Far right attack Socialist sellers

Two members of the Socialist Party successfully defended themselves against a violent attack by a far-right thug as they were leafleting and selling the Socialist outside Blackhorse Road tube station in Walthamstow, east London last week.

This was an unprovoked attack which took place after an exchange of words, culminating in the thug intimating that he was a member of the far-right English Defence League (EDL) and then launching his assault

This attack followed two unsuccessful attempts by the EDL to march and rally in Walthamstow. They were only able to march on 1 September due to massive police protection but they still got chased away and were unable to hold their rally.

Their second attempt on 27 October, was banned in the face of a huge likely counter-demonstration and following the arrest of the EDL’s leader, with a mob, on his way to ‘protest’ outside a mosque in Whitechapel.

We won’t be intimidated by the EDL and the far right – we will continue our public sales at the tube and bus stations and workplaces in Walthamstow.

We get a great response, regularly selling between five and ten papers on each sale and spreading the message that the Con-Dems’ austerity can be fought and defeated.

We have to physically resist the thugs when necessary. But it is the Socialist Party’s strategy to build a movement in both the trade unions and our communities and a working class political alternative to fight the cuts that will ultimately undermine support for the far-right.