EDL Girls: Don't Call Me Racist

This programme contains very strong language

and scenes which some viewers may find upsetting from the start

The English Defence League,

notorious as a far-right, racist street movement

whose protests often end in violence.

Fascist scum, off our street! Fascist scum, off our street!

After the brutal murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby last May...

'A man has been hacked to death.

'It's being treated as an Islamist terrorist attack.'

..their ranks multiplied five times.

We will fight back.

A growing number joining this largely male group are women.

They call them the EDL's Angels.

-CHANTING:

-No more mosques!

We're not going to stand behind no men!

We will stand in front, we will stand by your side,

but we'll never stand behind! Ever!

Since last summer,

we've been following the Angels on the front line.

They're too bloody rough with us.

Why can't women stand up and say, "Well, that's not right."

And why can't they be there?

Oi! Shut up, the woman is talking.

This is their story of why they joined...

Two weeks ago, I didn't know what EDL was,

but I always thought Muslims were wrong.

It's not just Muslims, it's the extremists.

There's no need for it, really.

..and how they're vilified..

One of my closest friends called me a "narrow-minded EDL racist scum".

..the worries of possible recruits...

I don't want to be labelled as being a racist thug

-when I know that I'm not.

-..and the cost of the Angels' beliefs.

Punching a woman in the face, knocking her out

and then kicking her in the head.

I don't understand why you hate people so much.

I'm Katie, I'm 16.

I have three older sisters and one older brother.

I'm the youngest.

We've got broccoli to do, and cabbage.

Katie lives in Reading with her mum, Angie.

We want a better life for our children, we don't want

the extreme Muslim and their sharia law,

and why should they have different laws over in our country?

We can't have the same over there.

It's not like we're going to their country, and be like,

"Oh, yes, you've got to have our rules because we're in your country."

So why should they come over here...?

-Did you cut a cross in it?

-No.

Katie is part of a large family that just got bigger.

When her sister got married, her new father-in-law, Jay,

became a father figure to the new extended family.

Are these square plates for a square meal?

-Get out my kitchen.

-All right, I know when I'm not wanted.

Get out my kitchen.

Jay is a staunch EDL member.

Along with the rest of the EDL, he campaigns passionately

against the influence of Muslim religious laws,

called sharia, on British life.

Well, this is what's so disgusting, is you can't even buy a loaf of bread

in your local shop that's not halal. Look, halal, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Halal bread.

-And if you're a Christian, you cannot eat it.

A few pennies of that went to the Taliban to put bullets in guns.

'We're just a happy, normal family.

'Extreme Muslims want everything their way in this country.

'You're not allowed to drink on the street, you're not allowed to smoke.

'I do not want my children to be made to wear a burka,

to be covered up.

'If they're so adamant by their sharia law,

'go back to your own country and preach it.'

But Katie is still making her mind up

about whether she wants to follow the family tradition

and be part of the EDL.

I have been, like... not pushed, in a way,

but I've been more... introduced into the EDL.

And, like, what they do and stuff like that.

But, like, all my family have been on a demo.

I'd like to go on one, though, just to see what it's all like.

That way I can judge for myself

whether the EDL are as bad as everyone makes out for them to be,

or whether it's just, like, the media just being a pain in the bum

and just basically writing a load of crap that isn't real.

In Katie's home town of Reading,

the Muslim population has almost doubled in the last decade.

For Katie and her friend, Tamara,

the EDL taps in to concerns about what they see on their streets.

It's like the other week,

when I was walking through near the Oracle and everywhere,

I started getting shouted at and everything

apparently to put some clothes on because of how I was dressed.

And bearing in mind I was only in that pink dress.

-But the most people that say stuff is, like, the Muslims.

-Yeah.

Girls being our age, we shouldn't be scared to walk on the streets,

and we shouldn't be scared what to wear, what you have to say.

It's like, everyone's got their own land, everyone's got their own laws.

If everyone's got such a problem with it,

stay on your own land and live by your own laws.

Don't try changing other people's.

It's like, we get treated like second-class citizens

in our own country and stuff.

Sorry about your terrible nails!

It's fine. I think they look pretty!

The English Defence League started in 2009

to combat the spread of Islamic extremism

and influence on British society.

CHANTING

-CHANTING:

-We're English, united, we'll never be...

Thousands have been drawn to their street demonstrations,

but they've become notorious

for their violent clashes with the police.

-REPORTER:

-'English Defence League supporters

'came from all over the country.

'They gathered in the centre of Birmingham.'

In July last year,

2,000 EDL supporters gathered for a march in Birmingham.

Tommy Robinson, the charismatic founder of the EDL,

was the main attraction.

Our politicians come out telling us Islam is a religion of peace.

All-Muslim groups of men

are grooming and raping our kids. You tell us why.

Under Tommy Robinson, each region has a boss,

and it's a strong woman in charge of Yorkshire.

She looks all...England-y!

England-y!

Gail is one of the original EDL Angels,

and mother figure for the younger recruits.

Yeah, I've been an Angel four years. Damn proud of it.

If you stand for your country, you stand for all our...

SHE LAUGHS

Sorry about that! Get carried away!

THEY CHANT

E, E, EDL! E, E, EDL!

Fancy a fry-up, lad?

-Can I have bacon, sausage, and beans?

-Yes, course you can, love.

-Thank you, Mummy.

-Love you!

-Love you.

Gail and her two teenage sons had to be moved to a new house

in a new area for their safety three months ago.

No kids should suffer the way my kids have suffered.

I will fight for the end for country and kids.

Without a doubt.

For 22 years, stay-at-home-mum Gail

lived in an area of Wakefield with a growing Muslim population.

-Don't spill your beans.

-Thanking you.

'I used to live right in the middle of them all.

'And it felt horrible.'

I was spat at every day.

But as soon as they found out I were EDL,

that's when it went horribly wrong.

After six weeks of escalating community tensions,

Gail was involved in a fight outside her house,

where she says she was attacked by a group of Asian men.

Punching a woman in the face, knocking her out,

and then kicking her in the head, three times, it...

I even had whiplash.

Drinking, eating now, everything's a chore now.

It's... It's...not right.

In three months, two men accused of being part of the attack

will go on trial.

Gail has found pages online sympathising with the accused men

and attacking her.

"She deserved it.

"This is why they should be released from jail,

"because white people don't matter any more."

If it's because I'm EDL, then why are they so frightened,

that they have to do that to a woman?

We've got to stand up now, no matter how hard it is sometimes,

and, God, it is hard, and it can be lonely sometimes.

It's Saturday in Reading,

and Katie's family are preparing to go out on the streets campaigning.

KNOCK AT DOOR

-Katie!

-Whatty?

Her friend, Chloe, is here for moral support.

-Yay!

-I drank some of it.

Well, at least your mum's not, like, forcing you to go.

She's asking you instead of just turning around and saying

"Oh, no, you have to come with us,

"cos you're part of this family," kind of thing.

Yeah.

So at least you get the choice to go or not.

The family's father figure, Jay,

is planning an attention-grabbing stunt,

and he makes sure to brief the girls about the issues involved.

I want to see what the law says about a man wearing a "naqib",

cos there's nothing in the Koran that says a woman should wear one.

-Yeah.

-And so there's nothing that says a man shouldn't wear one.

Totally agree.

-Now, we do risk getting attacked or arrested.

-Of course, yeah.

Right, we're going to start walking now.

-But I'm going to put my...

-Your "nihab"...

..niqab on, yeah?

-Let's see what happens.

-And let's see what happens.

LAUGHTER

He's mad! Let's see who we can upset.

Jay chooses a spot on Reading's busy shopping street

halfway between the Christian preachers...

Am I really living life as God wants me to live?!

..and the Qur'an Roadshow.

-Isn't that that Muslim book?

-Yeah, it's like the Muslim Bible, innit?

But the ones they're giving out there,

they're English, it's written in English.

-Would you like a leaflet?

-Not really, cos I've never met a terrorist.

I've never met anyone

-that's covering their face out of their will.

-Oh, I have.

So where are these people? That's why I've come here today...

You've got extremists in your community,

we've got extremists in ours.

Katie deliberately keeps a few metres away from the protest.

Your lot, the Muslims and that...

Hopefully nobody that we know walks past!

I just don't want to see any college people.

So what's with the...?

If it's good for one person to be able to cover their face,

then through sex equality and equal rights...

One of the points of the British Constitution

is freedom to practise religion, regardless of what...

It actually isn't part of their religion.

Because it's not in scripture

doesn't mean it's not a religious act.

-Right, but...

-It's doing it through the name of Islam.

It would be easier if it wasn't in Reading

because I know everyone in Reading.

The concept of extremist Muslims...

It's like a really mysterious, strange...

Sharia law, all these words are bandied about...

I want to know what that is.

Well, someone who wants to kill us all, basically.

-They want to kill the Jews...

-That's an extremist anybody.

..they want to kill the gays, other Muslims, blacks...

They'll probably think, "What the fuck is that dickhead doing?"

Katie's now not just embarrassed,

she's starting to question whether it's even worth being there.

I think, at the end of the day,

it's going to be a debate that no-one's going to win...

I guess. I guess it's just been going on for so long that...

Yeah, no-one's ever going to win, or...

Mum, we need to go in a minute.

-Well, I'm just going to stay here for about an hour.

-For an hour?

Am I really living life as God wants me to live?!

This is the reality on Britain's streets today.

A melting pot of different views.

E, E, EDL! E, E, EDL!

And nowhere is it more apparent than in Tower Hamlets.

Videos online show the strength of opposition

to previous EDL visits to the London borough.

We're stronger than them, we're bigger than them

and we will boot them out of Tower Hamlets!

EDL leader Tommy Robinson has been defiant

about their right to protest there.

There is no area of this country

that we should not be allowed to enter.

If you're a critic of Islam,

you're not allowed into the borough of Tower Hamlets to do that.

One of the biggest borough in London.

The EDL have planned their next march

in Tower Hamlets for September.

They insist it's not against ordinary Muslims but the extremists,

some of whom have been patrolling the area's streets.

The EDL have been incensed by recent videos of sharia patrols, where

militant Muslims attempt to enforce Islamic law in Tower Hamlets.

It's the day before the demonstration.

In Reading, there's only one topic of conversation in Katie's house.

A woman in the Muslim religion, you're treated worse than a goat.

Katie's sister-in-law, Laura, is a seasoned EDL demonstrator,

and she's concerned for the safety on the big march.

Tower Hamlets is probably worse than Luton now.

I actually don't know what it's going to be like tomorrow.

Last year, I know of two people that got stabbed

when the demo was all over, so just the key thing is stay together.

If it does kick off, whether it's UAF or Muslims,

then everyone is going to have to be on their guard.

You're going to have to watch every single step you take.

Katie is left with worries about the march.

'It makes me want to go, I'm not going to lie,

'just to see the experience, but then in a way it doesn't.'

This one I'm thinking I'm going to tie around me.

'I'm, like, scared to go on a march in a way.'

I heard that it can be very violent and so...

That's one of the put-offs for not going on a march,

in case I get hurt.

It's because of those fears that,

the next morning, Katie isn't with her family

as they head for Reading station en route to Tower Hamlets.

There should be at least a couple of thousand.

If there ain't a couple of thousand then I'll be disappointed.

-I want it to warm up, cos I've got cold feet...

-See?

Cos I've got fake tan on 'em!

Wakey, wakey, rise and shine!

-CHANTING:

-Yorkshire, Yorkshire....

One of the dozens of minibuses descending on the capital is Gail's,

with some of her Yorkshire foot soldiers.

We're going to Tower Hamlets because it's an Islamic state, innit?

It's... They've got their own law.

This is our country. Our law, one law.

This is the day when they try to get their point across.

You know you're going to be standing and you're going to be heard

and you're going to be united with everybody that's across this country,

everyone who's fighting for the future of this country

and their kids. It's... The passion is amazing.

-CHANTING:

-Our streets!

-Whose streets?

-Our streets!

Gail is at the front of the march.

Tower Hamlets... Er, here again!

..whilst Katie's family are bringing up the rear.

-Whose streets?

-Our streets!

-Whose streets?

-Our streets!

The authorities have to allow the EDL the right to demonstrate

about their concerns over extreme Islam.

Everything that they do to women,

they treat 'em worse than a bit of dirt on the ground.

Young women are getting raped.

Young girls are being told that they've got to get married.

Over fears of clashes with locals and opposition demonstrators,

3,000 police have been drafted in.

-We're getting shoved up.

-They're so bloody rough with us.

SIREN BLARES

On the other side of the police lines are the opposition protestors.

Our streets!

Many are local Muslims,

who make up a third of the Tower Hamlets population.

Some attempt to break through to the EDL.

Scum! Scum! Scum! Scum! Scum! Scum! Scum!

Rousing speeches are the culmination of every EDL march.

We are a Christian country which has a diverse population.

It is not a Muslim area!

CHEERING

The EDL'S leader and mouthpiece, Tommy Robinson,

is once again the star attraction.

Because if this is happening now, in 2013,

in 10, 15 years' time, what will it be?

"You cannot enter Luton, you cannot enter Bradford,

"you cannot enter Birmingham,

"cos we can't control what the Muslims will do to you!"

CHEERING

Back home, Katie and Tamara follow the march online.

"Shameless EDL, defending this country from racism,

"violence and extremists by being racist, violent extremists."

A lot of people think it's just... just pure to be racist.

It's not, it's about extremism.

"Stop the racist EDL".

"No to racism or fascism or Islamophobia".

But the majority of them are Muslims.

Katie suspects the EDL is misrepresented by the media.

The newspapers and stuff twists everyone's word.

It's only a group of the EDL

that actually are the racists and the thugs and all of that lot.

It's stereotyping, really.

Yeah, they're stereotyping the whole of the EDL.

It does make me want to go more

just to stand up to what people believe in.

The Tower Hamlets march is wrapping up,

and Gail's thoughts are already turning to the next one.

It's a fight and it's a continuous fight.

It's not going to be over in a heartbeat,

it's going to get worse, this country.

And the worse it gets, the bigger this street movement will become.

As new recruits are drawn to the EDL's cause,

most get their first taste at a so-called meet-and-greet.

Right, welcome, everybody, yeah?

There's new members here and it's very nice to meet you all.

In Reading, Katie's family are hosting their own division's event.

Basically what I want to do is make a leaflet that has questions...

We have our meet-and-greets,

that's how we meet new friends that join our big family.

We all decide things that we're going to do as a big family.

Me and my mum went into Tesco's

and there were MEN in burqas walking round - men.

How many more mosques do they need?

200 miles away, in Castleford in Yorkshire,

there's a potential new recruit at Gail's meet-and-greet.

I'd be falling all over...

18-year-old Amanda has just moved to the area

and has heard about the street movement from a new friend.

Go on, Gail! March in 'em! Can you march in 'em?

No! Oh, I'd be aching!

The next national demo is two weeks away.

Right, are we all here?

Right, everyone ready?

And it's in Bradford, part of Gail's Yorkshire division.

We're all going to meet in Leeds.

I'd go moderate on the drinking before t'demo,

because you're going to have to have your wits about you.

They need to plan carefully - previous marches in Bradford

have ended in violent clashes between the EDL and local Muslims.

Just an idea, but can't we just...

Instead of going where they expect us to go,

can't we go a totally opposite random way

and then all make us own way in, as a big unit?

Do you know what, I'll tell you now, you'll be stopped.

Section 27, and then you'll get fucked.

E, E, EDL! E, E, EDL! E, E, EDL!

'We're all going to become friends

'and everybody's going to work together to defend the country.'

-Because...

-SHE LAUGHS

Scum! Scum! Scum!

The new recruit is impressed.

It's been, literally, the best evening I've ever, ever had.

Like, really, I'm not lying.

It's really nice to be part of people

that are the same opinions of you.

I mean, fair enough, two weeks ago I didn't know what EDL was

but I always thought Muslims were wrong. I really did.

For burning... Like, for trying to bomb us

and killing R...Lee Rigby and trying to harm us.

Eeh, bloody... Who's got me pint?

Amanda moved to Castleford six weeks ago

after problems at home in Middlesbrough.

I moved here mainly because of my ex-boyfriend.

We used to argue and I thought, "I can't be doing with it,"

and I just decided to come down here and live with my mum,

make life a bit easier for myself.

Living here for the first time since she was 11,

Amanda is looking for a job and some new friends.

I wouldn't say I know a lot of people,

but since the meet-and-greet everyone's been...

added me on Facebook and we've been talking a lot and...

The girls from EDL are really friendly, they've all, like,

really accepted me into the group like I'm their sister!

Amanda's main source of information is other EDL members

and videos on YouTube.

That's a picture from the meet-and-greet. Isn't it good?

When you see stuff on YouTube, some of it can be really upsetting.

This Muslim guy that said,

"Us Muslim gangsters run England, all you honkeys

"are gonna be wiped out like the dinosaurs."

It's a steep learning curve for Amanda,

and she's shocked by what she's found online.

Why are you crying?

Cos...I don't...I don't...

I don't want this to happen, I just want peace.

Like, I just...

Reading that, saying that we can't

go into a Muslim area without being attacked,

does that mean we can't walk round our streets any more?

Do you know what I mean? It's like...

Thinking of going on the next demo,

Amanda's visiting Gail's right-hand woman, Antonia,

to find out what to expect.

-EDL versus UAF.

-Is that what you want to watch?!

Ah, you always get shots of t'police coming in at the beginning.

I take it there's a lot of police when you go on these marches?

When you see them doubling and tripling,

you know they'll start penning us in, so I'd just move out t'way.

-VIDEO:

-Whose streets?

-Our streets!

-Whose streets?

-Our streets!

What are they chanting there?

-"Yorkshire. Yorkshire. Yorkshire."

-Ah, right, yeah.

VIDEO: Yorkshire. Yorkshire. Yorkshire.

-And they were chanting, "Whose streets? Our streets."

-Yeah.

Antonia is trying to make sure Amanda understands

what she's getting involved in, but it's a lot to take in.

UAF are United Against Fascists.

They think that we're racist and that we're attacking, um, Muslims.

We're not, it's, um, the extremists we don't like.

'Antonia's sat down and she has explained everything to me,

'how we're marching and we're fighting, and...

'well, not FIGHTING fighting,

'but we're trying to protect ourselves and...everything.'

We want to stand up basically

and say, "No, this is our country and, um, we don't want that here."

On the 9th of October, the news headlines

give the EDL membership their biggest-ever shock.

..Tommy Robinson announcing that he's quit the EDL.

The leader of the far-right English Defence League

is to leave the group, along with its co-leader, Kevin Carroll.

-ROBINSON:

-I've fought to keep out, er, racists from the movements

and, whilst I want to lead a revolution

against Islamist ideology,

I don't want to lead a revolution against Muslims.

I knew when you knew.

That's how fucking disrespected I've been.

Do you know what I mean?

He's... He's proper shit on every foot soldier.

With only four days to go until the Bradford demonstration,

Gail is fielding calls from Angels

and Yorkshire supporters wondering if this is the end.

I tell you now, it ain't going to kill us,

it's just going to make us stronger.

Especially within the Yorkshire and the Angels.

I love 'em.

I think people are just proper shocked at the moment.

I think he should have shown the same loyalty to the people.

I'm pissed off.

Proper.

The shock news has reached Katie in Reading,

where Tommy Robinson's concerns about being judged as racist

have struck a chord.

It must be horrible

to get constantly called racist all the time.

I mean, a lot of the EDL members get called racist thugs,

everything else, don't they, you know.

Yeah.

A lot of them just get used to it. Nazis.

It's not very nice but we know we're not.

DOG BARKS

Come in!

Amanda is planning to go to Bradford for her first demo,

so she's come to ask Antonia if it's still happening.

What do we do now?

I'm not right sure how it's going to kick off in Bradford.

Now, any one of t'lads that kick off, don't think bad of 'em for it,

-they're not bad people.

-No, I won't.

They're just feeling really... abandoned.

That's all there is to it.

Despite Tommy Robinson leaving four days ago,

the internet is buzzing with news that the march will still go ahead.

Right at the bus stop, where the coaches are!

It's feared that the violent clashes seen at past demonstrations

will be sparked once again, with the EDL now leaderless.

-Come on, you fucking Paki!

-You fucking Paki!

The city has seen running street battles between local Muslim youths

and EDL supporters in previous years.

It's 8am on a cold October morning in Castleford

and Antonia is leaving for the march.

But fears of violence have caused her newest Angel to back out.

Well, Amanda's just texted me and decided she don't want to come.

Um...here's t'text that she's sent.

Her mum basically says it's too dangerous and she's not going, so...

Might not see her again, might do. SHE CHUCKLES

A thousand police officers have been drafted in from several forces,

and all protesters, including Antonia,

have to be searched before entering.

Tommy Robinson's departure hasn't dented numbers dramatically.

Around 700 protesters have gathered,

only slightly below the usual turnout.

Passions are as high as usual,

and the chants are confrontational in the extreme.

# Mohammed is a paedo La, la, la, la... #

Who the fuck is Allah?!

If what you're saying is, like, are we bothered about offending Muslims,

we get offended on a daily basis.

'Are they bothered about when they offend us?

'No, they're not.

'I'm offended with being fed halal meat, I'm offended every time

'I see a black bin liner walking down the street.'

Hello.

And welcome to Yorkshire!

Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire!

'You just let it all out when it comes to a demo

'or writing a speech.

'It's a release.

'It's some way to get your frustration out.

'You can't be angry at something and do nothing.'

And I'll never be silent - right?

Go on, Gail!

At the end of the day, there have been 11 arrests,

and no violent clashes with the 120 opposition protesters,

who were kept a mile away.

Right, first demo since Tommy's...done one,

and...it's been cracking!

# Tommy, Tommy who the fuck is Tommy?! #

Five months ago her jaw was broken in seven places,

and Gail is still having trouble eating because of the pain.

Painkillers, it's...

When I first, like...

I were on some of the strongest ones you can have.

They just make you...

Well, it weren't me.

I'm one of these that, I'd rather deal with the pain.

Stiff upper lip, let's just get on with it, kind of thing.

I used to love jam sandwiches when I were a little 'un.

-Here you are, darling.

-Thank you, Mum.

It's less than three weeks until the trial,

and it's playing on Gail's mind.

So she's distracting herself with plans for the next demonstration.

Got to send an e-mail to West Yorkshire Police

that we're planning to hold the demonstration,

the reasons why we're doing it,

which is the threatening Islamification of our country.

This one is personal.

It's in Wakefield,

the home town she had to abandon for her own safety after the attack.

I'll be doing a speech. And I will be telling my story.

That's going to be, like, the ending for me, I'm hoping.

That'll be...time to move on.

They just see it as, we're trying to start a race riot.

What they think really don't matter. It never has done.

In Reading, Katie has started a new college course.

I'm doing motor vehicle.

There is only two girls out of over 100 boys on the course.

Scary but exciting in a way.

Mum!

I thought we were going!

-Are you ready, Kate?

-Yeah.

She hasn't made a decision about the EDL yet,

but she hasn't risked telling any of her new friends about it either.

'I don't care about what people think of me,

'but I'm kind of worried that they'll judge me because of my family.'

So what have you done so far? Taken off a wheel?

Exhaust, oil, spark plugs.

Hey, you're getting towards the engine, then! Done spark plugs!

I've always been a person not to give a damn but that does worry me

because of obviously what the newspapers have said about the EDL.

All right, darling. See you later.

We do get labelled as racists, Nazis, fascists.

And I think, you know, that's very hard on, like, a 16-year-old.

Katie's fears are justified.

In Castleford, Amanda is learning for herself

how EDL membership can damage what people think of you.

It happened on Tuesday.

Er, one of my closest friends found out I was EDL.

"I'm not going to argue with you, just delete my number,

"I don't want to talk to a narrow-minded, EDL racist scum."

It... It is upsetting.

That I thought, if he was really my friend, he would have understood.

Understanding is what Amanda desperately needs today.

She has her first proper date with a new man,

and she's decided to take the risk and tell him about the EDL.

When you've got a boyfriend it is nice to sit there

and just have a cuddle and just talk and stuff.

But I'm...I'm hoping that my new boyfriend will react better,

a lot better.

I hope he's not going to be like, "Oh, my God, get away,"

and stuff like that.

It's still pretty new

and I'm not used to a good relationship,

so hopefully this all goes well.

Hey, you.

-The chicken nuggets taste like fish.

-No, they don't.

Taste like chicken!

The date has started slowly,

but Amanda plucks up the courage to mention the EDL.

Right, so I know I've only told you a bit about EDL,

but what do you think of it so far?

Like, it's...when you see 'em on t'news and that, it's always bad crap.

A lot of people can start arguments with you in the street

and you've got to stand there and say, "Yeah, I am EDL, so what?"

Nowt to be ashamed of.

-Why should you be ashamed of something that you believe in?

-Exactly.

Yeah, I hate it when foreigners sit on the bus talking their own language.

For all you know they could be saying, "Oh, let's kill him over here."

To be fair, that's why I hate trains,

cos you hear about a lot of bombers on trains.

If you want to do it, I'd suggest you come with us

to the Wakey demo. It'll be my first demo as well, so...

I don't even know what to expect.

I really don't.

-Love you.

-Love you too. See you in a bit.

-Bye.

'I think he is going to get into EDL.

'It'll be quite romantic going on an EDL demo. Very!'

How to be a lady. SHE LAUGHS

Ohh... I need Gok!

Six months after Gail was attacked,

and it's the night before the trial against two of the accused men.

I'm thinking, black trousers...

with a...a white shirt.

Shoes - I hate shoes.

I fall over in shoes.

I love my trainers.

She knows only too well the effect the EDL's image can have.

I can't go and stand and ask for respect and dress like...

a bloomin'...thug or summat like that, do you know what I mean?

How they perceive us to be.

Today is the first day of evidence at the trial in Leeds.

Today I give my evidence.

Feel... "get up and get 'em", kind of thing. Do you know what I mean?

Gail has the support of friends from the EDL

when she goes in to tell the court what happened during the attack.

She's on the witness stand for three hours.

But much of the questioning is about events in the weeks and hours

before her attack, including growing tensions between her,

her EDL friends

and the largely Muslim residents of her neighbourhood.

-What happened?

-Well, basically it were just a trial about EDL!

So far, it's all they've asked me. EDL. EDL.

EDL this, EDL that. About people that were there at the day.

But...nowt to do with what's happened!

Gail and her friends are shocked.

Think they're trying to stitch us up.

They were trying to say, like... basically other people's views, on Facebook, asking Gail about it.

It's nothing to do with her, what other people's views are.

Let's just hope justice is served.

Cos we're not there about EDL.

We're there about somebody getting their face kicked in.

It's a hard reality for Gail that she won't be judged on

her testimony alone.

She's worried that she is suffering

the consequences of the EDL's reputation.

In Reading, it's Halloween.

Five pumpkins, ha, ha, ha!

We've got six pumpkins, seven.

Six pumpkins, ha, ha, ha!

And Katie's doubts about being part of the EDL are continuing to grow.

But she hasn't said anything to her family yet.

My family want me to be part of the EDL

but I'm just still, like, uhhh...

My strategy about it is just keeping my mouth shut,

just don't ask questions, hopefully they'll just shut up.

And sometimes you just want to slap 'em all round the head.

Mum, I can do it.

Just before the Second World War people tried to warn Jewish people

that there was someone out to kill them, and they did,

and it was those people that went, "Oh, don't be silly"

that ended up being the victims.

But Katie is beginning to show signs of open rebellion.

But, Katie, you know what we're saying isn't...

we're not making it up, don't you, yeah?

-It's what we...

-I never said that.

-..truly believe.

-Yeah.

-I know, but sometimes you lot can just waffle on and on and on and on.

-We do, yeah.

-It might actually be nice to have, like,

-a decent conversation that doesn't involve EDL.

-We do, but...

-We just seem to get caught back up in the EDL bits.

-Yeah.

The trial in Leeds continues, but Gail's sharp suit is gone.

Back to my normal self today!

Don't matter if you look like a supermodel,

they'll still treat you like trash, innit?

She's decided that what she wears

won't make up for what people think about the EDL.

Making me feel like, er,

I'm not worthy of a...justice system, I'm...I'm second class.

Hello, darling! You all right, babe?

As the days go by, Gail and her friends wait in and outside of court

as the evidence is heard.

She's doing brilliant.

I'd have lost me head with some of the stuff they were saying, lost me temper, but she didn't,

she composed herself and just told the truth, which is all she can do.

Since it happened it's really changed her.

She thinks she's ugly because of her scarring.

Let's just hope that... we get the result that's needed,

and she can try and move on from this.

The defendants have given evidence and deny the charges,

saying that they were acting in self-defence when attacked

by Gail's friends and they can't be sure whether or not they hit her.

Gail is losing faith in getting the result she hoped for.

They've said he never touched me. Never stamped on me head.

Never kicked me head. Never said, "How does it feel, Gail?"

None of that. He's not admitted to none of that.

And it just makes me feel sick when someone... I can't get it!

When somebody's just kicking your head in and they just...

"How does it feel, Gail?"

I'll tell you how it feels, shit! It feels shit!

All Gail can do now is wait for the jury to decide

if they believe her version of events beyond reasonable doubt.

It's Bonfire Night, and things aren't going well for Amanda either.

She's going to see Gail's right-hand woman, Antonia,

with some upsetting news.

It would be nice to tell Antonia about my new boyfriend,

but, er, we've just split up.

I was disappointed, yeah, because he's a nice lad.

But...oh, well.

Disappointment comes around a lot, so...

But Antonia has something more serious

she needs to talk to her about - a picture of Amanda posing as Hitler.

EDL are just... They won't approve of it.

A lot of 'em's, erm, grandads and that fought in World War Two.

And Hitler were racist.

-He tried, erm, ethnic cleansing people, didn't he?

-Yeah.

A lot of people do it just to... show off basically.

Cos they think EDL are into all that, and it's really not the case.

There is groups that are into that, erm,

if you were into them you could join them, but they're more racist,

they're more White Power than us, do you know?

-Yeah.

-Anyone can join EDL - even Muslims.

I love sparklers.

'I was only joking about, I didn't mean it to mean anything,

'but Antonia said that it was a bit racist,

'so I've deleted the picture off Facebook.'

-I'll pop up tomorrow.

-Bye.

It's been a wake-up call for Amanda.

When you're in EDL, I do think you have to be a bit grown-up.

Fair enough, I've been in it a month, but that's still quite new.

It is quite a few things to get your head round.

It's a big commitment.

Worse than being married, I guess!

SHE LAUGHS

She still has lots to learn, but Amanda's keen to pass on

what she does know to her friends,

including her best friend from junior school, Tasha.

A lot of people think we're a bunch of drunken idiots.

So that's what you're trying to prevent people from thinking?

Yeah. And...

we don't want what happened to Lee Rigby happen again.

Oh, I get it now.

I didn't even know it existed.

Tasha seems to be sympathetic.

You don't realise, do you?

Just feel like I've been walking around blind, cos I didn't know anything about this.

But the things you have told me, I think it's right.

-It's an eye opener, isn't it?

-It's right for you...

-Yeah.

-Eye opener.

-It's opened my eyes.

-Yeah.

Amanda may have company for her first demo after all.

I'll still be your friend if you don't like it.

-I'm not going to fall out if you don't like it, you know what I mean.

-No, cos you daren't!

In Leeds, Gail's back at court

expecting to hear the jury's verdict.

They there for you?

Police. For me.

What do they think I'm going to do, kick off?

As Gail goes in, it's a tense wait for her friends outside.

How long we got now?

20 past three.

It's sad as hell. I think it's cruel.

She's just a woman, in't she, at t'end of t'day, with two kids.

But after hours of deliberations the jury haven't come to a verdict.

Court is adjourned until the following day.

Bless you.

-Good luck tomorrow.

-Thank you, sweetheart.

The next day is a repeat performance.

The pressure is getting to Gail.

There's no way I've lost everything

and my kids have gone through all that for fuck all.

Gail.

No way, no way.

It's another tense wait for everyone.

But this time there's a verdict.

Fucking disgusting.

It's an enormous blow for Gail.

Fucking disgusting.

Got away with it! Not guilty on all accounts.

-Come here, sweetheart.

-Can't breathe. Can't breathe.

Come on. Come on, darling.

Fucking no justice in this world. Come on, sweetheart.

I don't believe this.

-I can't believe what I've just heard.

-I can't.

Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on.

Have you got your inhaler with you?

I can't believe that. I can't believe it.

The two men were found not guilty on both counts.

They admitted being there

but said they had been caught in a fight by chance

and that whilst defending themselves

they couldn't be sure who they had hit.

In Castleford, Amanda has seen the news in the local paper.

A jury found the brothers not guilty

of causing...grievous bloody harm with intent and affray.

It doesn't scare me, because even if you're not EDL

everybody gets hit in the street.

Everyone gets battered in the street so it doesn't put me off.

I'm used to bad things happening.

So, I get used to it.

Well, I got used to it eventually.

But the final judgment did affect Gail -

she's refused to see anyone for the last week.

It is still...unbelievable, and it's....

But that chapter's shut.

No matter what, the chapter still got shut.

And that's what I needed.

We've been to t'bottom!

There's no way I'm going back there.

So it's a...dust down, pick up and carry on.

It's just going to make me stronger.

You go, old girl.

Four days later, Gail has to be back on fighting form.

It's her final demo of the year,

marking the end of the marching season for the Yorkshire Angels.

It's in Wakefield, and the journey there takes Gail past

the home that she was forced to leave.

You see, now and again when I go past here, it's like...sick.

Just...sick feeling.

You've got... I can't help it, I always try and look at me old house!

Cos you do, though, don't you?

Thank you, dear.

She arrives early for her defiant homecoming.

And so do the police.

And defiance is in the air 200 miles away in Reading.

Can you shut up and let me do it!

This is why I don't like doing things with you.

Katie has refused to join in with Jay's latest

attention-grabbing protest in Reading town centre.

I am going to shove this in your ear.

What's that?

It's National Balaclava Day today anyway.

We're saying let's not discriminate. Let's either ban it for both of us

or legalise it for both of us.

This is Jay's last stunt of the year.

They can cover their faces and that's OK, but I can't cover mine?

That's either sexist, and it's racist and religiousist.

Not everyone agrees with their point.

I'm concerned that you seem racist.

There isn't racism.

They can wear that but we can't wear that.

I don't agree with you, I really don't.

How many are men, how many of them are committing crimes.

I don't have a problem with them at all, I don't.

Eve if it's the men that do, so what's the problem?

Well, we're not saying there's a problem.

What we're saying is why shouldn't I be allowed to cover my face?

Obviously I wear this for a reason.

And that is to protect myself from the lure

and stare of unwanting eyes.

But I can't really understand why you'd want to walk down a street

wearing a balaclava if you're not going to do a robbery or something, do you know what I mean?

It does look like you're about to raid a jewellery store or something.

I've read the Koran and it's quite a violent religion.

No, you must not have read the Koran. Now when I came over here

and I said to you, "What is your problem,"

you said to me it wasn't about Islam but to me it sounds like it is.

To me, it sounds like it is. No, no, no.

Islam teaches nothing but peace. Islam teaches nothing but peace.

-It teaches nothing but war.

-And but love. No, no, no, you've read it wrong.

-I've had a nice conversation with you.

-It's been nice, hasn't it?

Yeah, it's been very nice. Thank you for your time.

-Thank you for your time as well.

-Goodbye.

It's always good to hear other opinions.

Back at the house, whilst Katie is willing to help her mum

make campaign posters, she's decided to be honest about her feelings

towards Balaclava Day and the EDL.

I personally think it's ridiculous.

It's a good idea, it's just that we didn't want to be out in the cold.

I don't think it's a good idea personally but...

And why don't you think it's a good idea?

Cos you're just going to stand there making a fool of yourself.

Not necessarily, if he's trying to get a point across.

I don't understand what the point is.

I'm trying to say it in the nicest way possible!

Does that mean with all, with all this that you've decided,

as I say we'll support you've with whatever you've decided, love.

-And you said...

-You've got to, you're my mum.

Yeah, at the beginning, you know, you said you'd like

to go on a demo and see what it's like and all that,

so is that now you don't want to do anything like that?

No. Personally, it isn't for me.

No, that's fine, you know. I respect that.

And as long as you can still help out doing all these bits with us.

Just doing this, so no.

Going on an EDL march may not be for Katie.

But for Amanda, her first demo is something she's been looking

forward to since she found out about the EDL two months ago.

And she's persuaded her friend Tasha to come along for the ride.

So are you excited then?

Yeah, a bit. I got a few mixed feelings to be honest!

-What to expect and...

-Nervousness.

-Nervous and that, yeah!

-Nervousness!

The police have agreed a pub as a meeting point for the EDL,

and everyone's out in force to support Gail.

Opposition protesters are supposed to be across town

at their own meeting point, but they turn up uninvited.

All t'lefties have come to have a pint with us

which is really, really nice!

But fuck off!

The counter-demonstrators have covered their faces

but it's clear they don't belong and they're not welcome.

What you covering your face for?

If you were that ugly, you'd cover your face.

You've got a face a fucking dog wouldn't lick!

# Bye, bye, bye, bye! #

Just as they are ejected..

Let's lock them up now then, guys. Let's give them no chances.

..Amanda and Tasha arrive at the pub.

It's in at the deep end for the first-time protesters.

Each one of you is going to be giving your names and addresses to police officers present.

Get a cordon around them and start moving them.

Amanda and Tasha are swept along with the opposing demonstrators

as the police clear them from the area.

We got told to go up there, us!

And then they found out we were EDL, and they just said to us...

Hiya! How are you?

Not so bad.

It's getting close to the march and supporters are arriving

from as far away as Newcastle and Bristol and the pub is filling up.

# I know I am, I'm sure I am

# I'm English till I die. #

Yeah, that's one of the chants.

What do you mean one of the chants?

I don't know, how do you explain a chant?

CHANTING: E, E, EDL! E, E, EDL!

I thought it were going to be a massive riot, but it's all right!

I'm so excited and my blood's pumping and I'm like woo!

Let's get out there and do it!

CHANTING: Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire!

Nice and steady, lads.

CHANTING: E, E, EDL!

After three hours in the pub,

200 demonstrators march around half a mile.

-CHANTING: Whose streets?

-Our streets!

E, E, EDL! E, E, EDL!

The marching season is reaching its conclusion.

Six weeks after leader Tommy Robinson left

and there's still plenty of feet on the street.

It's amazing.

-CHANTING:

-Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire!

Back in her home town, Gail gets to have

her say about the attack, on her terms.

Oi, shut up! The woman is talking.

Right, in the court of law,

they say that if you wear a short skirt you deserve to be raped.

If you are EDL, you deserve injustice

and you deserve a good kicking.

She's like a superhero when you're young.

She's the type of person that you look up to,

and you want to be like when you're older.

She's my role model, I know that.

-CHANTING:

-Yorkshire! Yorkshire!

Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire!

The future of the EDL is less than certain

but for someone like Amanda there's a big attraction to a group

that listens to the fears no-one else wants to hear.

It's important to be heard.

Everyone has to be heard whether it's EDL or summat else.

Everybody counts.

It feels like it's where I want to be. I belong here.

It's the first time I've felt like I have been wanted.

But belonging to the EDL carries a risk -

the group will always be known as violent and racist

and for many like Katie, that's a reputation they don't want to share.

EDL isn't for me at the moment.

I don't want to be labelled as being a racist thug when I know that I'm not.

So that's basically one of the reasons why

I don't want to be in the EDL.

-CHANTING:

-Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire!

The EDL is Gail's life.

The current threat to the organisation's existence

has only added to her determination.

If it ever does disband, then Yorkshire will continue.

We will carry on, no matter what.

I believe that I am here to fight for my country,

to fight for my children's future.

And that is one thing I will do till my dying day.

And I will fight till the end.

Quick walking, quick walking.

Howay, got fucking jeans on, they're going to fall down and everything.