European Defence League facts for kids

The European Defence League (EDL) is a group mostly based in the United Kingdom. It was started in October 2010. The EDL and its related groups speak out against what they see as certain ideas about sharia law. The group held its first public event in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in October 2010. This event happened during the trial of Geert Wilders, a Dutch politician who also speaks out against radical Islam.

Groups in Other Countries

Dutch Defence League

Dutch Defence League logo

The Dutch Defence League (DDL) was a group in the Netherlands. It was connected to the English Defence League and was part of the European Defence League. Bert Jansen was the main spokesperson for this group.

How the DDL Was Connected

The DDL worked with other groups, including the European Freedom Initiative. They also had links with English Defence League groups in other countries. Many people who followed the DDL supported The Freedom Party, led by Geert Wilders. However, the DDL itself was not officially part of that political party. In February 2011, members of the DDL went to an English Defence League march in Luton, England. The DDL announced that it would stop its activities on June 13, 2011.

DDL's Stance

The DDL clearly stated that it did not support neo-Nazi ideas. Their rules said: The DDL rejects Nazi-ideologies the same way as it rejects radical Islamism and further it sincerely respects every human being, no matter the race, religion or lifestyle.

Before a demonstration in Amsterdam on October 30, 2010, there were worries about possible trouble. The mayor decided to move the demonstration to a different place to keep everyone safe. The DDL first wanted to challenge this decision in court but later decided not to.

DDL Public Events

On October 30, 2010, members of the Dutch Defence League gathered in Amsterdam. Some English Defence League members also joined them. They protested for freedom of speech and supported Geert Wilders. Wilders, a Dutch politician, said he was not very happy about the demonstration. After the event, the city reported that there were no major problems.

Norwegian Defence League

Norwegian Defence League

Formation	2010
Location	Norway

The Norwegian Defence League (NDL) is a group in Norway that speaks out against certain ideas about Islam. It is closely linked to the English Defence League (EDL). The NDL started around late 2010 or early 2011. It was inspired by the EDL, which began in 2009.

There were some disagreements about who should lead the NDL in early 2011. Lena Andreassen led the group for about a month. She was later removed by Steve Simmons, an EDL contact person. This happened after a public event on April 9, 2011, which did not go well. Since then, a group of administrators has led the NDL. Ronny Alte was one of the main figures.

Alte said that the NDL was not far-right or racist. He stated that the group wanted to bring together people of all backgrounds. Their goal was to protect democracy and freedom of speech, which he felt were threatened by "the ideology Islam." He also said the group was not against Islam itself, but was "Islam-critical." Alte later left the NDL on April 19, 2012. This was due to a disagreement with other leaders about the group's connection to Anders Behring Breivik. After Alte left, the NDL's website went offline. Other reports say Ronny Alte was removed because he did not follow advice from the NDL's administration team. A new website with a similar look later appeared.

How the NDL Was Connected

The NDL used Facebook to organize its activities. By September 2011, their private Facebook group had over 1,300 members. Their public Facebook page had more than 30,000 likes that year. Different Facebook groups competed for the support of the English Defence League until August 2011. Ronny Alte created one of these groups. According to Searchlight magazine, Steve Simmons managed the NDL's Facebook page. Simmons was appointed as the European Liaison Officer by EDL leader Tommy Robinson.

The NDL's Start

The NDL was formed around late 2010 or early 2011, inspired by the English Defence League. In February 2011, Remi Huseby, then 22, became its spokesperson. This happened during an EDL event in Luton, England. At this time, the group faced internal disagreements. According to the newspaper Dagbladet, different groups were trying to gain control. These included "Nazi sympathizers, nationalists and more moderate opponents of Islam."

On February 28, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) announced it was watching the NDL. They described it as an "extreme right group." The PST was concerned about groups that were against Islam. They believed that online activity, especially on social media, could increase negative feelings towards others. This could lead to more division among political groups. They also thought that more activism could lead to more violence, especially at public gatherings. On March 1, Huseby left the group. He said it had been "overtaken by Nazis."

Later that month, on March 19, Lena Andreassen became the leader after an internal struggle. She had said she wanted to remove neo-Nazis from the group. In April, she stated that such supporters had been "weeded out" after an internal "Nazi hunt." She worked with the Oslo police to remove "unwanted persons." She also had close contacts with the PST. Andreassen announced that the group wanted to set up local groups in different Norwegian cities. By April 1, the group had over 300 supporters on its Facebook page.

Andreassen said that the NDL was "not against ordinary Muslims, only the fundamentalist groups." She also mentioned that the NDL had Muslim members. She stated that the NDL also opposed radical Norwegian extreme right groups. Both Andreassen and Remi Huseby had previously joined EDL events in England. A demonstration was planned for March 26, but police permission was not sought. Andreassen warned members not to attend.

On April 9, the NDL organized a protest in Oslo. They protested against what they called a "Muslim occupation of Norway." Before the event, both the NDL and the police confirmed that the NDL faced threats. These threats came from both extreme left and extreme right groups. The latter were upset about being removed from the NDL. The demonstration only gathered about a dozen supporters. A representative from the EDL gave a speech. Lena Andreassen also spoke to the NDL protesters. At the same time, an anti-racist counter-protest nearby gathered between 700 and 1,000 people. The police later said that both events were peaceful and without clashes.

Four days later, on April 13, the EDL ended its ties with the NDL's leadership. Lena Andreassen and her team were then removed from the group. Andreassen later left the NDL completely. After the unsuccessful demonstration, Ronny Alte became the new leader of the NDL. He said in an interview that the group had been led by five administrators, including himself. They were supported by the EDL leadership. Alte stated that the NDL did not support violence. He also said it had become a gentler group than before. He also maintained that the NDL supported the nation of Israel.

Infiltration

On March 11, 2012, the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet reported that the NDL's leadership had been secretly joined by members of the left-wing anti-racist group SOS Rasisme. This happened between 2010 and spring 2011. Several anonymous sources told the newspaper that these anti-racists actually held most of the positions on the NDL's board. One source, an SOS Rasisme member, was on the NDL board. Another anti-racist, also named as an NDL board member by the sources, denied these claims. The anti-racists used fake names and reported directly back to SOS Rasisme. According to the newspaper, Lena Andreassen, who led the NDL in spring 2011, did not know about this. Ronny Alte, an NDL spokesperson in March 2011, confirmed they realized there were secret members in the NDL in 2011.

In 2013, it was also revealed that the NDL had been secretly joined by people working for the Norwegian Police Security Service. These people also managed to get very important positions. They wrote speeches for the official spokesperson. They might even have played a big part in setting up the group. The most active of these people claims to have removed Anders Behring Breivik from the NDL in 2010.

On August 4, 2011, TV 2 reported on a conversation involving Håvar Krane. Krane was a candidate for mayor in Kristiansund Municipality for a small, right-wing party. He had also led the NDL for three weeks during an early changeover period. In a private conversation, Krane spoke about harming a government minister. This conversation was secretly recorded in February 2011. It took place during a meeting in Oslo organized by the Stop Islamisation of Norway group.

According to TV 2, an investigation in late August 2011 found that eight politicians had been members of the NDL's online forum. These politicians represented five different parties. Besides Krane, Magnar Tanem, a candidate for mayor in Oslo, was also a member of the forum.

Ronny Alte's Resignation

On April 19, 2012, Ronny Alte announced he was leaving his leadership role and the NDL. This happened on the fourth day of the trial of Anders Behring Breivik. Alte said he wanted to distance himself from Breivik as much as possible. However, he claimed the other leaders told him not to speak to the media. He said he was thinking about starting his own group.

NDL Activities

The Norwegian Defence League, working with SIOE Norway, held its first successful public event in Stavanger on June 23, 2012. About 40 people attended, and the police said the protest was "peaceful." Some people who protested against the NDL were fined for not leaving the area. Besides protesting against "the Islamisation of Norway and Europe," they also protested a recent decision by the Norwegian parliament. This decision changed the constitution to remove Christianity as the official state religion and treat all religions equally. A counter-protest was also organized. Police kept the two groups apart. SOS Rasisme was removed from the counter-protest and later complained it was "too passive."

On February 28, 2013, the newspaper Verdens Gang reported that the NDL had published a list of Muslims on its website. This list was made using public records. Lars Johnny Aardal, the NDL's deputy leader, said it was published "to show the extent of Islam and Muslims in Norway." A former leader of the Islamic Council Norway called the list "frightening" and "fear-mongering." Terje Emberland, a senior scientist, said such a list had only been made once before in Norway. That was in the 1930s when someone published a list of Jewish businesses. He added that "In this way, the NDL clearly exposes its character, and aligns with the fascist and racist tradition to which it belongs."

Scottish Defence League

The Scottish Defence League (SDL) is active in Scotland. It was founded by Ryan Boag Jr. Some activists in Scotland mainly identify with the EDL. Like the EDL, the SDL protested against the murder of Lee Rigby in 2013. The group claimed to have 4,000 members in May 2013. Aberdeen City Council did not allow the SDL to march on June 29, 2013. This was because of other marches happening that day and plans to pass a local mosque. The SDL held a peaceful protest in Pollokshields on July 27. This was the birthday of Kriss Donald, a local person who was the victim of Scotland's first race-related murder in 2004.

Hogesa

Hogesa stands for Hooligans against Salafists. It is a street movement in Germany. It mainly comes from right-wing hooligan groups across the country. The movement says it is against the rise of Salafism in Germany.

Their public events have attracted between 3,000 and 5,000 people. Hogesa is connected to the European Defence League, which is itself connected to the English Defence League. Some news reports have described the movement as being against Islam. Most of the group's organizing happens online.

Joint Events

Several groups linked to the European Defence League were started at an English Defence League event. This happened in their home town of Luton in February 2011.

On March 31, 2012, the European Defence League held its first big event in Aarhus, Denmark. Robinson had hoped for 700 people to attend. However, it was later estimated that only 160 people came, with just 15 English activists. Local police made 80 arrests at the event. The event also faced a counter-protest from left-wing groups. A researcher named Matthew Goodwin said that even with low attendance, the connections made at the event would be important.

See also

• Counterjihad
• Criticism of Islam
• Criticism of Islamism
• Islam in Norway
• Hogesa