Unity Statement Unite Against Fascism march Sat, 23 August, Edinburgh

We the undersigned strongly oppose the upcoming protest by the racist and fascist Scottish
Defence League in Edinburgh during the Festival on the 23rd of August 2014.
Edinburgh is a multicultural city and the Festival is an international cultural celebration. The
people of Edinburgh welcome citizens from around the world. Tourists want to soak up the city
and Festival not be confronted by racists.
The SDL is a racist organisation with an established record of mounting protests which regularly
feature racist chanting, placards and Nazi salutes. At their demonstration in Edinburgh last year,
the SDL held placards of the Swastika emblem of the openly racist and Nazi Greek party,
Golden Dawn.
The SDL claims not to be extremist, but earlier this year two members of the SDL were jailed for
provocatively attacking Edinburgh Central Mosque with bacon, whilst SDL member Derek Phin
was jailed for threatening to burn down the same mosque when an anti-racism meeting was
taking place inside.

The SDL have dedicated their hateful existence to attacking Asian people and Muslims.
Islamophobia bigotry against Muslims is as unacceptable as any other form of racism. Its aim is
to divide us by making scapegoats of one community, just as the Nazis did with the Jews in the
1930s. Today they threaten Muslims. Tomorrow it could be Jewish people, Hindus, Sikhs, black
people, lesbians and gay men, travellers or East Europeans.

We believe that it is vital that we unite together and act to stop the rise of racist and fascist
organisations at home and show solidarity to those opposing fascism elsewhere. We cannot
allow them to spread their racist and Islamophobic hatred and violence in our community. We
have to continue to oppose fascists when they march. There is no place for Nazis or racists in
our multiracial, multicultural and multi-faith community.