Since its formation in 2009, the English Defence League has held protests in nearly all British cities [Angela Catlin]
Published On 22 Nov 201022 Nov 2010
Although it claims to be a peaceful group, violence has erupted at most of its demonstrations [Angela Catlin]
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Tinderbox towns such as Bradford and Oldham - which witnessed race riots in 2001 - have been among the its targets [Angela Catlin]
At a derelict building in Luton, one member of the EDL explained: "For more than a decade now, there has been tension in Luton between Muslim youths and whites" [Angela Catlin]
He added: "Our government does nothing, so we decided we would start protesting against radical Islam, and it grew from there" [Angela Catlin]
With Islam becoming the fastest-growing religion in Europe, their fear that traditional British culture is under threat has been exacerbated [Angela Catlin]
While the league publicly espouses peaceful protest, there is growing concern over its secrecy and quasi-military appearance - as well as some of its membership [Angela Catlin]
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Many people are concerned that the EDL appears to be becoming more organised and is feeding off growing Islamophobia [Angela Catlin]
And with similar groups appearing across Europe, for example the French and Dutch Defence Leagues, there are fears that violence could spread across the continent [Angela Catlin]
