Members of the management at Croydon ICT attended a meeting at Croydon Mosque on Monday 22nd July 2013 with regards to a protest planned by the English Volunteer Force (EVF, a splinter group of the EDL) this coming Saturday 27th July 2013 from 12 noon onwards.
The EVF plan to protest outside Lunar House in Croydon, the headquarters of the UK Border Agency – days before the anniversary of the riots, and say that they are campaigning against what they call ‘Islamification and mass immigration’ affecting the UK. This is not a march, it is a static demonstration, i.e. they will not be moving from Lunar House where their protest is taking place.
The EVF are more openly and virulently racist that the EDL and will be supported by a number of other far-right splinter groups. There have been fears the protests could also target local mosques but the leader of the EVF has denied this is planned.
The leader of Croydon Council, Mike Fisher, has called for the rally to be banned, but it is still going to go ahead. A number of officers will be present at the site.
OUR MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY
- This is a static demonstration – that means these people will not be marching or moving anywhere from the place where they have stated that their protest will be taking place; Lunar House.
- DO NOT give these people the attention that they are seeking by engaging in conversation about their activities or by spreading awareness outside of our community – we simply wish to protect our community and to ignore these people and their extremist activities.
- DO NOT unnecessarily go near Lunar House on this Saturday 27th July 2013, this will only encourage bad behaviour and recklessness by these people, for which they are well known.
- Remember that this is the Holy Month of Ramadhan – our most peaceful time of the year, so let us focus on our Ibaadah, and remember that responding to fighting and insults in this month is prohibited, as is established in the Sahih Hadith “…If someone fights him or insults him, he should say, ‘I am fasting’ …”.