A phrase involving hoist and petard springs to mind here

Over the last few months I've been looking into the actions of the EDL mostly because what few details that emerged from them at first did not seem to match what was actually happening on the ground so to speak.
Now it seems that the police also realise who the main troublemakers are in the whole EDL/UAF business and aren't afraid to tell a socialist council just exactly who the real troublemakers are, and it isn't the EDL.

Socialist Worker. (Yes this really stuck in their craw)

A meeting with Preston councillors last week shows the extraordinary measures that police are prepared to use to block protests against the racist English Defence League (EDL).

Preston independent socialist councillor Michael Lavalette told Socialist Worker about a police briefing of Preston council.

The police asked to meet councillors about an EDL march planned for Saturday 27 November.

“I was shocked at what they came out with in that meeting,” Michael said. “They said that the EDL’s website states that it is a non-racist, peaceful organisation and that they would have to take that at face value.

“They said that the EDL has a right to protest and the police have to stay neutral. But then they launched a disgraceful attack against Unite Against Fascism (UAF).

“They told us that it is counter protests organised by UAF that cause trouble.

“They said that UAF is a front for the extremist Socialist Workers Party. The tenor was clear—UAF is as much of a problem, if not more so, than the EDL.

“I was furious and pointed out that UAF includes several national trade unions, MPs and labour movement activists.

“I had decided a few weeks ago to organise a counter protest when they come to Preston.”

You can imagine the dummy being spat out of the pram at that precise moment, it's almost on a par with a Z list celeb turning round and saying "You can't do this, I'm famous! Look at all my friends!"

UAF and the Preston Trades Council agreed to jointly call it and issued a unity statement which Michael took to Preston Council on the Thursday before the meeting with the police.

“All 25 Labour Party councillors signed the statement,” Michael said. “Two independents signed up and one Lib Dem councillor. Most trade unions have signed up as well.”

In the meeting with the police Michael said most EDL protests end in violence. “I pointed out that every protest has involved attacks on the police. In Stoke they ran riot and attacked cars and shops.

Whilst conveniently forgetting that in Newcastle where the UAF were not involved, the EDL protest and march went without a hitch or an arrest. Whereas in Bolton and Stoke amazingly enough the majority of those arrested were UAF (55 to 9 EDL in Bolton and  17 to 6 in Stoke)

“I think the police wanted to use the meeting with councillors to clamp down on any counter protest and to abuse UAF.

Well if the cap fits.

“The EDL is being allowed to assemble outside the main church on the high street which is a five minute walk from Preston’s main mosque.

“If EDL supporters are allowed to march the 300 metres through the town to the Flag Market, they will be within minutes of Preston’s Asian community.”

The council is planning a special meeting on 8 November to decide whether to ask for the EDL march to be banned. Michael is opposed to this approach.

“Banning the EDL march doesn’t ban it having a static protest, so it is no victory for our side,” he said.

“In Stoke and Bolton where the Asian community and local people did largely stay away, there was more violence because the EDL was given free rein and was not opposed.

“A counter protest is our best defence because we can stand together in larger numbers and protect our communities.

“The best way to keep safe is to come out in large numbers—black, white and Asian together—at mosques and in the town centre.”

“The Flag Market is right in the heart of Preston—it is a symbolically important place. So I think it is vital that the community unites to defend it and stand together to stop the EDL.”

Drew Gale, a Labour councillor who represents the same Town Centre ward as Michael, told the local press he would join the UAF counter-protest and said, “I’ll be standing shoulder to shoulder with UAF in opposition.”

OK, the EDL to my knowledge have never attacked a Mosque, a 16 year old member of the UAF sprayed swastikas on the Dudley Mosque to try and blame the EDL but was caught and arrested over it. And does the putting large numbers around a Mosque sound a bit like Saddam's human shields?
Also I wonder which Asian community they are on about, or is this part of the old racist socialist belief that all Asians are Muslims? Not Hindu's, Sikh's Buddhists, and Jains as well.
The UAF are well known for their violent activities, it was past time some of these idiot socialist councillors were presented with a few home truths.

Yes, I know I have been critical of the police in the past, but this time it's a joy to see them putting the facts straight.