161-633: Genocide: Massacres, torture, expulsion: Other incidents: The European Defence League ( EDL ) is a largely UK-based offshoot of the English Defence League founded which campaigns against what it considers sharia law and itself has various offshoots. The group was set up in October 2010 and held its first demonstration that month in Amsterdam , Netherlands, at the trial of Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders . The Dutch Defence League
322-489: A .223-caliber Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic carbine, ostensibly for the purpose of hunting deer. He bought it in late 2010 for € 1,400. He wanted to purchase a 7.62×39mm Ruger Mini-30 semi-automatic carbine, but decided for unknown reasons to buy the Mini-14. Getting a permit for the pistol proved more difficult, as he had to demonstrate regular attendance at a sport shooting club. He also bought 10 30-round magazines for
483-545: A Fiat Doblò . Information—including the vehicle's licence plate number and description of the suspect—was written on a yellow note, and hand-delivered to the police operations central where it lay for 20 minutes before the witness was phoned back. The licence plate number was not transmitted on the police radio until two hours later. Following the explosion, police cleared the area and searched for any additional explosive devices. Through media outlets, police urged citizens to evacuate central Oslo. Police later announced that
644-501: A Glock in the neckhole" of Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and "blocking all the exits with Molotov cocktails " during the government cabinet 's Christmas dinner. The secretly recorded informal conversation between Krane and Kaspar Birkeland, another member of the Democrats party and mayoral candidate in neighbouring Ålesund , had taken place during a meeting in Oslo organised by
805-557: A political party , its members often stressed their opinion that it was not a political organisation. Like other counter-jihad groups in Western countries, the EDL described itself as a human rights organisation, a characterisation not widely accepted among the British public. The EDL's informal structure lacked strict hierarchy, or clear leadership. In its early years, the EDL was controlled by
966-538: A racist organisation victimising British Muslims . The EDL also established a strong social media presence on Facebook and YouTube . Moving towards electoral politics, it established formal links with the far-right British Freedom Party , a breakaway from the BNP. The EDL's reputation was damaged in 2011 after supporters were convicted of plotting to bomb mosques and links were revealed with Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik . In 2013 Robinson—supported by
1127-455: A semi-automatic rifle and a Glock pistol legally in Norway, noting that he had a "clean criminal record, hunting license, and two guns (a Benelli Nova 12 gauge pump-action shotgun and a Weatherby Vanguard .308 bolt-action rifle ) already for seven years", and that obtaining the guns legally should therefore not be a problem. Upon returning to Norway, Breivik obtained a legal permit for
1288-487: A 'phobia' about Islam, we just realise the very serious threat it poses". EDL members regularly referred to Islam as an "ideology" or a "cult" rather than a "religion". They perceived it as a threat to Western culture; evoking Samuel P. Huntington 's notion of the Clash of Civilizations , the group's discourse constructed a binary division between Western and Islamic culture, the former presented as tolerant and progressive and
1449-498: A 32-year-old Norwegian far-right extremist, on Utøya island and charged him with both attacks. His trial took place between 16 April and 22 June 2012 in Oslo District Court , where Breivik admitted carrying out the attacks, but denied criminal guilt and claimed the defence of necessity ( jus necessitatis ). On 24 August, Breivik was convicted as charged and sentenced to 21 years of preventive detention in prison with
1610-546: A Dutch politician also against radical Islam, indicated he was not too happy with the demonstration. After the demonstration the city concluded that there were no major problems The Norwegian Defence League is a Norwegian anti-Islam group closely associated with the English Defence League (EDL). The NDL is an offshoot of the European Defence League and was formed around New Year 2010/2011, inspired by
1771-583: A Muslim population of around 18%—had a history of radical Islamist recruitment. On 10 March 2009, the small, extreme British Salafi Islamist group Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah demonstrated in the town to protest against the Royal Anglian Regiment 's homecoming parade following the latter's posting in Afghanistan . The demonstration—which was disowned by representatives of Luton's main Islamic communities—was
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#17328524154581932-467: A Norwegian version of the English Defence League. Breivik writes that he sees this as the only way to stop left-wing radical groups like Blitz and SOS Rasisme from harassing Norwegian cultural conservatives. According to the newspaper Dagbladet , Breivik however denies to have been a member of the NDL. Lena Andreassen states that Breivik was ejected from the organisation when she took over as leader because he
2093-418: A board of administrators since then, and one of its leading figures has been Ronny Alte. Alte said that the group is not far-right or racist and that the NDL seeks to gather people of all races to fight for democracy and freedom of speech , which he said is threatened by "the ideology Islam." He also said that the group is not anti-Islam, but Islam-critical . Alte resigned abruptly both as leader and member of
2254-498: A bus primarily carrying black youths. The EDL began to lose momentum in 2011. Contributing factors included regional rivalries between divisions, a resurgence of sectarian enmities between rival football firms, and personal squabbles. By early 2011, several divisions in northern England were referring to themselves as "the Infidels", expressing an increasingly separate identity from the EDL. Several northern groups expressed support for
2415-483: A centralised leadership team, in its heyday the EDL sub-divided into over 90 local and thematic divisions, each with considerable autonomy. Its support base consisted primarily of young, working-class white British men, some from established far-right and football hooligan subcultures. Polls indicated that most UK citizens opposed the EDL, and the organisation was repeatedly challenged by anti-fascist groups. Many local councils and police forces discouraged EDL marches, citing
2576-629: A company established under the fictitious purpose of cultivating vegetables, melons, roots and tubers. The real purpose was to gain access to chemicals and materials, especially fertiliser that could be used for the production of explosives without arousing suspicion. The place of business was given as Åmot in Hedmark . On 4 May 2011, Breivik purchased 6 tonnes (13,000 lb) of fertiliser through Geofarm at Felleskjøpet , 3 tonnes (6,600 lb) of ammonium nitrate and 3 tonnes (6,600 lb) of calcium ammonium nitrate . According to neighbours, all
2737-437: A deliberately provocative stunt, one which soon attracted media attention and anger that the authorities were permitting it to go ahead. A former regiment member, James Yeomans, organised a counter protest for 28 March. After local anti-Islamist blogger Paul "Lionheart" Ray publicised Yeomans' event online, various self-described "anti-jihadist" far-right groups that had emerged from the football hooligan firm scene—including
2898-436: A desire for major structural change to the British state. Several fascist groups distanced themselves from the EDL; the BNP leader Nick Griffin for instance said the EDL was a false flag operation manipulated by " Zionists ". Conversely, the political scientists Dominic Alessio and Meredith Kristen argued that the EDL "embodied" many of the "key characteristics of fascism": a staunch nationalism and calls for national rebirth,
3059-462: A few seconds. When an officer yelled "surrender or be shot" he laid down his weapons. Breivik called the 112 emergency phone number at least twice to surrender, at 18:01 and 18:26, and continued killing people in between. The police say Breivik hung up both times; they tried to call him back but did not succeed. When the police arrived at the scene, they were met by survivors begging the officers to throw away their weapons, as they were afraid that
3220-619: A former EDL regional organiser, John "Snowy" Shaw, who had accused Robinson and Carroll of financial impropriety. At a February 2011 EDL rally in Blackburn , Shaw's supporters violently clashed with Robinson's; Robinson fought with a fellow member at the rally, resulting in a September 2011 conviction for assault. Robinson's criminal record prevented him from entering the US, but in September 2011 he sought to do so illegally by using someone else's passport. He
3381-544: A gun and I'll shoot the Muzzie scum". The racial slur " paki " was also common at private EDL meetings, and at demonstrations; chants used include "I hate Pakis more than you" and "If we all hate Pakis, clap your hands". The EDL was nationalist, or ultra-nationalist , and its members regarded themselves as patriots. Some academics argued the group was ethnic nationalist , although Pilkington stressed that despite their nativist sentiment, most members' sense of English pride
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#17328524154583542-459: A half, ending when a police special task force arrived and Breivik surrendered, despite having ammunition left, at 18:35. The shooter used hollow-point or frangible bullets which increase tissue damage. Breivik repeatedly shouted "You will die today, Marxists , liberals , members of the elite!" Bøsei's husband and one of her daughters, who were also present, survived. The youngest victim, New Zealand-born Sharidyn Svebakk-Bøhn of Drammen ,
3703-463: A helicopter that could take them straight to the island. By 17:30, Delta , the police tactical unit in Oslo, were on the way to Utøya by car. One of the first to arrive on the scene was Marcel Gleffe , a German resident of Ski staying at Utvika Camping on the mainland. Recognising gunshots, he piloted his boat to the island and began throwing life-jackets to young people in the water, rescuing as many as he could in four or five trips, after which
3864-476: A lake some 32 kilometres (20 mi) northwest of Oslo, to the island of Utøya , the location of the Norwegian Labour Party's AUF youth camp. The camp is held there every summer and was attended by approximately 600 teenagers. When Breivik arrived on the island, he presented himself as a police officer who had come over for a routine check following the bombing in Oslo. He was met by Monica Bøsei,
4025-401: A leadership group referred to as the "team"; this included Robinson, although other members often remained anonymous or used pseudonyms. In 2010, the EDL went through a formal restructuring to deal with Robinson's absence, although until October 2013 the EDL was led by Robinson and Carroll as co-leaders, supported by the regional organisers of the 19 regional divisions. After that duo left, it
4186-474: A lethal weapon in the middle of Regjeringskvartalet all by himself. The conclusion by Felleskjøpet was that there is no legislation to keep agricultural businesses from buying as much fertiliser as they like, and that there was nothing suspicious about Breivik's purchase. This was confirmed by the director of the Norwegian Police Security Service , Janne Kristiansen , who stated "not even
4347-405: A local resident, received a telephone call that "something terrible" was happening on Utøya and requesting help. He initially thought the call was a prank, but acted anyway. Delta reached the meeting point at 18:09, but had to wait a few minutes for a boat to take them across. They reached Utøya at 18:25. When confronted by the heavily armed police on the island, the gunman initially hesitated for
4508-470: A means of countering accusations of racism, adopting the view that "lack of racism towards one group is assumed to be evidence of lack of racism against all". Members often viewed the multi-racial nature of England positively, although almost uniformly rejected the ideology of multiculturalism . In their view, mainstream politicians had encouraged multiculturalism both to be seen as being cosmopolitan and progressive but also because of their fascination for
4669-515: A member of the NDL. Breivik has been identified as a member of the NDL under the pseudonym "Sigurd Jorsalfar" (after the medieval Norwegian crusader-king Sigurd the Crusader ). The first documented initiative for establishing a Norwegian sister organisation to the EDL had also originated in a forum post by Breivik on the Norwegian website Document.no on 6 December 2009. There Breivik proposes to establish
4830-446: A member of the forum. On 19 April 2012, on the fourth day of the trial of Anders Behring Breivik , Ronny Alte, who had been called to witness for the defence, announced his resignation from both his position on the organisation's leadership group, called the "admins", and from the NDL. Alte claimed that he had wanted to distance himself from Breivik as much as possible but that the rest of the "admin" community had told him not to talk to
4991-519: A perceived decline in English culture on high immigration rates and an uncaring political elite. It distinguished itself from Britain's traditional far-right by rejecting biological racism , antisemitism , and homophobia . Commentators differed on whether the EDL itself was ideologically fascist , although several of its leaders were previously involved in fascist organisations and some neo-Nazis and other fascists attended EDL events. Largely headed by
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5152-534: A propensity for violence, and what they described as "pronounced anti-democratic and anti-liberal tendencies" among its leaders. They highlighted that much of the group's leadership came directly from the fascist BNP, and that EDL events have been supported by present and former members of fascist groups like the National Front, the Racial Volunteer Force , Blood & Honour , and Combat 18 . The EDL
5313-447: A prospectus for a mineral extraction business printed, which was supposed to give him an alibi in case someone suspected him of preparing a terrorist attack. He wanted to buy an AK-47 -type assault rifle, a Glock pistol , hand-grenades and a rocket-propelled grenade , stating that getting the latter two would be a "bonus". Breivik had several fake police badges printed to wear with a police uniform, which he had acquired illegally on
5474-456: A reason for stepping down from his leadership position. The EDL responded to their presence by banning some neo-Nazis from its events, a move with widespread support from EDL members more broadly, who were keen to distance themselves from neo-Nazism. A social movement —and more specifically a new social movement and social movement organisation —the EDL was a direct action or street-based protest movement. A pressure group rather than
5635-550: A series of nine areas: North West, North East, East Midlands, West Midlands, East Anglia, South West, South East, South East Central, and Greater London. In 2010, new regional organisers were introduced for each; the EDL was heavily reliant on these grassroots networks and the initiative of local and regional leaders. 2011 Norway attacks The 2011 Norway attacks , also called 22 July ( Norwegian : 22. juli ) or 22/7 in Norway, were two domestic terrorist attacks by far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik against
5796-594: A static protest in Pollokshields on 27 July, the birthday of local Kriss Donald , the white victim of Scotland's first-ever race murder in 2004. Hogesa or Hooligans against Salafists (German: Hooligans gegen Salafisten ) is a German street movement mainly originating from right-wing hooligan groups from all over the country. The movement purports to oppose the rise of Salafism in Germany. Their demonstrations have attracted between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 people. It
5957-532: A street movement rather than a political party. The EDL subsequently established links with another BNP breakaway group; in February 2013, it provided a security force for an event by the far-right British Democratic Party (BDP), which was founded by Andrew Brons , who had previously represented the BNP at the European Parliament. By early 2013, commentators believed that the EDL was in decline, reflected in
6118-565: A summer camp on the island of Utøya in Tyrifjorden , Buskerud . The camp was organised by the AUF, the youth wing of the ruling Norwegian Labour Party (AP) . Breivik, dressed in a homemade police uniform and showing false identification, took a ferry to the island and opened fire at the participants, killing 69 and injuring 32. Among the dead were friends of Stoltenberg, and the stepbrother of Norway's crown princess Mette-Marit . The Utøya attack
6279-539: A suspicious package was found close to the tracks. The same happened at the offices of TV 2 which were evacuated after a suspicious package was found outside the building. Approximately one and a half hours after the Oslo explosion, Breivik, dressed in a police uniform and presenting himself as "Martin Nilsen" from the Oslo Police Department, boarded the ferry MS Thorbjørn at Utøykaia in Tyrifjorden ,
6440-457: A warm reception at EDL rallies, where the LGBT rainbow flag was regularly flown, but at the same time also heard homophobic comments at EDL events. Several commentators argued that the EDL was not fascist. Nigel Copsey, a historian of the far-right, stated that the EDL was not driven by the same "ideological end-goal" as neo-fascist and other fascist groups; unlike fascists, the EDL did not express
6601-666: A white Volkswagen Crafter and parked in front of the H block , housing the Office of the Prime Minister , Ministry of Justice and the Police , and several other governmental buildings, such as the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy ( R4 ), Ministry of Finance ( G block ), Ministry of Education and Research ( Y block ) and the Supreme Court of Norway (behind the G block ). The Crafter
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6762-552: Is active in Scotland, although some activists in the country identify primarily with the EDL. Like the EDL, the group protested against the murder of Lee Rigby in 2013. It claimed 4,000 members at the time of the murder in May 2013. Aberdeen City Council rejected a bid from the SDL to march on 29 June 2013 due to Armed Forces Day marches on the same day and plans to pass a local mosque. The SDL held
6923-406: Is an offshoot of the European Defence League, which itself is an offshoot of the English Defence League. Some segments of the media have described the movement as Islamophobic. The majority of the group's organising occurs online. Several branches of the European Defence League were launched at an English Defence League demonstration in their home town of Luton in February 2011. On 31 March 2012,
7084-456: Is not against ordinary Muslims, only the fundamentalist groups", and said that the NDL has Muslim members. She has said that the NDL also opposes radical Norwegian extreme right groups. Both Andreassen and former spokesperson Remi Huseby has previously joined the EDL for demonstrations in England. A demonstration was announced for 26 March on the group's web pages. Permission from the police to protest
7245-479: Is not known whether Breivik was in fact part of establishing the organisation, although it has been claimed that he was. Whether Breivik actually was a member of the Norwegian Defence League is also debated, as Breivik is said to deny it. Three of the organisation's past leaders said he was a member. Following the 2011 Norway attacks on 22 July, it was revealed that Anders Behring Breivik had formerly been
7406-589: Is the deadliest mass shooting by a lone individual in modern history. The attack was the deadliest in Norway since World War II . A survey found that one in four Norwegians knew someone affected. The European Union , NATO and several countries expressed their support for Norway and condemned the attacks. The 2012 Gjørv Report concluded that Norway's police could have prevented the bombing and caught Breivik faster at Utøya, and that measures to prevent further attacks and "mitigate adverse effects" should have been implemented. The Norwegian Police arrested Breivik,
7567-546: The British Freedom Party (BFP), a BNP breakaway founded in October 2010. The BFP was led by Eddy Butler, who had previously made an unsuccessful attempt to oust the BNP leader Nick Griffin . The BFP wanted to move closer to mainstream politics by disassociating itself from the BNP's emphasis on biological racism and imitating continental European right-wing groups such as the Dutch Party for Freedom . In May 2012, it
7728-498: The H block ( H-blokka ) and R4 , and the shock wave blew out the windows on all floors as well as in the VG house and other buildings on the other side of the square. The blast was caught on many security cameras. The streets in the area were filled with glass and debris. A cloud of white smoke which was reported as a fire continued to burn at the Department of Oil and Energy. The blast
7889-607: The London Assembly in 2008 and two seats at the European Parliament in 2010. By 2011, this support had declined, with the party losing many of its local council seats. However, as noted by the political scientist Chris Allen, the BNP had "extended the frontier of the far right in British politics", creating an environment on which the English Defence League would capitalise. The town of Luton in Bedfordshire —which had
8050-539: The National Front and the British National Party , however the EDL itself differed from these older groups by reaching out to Jews, people of colour, and LGBT people, against whom the British far right historically discriminated. Thus, the historian of the far right Paul Jackson referred to it as part of a "new far right" which presented itself as being more moderate than its predecessors. The EDL disavowed
8211-512: The Norwegian Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities , Terje Emberland, told the paper that such a list had only been made once before in Norway, when an anti-semite in the 1930s published a list of Jewish businesses in Norway. He also said that "In this way, the NDL clearly exposes its character, and aligns with the fascist and racist tradition to which it belongs." The Scottish Defence League ( SDL ) founded by Ryan Boag Jr
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#17328524154588372-476: The Quilliam think tank—left the group. He said it had become too extreme, and established the short-lived rival Pegida UK . EDL membership declined significantly following Robinson's departure, various branches declared independence, and it became defunct several years later. Ideologically on the extreme-right or far-right of British politics, the EDL was part of the international counter-jihad movement. Rejecting
8533-449: The Stasi could have prevented this attack". The company listed at least two Swedish employees on the social networking site Facebook, but it is uncertain whether these people existed. In April 2011, he reported moving from Oslo to Vålstua farm in the municipality of Åmot, about 9 kilometres (6 mi) south of the community centre Rena, on the east side of Glomma. His agricultural company
8694-526: The Stop Islamisation of Norway group in February 2011. According to TV 2, an investigation in late August of the electoral lists for the 2011 local elections revealed that eight politicians, representing five different parties, had been members of the NDL's Internet forum. In addition to Krane and Birkeland, also Magnar Tanem, candidate for mayor in Oslo for the Christian Unity Party had been
8855-504: The exoticism of other cultures. The EDL condemned homophobia and established an LGBT division in March 2010. This pro-LGBT rights stance allowed the EDL to criticise what it presented as the left's refusal to confront Islamic homophobia. Pilkington argued that this pro-LGBT rights stance was not solely a cynical ploy by the EDL's leadership, but reflected widespread views within the movement. She observed gay and transgender speakers receiving
9016-666: The government , the civilian population, and a Workers' Youth League (AUF) summer camp, in which a total of 77 people were killed. The first attack was a car bomb explosion in Oslo within Regjeringskvartalet , the executive government quarter of Norway , at 15:25:22 ( CEST ). The bomb was placed inside a van next to the tower block housing the office of the then Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg . The explosion killed eight people and injured at least 209 people, 12 severely. The second attack occurred less than two hours later at
9177-805: The legal minimum wage . At the same time, EDL members often expressed sympathy for migrants as individuals seeking a better life, and typically distinguished between "good" migrants who worked hard and paid taxes and "bad" migrants who live off the welfare state. The EDL stated that it was not racist, employing the slogan "Black and White unite: all races and religions are welcome in the EDL". It formed specific divisions for Hindu , Sikh , Jewish , Greek and Cypriot , and Pakistani Christian supporters, and small numbers of Asian, African, and biracial supporters attended its events. These were often viewed as "trophy" members, with many white members asking to have their photographs taken with them. Members often stressed that they had ethnic minority friends and family as
9338-449: The "Islamisation of Norway and Europe", the Norwegian parliament's recent decision to change the constitution to relinquish Christianity as state religion and equate all religions was also protested. A counter-rally was organised and police in combat attire physically separated the groups. SOS Rasisme was expelled from the counter-rally and later protested that it was "too passive." On 28 February 2013, newspaper Verdens Gang wrote that
9499-496: The "far-right" label, describing itself as "non-political, taking no position on right-wing vs. left-wing. We welcome members from all over the political spectrum, and with varying views on foreign policy, united against Islamic extremism and its influence on British life." When examining the EDL's public statements, Jackson cautioned against automatically taking them at face value; as he noted, far-right groups typically present "front stage" messages for public consumption which conceal
9660-497: The 24 hours after the incident, and organised several flash demonstrations. At one such event, Robinson told members that "What you saw today [i.e. Rigby's killing] is Islam. Everyone's had enough." In late May, the EDL held a demonstration in central London that attracted a thousand participants; another, held in central Birmingham in July, attracted several hundred. On 8 October 2013, Robinson and Carroll announced that they were leaving
9821-547: The BFP after its leader, Paul Weston, resigned. The BFP did poorly at a series of local elections, failing to gain sufficient votes to have its deposits returned; its failure to register correctly led the Electoral Commission to remove its registration. Among the EDL grassroots, there had been much opposition to association with the BFP; many feared that it would damage the EDL's reputation or stressed their desire to be part of
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#17328524154589982-740: The British National Party (BNP). Finally[...], extreme right‐wing movements, such as the Aryan Strike Force, have found the EDL a useful host organisation. — Historian of the far right Paul Jackson Political scientists locate the EDL on the far-right of the left–right political spectrum , sometimes referring to its ideology as "extreme right", or "right-wing extremism". In various respects, it resembled other far-right groups, particularly those that emerged across early 21st century Europe. From its early days, its demonstrations were attended by members of older far-right parties such as
10143-407: The British anti-fascist Searchlight magazine in a 26 July 2011 press release, the NDL's Facebook page was administered by Steve Simmons who was appointed European Liaison Officer by EDL Leader Tommy Robinson aka Steven Lennon. In December 2009 Anders Behring Breivik , the convicted perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks , proposed a group similar to the English Defence League in a forum post. It
10304-498: The EDL as an "anti-Islamist movement", but considered there to be crossover with broader anti-Islam or anti-Muslim positions. The EDL stated that it only opposed the "Islamic extremist" but not the "ordinary Muslim", a distinction also drawn by many of its activists. However, the EDL's rhetoric regularly failed to make this distinction, and the group and its members alleged that British Muslims implicitly supported Islamic extremism by failing to speak out against it. Research examining
10465-506: The EDL coalesced around several football hooligan firms protesting the public presence of the small Salafi group Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah in Luton , Bedfordshire . Tommy Robinson , a former member of the British National Party (BNP), soon became its de facto leader. The organisation grew swiftly, holding demonstrations across England and often clashing with anti-fascist protesters from Unite Against Fascism and other groups, who deemed it
10626-569: The EDL following meetings with the think tank Quilliam . Robinson said that street protests were "no longer effective" and "acknowledged the dangers of far-right extremism". He stated his intention to continue to combat extremism by forming a new party. Both Robinson and Carroll had been taking lessons in Islam from a Quilliam member, Usama Hasan , and stated their intent to train in lobbying institutions. Quilliam had given Robinson £8000 to facilitate his departure; it hoped that doing so would "decapitate"
10787-684: The EDL initially termed "extremist Muslim preachers and organisations". It claimed that Englishness had been marginalised throughout England, citing the fact that some local authorities had ceased flying the flag of St George and that some state schools only supplied halal meat and had stopped celebrating Nativity plays at Christmas time. The EDL focused on organising demonstrations: between 2009 and 2015, it held an average of between ten and fifteen demonstrations per year, attracting crowds of between 100 and 3000. It faced opposition from media commentators and anti-fascist groups, who described it as racist, far right, and extreme right, terms rejected by
10948-491: The EDL is proud to recognize and proclaim its diversity. — Political scientist Chris Allen Alessio and Meredith thought the EDL was anti-immigrant , and anti-migrant sentiment was common among EDL members. Its members saw immigration as being detrimental to the white British, believing that it fundamentally changed the nature of England, contributed to social division, and resulted in economic competition, with migrants outcompeting white Britons by working for less than
11109-482: The EDL substantially different to anything typically seen in the traditionally 'all white' make-up of what is deemed to be the far right. And, indeed, this is a unique feature of the EDL. Reflecting its origins in football firms, not only does the EDL march behind banners that state 'Black and white unite against Islamic extremism'—it also marches carrying Israeli flags—but a number of those marching are of black, Asian or mixed heritages. Unlike other far-right organizations,
11270-413: The EDL which had been formed in 2009. There were conflicts regarding the leadership of the group, and it was immersed in a struggle involving multiple competing factions in early 2011. The group was eventually led by Lena Andreassen for about a month until she was dismissed by EDL appointed liaison officer Steve Simmons following a failed demonstration that was held on 9 April 2011. The NDL has been headed by
11431-534: The EDL's decline, with many EDL supporters finding it easier to vote for UKIP than physically attend EDL events. In April 2013, the EDL leadership requested that members use tactical voting to benefit UKIP; the latter responded by distancing itself from the EDL. The EDL experienced a brief resurgence in its fortunes after Islamist militants killed the British Army soldier Lee Rigby in southeast London in May 2013. The group tripled its number of Facebook followers in
11592-707: The EDL. Most notable among the anti-fascist groups organising counter-protests was Unite Against Fascism , while Islamic groups sometimes also held counter-protests. In turn, the EDL targeted left-wing groups. In December 2010, Robinson threatened action against student anti-fee protesters , while in 2011 the EDL harassed Occupy anti-capitalist protesters in London. During the 2011 England riots , EDL members mobilised in largely white areas of Outer London , such as Enfield and Eltham , stating that they were there to "defend" them from rioters. These also resulted in clashes with police, and in one incident EDL members attacked
11753-514: The EDL. Robinson's departure generated much anger among the grassroots, many of whom thought him a traitor. A meeting of the group's regional organisers led to the EDL's adoption of a new system of collective leadership, through which the 19 regional organisers formed a governing committee with a rotating chair. The first to take on this role was Tim Ablitt; in February 2014 he was succeeded by Steve Eddowes; and in December 2015 by Ian Crossland, with
11914-767: The EDL. He was affiliated with the EDL's Norwegian sister organisation, the Norwegian Defence League , and stated that he had "more than 600 EDL members as Facebook friends and have spoken with tens [sic] of EDL members and leaders". Breivik described EDL co-founder Ray as his "mentor", having been in communication with him since 2002. Four months before his attack, Breivik posted on the EDL website, describing them as an "inspiration" and "a blessing to all in Europe". Online, he described having attended an EDL rally in Bradford . Robinson denied any EDL links with Breivik and deplored
12075-461: The English Defence League was officially formed on 27 June 2009. Ray claimed to have been its founder, describing how the EDL united the UPL with other "anti-jihadist" groups from around England. Its creation reflected what the political scientist Roger Eatwell termed "cumulative extremism", whereby the "activities of one extremist group trigger the formation of another". The EDL took its name from that of
12236-455: The European Defence League held their first major event, in Aarhus , Denmark. Robinson had hoped for an attendance of 700, although it was later estimated at 160, with only 15 English activists in attendance. Local police made 80 arrests at the rally. The rally also faced a left-wing counter-demonstration. Academic Matthew Goodwin stated that despite the low attendance, the links and networking from
12397-802: The Internet, and which he later wore during the attack. Contrary to his expectations, he was unable to get any firearms in the Czech Republic, commenting that it was the "first major setback in [his] operation". In the end, he concluded that Prague was "far from an ideal city to buy guns", nothing like "what the BBC reported", and that he had felt "safer in Prague than in Oslo". Originally, Breivik intended to try to obtain weapons in Germany or Serbia if his mission in Prague failed. The Czech disappointment led him to procure his weapons through legal channels. He decided to obtain
12558-535: The NDL had published a list of Muslims on its web page. The list had been compiled on the basis of listings in the Public Entity Registry . Lars Johnny Aardal, deputy leader of the NDL, said that it was published "to show the extent of Islam and Muslims in Norway". Former secretary general of the Islamic Council Norway characterised the list as "frightening" and "fear-mongering". Senior scientist at
12719-428: The NDL on 19 April 2012 over a dispute with the rest of the organisation's leadership related to its connection with Anders Behring Breivik . Following Alte's resignation the NDL website was taken offline. Other sources claim that Ronny Alte was removed from his position after refusing to follow advice from the administration team of the NDL. A new website, with the old layout, has appeared at a .info address rather than
12880-633: The North West Infidels and South East Alliance, adopted more extreme perspectives, cooperating with the fascist National Front and making reference to the white supremacist Fourteen Words slogan on their social media. Other activists moved away from the EDL to focus on campaigning for Brexit , the UK's exit from the European Union . It is possible that the electoral growth of the right-wing UK Independence Party (UKIP) in this period also contributed to
13041-456: The RHIB it took on some water and after a few hundred metres, the engine stopped, probably due to water in the fuel. Two minutes later they took over a civilian boat that was sent to assist them. The episode was captured on video. A minute or two after the video ends, a faster civilian boat arrived to help. Four Delta officers boarded the boat. Not wanting to waste any more time, the civilian couple took
13202-547: The St. George Division; this broke from the EDL soon after, when Ray emigrated. This left the way for Tommy Robinson to become the EDL's de facto leader. A former BNP member with criminal convictions for assault, Robinson's real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon; the pseudonym was borrowed from the head of a Luton football hooligan firm . Robinson was clearly spoken, articulate and able to present his views in an assured and eloquent way during television interviews and other encounters with
13363-462: The Terrorists": this again resulted in disorder, with police making several arrests. A related group was Casuals United , founded by established football hooligan Jeff Marsh: their website used the tagline "One Nation, One Enemy, One Firm", reflecting the group's desire to unite rival football firms in opposition to what it called the "Islamification" of Britain. It was from this environment that
13524-410: The UK. Individuals who identified as EDL supporters were among the rioters, and in response Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner suggested the EDL could be proscribed as a terrorist organisation . Joe Mulhall, head of Hope Not Hate, dismissed the idea that the EDL was responsible for the riots or that banning it would be effective, "because the organisation no longer exists". [D]espite its claims to
13685-470: The Welsh Defence League (WDL) and the March for England (MfE)—announced their intention to attend. Fearing the far right would hijack his event, Yeomans cancelled it. In its place, Ray organised an "anti-jihadist" march for St. George's Day under the banner of the new United People of Luton (UPL), although this was broken up by police. The UPL organised a second demonstration for 24 May, titled "Ban
13846-694: The Welsh Defence League; its founders also considered the name "British Defence League", but rejected this as being too similar to that of the British National Party. The EDL's foundation was accompanied by an impromptu protest outside the East London Mosque in Whitechapel , which police quickly dispersed. The following week the group picketed an event in Wood Green , North London organised by Salafi Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary and his Islam4UK group. Its first major public appearance to attract attention
14007-478: The area and navigated the ferry 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) to the north. Hence the ferry was not available to the police when they arrived at Utøykaia, the normal ferry landing on the mainland. The police therefore had to use their own rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB). On the day of the event, this boat was in Hønefoss, and had to be transported to the lake and launched before it could be used. When Delta boarded
14168-475: The bomb was composed of a mixture of fertiliser and fuel oil ( ANFO ), similar to that used in the Oklahoma City bombing . Immediately after the explosion, the area surrounding the damaged buildings was cordoned off and evacuated. People were asked to remain calm and leave the city centre if possible, but there was no general evacuation. The Oslo Metro remained operational, and most of the Oslo tram network
14329-461: The camp leader and island hostess. Bøsei probably became suspicious and contacted Trond Berntsen, the security officer on the island, before Breivik killed them both. He then signalled and asked people to gather around him before pulling weapons and ammunition from a bag and firing indiscriminately, killing and wounding numerous people. He first shot people on the island and later started shooting at people who were trying to escape by swimming across
14490-478: The company owner on 24 July 2011. Breivik's Polish purchases initially led to him being placed on the watch list of the Norwegian intelligence, which did not act because they did not believe his actions were relevant to their terror concerns. He had also planned a last religious service (in Frogner Church , Oslo) before the attack. On 18 May 2009, Breivik created a sole proprietorship called Breivik Geofarm ,
14651-611: The contrary, there is much prima face [ sic ] evidence to place the EDL on the more radical fringes of the political right. This ranges from its populist, nationalist agenda; to its condemnation of leftwing figures on its various blogs and websites; to its strong associations with the US Tea Party movement; to its support for international far right figures, such as Geert Wilders. Moreover[...], key EDL figures, such as Steven Yaxley‐Lennon and Kevin Carroll, have historic links with
14812-502: The country. The British National Party (BNP) was most successful at exploiting growing hostility against Muslims. It launched an anti-Muslim campaign in 2000, which gained momentum after Salafi jihadi Muslims perpetrated the 2001 September 11 attacks in the United States and the 7 July 2005 bombings in London . This resulted in growing electoral success for the BNP: it secured a seat on
14973-403: The decreasing numbers attending its events, Robinson's imprisonment, and its failure to enter electoral politics. Groups which had closely allied to the EDL, such as Casuals United and March for England, were reasserting their individual identities. Splinter groups appeared, among them the North West Infidels, North East Infidels, South East Alliance and Combined Ex-Forces. Some of these, such as
15134-469: The demonstration, on 13 April, the EDL broke its ties with the NDL's then-present leadership. Lena Andreassen and her leadership was subsequently thrown out of the group. Andreassen would then resign her membership completely. Following the failed demonstration, Ronny Alte, a high school teacher from Stokke , Vestfold , was announced as the new leader of the NDL. He stated in an interview in August that ever since
15295-456: The early 21st century, Muslims were Britain's second largest and fastest-growing religious group; according to the 2011 census , 2.7 million people in England and Wales described themselves as Muslim, representing 4.8% of the total population. At the same time, Muslims became the main scapegoat for far-right groups across Western society. In Britain, this was partly because prejudices against Jews and African-Caribbean people —both communities
15456-502: The emergence of groups hostile to Islam. It judged that online activism, particularly in social media, could cause a rise in xenophobia , and that this in turn could lead to polarisation within and between extreme political movements. Furthermore, it stated that an increase in activism could lead to more violence, particularly in connection with political rallies. On 1 March Huseby left the group as he said it had been "overtaken by Nazis." Later that month, on 19 March, Lena Andreassen became
15617-503: The event would be significant. English Defence League The English Defence League ( EDL ) was a far-right , Islamophobic organisation active in England from 2009 until the mid-late 2010s. A social movement and pressure group that employed street demonstrations as its main tactic, the EDL presented itself as a single-issue movement opposed to Islamism and Islamic extremism , although its rhetoric and actions targeted Islam and Muslims more widely. Established in London,
15778-403: The fact that Prague has one of the lowest crime rates among European capitals, Breivik expressed reservations about his personal safety, writing that (before his trip there) he believed Prague to be a dangerous place with "many brutal and cynical criminals". He hollowed out the rear seats of his Hyundai Atos in order to have enough space for the firearms he hoped to buy. After two days, he got
15939-467: The far-right previously used as social scapegoats—were increasingly socially unacceptable. In the latter half of the 20th century, most British Muslims were of South Asian heritage. When they faced racist abuse, such as "Paki-bashing" , it was usually because of their racial background, rather than their religious belief. By the 21st century, British Muslims were increasingly targeted because they were Muslim, including by members of other ethnic minorities in
16100-554: The far-right still identified themselves as supporters of the EDL, and that its ideology still remained prominent in the now more decentralised British far right. Following far-right violence at London's Cenotaph on Armistice Day 2023, an event at which Robinson was present, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned those involved as "EDL thugs". Following the murder of three children in Southport in July 2024, far-right rioting broke out locally before spreading to other parts of
16261-450: The fertiliser was stored in his barn. After conducting a reconstruction of the bomb with equivalent amount of fertiliser on the farm in Åmot, police and bomb experts concluded that the bomb had been 950 kg (2,090 lb), about the same size as the one used in the 2002 Bali bombings . Afterwards there was significant debate in Norway about how an amateur could acquire such substantial amounts of fertiliser and manufacture and place such
16422-401: The first shot was fired, they could not find a suitable boat to reach the island. They were then ordered to observe and report. AUF's own ferry, the 50-passenger MS Thorbjørn , was used by Breivik to go to Utøya. Shortly after the first shot was fired, nine people were leaving the island on the ferry, among them the AUF leader Eskil Pedersen . They feared there might be more terrorists in
16583-810: The grassroots having been given a voice in his selection through an online vote. Although the EDL had declined, the sentiments feeding it—especially anger at immigration and Islam—remained widespread across Britain's white working-class communities. Other far-right groups emerged to claim the space in British society that it left vacant, often utilising the EDL's tactics. Britain First sought to court disenchanted EDL members, adopting similar street protests: it organised "Christian patrols" through areas with Islamic communities, as well as "mosque invasions" in which members entered mosques to disrupt proceedings. In December 2015, Robinson and Anne Marie Waters launched another anti-Islam street movement, Pegida UK , hoping to imitate
16744-465: The group announced the immediate termination of its activities. The DDL distances itself from neo-Nazi ideas by explicitly stating the following phrase in their charter; The DDL rejects Nazi-ideologies the same way as it rejects radical Islamism and further it sincerely respects every human being, no matter the race, religion or lifestyle . In prelude to the demonstration in Amsterdam on 30 October 2010,
16905-468: The group was immersed in conflict, as according to newspaper Dagbladet , reportedly " Nazi sympathizers, nationalists and more moderate opponents of Islam " vied for control over the group. On 28 February the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) announced it was watching the NDL, which it defined as an "extreme right group." In its annual public threat assessment for 2011, the PST expressed concern about
17066-458: The group's rhetoric and membership found that many failed to understand the distinction between different variants of Islam. Various scholars describe the EDL as Islamophobic, a characterisation the EDL rejected. It did so by defining "Islamophobia" as a phobia or affected prejudice, a definition different from the majority of academics and activists employing the term, stating that "the English Defence League do not 'fear' Islam, we do not have
17227-410: The high cost of policing them, the disruptive influence on community harmony, and the damage caused to counter-terrorism operations. Following the decline of the EDL, the British far right became more decentralised, organising via the internet without formal organizations or leaders. Some self-identified EDL supporters subsequently became involved in events like the 2024 United Kingdom riots . In
17388-493: The idea that Muslims can truly be English, the EDL presented Islam as an intolerant, primitive threat seeking to take over Europe . Some political scientists and other commentators characterised this Islamophobic stance as culturally racist . Both online and at its events, EDL members incited violence against Muslims, with supporters carrying out violent acts both at demonstrations and independently. The EDL's broader ideology featured nationalism , nativism , and populism , blaming
17549-573: The island well, swam to the island's rocky west side and hid in the caves which are only accessible from the water. Others were able to hide away on the secluded Kjærlighetsstien ("love path"). Forty-seven of the campers sought refuge in Skolestua ("the School House") together with personnel from the Norwegian People's Aid . Although Breivik fired two bullets through the door, he did not get through
17710-487: The killings; however, after Breivik was convicted, some EDL members praised his actions. In July 2011, Interpol requested Maltese police investigate Ray due to his links with Breivik; he too condemned the killings, calling them "pure evil". In December 2011, two EDL supporters—one a serving soldier in the British military—were convicted of plotting to bomb a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent . The EDL developed links with
17871-473: The lake who were close to drowning. Former prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland , whom Breivik said he hated and, in a pun on the (more or less ironic) epithet Landsmoderen ("mother of the nation"), referred to in his writings as landsmorderen ("murderer of the nation"), had been on the island earlier in the day to give a speech to the camp. After the attack, Breivik stated that he originally wanted to target her specifically; but because of delays related to
18032-580: The lake. Survivors on the island described a scene of terror. Survivor Dana Barzingi, then 21, described how several victims wounded by Breivik pretended to be dead, but he came back and shot them again. He spared an 11-year-old boy who had lost his father (Trond Berntsen) during the shooting and stood up against him and said he was too young to die, as well as a 22-year-old man who begged for his life. Some witnesses hid in undergrowth and lavatories, communicating by text message to avoid revealing their positions. The mass shooting lasted for around an hour and
18193-517: The latter as intolerant and backward. EDL rhetoric explicitly distinguished Muslims from the English national group: for the EDL, a Muslim could not be truly English, and the idea of an English Muslim or a British Muslim identity was not considered acceptable. The EDL feared that Muslims want to dominate Britain by imposing sharia law , and interpreted the building of mosques as evidence of this desire for domination. It claimed that this Islamic takeover
18354-481: The latter due to their expulsion from the group. The demonstration failed to gather more than a dozen supporters, while a representative of the EDL held a guest appeal. Then-leader Lena Andreassen also gave a speech to the NDL protesters who had turned up. At the same time, an anti-racist counter-protest at Jernbanetorget nearby gathered between 700 and 1,000 people. The police later stated that both demonstrations had been peaceful, and without clashes. Four days after
18515-457: The leader of the group after an internal power-struggle. Having announced in an interview six days earlier that she sought to rid the group of neo-Nazis, she stated in April that such supporters of the group had now been "weeded out" after an internal "Nazi hunt". She said that she had cooperated with the Oslo police to get rid of "unwanted persons", and that she had close contacts with PST. Although in
18676-472: The leadership struggle earlier that year, the organisation has been led by five administrators (including Alte), supported by the leadership of the EDL. Alte said that the organisation distances itself from any use of violence, and he also asserted that it has become a gentler organisation than under its previous leadership. He also maintained that the NDL supports the nation of Israel. On 11 March 2012 Norwegian tabloid Dagbladet wrote that during 2010 and until
18837-461: The locked door, and the people inside this building survived. Two Chechen teenagers, Movsar Dzhamayev (17) and Rustam Daudov (16) had pelted the gunman with rocks in an attempt to stop him. The teenagers said they then decided that it was too difficult to stop the gunman and better to save lives. They discovered a cave-like opening in a rock where they hid 23 children from Breivik. Dzhamayev, who kept guard outside, also dragged three youngsters from
18998-642: The media predicted a clash between Ajax hooligans and EDL members who would visit Amsterdam from England. The concern for a clash reached the point to which the mayor decided to move the demonstration to another location, a decision the DDL wanted to fight in court but later reconsidered and refrained from doing so. On 30 October 2010, members of the Dutch Defence League rallied in Amsterdam , together with some English Defence League members, and protested for freedom of speech and in support of Geert Wilders . Wilders,
19159-508: The media. According to the political scientist Joel Busher, Robinson was "a high-energy, fast-talking, all action character whose combination of swagger, self-deprecation and derring-do helped make him a popular figurehead within the movement." Ray was critical of his successor, and—from his new base in Malta—posted videos to YouTube in which he threatened to retake control of the EDL. These threats came to nothing. Robinson's right-hand man
19320-452: The media. He said he was considering starting a group of his own. The Norwegian Defence League, in cooperation with SIOE Norway , held its first successful public rally in Stavanger on 23 June 2012. Around 40 people participated according to the police who also called the protest "peaceful". Some counter-protesters, however, were fined for refusing to leave the area. In addition to protesting
19481-411: The men in uniforms would again open fire on them. During the attack, 69 people were killed, and of the 517 survivors, 66 were wounded. The Norwegian police did not have helicopters suitable for transporting groups of police for an airdrop. The one they had was useful only for surveillance and the helicopter crew were on leave. When the local police arrived at Utøykaia , less than 30 minutes after
19642-436: The more aggressive views expressed in private. Rather than labelling the EDL "far-right", the ethnographer Hilary Pilkington suggested that the group was better classified under Cas Mudde 's concept of the "populist radical right". Other scholarly commentators also considered the group to be populist because of its claim to represent "ordinary people" against the liberal elites who it alleged controlled Britain. The EDL
19803-461: The newspaper, Lena Andreassen who was leader of the NDL in the spring of 2011 didn't know about the infiltration. Ronny Alte, NDL spokesperson as of March 2011, confirmed they had come to realise that there were infiltrators in the NDL in 2011. In 2013 it was also revealed that NDL had been infiltrated by informants working for the Norwegian Police Security Service . These infiltrators were also able to acquire very central positions, wrote speeches for
19964-533: The official spokesperson and may even have played an important role in establishing a working organisation. The most active of the informants claims to have expelled Anders Behring Breivik from NDL in 2010. On 4 August 2011, TV 2 revealed that Håvar Krane, a mayoral candidate in Kristiansund for the marginal, right-wing Democrats party who had served as the leader of the NDL for three weeks during an early transitional period, had talked about his desire of "putting
20125-433: The old one which was a .com address. The group uses Facebook for organisation. The NDL had more than 1,300 members on its closed Facebook group by September 2011 and had more than 30,000 likes on its open Facebook page that year. Rivalries existed between several different Facebook groups all vying for the support of the English Defence League, at least until August 2011. One of these were created by Ronny Alte. According to
20286-641: The perpetrator's ethnicity or religion as irrelevant. EDL members also expressed anger at perceived Muslim involvement in drug dealing and other crimes affecting their communities, and at the perceived wealth of British Muslims, which they contrasted with their own strained economic situation. The sociologists Simon Winlow, Steve Hall and James Treadwell noted that all the EDL members they encountered expressed hatred of Muslims. Many placed this hatred in relation to local issues and personal experiences; for instance, EDL members regarded being poorly treated by an Asian shopkeeper as evidence that Muslims intrinsically hate
20447-399: The police asked him to stop. The Daily Telegraph credited him with saving up to 30 lives. Another 40 were saved by Hege Dalen and Toril Hansen, a married couple on vacation in the area. Dalen was helping from land while Hansen and a neighbour camper made several trips to rescue people in the water. Several dozen more were rescued by Kasper Ilaug, who made three trips to the island. Ilaug,
20608-522: The possibility of indefinite five-year extensions for public safety, the maximum sentence allowed in Norway. Breivik was preparing for the attacks at least as early as 2009, though he concealed his violent intentions. Breivik spent six days in Prague in late August and early September 2010. Following his Internet inquiry, Breivik noted that "Prague is known for maybe being the most important transit site point for illicit drugs and weapons in Europe". Despite
20769-416: The profile of particular social groups within the EDL and help to draw recruits from sectors of society that normally avoided membership in a far-right group, such as ethnic minorities and LGBT people. Some local divisions covered whole cities or counties while in other cases there could be more than one division representing a single postcode, in part due to personal disputes. Local groups were organised into
20930-464: The renovation of Oslo Central railway station, he arrived after she had already left. Investigators later confirmed that they collected a total of 186 spent ammunition shell casings on the island. The first shot was fired at 17:22. The emergency medical services were informed about the shooting two minutes later. One minute after that, the police in Oslo were informed. They immediately tried to reach Utøya as quickly as possible, but did not have
21091-492: The rifle from a United States supplier, and six magazines for the pistol (including four 30-round magazines) in Norway. From November 2010 to January 2011 he went through 15 training sessions at the Oslo Pistol Club, and by mid-January his application to purchase a Glock pistol was approved. Breivik claimed in his manifesto that he bought 300g of sodium nitrate from a Polish shop for €10. The Polish ABW interviewed
21252-509: The spring of 2011 the leadership of the NDL was infiltrated by members of the left-wing anti-racist group SOS Rasisme . Several anonymous sources told the newspaper that the anti-racists in fact commanded a majority on the board. One of the sources, an SOS Rasisme member, was one of the NDL board members. Another anti-racist, whom the sources named as an NDL board member, denied those claims. The anti-racists were using false identities and were reporting directly back to SOS Rasisme. According to
21413-570: The start-up phase, she announced that the group sought to establish so-called "divisions" in various Norwegian cities. A local Tromsø newspaper iTromsø wrote that a soon-to-resign sergeant in the Home Guard Task Force was "central" in the effort there, although Andreassen denied that he had been given any special role. By 1 April it was reported that the group had in excess of 300 supporters on its Facebook page. Andreassen stated that "[the NDL]
21574-443: The streets and on-line ... Our movement is purely set up to pressure whatever government we have in power to deal with this menace and undo all the damage caused by apathy and appeasement. — Statement on the EDL website Following the BNP's decline as a serious electoral force, the EDL's profile rose dramatically. The group portrayed itself as a necessary response to public frustration at government inaction in dealing with what
21735-461: The successes of the German Pegida movement. Pegida UK had more self-governance mechanisms than the EDL and pursued silent, non-confrontational protests, although failed to attract sizeable numbers and held its last public event in 2016. By 2023 and 2024, news publications and anti-extremist group Hope not Hate considered the EDL defunct as an organisation, though they said that some members of
21896-438: The taking of minutes. As well as these divisional meetings, EDL divisions also held "meet and greet" events to attract new membership. Some divisions were based on locality and others on special interests. The latter included a women's division, Jewish division, Sikh division, Hindu division, LGBT division, disabled division, green division, a soldiers' division, and a youth division. These groups were designed to raise
22057-427: The van opened 16 seconds later and after another 16 seconds the driver stepped out of the van. He stood outside the van for 7 seconds before quickly walking away towards Hammersborg torg, where he had another car parked. The driver was dressed like a police officer and had a gun in his hand. A police helmet with a face shield was covering his face. Breivik was not positively identified. The explosion started fires in
22218-406: The video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as a training aid while using World of Warcraft as a cover for his extended period of isolation. He also said that he honed his shooting skills using an in-game holographic sight similar to the one he used during the attacks. On 22 July 2011, at 15:25:22 ( CEST ) a bomb detonated in Regjeringskvartalet , central Oslo. The bomb was placed in
22379-466: The white supremacist website Stormfront , Holocaust denial was expressed on the EDL's social media platforms, and at EDL events various individuals gave the Nazi straight-arm salute. This neo-Nazi presence drove some other EDL members away. In 2011, the head of the EDL's Jewish Division, Roberta Moore, left the organisation because of it; Robinson also cited the difficulty in dealing with these neo-Nazis as
22540-421: The white working class. Others expressed anger at events they had seen in the media, such as Muslims burning remembrance poppies in protest at British military activities abroad. On the EDL's social media, many supporters incited violence against Muslims: examples included "we need to kill", "time to get violent", and "Kill any muslim u see [sic]". Chants during rallies included "Die, Muslim, die", and "Give me
22701-473: Was 14 years old. Sixteen-year-old Andrine Bakkene Espeland of Sarpsborg was the last victim, nearly one hour after the shooting began. Residents in a flotilla of motorboats and fishing dinghies sailed out to rescue the survivors, who were pulled out shivering and bleeding from the water and picked up from hiding places in the bushes and behind rocks around the island's shoreline. Some survived by pretending to be dead. Several campers, especially those who knew
22862-544: Was a Dutch offshoot of the English Defence League and member of the European Defence League. The organisation's spokesman was Bert Jansen. The DDL was affiliated with EFI, the European Freedom Initiative, and with English Defence League offshoots in other countries. Although many followers support The Freedom Party from Geert Wilders, they are not affiliated. In February, members of the DDL attended an English Defence League march in Luton , England. On 13 June 2011
23023-455: Was also running, although sporadically, except for the line through Grensen (the street between Prof. Aschehoug's plass and Stortorvet). An e-mail communication with the BBC from a traveller indicated that police were conducting searches of suspicious cars on the road to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen , which remained open. The Gardermoen Line between Lillestrøm and Oslo Airport was shut down after
23184-509: Was announced that Robinson and Carroll would join the BFP's executive council as joint vice chairs, cementing links between the BFP and the EDL. Robinson soon resigned from this position, citing a desire to focus on the EDL, although critics suggested that this may have been to shield the BFP from criminal proceedings he then faced. In 2012, Carroll stood for election in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections . In January 2013, he took charge of
23345-524: Was being facilitated by higher birth rates among Muslims than non-Muslims, and presented Muslim participation in political life as entryism , an attempt to expand Islamic influence in Britain. EDL discourse expressed a belief in "Islamic supremacism", the notion that Muslims feel themselves superior to non-Muslims, and accordingly thought that Muslims regarded non-Muslims as legitimate targets for abuse and exploitation. A topic of particular anger among members
23506-632: Was caught and returned to Britain; in January 2013 he was convicted of breaching the Identity Documents Act 2010 and imprisoned for ten months. Robinson's imprisonment coincided with Carroll's bail conditions, which barred him from contacting fellow EDL members; this left the organisation without its co-leaders for part of 2012. The revelation of links to Norwegian far-right activist Anders Behring Breivik , perpetrator of bombing and shooting attacks that killed 77 people in July 2011 , further damaged
23667-459: Was distinct from the " white pride " of fascists, and Meadowcoft and Morrow observed that it was not biologically racist. Its members' understandings of "Englishness" were nevertheless ambiguous and ill-defined; the only thing they agreed upon about the English way of life was that Muslims fundamentally reject it. The EDL presented English identity as something under threat, views reflected in chants like "we want our country back". Its nationalism
23828-417: Was foregrounded in its nomenclature and symbolism, which regularly included the cross of St George. Such imagery evoked the symbolism of the medieval Crusades ; the group's Latin motto, " in hoc signo vinces ", was that of the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine . Robinson described the EDL as a 'multicultural organization made up of every community in this country'. If true, this would clearly make
23989-441: Was heard at least seven kilometres ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi) away. At 15:26 the police received the first message about the explosion, and at 15:28 the first police patrol reported arriving at the scene. At the same time, news agency NTB was told that the Prime Minister was safe and not hurt. A witness called police at 15:34 to report a person in a police uniform holding a pistol in his hand, entering an unmarked vehicle,
24150-416: Was his cousin, Kevin Carroll, also a former BNP member with a criminal conviction; Carroll was the first of the pair to attract national attention, appearing on the BBC documentary Young, British and Angry . Another senior member was the multimillionaire IT consultant and fundamentalist Christian Alan Ayling, who used the pseudonym Alan Lake ; allegations have been made, but not substantiated, that Lake
24311-462: Was in August, when the EDL and Casuals United held a joint protest in Birmingham , prompted by Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah's conversion of an eleven-year-old white boy in that city. Ray distanced himself from that event, arguing that the chosen date—8 August—was a deliberate reference to 88, a code for HH ( Heil Hitler ), in neo-Nazi circles. Not long after the group's formation, Ray formed a sub-group,
24472-481: Was never sought, and the leader, Andreassen, warned members against taking part. On 9 April, the day of the anniversary of the German invasion of Norway in 1940, the NDL organised a protest against what it called a "Muslim occupation of Norway" at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. Before the demonstration was held, both the NDL and the police confirmed that the NDL was under threat from both extreme left and extreme right groups,
24633-537: Was not a neo-Nazi organisation. It distanced itself from neo-Nazism, burning a Nazi flag , flying the Israeli flag during demonstrations, and creating a Jewish division. In 2010, Robinson stated: "We're not Nazis, we're not fascists – we will smash Nazis the same way we will smash militant Islam." Despite this, neo-Nazis attended EDL events, sometimes creating "inner circles" within the movement to recruit members to their cause. Early EDL demonstrations were advertised on
24794-651: Was part of the international counter-jihad movement. The political scientist Hilary Aked defined counter-jihadism as "a section of the far-right distinguished by its hostility to migrants, Muslims and Islam." Another political scientist, Matthew Goodwin , noted that the counter-jihad movement was "united by their belief that Islam and Muslims are posing a fundamental threat to the resources, identities and even survival of Western states", and that counter-jihad groups were "more confrontational, chaotic and unpredictable than traditional anti-immigrant and ethnic nationalist movements in Western democracies". Pilkington characterised
24955-420: Was popular among the membership. There was no system of official membership recognised through membership cards, and no membership fees. The EDL formerly divided into at least 90 different divisions. Branches typically held their meetings in pubs with sympathetic owners, referred to as "HQs". These meetings—which were infrequent and often poorly attended—were typically unstructured, lacking any formal agenda or
25116-414: Was registered by surveillance cameras as entering Grubbegata from Grensen at 15:13:23. The van stopped at 15:13:43, 200 metres (650 ft) before the H block. It stood still with the hazard warning lamps on for 1 minute and 54 seconds. The driver then drove the last 200 metres and parked the van in front of the main entrance of the main government building. The van was parked at 15:16:30. The front door of
25277-441: Was reorganised around a committee leadership headed by a rotating chair. The EDL lacked a central regulatory structure through which to impose a uniform approach to strategy or maintain ideological purity. Meadowcroft and Morrow argued that it was this weak self-governance that contributed to the group's fragmentation and demise. It operated through a loose network of local divisions, each largely autonomous; this loose structure
25438-496: Was run from the farm, and gave him access to ingredients for explosives. His 950-kilogram (2,090 lb) car bomb exploded in central Oslo on 22 July 2011, where it killed eight people. He had between 1,000 and 1,500 kilograms (2,200 and 3,300 lb) of additional material that was left on the farm and could be used for construction of a second bomb. Beside visiting firing ranges and countries with relaxed gun laws to sharpen his skill, Breivik's manifesto says that he made use of
25599-578: Was the group's primary financier, providing it with millions of pounds. Lake never become a visible figure in the movement and few members knew his name; it was at Lake's flat in London's Barbican area, however, where Ray, Robinson, and Ann Marchini had discussed the EDL's formation in May 2009. If it were not for the inaction of the government in dealing properly with this form of Islamic fascism, there would be no need for groups such as The English Defence League, Welsh Defence League, Scottish Defence League and Ulster Defence League to counter this threat on
25760-551: Was the role of Muslim men in grooming gangs largely targeting underage white girls. For instance, in drawing attention to the fact that men from Islamic backgrounds were disproportionately represented in the Rochdale and West Midlands child sex grooming scandals, the EDL said these men found justification for their actions in Qur'anic references to non-Muslims being inferior. Conversely, when white sex offenders were exposed, EDL members regarded
25921-516: Was too extreme, while Ronny Alte and Håvar Krane have said that Breivik left because he thought the group was too mild regarding its methods. Breivik's perceived connection to the NDL is seen as a major problem for the group in the area of recruiting new members. The founding of NDL was inspired by the English Defence League, and took place around New Year 2010/2011. In February 2011, 22-year-old Remi Huseby from Haugesund emerged as its spokesperson during an EDL rally in Luton , England. At this point
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