Curious And Curiouser...

[sandyRoe]

A march in Ipswich celebrating multiculturalism appears to have only white people on parade while an EDL march at the same time in the same city has 'black' supporters. Can the EDL really draw support from all sections of the community?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-23217041

[DJHawkes]

on my way home from work last night i encountered a march of some sort, about 60-70 people, some carrying small infants, were marching with banners and hi viz jackets, gawd knows what it was about but the music sounded ok, (it could be heard over my garth cd in the car). i thought it might be EDL as most of the men had bald heads.

[sandyRoe]

When I say, 'all sections of the community', I clearly don't mean militant Islamists.

[jno]

it could be a case of white chaps blacking up to promote racial harmonies, the way Dai Francis and John Boulter used to do so successfully.

[DJHawkes]

michael row the boat ashore then jno lol

[tonyav]

Is jno talking about that TV show that used to be on a Sunday evening when I was a kid ? nan used to make me watch it with her.

[sandyRoe]

Yes. The black and white minstrel show.

Here's a still from it.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Black_and_White_Minstrel_Show.jpg

[jno]

sure it'll all come flooding back, tonyav

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Black_and_White_Minstrel_Show.jpg

[jno]

well, snap

[sandyRoe]

2 snaps, and both the same.

[jno]

a wonderful tribute to a multicultural nation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zj6o_DZfSw

[tonyav]

Oh gawd, yes the memories came flooding back !.

[chrisgel]

If people were to read the EDL's mission statement they would see absolutely no racism in it and very little to disagree with. I don't believe the EDL is racist as such. They seem to have arisen as a response to fanatical Muslims preaching hatred on the streets of the UK.
Unfortunately they seem to attract some rather dubious characters to their cause.

http://englishdefenceleague.org/mission-statement

[chrisgel]

Totally agree Robkep.

[FredPuli43]

Local TV reported that there were only 25 EDL marchers there. That seems about right for Suffolk.Can't work out how many in the picture are brown , but there is no reason why someone whose ancestors are from the Indian sub-continent and who is established here wouldn't want to "pull up the drawbridge" or be against jihadists.

[sandyRoe]

I admit I don't know much about the EDL. But I can't help feeling that they're not the sort of group black people, who were as opposed to the jihadist philosophy as anyone else, would feel comfortable with.