Love Leicester, Hate Racism

Anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigners are ready to show their opposition to the English Defence League, who are proposing to march in Leicester on Saturday.

This is the second time the far-right group is set to step foot in Leicester, looking to stir up trouble and spouting their poisonous rhetoric. The EDL's last visit to Leicester in October 2010 resulted in violence and disruption and the same is feared to happen again.

A number of groups, including Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and Sikhs Against the EDL have been speaking about the people of Leicester, from all communities, coming together under the banner 'Love Leicester, Hate Racism' t to counter the EDL.

The 'Sikhs Against the EDL' group was formed last year in response to some misguided Sikh youth supporting the EDL. They used to carry Sikh flag on the EDL marches and use Sikh insignia and emblems in their vile propaganda.

However, most of those Sikh youth have now left the EDL, largely due to the campaign lead by the Sikhs Against the EDL but also after the EDL decided to make an alliance with British Freedom Party (BFP), a breakaway group from the BNP but with equally openly fascist policies.

Balwinder Singh Rana, spokesperson for the Sikhs Against the EDL said,

"We had always warned that the EDL are no different from the BNP. They are targeting the Muslims today but would turn against all of us tomorrow. I am glad that those Sikh youth who used to support them have learned the error of their ways, but our job is not done yet. We must support the people of Leicester to stand up to these racists & fascists so that they would think twice before they decide to turn up somewhere else."