Pegida in London

To Whitehall for Pegida’s second English stroll (or in this case rally) their first in London.

Pegida were scheduled to be at Richmond Terrace opposite Downing Street from 5 until 7 pm. I knew that there was to be a UAF and friends counter demonstration and that they were to meet outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square at 4pm.They were already milling about but the square was already occupied by the various bouts of ‘Pillow Fight 2015’. I made my way down Whitehall towards the Pegida platform.

 

 

On the way I passed the designated site of the Socialist Worker, trade union, UAF and Muslim group part of the left-wing demonstration. Unite and the PCS were in evidence.

I thought at first this was Martin (Comrade Delta) Smith let out of his box again, but when I got closer it was another monotonous mockney talking about the hard work done by German anti-fascists in Dresden and other German cities.

Pegida were right by the Cenotaph

In attendance were a group of elderly and dignified Ghurkahs and some veteran servicemen. Families with children. Patriotic individuals some of whom known to me and who I count as friends.

The PA played some traditional music and some more modern songs

Suddenly we heard the all too familiar cry of ‘Nazi scum off our streets’ and looking up Whitehall towards Trafalgar square we could see the flags of Antifa being escorted to their pen. However some of them had got loose and were already quite near Pegida. 

Smoke bombs were thrown, red ones and white ones, but no blue. Too patriotic I suppose. At this point the police should, in my opinion, have become more robust at containing Antifa.  However their instructions were different.

Please. No. This is not 1968 and Che Guevara has nothing to do with the islamisation of Europe.

This gaggle had got behind the police and were jumping up and down screaming. Note the white smoke bomb to the left.

The main speakers were this veteran serviceman left (not here impressed at Antifa’s antics)  and right Zahid Khan an ex Muslim who had travelled from Germany. His books are The Criminal Acts of Prophet Mohammed and Islam does not belong to Europe. Two women also spoke. 

There was more commotion as it became clear that half the antifa had gone round the block and were coming up Whitehall from the bottom by Parliament Square. Police horses and dogs were deployed to hold them back but a detachment with banners were still allowed to form up next to the Cenotaph directly opposite Pegida about 25 yards away.

 

They were shouting ‘Nazi scum,Nazi scum’. When I heard someone point out the Ghurkahs the initial attitude was that they were not there. When pushed the boys said that if Ghurkahs were racist then he did also have a problem with them. Below are those Ghurkahs. Ex soldiers and their wives holding the flag of the country they fought for and served. How insulting can the Antifascists get? They would not have their freedoms had such men not fought.

A Greek man at one end of the ‘Antifascist Action for Greece’ banner had noticed the multicultural nature of the Pegida crowd and was shouting ‘You are immigrants – shame on you’ while a Chinese girl shouted ‘Whose streets? Our streets’ which always makes me a little cross when I hear it in London. They are MY streets sister.  My ancestors built them and my parents defended them; my roots span 4 centuries. 

Then, this turned up. 

We were discussing how long he would last under Sharia law before he was thrown off the mountain or crushed under a wall. He had too much designer bum-fluff under the ipad of Hitler to have been suitable for the bacha bazi trade, although he did have some peachlike protuberences.

Police escorted some of the Ghurkahs across to the Cenotaph where they laid a wreath before being quickly escorted back.

There had been mention of a candlelit vigil at the end but that didn’t happen. Pegida were escorted away towards Parliament. Antifa began to roll their banners up in hopes of following.

This elderly gentleman remained sitting.

I made my way home. By coincidence my husband arrived home from work and started watching the Antifa live feed in the internet at about that point. He told me that they tried to get into the pub by Westminster station, were chased down Embankment by the police and shortly afterwards the live feed failed. He wondered why…?

Antifa were probably the nastiest that I have ever seen them, which I believe is due to their target this time being older and more vulnerable. They taunt the EDL, but there is always the fear that were the EDL to get through the police lines the presence of young men of physical strength is enough to urge them towards caution.The sight and sound of this group of privileged yougsters shouting at a group of mostly older people and families (including some West Indians) “If it wasn’t for the police you would be dead” was not edifying.

However I also detected an edge of desperation. They thought they had killed the EDL when Tommy Robinson stood down as leader. They had not. Other patriot groups still exist – I don’t have to name every one. Now Pegida have formed. We cannot unknow what we now know about Islam. We will no longer believe the lies we have been fed. 

And there are more of us than them.

Photographs E Weatherwax ~ London ~ Easter Saturday 2015.