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| EDL leader Twitter-stalks the wrong man | EDL leader Twitter-stalks the wrong man |
| (14 days later) | |
| Last week's strange episode in which Tommy Robinson, the English Defence League leader, tried to intimidate the editor of EDL News by mistakenly tracking down an unconnected man and posting pictures of his house on Twitter has highlighted the work of the anti-far right campaigning site. | Last week's strange episode in which Tommy Robinson, the English Defence League leader, tried to intimidate the editor of EDL News by mistakenly tracking down an unconnected man and posting pictures of his house on Twitter has highlighted the work of the anti-far right campaigning site. |
| The site's editor goes by the pseudonym of Gary Hastings. Bizarrely, the EDL incorrectly believed he was really called Gary Moon, which led them to turn up at the house of the similarly named Garry Moon. | The site's editor goes by the pseudonym of Gary Hastings. Bizarrely, the EDL incorrectly believed he was really called Gary Moon, which led them to turn up at the house of the similarly named Garry Moon. |
| Naturally, Hastings is wary of revealing too much information about himself. He is 38, lives in London and works in the media. He started the site in 2010 with a group of friends "who didn't like the idea of the EDL taking advantage of working-class lads. The movement was getting bigger and bigger at the time and we were concerned. There wasn't much media coverage of them at the time so we highlighted the demos and the people behind them." | Naturally, Hastings is wary of revealing too much information about himself. He is 38, lives in London and works in the media. He started the site in 2010 with a group of friends "who didn't like the idea of the EDL taking advantage of working-class lads. The movement was getting bigger and bigger at the time and we were concerned. There wasn't much media coverage of them at the time so we highlighted the demos and the people behind them." |
| He says he doesn't have a particularly strong background in campaigning, although was involved in the anti-war campaign before the Iraq war. "I didn't do much after that, and then the EDL popped up so [EDL News is] probably the biggest thing we've done." The site was, he says, partly inspired by his grandfather who died around the time the EDL was formed. "He was a very brave man who fought in the second world war against people like this. He always hated people like the EDL and the BNP. He would say: 'I didn't fight a war to let these people run riot and racially abuse people.'" | He says he doesn't have a particularly strong background in campaigning, although was involved in the anti-war campaign before the Iraq war. "I didn't do much after that, and then the EDL popped up so [EDL News is] probably the biggest thing we've done." The site was, he says, partly inspired by his grandfather who died around the time the EDL was formed. "He was a very brave man who fought in the second world war against people like this. He always hated people like the EDL and the BNP. He would say: 'I didn't fight a war to let these people run riot and racially abuse people.'" |
| Hastings says his supporters and staff, of around eight (the site is funded by donations, but when there is a shortfall "we all tend to chip in") receive 10 to 15 threats a week from EDL members. "The thing we are really worried about is [people from the EDL] going through the phone book and finding people with similar names and turning up on their doorsteps." | Hastings says his supporters and staff, of around eight (the site is funded by donations, but when there is a shortfall "we all tend to chip in") receive 10 to 15 threats a week from EDL members. "The thing we are really worried about is [people from the EDL] going through the phone book and finding people with similar names and turning up on their doorsteps." |