Wellington EDL march ‘will hit traders hard’ claim
Traders will be hit hard when the English Defence League comes to Telford in March, it has been claimed.
Councillor Pat McCarthy, leader of Telford & Wrekin Green Party, said it would be better if the far right group stayed away completely.
His comments come after it was revealed the EDL would be holding a march in Wellington on March 16.
It is the first march of the year for the organisation, which has made Telford the focus of demonstrations on previous occasions.
The group last marched through Wellington in May last year, in the wake of national reports about CSE in Telford.
About 50 EDL marchers and 40 counter-protesters turned out on that occasion.
Councillor McCarthy said people had been afraid during their demonstration.
"It's very depressing that they're going to come again," he said. "They were very disruptive to shoppers and traders in Wellington during their last march.
"I know after talking to people on the day they were quite upset and a little afraid of this group that came to our town to cause problems.
"They have not been invited to come to Wellington. This is them coming to fulfil their own extreme political agenda. They're here because they want to show divisions in Wellington that aren't real."
Police have said the situation will be continually monitored in the run up to March, and that the force would ensure measures are taken to provide a safe environment for the people of Wellington.
But Councillor McCarthy said it would be better if the EDL stayed away entirely.
"It's not good for anybody, but particularly on a Saturday midday in Wellington centre," he said.
"People want to go to the local cafes to relax – they're not going to want these people in our community with the sort of language they use.
"They want to create an atmosphere where mostly Asian people are considered the enemy within out community.
"The vile language they use is just not wanted. It's not accepted, and it's not wanted, and we wish they would go away and stay away."
Last year a number of Telford groups joined forces to ask the EDL not to attend the town.
A joint statement signed by councillors, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Telford Unity Forum, Wellington LA21, the Rev Tim Carter of All Saints, Wellington, and Telford Muslim Forum said the march would not provide answers for victims or survivors of CSE.
They wrote: “As a strong united community we would ask the EDL and any other group to stay away from Wellington.
“The disruption to everyday business and the everyday lives of the law-abiding majority is unwanted and unwelcome."
