John Meighan, founder of the Football Lads Alliance (FLA), has left the FLA and handed over the leadership of the group to a ‘new Admin team’.
Anti-racists should feel vindicated.
Clearly we have played a role in creating pressure on Meighan and the FLA over recent months that has revealed their real agenda.
But nobody should believe that the threat the FLA poses has weakened or disappeared.
If anything John Meighan’s departure could smooth the tensions that have led to splits and arguments amongst the FLA’s supporters.
Recent articles in the Observer and Times newspapers have exposed the racism at the heart of the FLA project.
The FLA’s turnout on its recent Birmingham march was also a factor in Meighan’s departure.
Originally the mobilisation was flagged up as a 20,000 strong protest (in reality they mobilised around 1,500).
This led to increasing criticisms of Meighan’s leadership of the ‘movement’.
He also faced accusations of financial mismanagement of funds.
Meighan’s failure to deal with these criticisms led to splits and infighting and eventually his departure.
The FLA has moved sharply rightwards since its initial mobilisation in London last summer in the wake of a wave of terror attacks.
It initially claimed to be against all extremism and to be neither of the left or the right.
But it has moved in an increasingly Islamophobic and racist direction.
Posts on the FLA’s secret Facebook wall have included horrible racism and Islamophobia, and violent threats against Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
The FLA has been attracting far right elements and increasingly John Meighan offered his support to far right figures and mobilisations.
Recently the FLA split.
Former supporters of Meighan launched a rival organisation, the so called, Democratic FLA (DFLA).
This grouping includes many London football firms, previously aligned to the FLA. Also firms in the West Midlands have moved over to the DFLA.
This was evident from the two marches held by the different FLAs, in Birmingham, recently.
The demos were of a similar size, and many on both, felt the FLA’s day was disappointing, while the DFLA has made progress.
Adding to the FLA’s woes was a statement by the Premier League, warning of the ‘dangers’ posed by the organisation.
The DFLA has recently marched in Telford and Rochdale ostensibly against child sexual abuse, but in reality focusing on solely blaming the Muslim community for these terrible actions.
Increasingly the DFLA have been linked to the leaders of UKIP
Meighan’s departure is good news for anti racists. But we can’t afford to be complacent.
It is far too early to see how things will develop.
There is pressure from those in both FLAs to reunite the ‘movement’.
We have to remember that whatever the divisions and splits thousands of racists and Islamophobes marched in Birmingham last month.
Thousands more plan to March in London and Manchester in the coming weeks.
They are buoyed up by the mainstream anti-Muslim hate of the right wing press and the scapegoating of the Muslim community by politicians.
The far right are looking to regroup and the FLA is at the heart of that process.
The figure of Tommy Robinson hovers around both the FLA and DFLA.
He is treated as a hero by the far right and was extremely popular on recent FLA mobilisations.
The ‘admin team’ now in charge of the FLA often shares Robinson’s videos and posts.
Robinson may find a place for himself in one of the FLA groupings at some point.
Another figure now at the centre of the FLA operation is Pamela Brannigan. She claimed to work for charity “Help for Heroes” but they deny any link with her. However she has been linked to the fascist EDL.
The FLA plans to march in Manchester on Saturday 19 May, attempting to use the anniversary of the Manchester Arena attack for its own ends.
The DFLA says it will march in Manchester too on Saturday 2 June, and with Tommy Robinson in London on Sunday 6 May.
Anti-racists have to sound the alarm.
The forces of the Islamophobic and racist right are trying to reorganise and do what their friends in Europe have succeeded in doing.
They want to build the movement on the street to help build for an electoral breakthrough later on.
We can’t simply allow these people to march through our multicultural cities without showing our opposition.
Some 50 years on from Powell’s Rivers of Blood Speech, let’s stand up to those who want to carry on his message today.
Join these important anti-racist mobilisations.
Oppose Tommy Robinson and the Democratic Football Lads Alliance, Sunday 6 May, event here
Don’t let racism divide us – Oppose the Football Lads Alliance march in Manchester, Saturday 19 May, event here
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