This is very funny

Of all the various denizens of the now defunct Living Marxism, the only one worth reading is Brendan O'Neill, not least because of his ability to skewer stupid lefties. This piece is very funny. It would appear that the egregious organization Unite Against Fascism has been hoist by its own petard.

Having demanded vociferously and repeatedly that the EDL should be banned from marching here, there or anywhere, they have now found that the government has responded in the way anyone would know the government would respond by banning all marches in five East London boroughs for the month of September (and what's the betting the ban will be extended until it becomes permanent?)

Now, UAF has issued what must rank as one of the silliest political statements of the year so far. “We the undersigned welcome the banning of the racist English Defence League’s march through Tower Hamlets,” it says. “But we are appalled to discover that the Metropolitan Police are applying for a blanket ban on ALL marches across five London boroughs… It is our human right to peacefully march in Tower Hamlets.” Wait – how come UAF has a “human right” to march, but the EDL does not? Are EDL members not human? Moreover, it really is spectacularly daft to talk about the importance of the right to march in the same breath as you welcome a government decision to ban a march. What UAF is effectively saying is: “We should have the freedom to march, but they shouldn’t.”

Mr O'Neill thinks that UAF has no idea what freedom means. No, of course, not. But, to be fair, it also has no real understanding what fascism means either. Something to do with banning political activity one disagrees with, perchance?

Of course, marching is not a human right. That is nonsense. But peaceful marching and rallying should be a civic right in any country that values freedom.