When the EDL visits Manchester on Saturday 16 August it won’t
be to spread hatred and fear, but instead the opposite will be true. Two years
ago, with EDL protests grabbing headlines in the national media, Alex Jones and
some friends joked about the idea of claiming the acronym back from the clutches
of racism and violence. Today their joke has developed into a positive
movement aiming to promote community spirit and diversity under the heading of
English Disco Lovers.
Beginning with social media and search engine optimisation to
link the ‘EDL’ acronym with their own English Disco Lovers title, they then set
about creatively and humorously deflating the negative right-wing messages by arriving in fancy disco dress, aiming
soundsystems at English Defence League demonstrations and turning Gloria Gaynor's ‘I Will Survive’
up to 11. Elsewhere, the Disco Lovers have pointed their soundsystems at
various dancefloors across the country by arranging clubnights whose proceeds fill the pockets of charities that work towards greater social cohesion.
Jones will first pay a visit to the People’s History Museum
for a 60 minute talk as part of the venue’s Work in Progress
exhibition and workshops series. His talk will cover the array of tactics used
by the alternative EDL to combat and subvert the far right EDL group.
Later on, the Manchester division of the English Disco
Lovers will be on the turntables at the Roadhouse to deliver an earful of soulful grooves. Jonny Shire of Oui Dig fame
and Zero are the resident EDL tune selectors, while guests this time around are
from the Hi Ku and Full Stop Manchester clubnights.
Ian Pennington
The English Disco Lovers
talk at People’s History Museum begins at 2.30pm and the suggested donation
on entry is £3 in order to support the museum.
The clubnight is from
11pm til late on Saturday 16 August at Roadhouse. Tickets are available via the
ethical ticketing agency, Party
For The People, who donate a cut of their sales to selected charities.
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