Reactive community mobilization in Europe: the case of the English Defence League

Abstract

There seems little doubt that one of the processes experienced by the industrialized world in the post-Cold War era is that of a rise in Far Right movements and sentiments within political and social discourse. One of the issues around which many Far Right groups in Europe appear to be coalescing at the beginning of the twenty-first century is an antagonism towards Islam and Muslims within Europe (in some areas the Roma are more often the target of acrimony). In the UK, a new pressure-group emerged in 2009, the English Defence League (EDL), which has commenced a series of demonstrations across English cities, explicitly focused around an expressed opposition to the growth of ‘radical Islam’ within the UK. Most of these demonstrations have descended into street violence, often through clashes with the opposing Unite Against Fascism organization. This paper summarizes the results of some initial investigations into the EDL, and finds that, despite its protestations to the contrary, it conforms to many of the norms of a traditional Far Right movement.

Keywords:

• Far Right
• extremism
• globalization
• immigration

Notes

Thanks go to Samantha Edwards and Melissa McMahon of the University of Buckingham for this data gathering.

Al Qaeda’s original declaration was marked by the public formation of the ‘World Islamic Front for jihad against Jews and Crusaders’ in 1998. See Perry and Negrin (2008, p. 44).

Thanks go to Melissa McMahon of the University of Buckingham for developing this typology.