UK Home Secretary urged by community groups to proscribe English Defence League

The UK Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, has been urged by a number of community groups to proscribe the right-wing English Defence League under the Terrorism Act 2000. The groups have made their appeal in a letter sent to the Home Secretary and seen by MEMO.

Writing with a “profound sense of urgency and alarm,” the signatories pointed out that, since 29 July this year, their communities have been engulfed by an “unprecedented wave of racially and religiously motivated violence that has left many fearing for their lives, the safety of their families and their communities.”

The groups claimed that the recent surge in extreme right-wing violence is driven by extremist figures led by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as “Tommy Robinson” (“Yaxley-Lennon”), and has created a climate of terror for ethnic minorities and Muslims across the country. “Despite clear warnings and escalating threats from the extreme far-right,” said the signatories, “it is evident that law enforcement and intelligence agencies have failed to contain this growing threat which has led to the violence over the past week.”

Tomorrow we descend on OUR capital in the biggest patriotic show of force this country has ever seen.

If like me, you've been sickened by another week of imported crimes and riots, added to the already huge flames of our broken society.

March with us 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/IvvMgPi43c

— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) July 26, 2024

The letter emphasised the very deadly effect of EDL propaganda on Anders Breivik, who killed 72 people in 2011, in Oslo, Norway, and notes that the former First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf wrote to Cooper on 31 July calling for the EDL and its proxies to be proscribed.

The signatories of the letter include the Association of Muslim Lawyers, the Society of Black Lawyers, Legal Action for Peace, Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre, Parents United, the Federation of Redbridge Muslim Organisations and nine other community groups.

They noted that S.3 of the Terrorism Act 2000 grants the Home Secretary the power to proscribe a group if she believes that the group is concerned with terrorism. A group is “concerned” with terrorism if it: (a) commits or participates in acts of terrorism; (b) prepares for terrorism; (c) promotes or encourages terrorism; or (d) is otherwise concerned in terrorism.

The Act defines the meaning of “terrorism” as being where the act or threat of action: (a) involves serious violence against a person; (b) involves serious damage to property; (c) endangers a person’s life, other than that of the person committing the action; (d) creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public; or (e) is designed seriously to interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system.

I already knew he would follow a really bad speech with an even worse one. No word about the Muslim mobs. He didn't even limit to saying those who participated in looting, damaging hotels. No he said all – everyone. Even online. Soviet Britain, here we come. https://t.co/VAjX2GUF6U

— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) August 4, 2024

On 13 July 2022, said the signatories, the Intelligence and Security Committee issued a statement following the publication of their Report on Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism. Dr Julian Lewis MP, the Chair of the Committee said: “The threat from Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism is on an upward trajectory, populated by an increasing number of young people and driven by the internet. There are reports that groups and individuals have sought to co-opt the Covid-19 pandemic, using conspiracy theories and exploiting grievances to radicalise and recruit.”

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Furthermore, the Director General of MI5, Ken McCallam, issued a statement on 16 November 2022, in which he said: “The Extreme Right-Wing landscape has continued to evolve away from structured, real-world groups such as National Action, to a diffuse online threat. From the comfort of their bedrooms, individuals are easily able to access right-wing extremist spaces, network with each other and move towards a radical mindset.

“There has been further growth in attempts to acquire weapons — firearms in particular, whether illegally obtained, homemade or 3D-printed. Often weapons are sought for their own sake, well in advance of any specific targeting intent developing – making for difficult risk management judgements, and forcing early intervention.

“We are seeing growing numbers of right-wing extremist influencers, operating globally, fuel grievances and amplify conspiracy theories. This problem feels like it will endure.”

The US administration under President Joe Biden recognises the significant threat from the Extreme Right-Wing to democracy, safety and the stability of his country. He sanctioned the Swedish Extremist Right Wing group “Nordic Resistance Movement” in June this year.

“Yaxley-Lennon has been inciting his followers by fuelling hatred towards Muslims and ethnic minorities including refugees,” explained the signatories. “On 1 June, he launched his documentary Lawfare which covers his warped perception that there is a ‘two-tier policing’ system of the pro-Palestinian protests as opposed to those that were against the pro-Palestinian protests in support of Israel’s ‘plausible genocide’ of the Palestinians. According to the Lancet Report, an estimated 186,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past 10 months. His ‘documentary’ has now received 1.3 million views.”

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They went on to suggest that the Home Secretary will have seen from video footage of those who support Yaxley-Lennon’s dangerous rhetoric, that the phrase “two-tier policing” is now also being used repeatedly across mainstream media as well as amongst his followers online.

“There is significant concern that Elon Musk of social media platform X is also repeating this dangerous rhetoric on his own account.” Citing disinformation expert Mark Owen, they noted that, “Musk uses his profile to promote far-right disinformation and feed a ‘frenzy’ against immigrants, minorities and Muslims. There is also an attempt by certain problematic media outlets to move this dangerous and false rhetoric into mainstream conversations and debates.”

Yaxley-Lennon launched a second documentary, Silenced on 27 July, in which defamatory statements against a Syrian boy are repeated, despite him losing a case at the High Court over his claims.

“When a claimant successfully sues for defamation, it is usual practice for the court to order the defendant to publish a statement retracting their defamatory allegations,” the signatories reminded the Home Secretary. “No such order was made which is why we now have this Right-Wing extremist repeating the same allegations.” It is suggested in the letter that Yaxley-Lennon is now in contempt of court for publishing defamatory statements in his “documentary”.

A hearing had been listed for 29 July, but he fled the UK on the day before. The High Court has since listed a return date for 28 October which is highly unusual as his breaches of the High Court order were significant enough to require a far earlier date, it is claimed in the letter.

“It is unclear as to the reasons why the High Court Judge gave such a long return date but this now left the country and our communities open to further violent attacks over the course of the following three months until his return to the UK for his hearing. He is now using his access to the public to continue to promote his propaganda against ethnic minorities, the police and the government,” said the signatories.

The letter explained to Cooper that Yaxley-Lennon has increased his rhetoric by inciting his followers to commit violence against Muslims, refugees and ultimately people of colour. “You can see that he has continued to repeat his claims of ‘two-tier policing’ which is now being extended to extremely dangerous and sinister claims of a ‘two-tier government. At the time of writing, Yaxley-Lennon continues to publish conspiracy theories and false narratives.

“In light of Yaxley-Lennon’s conduct including incitement and the continued association and presence of former EDL members at his protests, it is our view that the EDL meets the statutory test to be proscribed in order to protect the public from its members,” the signatories conclude.

The activities of the movement’s members, they add, clearly meet the criteria for terrorism and should be dealt with accordingly. “We cannot in good conscience risk our lives or the lives of our families by returning to normality until the EDL is proscribed. The government’s responsibility to protect its citizens is paramount, and we urge you to act swiftly and decisively to restore peace and security. We remain open to dialogue and are ready to assist in any way possible to ensure the safety of all citizens and refugees in this country.”

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