-right groups that had emerged from the football hooligan firm scene—including

2028-481: A depression, although it was not until 1964 that Oldham ceased to be the largest centre of cotton spinning. In spite of efforts to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of its production, the last cotton spun in the town was in 1998. Facilitated by its flourishing textile industry, Oldham developed extensive structural and mechanical engineering sectors during the 18th and 19th centuries. The manufacture of spinning and weaving machinery in Oldham belongs to

2184-485: A desire for major structural change to the British state. Several fascist groups distanced themselves from the EDL; the BNP leader Nick Griffin for instance said the EDL was a false flag operation manipulated by " Zionists ". Conversely, the political scientists Dominic Alessio and Meredith Kristen argued that the EDL "embodied" many of the "key characteristics of fascism": a staunch nationalism and calls for national rebirth,

2340-632: A former EDL regional organiser, John "Snowy" Shaw, who had accused Robinson and Carroll of financial impropriety. At a February 2011 EDL rally in Blackburn , Shaw's supporters violently clashed with Robinson's; Robinson fought with a fellow member at the rally, resulting in a September 2011 conviction for assault. Robinson's criminal record prevented him from entering the US, but in September 2011 he sought to do so illegally by using someone else's passport. He

2496-669: A group of hardliners within the National Front (NF) under the leadership of Leeds organiser Tony White and his associates Stuart Hollingdale and Dave Hill. On Remembrance Day 2008 RVF members joined White's supporters, along with members of other extreme right groups such as the British People's Party , British Freedom Fighters and the Patriots of the White European Resistance, in holding a march to

2652-548: A gun and I'll shoot the Muzzie scum". The racial slur " paki " was also common at private EDL meetings, and at demonstrations; chants used include "I hate Pakis more than you" and "If we all hate Pakis, clap your hands". The EDL was nationalist, or ultra-nationalist , and its members regarded themselves as patriots. Some academics argued the group was ethnic nationalist , although Pilkington stressed that despite their nativist sentiment, most members' sense of English pride

2808-528: A house, farm or hamlet . Oldham is however known to be a derivative of Aldehulme , undoubtedly an Old Norse name. It is believed to be derived from the Old English ald combined with the Old Norse holmi or holmr , meaning "promontory or outcrop", possibly describing the town's hilltop position. It has alternatively been suggested that it may mean "holm or hulme of a farmer named Alda". The name

2964-401: A leadership group referred to as the "team"; this included Robinson, although other members often remained anonymous or used pseudonyms. In 2010, the EDL went through a formal restructuring to deal with Robinson's absence, although until October 2013 the EDL was led by Robinson and Carroll as co-leaders, supported by the regional organisers of the 19 regional divisions. After that duo left, it

3120-470: A means of countering accusations of racism, adopting the view that "lack of racism towards one group is assumed to be evidence of lack of racism against all". Members often viewed the multi-racial nature of England positively, although almost uniformly rejected the ideology of multiculturalism . In their view, mainstream politicians had encouraged multiculturalism both to be seen as being cosmopolitan and progressive but also because of their fascination for

3276-524: A perceived decline in English culture on high immigration rates and an uncaring political elite. It distinguished itself from Britain's traditional far-right by rejecting biological racism , antisemitism , and homophobia . Commentators differed on whether the EDL itself was ideologically fascist , although several of its leaders were previously involved in fascist organisations and some neo-Nazis and other fascists attended EDL events. Largely headed by

SECTION 20

#1732772156467

3432-479: A population change from under 2,000 in 1714 to 12,000 in 1801 to 137,000 in 1901 In 1851 its population of 52,820 made Oldham the 12th most populous town in England. The following is a table outlining the population change of the town since 1801, which demonstrates a trend of rapid population growth in the 19th century and, after peaking at 147,483 people in 1911, a trend of general decline in population size during

3588-551: A propensity for violence, and what they described as "pronounced anti-democratic and anti-liberal tendencies" among its leaders. They highlighted that much of the group's leadership came directly from the fascist BNP, and that EDL events have been supported by present and former members of fascist groups like the National Front, the Racial Volunteer Force , Blood & Honour , and Combat 18 . The EDL

3744-456: A reason for stepping down from his leadership position. The EDL responded to their presence by banning some neo-Nazis from its events, a move with widespread support from EDL members more broadly, who were keen to distance themselves from neo-Nazism. A social movement —and more specifically a new social movement and social movement organisation —the EDL was a direct action or street-based protest movement. A pressure group rather than

3900-488: A result, Oldham played no part in the initial period of the Industrial Revolution, although it did later become seen as obvious territory to industrialise because of its convenient position between the labour forces of Manchester and southwest Yorkshire . Cotton spinning and milling were introduced to Oldham when its first mill, Lees Hall, was built by William Clegg in about 1778, the beginning of

4056-521: A scattering of small and insignificant settlements spread across the moorland and dirt tracks that linked Manchester to York . Although not mentioned in the Domesday Book , Oldham does appear in legal documents from the Middle Ages , invariably recorded as territory under the control of minor ruling families and barons . In the 13th century, Oldham was documented as a manor held from

4212-464: A series of ceilings and skylights created by local artist Brian Clarke in celebration of the life and music of one of Oldham's famous sons, composer and conductor Sir William Walton . English Defence League The English Defence League ( EDL ) was a far-right , Islamophobic organisation active in England from 2009 until the mid-late 2010s. A social movement and pressure group that employed street demonstrations as its main tactic,

4368-521: A spiralling process of urbanisation and socioeconomic transformation. Within a year, 11 other mills had been constructed, and by 1818 there were 19 – not a large number in comparison with other local settlements. Oldham's small local population was greatly increased by the mass migration of workers from outlying villages, resulting in a population increase from just over 12,000 in 1801 to 137,000 in 1901. The speed of this urban growth meant that Oldham, with little pre-industrial history to speak of,

4524-546: A street movement rather than a political party. The EDL subsequently established links with another BNP breakaway group; in February 2013, it provided a security force for an event by the far-right British Democratic Party (BDP), which was founded by Andrew Brons , who had previously represented the BNP at the European Parliament. By early 2013, commentators believed that the EDL was in decline, reflected in

4680-424: A thriving economy during the 19th century, the local merchants were broadly reluctant to spend on civic institutions, and so the town lacks the grandeur seen in comparable nearby towns like Bolton or Huddersfield ; public expenditure was seen as an overhead that undermined the competitiveness of the town. Subsequently, Oldham's architecture has been described as "mediocre". The town has no listed buildings with

4836-461: A warm reception at EDL rallies, where the LGBT rainbow flag was regularly flown, but at the same time also heard homophobic comments at EDL events. Several commentators argued that the EDL was not fascist. Nigel Copsey, a historian of the far-right, stated that the EDL was not driven by the same "ideological end-goal" as neo-fascist and other fascist groups; unlike fascists, the EDL did not express

Racial Volunteer Force - Misplaced Pages Continue

4992-404: Is Oldham." Oldham's soils were too thin and poor to sustain crop growing, and so for decades prior to industrialisation the area was used for grazing sheep , which provided the raw material for a local woollen weaving trade. By 1756, Oldham had emerged as centre of the hatting industry in England. The rough felt used in the production process is the origin of the term "Owdham Roughyed"

5148-550: Is confirmed by an ancient Roman road and Bronze Age archaeological relics found at various sites within the town. Placenames of Celtic origin are still to be found in Oldham: Werneth derives from a Celtic personal name identical to the Gaulish vernetum , " alder swamp", and Glodwick may be related to the modern Welsh clawdd , meaning "dyke" or "ditch". Nearby Chadderton is also pre-Anglo-Saxon in origin, from

5304-546: Is regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. On 23 November 1981, an F1/T2 tornado formed over Hollinwood and later passed over Oldham town centre, causing some damage. Oldham's topography is characterised by its rugged, elevated Pennine terrain. It has an area of 6.91 square miles (17.90 km ). The geology of Oldham is represented by the Millstone Grit and Coal Measures series of rocks. The River Beal , flowing northwards, forms

5460-489: Is understood to date from 865, during the period of the Danelaw . Cumbric alt , meaning "steep height, cliff", has also been suggested for the first element. The earliest known evidence of a human presence in what is now Oldham is attested by the discovery of Neolithic flint arrow-heads and workings found at Werneth and Besom Hill, implying habitation 7–10,000 years ago. Evidence of later Roman and Celtic activity

5616-663: The 2011 United Kingdom census Oldham Built-up area subdivision , as defined by the Office for National Statistics , had a population of 96,555 and an area of 1,687 hectares (6.51 sq mi), giving a population density of 57.2 inhabitants per hectare (14,800/sq mi), while the Borough of Oldham had a population of 224,897, an area of 14,236 hectares (54.97 sq mi), and a population density of 15.8 inhabitants per hectare (4,100/sq mi). The toponymy of Oldham seems to imply "old village or place" from Eald ( Saxon ) signifying oldness or antiquity, and Ham (Saxon)

5772-616: The British Freedom Party (BFP), a BNP breakaway founded in October 2010. The BFP was led by Eddy Butler, who had previously made an unsuccessful attempt to oust the BNP leader Nick Griffin . The BFP wanted to move closer to mainstream politics by disassociating itself from the BNP's emphasis on biological racism and imitating continental European right-wing groups such as the Dutch Party for Freedom . In May 2012, it

5928-534: The British National Party (BNP), soon became its de facto leader. The organisation grew swiftly, holding demonstrations across England and often clashing with anti-fascist protesters from Unite Against Fascism and other groups, who deemed it a racist organisation victimising British Muslims . The EDL also established a strong social media presence on Facebook and YouTube . Moving towards electoral politics, it established formal links with

6084-548: The Cambridge Platonist philosopher Ralph Cudworth ). The Cudworths remained lords of the manor until their sale of the estate (1683) to Sir Ralph Assheton of Middleton . Much of Oldham's history is concerned with textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution ; it has been said that "if ever the Industrial Revolution placed a town firmly and squarely on the map of the world, that town

6240-941: The Conservative Party until the 1906 general election , when he won the election for Manchester North West as a Liberal MP. After he became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1940, Churchill was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Oldham , on 2 April 1941. In the 2016 European Union membership referendum , Oldham voted in favour of Brexit . The vote to leave was 60.9%. At 53°32′39″N 2°7′0.8″W  /  53.54417°N 2.116889°W  / 53.54417; -2.116889 (53.5444°, −2.1169°), and 164 miles (264 km) north-northwest of London, Oldham stands 700 feet (213 m) above sea level , 6.9 miles (11.1 km) northeast of Manchester city centre , on elevated ground between

6396-725: The Local Government Act 1972 , the town's autonomous county borough status was abolished, and Oldham has, since 1 April 1974, formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham , within the Metropolitan county of Greater Manchester . The boundaries of two parliamentary constituencies divide Oldham: Oldham East and Saddleworth , and Oldham West and Royton (which includes the town centre), represented by Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) Debbie Abrahams and Jim McMahon respectively. Created as

Racial Volunteer Force - Misplaced Pages Continue

6552-704: The London Assembly in 2008 and two seats at the European Parliament in 2010. By 2011, this support had declined, with the party losing many of its local council seats. However, as noted by the political scientist Chris Allen, the BNP had "extended the frontier of the far right in British politics", creating an environment on which the English Defence League would capitalise. The town of Luton in Bedfordshire —which had

6708-584: The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham . It has been extensively redeveloped during the last few decades, and its two shopping centres, Town Square and the Spindles, now provide one of the largest covered retail areas in Greater Manchester . The Spindles (named with reference to textile spindles ) is a modern shopping centre with over 40 retailers, banks, building societies and catering outlets. It houses several of Europe's largest stained glass works,

6864-419: The National Front and the British National Party , however the EDL itself differed from these older groups by reaching out to Jews, people of colour, and LGBT people, against whom the British far right historically discriminated. Thus, the historian of the far right Paul Jackson referred to it as part of a "new far right" which presented itself as being more moderate than its predecessors. The EDL disavowed

7020-542: The Old Welsh cadeir , itself deriving from the Latin cathedra meaning "chair". Although Anglo-Saxons occupied territory around the area centuries earlier, Oldham as a permanent, named place of dwelling is believed to date from 865, when Danish invaders established a settlement called Aldehulme. From its founding in the 9th century until the Industrial Revolution , Oldham is believed to have been little more than

7176-523: The Royal Charter . In 1854 John Platt was made the (fourth) Mayor of Oldham, an office he was to hold twice more in 1855–56 and 1861–62. John Platt was elected in 1865 to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for Oldham , and was re-elected in 1868; he remained in office until his death in 1872. A bronze statue of Platt existed in the town centre for years, though was moved to Alexandra Park . There have been recommendations for it to be returned to

7332-409: The deindustrialisation of Oldham in the mid-20th century, these industries have been replaced by home shopping , publishing , healthcare and food processing sectors, though factory-generated employment retains a significant presence. Many of the modern sectors are low-skill and low-wage. Oldham's town centre contains the highest concentration of retailing, cultural facilities and employment in

7488-508: The exoticism of other cultures. The EDL condemned homophobia and established an LGBT division in March 2010. This pro-LGBT rights stance allowed the EDL to criticise what it presented as the left's refusal to confront Islamic homophobia. Pilkington argued that this pro-LGBT rights stance was not solely a cynical ploy by the EDL's leadership, but reflected widespread views within the movement. She observed gay and transgender speakers receiving

7644-805: The legal minimum wage . At the same time, EDL members often expressed sympathy for migrants as individuals seeking a better life, and typically distinguished between "good" migrants who worked hard and paid taxes and "bad" migrants who live off the welfare state. The EDL stated that it was not racist, employing the slogan "Black and White unite: all races and religions are welcome in the EDL". It formed specific divisions for Hindu , Sikh , Jewish , Greek and Cypriot , and Pakistani Christian supporters, and small numbers of Asian, African, and biracial supporters attended its events. These were often viewed as "trophy" members, with many white members asking to have their photographs taken with them. Members often stressed that they had ethnic minority friends and family as

7800-446: The thegnage estate of Kaskenmoor, which was held on behalf of King John by Roger de Montbegon and William de Nevill. The other parts of this estate were Crompton , Glodwick , Sholver , and Werneth . Oldham later formed a township within the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham , in the hundred of Salford . In 1826 commissioners for the social and economic improvement of Oldham were established. The town

7956-406: The working classes . There has been a significant presence of " friendly societies ". It has been put that the people of Oldham became radical in politics in the early part of the 19th century, and movements suspected of sedition found patronage in the town. Oldham was frequently disturbed by bread and labour riots, facilitated by periods of scarcity and the disturbance of employment following

SECTION 50

#1732772156467

8112-496: The "far-right" label, describing itself as "non-political, taking no position on right-wing vs. left-wing. We welcome members from all over the political spectrum, and with varying views on foreign policy, united against Islamic extremism and its influence on British life." When examining the EDL's public statements, Jackson cautioned against automatically taking them at face value; as he noted, far-right groups typically present "front stage" messages for public consumption which conceal

8268-593: The 17th century who lost part of their possessions due to the English Civil War . Waterhead , an upland area in the east of Oldham, traces its roots to a water cornmill over the border in Lees . Recorded originally as Watergate and Waterhead Milne , it was for a long time a hamlet in the parish of Oldham that formed a significant part of the Oldham Above Town registration sub-district. Derker

8424-607: The 1890s, twice the number of their nearest rivals Dobson & Barlow in Bolton and Asa Lees on Greenacres Moor . They were keen investors in the local area and at one time, were supporting 42% of the population. The centre of the company lay at the New Hartford Works in Werneth , a massive complex of buildings and internal railways on a site overlooking Manchester. The railway station which served this site later formed

8580-462: The 2001 census, over one in four of its residents identified themselves as from a South Asian or British Asian ethnic group. Cultural divisions along ethnic backgrounds are strong within the town, with poor cross-community integration and cohesion along Asian and white backgrounds. With only a small local population during medieval times, as a result of the introduction of industry, mass migration of village workers into Oldham occurred, resulting in

8736-402: The 20th century. In 2011, 77.5% of the Oldham metropolitan borough population were White British, 18.1% Asian and 1.2% Black. While in the town of Oldham, which had a 2011 population of 96,555, 55.4% of the population were White British, 37.6% Asian and 2% Black. For years Oldham's economy was heavily dependent on manufacturing industry, especially textiles and mechanical engineering. Since

8892-501: The 24 hours after the incident, and organised several flash demonstrations. At one such event, Robinson told members that "What you saw today [i.e. Rigby's killing] is Islam. Everyone's had enough." In late May, the EDL held a demonstration in central London that attracted a thousand participants; another, held in central Birmingham in July, attracted several hundred. On 8 October 2013, Robinson and Carroll announced that they were leaving

9048-657: The 5th most populous settlement of the Greater Manchester Urban Area . This figure in conjunction with its area provides Oldham with a population density of 3,998 people per square mile (1,544 people/km ). The local population has been described as broadly " working class "; the middle classes tending to live in outlying settlements. Oldham, considered as a combination of the 2001 electoral wards of Alexandra, Coldhurst , Hollinwood , St. James, St. Marys, St. Pauls, Waterhead and Werneth , has an average age of 33.5, and compared against

9204-569: The Assistant Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police (the force making the arrests), "it is difficult to imagine more extreme race hatred than was contained in the material which was seized during this meticulous enquiry. In addition to the guilty pleas last month, we can draw satisfaction from the fact that the Lincolnshire Police investigation team succeeded in discrediting and disrupting the organisation behind

9360-559: The BFP after its leader, Paul Weston, resigned. The BFP did poorly at a series of local elections, failing to gain sufficient votes to have its deposits returned; its failure to register correctly led the Electoral Commission to remove its registration. Among the EDL grassroots, there had been much opposition to association with the BFP; many feared that it would damage the EDL's reputation or stressed their desire to be part of

9516-758: The British National Party (BNP). Finally[...], extreme right‐wing movements, such as the Aryan Strike Force, have found the EDL a useful host organisation. — Historian of the far right Paul Jackson Political scientists locate the EDL on the far-right of the left–right political spectrum , sometimes referring to its ideology as "extreme right", or "right-wing extremism". In various respects, it resembled other far-right groups, particularly those that emerged across early 21st century Europe. From its early days, its demonstrations were attended by members of older far-right parties such as

SECTION 60

#1732772156467

9672-723: The Cenotaph, Whitehall . This group took a leading role in criticising Terry Blackham's leadership of the NF. Links between the RVF and the NF were also seen in 2010 when the nomination papers for NF council election candidate Nick Walsh in the council election in Kingston upon Hull were signed by Nigel Piggins. The RVF was again linked to the NF in late 2011 after RVF members attended an NF event commemorating John Tyndall in Preston . As of 2013

9828-512: The Crown by a family surnamed Oldham , whose seat was at Werneth Hall . Richard de Oldham was recorded as lord of the manor of Werneth/Oldham (1354). His daughter and heiress, Margery (d.1384), married John de Cudworth (d.1384), from whom descended the Cudworths of Werneth Hall who were successive lords of the manor. A Member of this family was James I 's Chaplain, Ralph Cudworth (father of

9984-498: The EDL as an "anti-Islamist movement", but considered there to be crossover with broader anti-Islam or anti-Muslim positions. The EDL stated that it only opposed the "Islamic extremist" but not the "ordinary Muslim", a distinction also drawn by many of its activists. However, the EDL's rhetoric regularly failed to make this distinction, and the group and its members alleged that British Muslims implicitly supported Islamic extremism by failing to speak out against it. Research examining

10140-573: The EDL following meetings with the think tank Quilliam . Robinson said that street protests were "no longer effective" and "acknowledged the dangers of far-right extremism". He stated his intention to continue to combat extremism by forming a new party. Both Robinson and Carroll had been taking lessons in Islam from a Quilliam member, Usama Hasan , and stated their intent to train in lobbying institutions. Quilliam had given Robinson £8000 to facilitate his departure; it hoped that doing so would "decapitate"

10296-684: The EDL initially termed "extremist Muslim preachers and organisations". It claimed that Englishness had been marginalised throughout England, citing the fact that some local authorities had ceased flying the flag of St George and that some state schools only supplied halal meat and had stopped celebrating Nativity plays at Christmas time. The EDL focused on organising demonstrations: between 2009 and 2015, it held an average of between ten and fifteen demonstrations per year, attracting crowds of between 100 and 3000. It faced opposition from media commentators and anti-fascist groups, who described it as racist, far right, and extreme right, terms rejected by

10452-491: The EDL is proud to recognize and proclaim its diversity. — Political scientist Chris Allen Alessio and Meredith thought the EDL was anti-immigrant , and anti-migrant sentiment was common among EDL members. Its members saw immigration as being detrimental to the white British, believing that it fundamentally changed the nature of England, contributed to social division, and resulted in economic competition, with migrants outcompeting white Britons by working for less than

10608-514: The EDL presented itself as a single-issue movement opposed to Islamism and Islamic extremism , although its rhetoric and actions targeted Islam and Muslims more widely. Established in London, the EDL coalesced around several football hooligan firms protesting the public presence of the small Salafi group Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah in Luton , Bedfordshire . Tommy Robinson , a former member of

10764-482: The EDL substantially different to anything typically seen in the traditionally 'all white' make-up of what is deemed to be the far right. And, indeed, this is a unique feature of the EDL. Reflecting its origins in football firms, not only does the EDL march behind banners that state 'Black and white unite against Islamic extremism'—it also marches carrying Israeli flags—but a number of those marching are of black, Asian or mixed heritages. Unlike other far-right organizations,

10920-589: The EDL's decline, with many EDL supporters finding it easier to vote for UKIP than physically attend EDL events. In April 2013, the EDL leadership requested that members use tactical voting to benefit UKIP; the latter responded by distancing itself from the EDL. The EDL experienced a brief resurgence in its fortunes after Islamist militants killed the British Army soldier Lee Rigby in southeast London in May 2013. The group tripled its number of Facebook followers in

11076-658: The EDL. Most notable among the anti-fascist groups organising counter-protests was Unite Against Fascism , while Islamic groups sometimes also held counter-protests. In turn, the EDL targeted left-wing groups. In December 2010, Robinson threatened action against student anti-fee protesters , while in 2011 the EDL harassed Occupy anti-capitalist protesters in London. During the 2011 England riots , EDL members mobilised in largely white areas of Outer London , such as Enfield and Eltham , stating that they were there to "defend" them from rioters. These also resulted in clashes with police, and in one incident EDL members attacked

11232-519: The EDL. Robinson's departure generated much anger among the grassroots, many of whom thought him a traitor. A meeting of the group's regional organisers led to the EDL's adoption of a new system of collective leadership, through which the 19 regional organisers formed a governing committee with a rotating chair. The first to take on this role was Tim Ablitt; in February 2014 he was succeeded by Steve Eddowes; and in December 2015 by Ian Crossland, with

11388-786: The EDL. He was affiliated with the EDL's Norwegian sister organisation, the Norwegian Defence League , and stated that he had "more than 600 EDL members as Facebook friends and have spoken with tens [sic] of EDL members and leaders". Breivik described EDL co-founder Ray as his "mentor", having been in communication with him since 2002. Four months before his attack, Breivik posted on the EDL website, describing them as an "inspiration" and "a blessing to all in Europe". Online, he described having attended an EDL rally in Bradford . Robinson denied any EDL links with Breivik and deplored

11544-464: The English Defence League was officially formed on 27 June 2009. Ray claimed to have been its founder, describing how the EDL united the UPL with other "anti-jihadist" groups from around England. Its creation reflected what the political scientist Roger Eatwell termed "cumulative extremism", whereby the "activities of one extremist group trigger the formation of another". The EDL took its name from that of

11700-652: The North West Infidels and South East Alliance, adopted more extreme perspectives, cooperating with the fascist National Front and making reference to the white supremacist Fourteen Words slogan on their social media. Other activists moved away from the EDL to focus on campaigning for Brexit , the UK's exit from the European Union . It is possible that the electoral growth of the right-wing UK Independence Party (UKIP) in this period also contributed to

11856-424: The RVF as a separate paramilitary organisation. The RVF claims to be part of an international organisation led by a European Council and states that it aims for unity between all National Socialists and white nationalists (including Combat 18) in an alliance against the supposed Zionist Occupation Government . The group has garnered a reputation for its highly violent nature to the extent that other groups on

12012-550: The St. George Division; this broke from the EDL soon after, when Ray emigrated. This left the way for Tommy Robinson to become the EDL's de facto leader. A former BNP member with criminal convictions for assault, Robinson's real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon; the pseudonym was borrowed from the head of a Luton football hooligan firm . Robinson was clearly spoken, articulate and able to present his views in an assured and eloquent way during television interviews and other encounters with

12168-468: The Terrorists": this again resulted in disorder, with police making several arrests. A related group was Casuals United , founded by established football hooligan Jeff Marsh: their website used the tagline "One Nation, One Enemy, One Firm", reflecting the group's desire to unite rival football firms in opposition to what it called the "Islamification" of Britain. It was from this environment that

12324-542: The UK's largest textile factory Oldham reached its manufacturing zenith. At its peak, there were more than 360 mills, operating night and day; Oldham's townscape was dominated by distinctive rectangular brick-built mills. Oldham was hit hard by the Lancashire Cotton Famine of 1861–1865, when supplies of raw cotton from the United States were cut off. Wholly reliant upon the textile industry,

12480-410: The UK. Individuals who identified as EDL supporters were among the rioters, and in response Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner suggested the EDL could be proscribed as a terrorist organisation . Joe Mulhall, head of Hope Not Hate, dismissed the idea that the EDL was responsible for the riots or that banning it would be effective, "because the organisation no longer exists". [D]espite its claims to

12636-479: The Welsh Defence League (WDL) and the March for England (MfE)—announced their intention to attend. Fearing the far right would hijack his event, Yeomans cancelled it. In its place, Ray organised an "anti-jihadist" march for St. George's Day under the banner of the new United People of Luton (UPL), although this was broken up by police. The UPL organised a second demonstration for 24 May, titled "Ban

12792-714: The Welsh Defence League; its founders also considered the name "British Defence League", but rejected this as being too similar to that of the British National Party. The EDL's foundation was accompanied by an impromptu protest outside the East London Mosque in Whitechapel , which police quickly dispersed. The following week the group picketed an event in Wood Green , North London organised by Salafi Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary and his Islam4UK group. Its first major public appearance to attract attention

12948-501: The amount of coal in the town was somewhat overestimated however, and production began to decline even before that of the local spinning industry. Today, the only visible remnants of the mines are disused shafts and boreholes. Oldham's social history , like that of other former unenfranchised towns, is marked by politicised civil disturbances , as well as events related to the Luddite , Suffragette and other Labour movements from

13104-480: The average demographics of the United Kingdom , has a high level of people of South Asian heritage, particularly those with roots in Pakistan and Bangladesh . Due to the town's prevalence as an industrial centre and thus a hub for employment, Oldham attracted migrant workers throughout its history, including those from wider-England, Scotland, Ireland and Poland. During the 1950s and 1960s, in an attempt to fill

13260-436: The basis of Oldham Werneth railway station . The main building exists to this day. Platts gained prestigious awards from around the world, and were heavily involved with local politics and civic pride in Oldham. John and James Platt were the largest subscribers for promoting Oldham from a township to a Borough , pledging £100 (more than double the next largest sum) in advance towards any expenses which may have been incurred by

13416-471: The boundary between Oldham on one side and Royton and Shaw and Crompton on the other. To the east of this river the surface rises to a height of 1,225 ft (373 m) at Woodward Hill, on the border with the parish of Saddleworth . The rest of the surface is hilly, the average height decreasing towards the southwest to Failsworth and the city of Manchester . The ridge called Oldham Edge, 800 ft (240 m) high, comes southward from Royton into

13572-490: The centre of the town. Oldham's built environment is characterised by its 19th-century red-brick terraced houses , the infrastructure that was built to support these and the town's former cotton mills  – which mark the town's skyline. The urban structure of Oldham is irregular when compared to most towns in England , its form restricted in places by its hilly upland terrain. There are irregularly constructed residential dwellings and streets clustered loosely around

13728-622: The contrary, there is much prima face [ sic ] evidence to place the EDL on the more radical fringes of the political right. This ranges from its populist, nationalist agenda; to its condemnation of leftwing figures on its various blogs and websites; to its strong associations with the US Tea Party movement; to its support for international far right figures, such as Geert Wilders. Moreover[...], key EDL figures, such as Steven Yaxley‐Lennon and Kevin Carroll, have historic links with

13884-430: The cotton famine created chronic unemployment in the town. By 1863 a committee had been formed, and with aid from central government, land was purchased with the intention of employing local cotton workers to construct Alexandra Park , which opened on 28 August 1865. Said to have over-relied upon the textile sector, as the importation of cheaper foreign yarns grew during the 20th century, Oldham's economy declined into

14040-449: The country. The British National Party (BNP) was most successful at exploiting growing hostility against Muslims. It launched an anti-Muslim campaign in 2000, which gained momentum after Salafi jihadi Muslims perpetrated the 2001 September 11 attacks in the United States and the 7 July 2005 bombings in London . This resulted in growing electoral success for the BNP: it secured a seat on

14196-403: The decreasing numbers attending its events, Robinson's imprisonment, and its failure to enter electoral politics. Groups which had closely allied to the EDL, such as Casuals United and March for England, were reasserting their individual identities. Splinter groups appeared, among them the North West Infidels, North East Infidels, South East Alliance and Combined Ex-Forces. Some of these, such as

14352-456: The early 21st century, Muslims were Britain's second largest and fastest-growing religious group; according to the 2011 census , 2.7 million people in England and Wales described themselves as Muslim, representing 4.8% of the total population. At the same time, Muslims became the main scapegoat for far-right groups across Western society. In Britain, this was partly because prejudices against Jews and African-Caribbean people —both communities

14508-619: The extreme-right or far-right of British politics, the EDL was part of the international counter-jihad movement. Rejecting the idea that Muslims can truly be English, the EDL presented Islam as an intolerant, primitive threat seeking to take over Europe . Some political scientists and other commentators characterised this Islamophobic stance as culturally racist . Both online and at its events, EDL members incited violence against Muslims, with supporters carrying out violent acts both at demonstrations and independently. The EDL's broader ideology featured nationalism , nativism , and populism , blaming

14664-638: The far-right British Freedom Party , a breakaway from the BNP. The EDL's reputation was damaged in 2011 after supporters were convicted of plotting to bomb mosques and links were revealed with Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik . In 2013 Robinson—supported by the Quilliam think tank—left the group. He said it had become too extreme, and established the short-lived rival Pegida UK . EDL membership declined significantly following Robinson's departure, various branches declared independence, and it became defunct several years later. Ideologically on

14820-467: The far-right previously used as social scapegoats—were increasingly socially unacceptable. In the latter half of the 20th century, most British Muslims were of South Asian heritage. When they faced racist abuse, such as "Paki-bashing" , it was usually because of their racial background, rather than their religious belief. By the 21st century, British Muslims were increasingly targeted because they were Muslim, including by members of other ethnic minorities in

14976-559: The far-right still identified themselves as supporters of the EDL, and that its ideology still remained prominent in the now more decentralised British far right. Following far-right violence at London's Cenotaph on Armistice Day 2023, an event at which Robinson was present, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned those involved as "EDL thugs". Following the murder of three children in Southport in July 2024, far-right rioting broke out locally before spreading to other parts of

15132-494: The following days and weeks. The 2001 riots prompted governmental and independent inquiries, which collectively agreed on community relations improvements and considerable regeneration schemes for the town. There were further fears of riots after the death of Gavin Hopley in 2002. Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century , Oldham was recorded in 1212 as being one of five parts of

15288-800: The fourth largest settlement of the Greater Manchester Urban Area , the United Kingdom's third largest conurbation . The M60 motorway passes through the southwest of Oldham, through Hollinwood , and a heavy rail line enters Oldham from the same direction, travelling northeast to the town centre before heading northwards through Derker towards Shaw and Crompton. Many of Oldham's present divisions and suburbs have origins as pre-industrial hamlets, manorial commons and ancient chapelries. Some, such as Moorside , exist as recently constructed residential suburbia , whilst places like Hollinwood exist as electoral wards and thoroughly industrialised districts. Throughout most of its recorded history , Oldham

15444-506: The fringes of the British far right have sought to avoid being publicly associated with the RVF. A few of the group's members were arrested in 2003 on suspicions of weapons stockpiling and other charges and five members, including Atkinson and Hill, subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy whilst a sixth, November 9th Society leader Kevin Quinn pleaded guilty to possession of the banned booklet The Longest Hatred . According to Peter Davies,

15600-459: The gathering and organising of civil registration information, and output of census data. The Local Government Act 1888 created elected county councils to administer services throughout England and Wales. Where a municipal borough had a population of more than 50,000 at the 1881 Census it was created a county borough , with the powers and duties of both a borough and county council. As Oldham had an 1881 population of 111,343 it duly became

15756-814: The grassroots having been given a voice in his selection through an online vote. Although the EDL had declined, the sentiments feeding it—especially anger at immigration and Islam—remained widespread across Britain's white working-class communities. Other far-right groups emerged to claim the space in British society that it left vacant, often utilising the EDL's tactics. Britain First sought to court disenchanted EDL members, adopting similar street protests: it organised "Christian patrols" through areas with Islamic communities, as well as "mosque invasions" in which members entered mosques to disrupt proceedings. In December 2015, Robinson and Anne Marie Waters launched another anti-Islam street movement, Pegida UK , hoping to imitate

15912-538: The group was said to be still active, with around 80-100 members. By this time they had become particularly critical of the English Defence League , accusing them of being a Zionist organisation established to gather intelligence on neo-Nazis. Oldham Oldham / ˈ oʊ l d ə m / is a town in Greater Manchester , England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between

16068-458: The group's rhetoric and membership found that many failed to understand the distinction between different variants of Islam. Various scholars describe the EDL as Islamophobic, a characterisation the EDL rejected. It did so by defining "Islamophobia" as a phobia or affected prejudice, a definition different from the majority of academics and activists employing the term, stating that "the English Defence League do not 'fear' Islam, we do not have

16224-410: The high cost of policing them, the disruptive influence on community harmony, and the damage caused to counter-terrorism operations. Following the decline of the EDL, the British far right became more decentralised, organising via the internet without formal organizations or leaders. Some self-identified EDL supporters subsequently became involved in events like the 2024 United Kingdom riots . In

16380-514: The introduction of cotton-spinning machinery . On 20 April 1812, a "large crowd of riotous individuals" compelled local retailers to sell foods at a loss, whilst on the same day Luddites numbering in their thousands, many of whom were from Oldham, attacked a cotton mill in nearby Middleton . On 16 August 1819, Oldham sent a contingent estimated at well above 10,000 to hear speakers in St Peter's Fields at Manchester discuss political reform; it

16536-494: The killings; however, after Breivik was convicted, some EDL members praised his actions. In July 2011, Interpol requested Maltese police investigate Ray due to his links with Breivik; he too condemned the killings, calling them "pure evil". In December 2011, two EDL supporters—one a serving soldier in the British military—were convicted of plotting to bomb a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent . The EDL developed links with

16692-416: The last decade of the 19th century, when it became a leading centre in the field of engineering . The Platt Brothers , originated in nearby Dobcross village, but moved to Oldham. They were pioneers of cotton-spinning machinery, developing innovative products that enabled the mass-production of cotton yarn. Platt Brothers became the largest textile machine makers in the world, employing over 15,000 people in

16848-694: The last year or so including attacks on Anti-fascists in Blackpool and Republican Sinn Féin Supporters in Glasgow . Various members have also been seen at street demonstrations in the Netherlands confronting anti-fascists. Early in 2009 alleged RVF activists were raided by counter terrorist police in south west England on suspicion of bomb making. Eventually the alleged members were released due to lack of evidence. The RVF has also been associated with

17004-522: The latter as intolerant and backward. EDL rhetoric explicitly distinguished Muslims from the English national group: for the EDL, a Muslim could not be truly English, and the idea of an English Muslim or a British Muslim identity was not considered acceptable. The EDL feared that Muslims want to dominate Britain by imposing sharia law , and interpreted the building of mosques as evidence of this desire for domination. It claimed that this Islamic takeover

17160-466: The local cotton industry and the town's inhabitants, though there is evidence of small scale coal mining in the area as early as the 16th century. The Oldham Coalfield stretched from Royton in the north to Bardsley in the south and in addition to Oldham, included the towns of Middleton and Chadderton to the west. The Oldham Coalfield was the site of over 150 collieries during its recorded history . Although some contemporary sources suggest there

17316-508: The media. According to the political scientist Joel Busher, Robinson was "a high-energy, fast-talking, all action character whose combination of swagger, self-deprecation and derring-do helped make him a popular figurehead within the movement." Ray was critical of his successor, and—from his new base in Malta—posted videos to YouTube in which he threatened to retake control of the EDL. These threats came to nothing. Robinson's right-hand man

17472-436: The more aggressive views expressed in private. Rather than labelling the EDL "far-right", the ethnographer Hilary Pilkington suggested that the group was better classified under Cas Mudde 's concept of the "populist radical right". Other scholarly commentators also considered the group to be populist because of its claim to represent "ordinary people" against the liberal elites who it alleged controlled Britain. The EDL

17628-411: The most productive cotton-spinning town in the world. In 1871, Oldham had more spindles than any country in the world except the United States, and in 1909, was spinning more cotton than France and Germany combined. By 1911 there were 16.4 million spindles in Oldham, compared with a total of 58 million in the United Kingdom and 143.5 million in the world; in 1928, with the construction of

17784-410: The operatives' houses is filthy and smouldering. In the 1870s, John Marius Wilson described Oldham as consisting of: ... numerous streets, and contains numerous fine buildings, both public and private; but, in a general view, is irregularly constructed, presents the dingy aspect of a crowded seat of manufacture, and is more notable for factories than for any other feature. Although Oldham had

17940-406: The original Hollinwood site was operated by Siemens Metering and Semiconductor divisions. The remainder of the site is occupied by Mirror Colour Print Ltd; the printing division of Reach , which prints and distributes thirty-six major newspapers, and employs five hundred staff. On the back of the Industrial Revolution, Oldham developed an extensive coal mining sector, correlated to supporting

18096-641: The perpetrator's ethnicity or religion as irrelevant. EDL members also expressed anger at perceived Muslim involvement in drug dealing and other crimes affecting their communities, and at the perceived wealth of British Muslims, which they contrasted with their own strained economic situation. The sociologists Simon Winlow, Steve Hall and James Treadwell noted that all the EDL members they encountered expressed hatred of Muslims. Many placed this hatred in relation to local issues and personal experiences; for instance, EDL members regarded being poorly treated by an Asian shopkeeper as evidence that Muslims intrinsically hate

18252-458: The production of this material". Amongst the offending items which came to light at the trial were an RVF magazine that encouraged violence, guides on how to make nail bombs and incendiary devices and copies of the Polish neo-Nazi magazine Stormer . The police had first become aware of the group whilst monitoring far right and racist websites and their investigations led them to Nigel Piggins, who

18408-416: The profile of particular social groups within the EDL and help to draw recruits from sectors of society that normally avoided membership in a far-right group, such as ethnic minorities and LGBT people. Some local divisions covered whole cities or counties while in other cases there could be more than one division representing a single postcode, in part due to personal disputes. Local groups were organised into

18564-461: The rivers Irk and Medlock , 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Rochdale , and 7 miles (11.3 km) northeast of Manchester . It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham , which had a population of 237,110 in 2019. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire , and with little early history to speak of, Oldham rose to prominence in the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture . It

18720-568: The rivers Irk and Medlock . Saddleworth and the South Pennines are close to the east, whilst on all other sides, Oldham is bound by other neighbouring towns, including Ashton-under-Lyne , Chadderton , Failsworth , Royton and Shaw and Crompton , with little or no green space between them. Oldham experiences a temperate maritime climate , like much of the British Isles, with relatively cool summers and mild winters. There

18876-401: The semi-rural east of the town, in the most sought after area in areas such as the village Moorside , although terraces are found in almost all parts of Oldham. One of the oldest recorded named places of Oldham is Hathershaw , occurring in a deed for 1280 with the spelling Halselinechaw Clugh . Existing as a manor in the 15th century, Hathershaw Hall was the home of a Royalist family in

19032-519: The shortfall of workers and revitalise local industries, citizens of the wider Commonwealth of Nations were encouraged to migrate to Oldham and other British towns . Many came from the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent and settled throughout the Oldham borough. Today, Oldham has large communities with heritage from Pakistan , India , Bangladesh and parts of the Caribbean. At the time of

19188-610: The site of considerable industry and commerce, including coal mining , cotton spinning and hat manufacture. It is said to have been the scene of an action in the English Civil War in which the Parliamentarians were defeated. According to data from the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Oldham had a total resident population of 103,544, making it the 55th most populous settlement in England, and

19344-443: The streets and on-line ... Our movement is purely set up to pressure whatever government we have in power to deal with this menace and undo all the damage caused by apathy and appeasement. — Statement on the EDL website Following the BNP's decline as a serious electoral force, the EDL's profile rose dramatically. The group portrayed itself as a necessary response to public frustration at government inaction in dealing with what

19500-468: The successes of the German Pegida movement. Pegida UK had more self-governance mechanisms than the EDL and pursued silent, non-confrontational protests, although failed to attract sizeable numbers and held its last public event in 2016. By 2023 and 2024, news publications and anti-extremist group Hope not Hate considered the EDL defunct as an organisation, though they said that some members of

19656-438: The taking of minutes. As well as these divisional meetings, EDL divisions also held "meet and greet" events to attract new membership. Some divisions were based on locality and others on special interests. The latter included a women's division, Jewish division, Sikh division, Hindu division, LGBT division, disabled division, green division, a soldiers' division, and a youth division. These groups were designed to raise

19812-544: The town around Hollinwood and Werneth and provided enough coal to accelerate Oldham's rapid development at the centre of the cotton boom. At its height in the mid-19th century, when it was dominated by the Lees and Jones families, Oldham coal was mainly sourced from many small collieries whose lives varied from a few years to many decades, although two of the four largest collieries survived to nationalisation . In 1851, collieries employed more than 2,000 men in Oldham, although

19968-483: The town centre. Abraham Henthorn Stott, the son of a stonemason , was born in nearby Shaw & Crompton in 1822. He served a seven-year apprenticeship with Sir Charles Barry , before starting a structural engineering practice in Oldham in 1847 that went on to become the pre-eminent mill architect firm in Lancashire . Philip Sydney Stott, third son of Abraham and later titled as Sir Philip Stott, 1st Baronet ,

20124-410: The town's last mill closed in 1998. The demise of textile processing in Oldham depressed and heavily affected the local economy. The town centre is the focus of a project that aims to transform Oldham into a centre for further education and the performing arts . It is, however, still distinguished architecturally by the surviving cotton mills and other buildings associated with that industry. In

20280-629: The town, whilst many Oldhamers protested in support of the emancipation of slaves . The Riot Act was read in 1852 on election day following a mass public brawl over the Reform Act , and irregularities with parliamentary candidate nominations. For three days in late May 2001, Oldham became the centre of national and international media attention. Following high-profile race-related conflicts, and long-term underlying racial tensions between local White British against British Pakistani and British Bangladeshi communities, major riots broke out in

20436-580: The town. Occurring with particular intensity in the Glodwick and Coldhurst areas of the town, the 2001 Oldham riots were the worst racially motivated riots in the United Kingdom for fifteen years prior, briefly eclipsing the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland in the media. At least 20 people were injured in the riots, including 15 police officers, and 37 people were arrested. Similar riots took place in other towns in northern England over

20592-470: The white supremacist website Stormfront , Holocaust denial was expressed on the EDL's social media platforms, and at EDL events various individuals gave the Nazi straight-arm salute. This neo-Nazi presence drove some other EDL members away. In 2011, the head of the EDL's Jewish Division, Roberta Moore, left the organisation because of it; Robinson also cited the difficulty in dealing with these neo-Nazis as

20748-421: The white working class. Others expressed anger at events they had seen in the media, such as Muslims burning remembrance poppies in protest at British military activities abroad. On the EDL's social media, many supporters incited violence against Muslims: examples included "we need to kill", "time to get violent", and "Kill any muslim u see [sic]". Chants during rallies included "Die, Muslim, die", and "Give me

20904-410: Was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution , and among the first ever industrialised towns, rapidly becoming "one of the most important centres of cotton and textile industries in England." At its zenith, it was the most productive cotton spinning mill town in the world, producing more cotton than France and Germany combined. Oldham's textile industry fell into decline in the mid-20th century;

21060-664: Was a notable member of the Suffragette movement credited with sparking off suffragette militancy when she heckled Winston Churchill , and later (with Emmeline Pankhurst ) the first Suffragist to be imprisoned. Oldham Women's Suffrage Society was established in 1910 with Margery Lees as president and quickly joined the Manchester and District Federation of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies . The Chartist and Co-operative movements had strong support in

21216-513: Was announced that Robinson and Carroll would join the BFP's executive council as joint vice chairs, cementing links between the BFP and the EDL. Robinson soon resigned from this position, citing a desire to focus on the EDL, although critics suggested that this may have been to shield the BFP from criminal proceedings he then faced. In 2012, Carroll stood for election in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections . In January 2013, he took charge of

21372-529: Was being facilitated by higher birth rates among Muslims than non-Muslims, and presented Muslim participation in political life as entryism , an attempt to expand Islamic influence in Britain. EDL discourse expressed a belief in "Islamic supremacism", the notion that Muslims feel themselves superior to non-Muslims, and accordingly thought that Muslims regarded non-Muslims as legitimate targets for abuse and exploitation. A topic of particular anger among members

21528-647: Was caught and returned to Britain; in January 2013 he was convicted of breaching the Identity Documents Act 2010 and imprisoned for ten months. Robinson's imprisonment coincided with Carroll's bail conditions, which barred him from contacting fellow EDL members; this left the organisation without its co-leaders for part of 2012. The revelation of links to Norwegian far-right activist Anders Behring Breivik , perpetrator of bombing and shooting attacks that killed 77 people in July 2011 , further damaged

21684-406: Was coal mining in Oldham at a commercial scale by 1738, older sources attribute the commercial expansion of coal mining with the arrival in the town of two Welsh labourers, John Evans and William Jones, around 1770. Foreseeing the growth in demand for coal as a source of steam power, they acquired colliery rights for Oldham, which by 1771 had 14 colliers. The mines were largely to the southwest of

21840-459: Was distinct from the " white pride " of fascists, and Meadowcoft and Morrow observed that it was not biologically racist. Its members' understandings of "Englishness" were nevertheless ambiguous and ill-defined; the only thing they agreed upon about the English way of life was that Muslims fundamentally reject it. The EDL presented English identity as something under threat, views reflected in chants like "we want our country back". Its nationalism

21996-433: Was effectively born as a factory town . Oldham became the world's manufacturing centre for cotton spinning in the second half of the 19th century. In 1851, over 30% of Oldham's population was employed within the textile sector, compared to 5% across Great Britain. It overtook the major urban centres of Manchester and Bolton as the result of a mill building boom in the 1860s and 1870s, a period during which Oldham became

22152-417: Was foregrounded in its nomenclature and symbolism, which regularly included the cross of St George. Such imagery evoked the symbolism of the medieval Crusades ; the group's Latin motto, " in hoc signo vinces ", was that of the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine . Robinson described the EDL as a 'multicultural organization made up of every community in this country'. If true, this would clearly make

22308-464: Was his cousin, Kevin Carroll, also a former BNP member with a criminal conviction; Carroll was the first of the pair to attract national attention, appearing on the BBC documentary Young, British and Angry . Another senior member was the multimillionaire IT consultant and fundamentalist Christian Alan Ayling, who used the pseudonym Alan Lake ; allegations have been made, but not substantiated, that Lake

22464-521: Was in August, when the EDL and Casuals United held a joint protest in Birmingham , prompted by Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah's conversion of an eleven-year-old white boy in that city. Ray distanced himself from that event, arguing that the chosen date—8 August—was a deliberate reference to 88, a code for HH ( Heil Hitler ), in neo-Nazi circles. Not long after the group's formation, Ray formed a sub-group,

22620-638: Was made part of a parliamentary borough , in 1832, though it was in 1849 when Oldham was incorporated as a municipal borough , giving it borough status in the United Kingdom , and in 1850 the Borough Council obtained the powers of the improvement commissioners. In 1880, parts of the Hollinwood and Crossbank areas of Chadderton and Ashton-under-Lyne townships were added to the Borough of Oldham. Oldham Above Town and Oldham Below Town were, from 1851 until c. 1881, statistical units used for

22776-542: Was not a neo-Nazi organisation. It distanced itself from neo-Nazism, burning a Nazi flag , flying the Israeli flag during demonstrations, and creating a Jewish division. In 2010, Robinson stated: "We're not Nazis, we're not fascists – we will smash Nazis the same way we will smash militant Islam." Despite this, neo-Nazis attended EDL events, sometimes creating "inner circles" within the movement to recruit members to their cause. Early EDL demonstrations were advertised on

22932-651: Was part of the international counter-jihad movement. The political scientist Hilary Aked defined counter-jihadism as "a section of the far-right distinguished by its hostility to migrants, Muslims and Islam." Another political scientist, Matthew Goodwin , noted that the counter-jihad movement was "united by their belief that Islam and Muslims are posing a fundamental threat to the resources, identities and even survival of Western states", and that counter-jihad groups were "more confrontational, chaotic and unpredictable than traditional anti-immigrant and ethnic nationalist movements in Western democracies". Pilkington characterised

23088-420: Was popular among the membership. There was no system of official membership recognised through membership cards, and no membership fees. The EDL formerly divided into at least 90 different divisions. Branches typically held their meetings in pubs with sympathetic owners, referred to as "HQs". These meetings—which were infrequent and often poorly attended—were typically unstructured, lacking any formal agenda or

23244-489: Was recorded as a place of residence in 1604 with the name Dirtcar . Bound by Higginshaw to the north, Derker is the location of Derker railway station and, said to have terraced residencies "unsuited to modern needs", is currently being redeveloped as part of the Housing Market Renewal Initiative . Coldhurst , an area along Oldham's northern boundary with Royton , was once a chapelry and

23400-441: Was reorganised around a committee leadership headed by a rotating chair. The EDL lacked a central regulatory structure through which to impose a uniform approach to strategy or maintain ideological purity. Meadowcroft and Morrow argued that it was this weak self-governance that contributed to the group's fragmentation and demise. It operated through a loose network of local divisions, each largely autonomous; this loose structure

23556-426: Was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for his part in the affair. The group has been investigated for a series of threats made to journalists. According to Hope not Hate , an anti-fascist campaigning group organised by Searchlight magazine , members former members of the RVF have attended events run by the English Defence League . The RVF has been active in street violence against perceived enemies in

23712-406: Was surrounded by large swathes of moorland , which is reflected in the placenames of Moorside, Greenacres moor , Littlemoor, Northmoor among others. A large portion of Oldham's residences are "low value" Victorian era Accrington red-brick terraced houses in a row formation, built for the most part from 1870 to 1920, to house the town's cotton mill workers. There is more modern housing in

23868-578: Was the group's primary financier, providing it with millions of pounds. Lake never become a visible figure in the movement and few members knew his name; it was at Lake's flat in London's Barbican area, however, where Ray, Robinson, and Ann Marchini had discussed the EDL's formation in May 2009. If it were not for the inaction of the government in dealing properly with this form of Islamic fascism, there would be no need for groups such as The English Defence League, Welsh Defence League, Scottish Defence League and Ulster Defence League to counter this threat on

24024-614: Was the largest contingent sent to Manchester. John Lees, a cotton operative and ex-soldier who had fought at Waterloo , was one of the fifteen victims of the Peterloo Massacre which followed. The 'Oldham inquest' which proceeded the massacre was anxiously watched; the Court of King's Bench , however, decided that the proceedings were irregular, and the jury were discharged without giving a verdict. Annie Kenney , born in nearby Springhead , and who worked in Oldham's cotton mills,

24180-687: Was the most prominent and famous of the Stott mill architects. He established his own practice in 1883 and designed over a hundred mills in several countries. His factories, which improved upon his father's fireproof mills, accounted for a 40% increase in Oldham's spindles between 1887 and 1914. Although textile-related engineering declined with the processing industry, leading to the demise of both Stotts and Platts, other engineering firms existed, notably electrical and later electronic engineers Ferranti in 1896. Ferranti went into receivership in 1993, but some of its former works continue in other hands. Part of

24336-559: Was the role of Muslim men in grooming gangs largely targeting underage white girls. For instance, in drawing attention to the fact that men from Islamic backgrounds were disproportionately represented in the Rochdale and West Midlands child sex grooming scandals, the EDL said these men found justification for their actions in Qur'anic references to non-Muslims being inferior. Conversely, when white sex offenders were exposed, EDL members regarded

#466533