The EDL Were Wrong About Anders Breivik

After Anders Breivik, the Norway bomber, caused mass devastation in Oslo, far-right groups such as the English Defence League (EDL) were trying to distance themselves from him after claims were being made about links.

The EDL published an article, describing the terrorist incident as a case of ‘lone wolf terrorism’. Below is a snippet.

But as a recent event has showed us, the writer was wrong.

News around the world reported of a man from the Czech Republic who wanted to carry out a ‘copycat’ atrocity similar to the style of Breivik. Found at his flat was a remote-controlled detonator, about 400 ammunition rounds, police uniforms and masks. The man, who had five convictions, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons and endangering the public. Luckily, his plan was foiled.

As we can see, the EDL tried steering away from the issue of far-right extremism and terrorism, describing it as ‘lone wolf terrorism’. It wasn’t, and this further proves that the far-right Islamophobic influence is/can be, a threat to our society.

European police agency Europol stated the threat of violent right-wing extremism ‘has reached new levels in Europe and should not be underestimated.’ It also very strange that many far-right supporters have sympathetic views to using violence or conflict, as a report published by the thinktank Chatham House discovered.

Further reading:

1. Report Says Most Far-Right Supporters Agree With Violence