Vigilante group marching around Enfield

10:12pm Tuesday 9th August 2011 in News Photograph of the Author By David Hardiman, Reporter

VIGILANTES are marching around Enfield, chanting and vowing to stop looters or rioters.

A group of around 500 men - wearing white t-shirts - started marching from Hertford Road in Enfield Highway at around 8pm.

As the group headed towards Enfield Town, they picked up drinkers from pubs along the way - some of which were reportedly offering half-price drinks.

The group reached the Tesco store in Southbury Road, where they turned around, seemingly after meeting riot police.

They are now marching back along Southbury Road out of the town centre, where witnesses heard chants of "EDL" - a reference to the far-right English Defence League.

Motorists hooted their horns in support of the group as they marched out of the town centre.

Comments(26)

marieemma says...
10:36pm Tue 9 Aug 11

It is fantastic to see that people in Enfield are proud of where they live and want to stand up for it. However, they need to remember the reasons why they are there and not create more trouble nor make it a standpoint against race/culture.

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raven03 says...
10:55pm Tue 9 Aug 11

I was there and I'm black. There were a lot of white men and women there were also black, Asian, Eastern Europeans. People from all walks of life. It was a peaceful march until 2 black men tried to attack the crowd with what looked like hockey sticks and another black man on the opposite side threw a bin in the crowd and then pulled out a knife!! As far as I was aware it wasn't supposed to be about race! It was about people saying enough is enough we will stand up for what is right.
Even then the crowd were relatively calm and people were shouting that the idea was to show how to demonstrate without violence or retaliation. As a crowd we had to get the police to get out of their vehicles to come and deal with the situation!

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deeborehamwood says...
11:12pm Tue 9 Aug 11

Well said and well done Raven..This reporter seems intent on inciting trouble, maybe so he can get another story..white tshirts, beer cans, pitbull type dogs...Good god is he watching something different..It's not about race and I think they were chanting Eng-ger-land not EDL! It's reports like this that make matters worse...stay safe all.

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Lee Enfield says...
12:44am Wed 10 Aug 11

The crowd is a mixture of races. It ISNT all white skinned males. They were shouting ENGLAND. This is local residents and business owners and NOT some right wing demonstration. This reporter is trying to stir things up when all these people are doing is making sure that Enfield isn't attacked tonight.

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Purrbeast says...
12:47am Wed 10 Aug 11

WTH! is this guy on about? There is no BNP, EDL, Dogs or anything else ...Just normal people protecting and standing up for what is right...*shakes Head* I know many of these people and they are of different races, religions....all standing together....Dear Mr Hardiman I think you need to go take a closer look...because you have it all wrong *sighs*

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Yidarmy12 says...
12:50am Wed 10 Aug 11

David Hariman, you appear to have some sort of hearing difficulties. From the video you will hear the chanting is "Eng-er-land". This is the country in which we live (although you appear to be on another planet), not "EDL". If you both to research your article and look at the many photos around the internet of these brave men and women you will see that it was indeed a very mixed group. I hope you send them a sincere apology, otherwise you may find that they don;t defend your office if there is more unrest in Enfield.

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tina1902 says...
12:55am Wed 10 Aug 11

Lee Enfield wrote:
The crowd is a mixture of races. It ISNT all white skinned males. They were shouting ENGLAND. This is local residents and business owners and NOT some right wing demonstration. This reporter is trying to stir things up when all these people are doing is making sure that Enfield isn't attacked tonight.
This reporter sounds to me like he wants to cause the decent people of enfield alot of trouble, im so sick of small minded people thinking this was a racist protest, i was there, i saw you all with my own eyes, the different races all united in trying to make a stand for Enfield...pitbull dogs??? where were they?? i saw two dogs and one was a Husky!!!!!!!!!! This has made Enfield sound like a racist community and its far from it... I think he needs to make an apology to everyone and make it clear this was NOT RACE related!!!!!

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bglight says...
12:57am Wed 10 Aug 11

EDL?
Pitbulls?

No... didn't notice any of this...nor did many others, it seems.

Inciting hatred, perhaps, Mr Hardiman? Could you point out to us *exactly* where you observed these things please? Pretty big allegations for a reporter to make.

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obione says...
12:58am Wed 10 Aug 11

typicall press get it rong as usual utta rubbish
these men were defendin a town that employs you to report not incit i have a feelin you may regret this rubbish

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Birdy71 says...
12:59am Wed 10 Aug 11

Tut tut.... This is why no one trusts reporters.... Like always the truth is twisted & turned into something it isn't. As a COMMUNITY everyone come together to look after the Enfield streets. I don't hear anything being said about any other area that done the same. Thanks everyone for making Enfield feel safe for the 1st time in a long time

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Enfieldgirl says...
1:02am Wed 10 Aug 11

How can you get away with writing such absolute rubbish, saying there was chants of EDL when they were chanting ENGLAND, didn’t think that would be a problem after all this is where we live. You do know its people like you that create unnecessary tension implying it was racial watch the videos, look at the pictures the group was mixed with all different races. This also started on twitter when another reporter Paul Lewis of The Guardian had tweeted he had heard racial abuse from the Enfield group this then crated so much anger over twitter I was expecting a backlash, a few hours later retweet from Paul Lewis of Guardian now says 'No racial chants heard' in #Enfield - Then why tell the nation otherwise in earlier tweets? When people like you put information down it needs to be facts because sad but true people tend to believe what they read in the news.

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jasontarrant says...
1:05am Wed 10 Aug 11

You are a Race Baiter. This article was poorly written and incendiary.

The people of Enfield should BOYCOTT your rag for such terrible reporting. There have been numerous attempts to try and start a race related incident from this group of citizens, who were out trying to show that they are united against the common pond scum that just ruined London.

If there are race related repercussions because of your erroneous reporting, it will be on your head.

Your attempt to turn the tables will fail and your baseless propaganda is being seen as such by over 10,000 people on Facebook and I hope by many, many more.

I'm sure your employers will love to see how the "poor unwashed masses", the ones you just trashed in your little diatribe will react to when they start boycotting your advertisers and your paper.

You are a HACK

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tina1902 says...
1:08am Wed 10 Aug 11

Just remembered the breed of the other dog i saw at the protest..... A King Charles Spaniel.... very street cred!!!!!!!!!!! (no insult meant) Pittbull types ......... my *rse

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Vigilante09/08/11 says...
2:14am Wed 10 Aug 11

We had a race in mind, Enfield !! White, black, asian, Eastern europe, you name them they were all there. The white T-shirt things was so WE can idenifiy who is with us and where we are going. I was only in Enfield town. Wasnt involved in the march, but did have interactions with them, ENG-ER-LAND chanting is not racist but showing support for our country.
The pubs were NOT offering half price drinks, in town. Infact the george closed at 8pm.

If we dont look after our own, who will? These reporters with half hearted bull for stories??

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deeborehamwood says...
6:36am Wed 10 Aug 11

I suggest we all complain to the paper that this so called reporter is causing "Incitment to riot"! I believe that is also a criminal offence...

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ChrissyZ says...
8:25am Wed 10 Aug 11

Forgive me, but am I right in thinking that journalism is supposed to be unbiased? My mistake if it isn't...

Why would someone attempt to incite a race row in a borough like Enfield? This is a MULTICULTURAL borough. Didn't really think this one through did you David?

I have never been prouder to live in Enfield than I was yesterday. I drove past the march and saw many nationalities all marching together to defend the area.

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Caroline12 says...
12:00pm Wed 10 Aug 11

Disappointed, disgusted and appalled by David Hardiman’s article. An ineptly written inaccurate piece.

Enfield is my home borough and was the first borough to stand up for their community.

I just hope this article does not appear in the printed version of this paper as residents, such as my mother and her friends, will get the completely wrong impression. There was no trouble caused by these brave men of whom I’m very proud.

I believe an apology / rewrite is in order Mr Hardiman and, before you do, listen to the video again …. eng-er-land!

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Vigilante09/08/11 says...
2:18pm Wed 10 Aug 11

David.... you got anything else to say? Why dont you do some interviews with the people that WERE there!!

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caroline1980 says...
3:08pm Wed 10 Aug 11

What a poorly researched and vastly misleading article. Shame on you Mr Hardiman, for adapting a reaction to the riots that Enfield people should be proud of to suit your own professional and/or political agenda.

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Rascal01 says...
3:32pm Wed 10 Aug 11

This is a very poor reflection of the actual events that took place last night. I am a young female and never once felt the behaviour of the marchers even slightly turn in the violent/aggressive manner. I never felt unsafe or fearful. Spirits were high and the community united. We were all there for one reason and one reason only! Racism and violence were completely non existant and I can 100% confim that no EDL songs were chanted. The article is undoing the hard work of the good citizens of Enfield. I for one was very proud and honored to be part of the Enfield community last nite and this misleading article is a poor shot at ruining this.

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Nicola Mercer says...
3:38pm Wed 10 Aug 11

Shame on you David! I'm proud to say that I was there last night (9/8/11) standing shoulder to shoulder with my fellow Enfieldians. This was in no way shape or form a racist meeting, this was a show of solidarity from the people of Enfield after the recent rioting. Last night was not about what colour you were, for all we cared you could have been black, white, pink, purple or yellow! We were there to show the people who wreaked havoc in our home town that we weren't broken that we won't tolerate it. Your small minded view has tarred the brush of a very peaceful gathering and you should get the facts straight before you start spewing verbal diahorrea!

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Nicola Mercer says...
3:39pm Wed 10 Aug 11

Shame on you David! I'm proud to say that I was there last night (9/8/11) standing shoulder to shoulder with my fellow Enfieldians. This was in no way shape or form a racist meeting, this was a show of solidarity from the people of Enfield after the recent rioting. Last night was not about what colour you were, for all we cared you could have been black, white, pink, purple or yellow! We were there to show the people who wreaked havoc in our home town that we weren't broken that we won't tolerate it. Your small minded view has tarred the brush of a very peaceful gathering and you should get the facts straight before you start spewing verbal diahorrea!

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FatTulip says...
3:43pm Wed 10 Aug 11

Your attempt at sabotaging the good work of the community has failed. I spoke minutes ago with a senior policewoman in town when Boris was interviewed who said, and quote, "They were here for all the right reasons."

I read the original article and am incensed that an allegedly impartial person would risk inflaming the situation by reporting such inaccuracies.

There is no place for Hardiman's private agenda in this situation. Stay at home David!!!

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realdeal66 says...
6:51pm Wed 10 Aug 11

This article is shocking! here is a letter I have passed onto Mr Hardiman & is editor. There response will be interesting
Dear Mr Hardiman,

After reading your article regarding the Enfield vigilante's only a open apology in the paper you write for is the least you can do for the good people of Enfield.

Whether it was lazy journalism or you're not very good at your job what you wrote was shocking as it clearly shows you was not there and if you was you are also a liar.

In these desperate times where anything can ignite trouble you have a responsibility to report in a conventional manner. I don't know whether you're looking for a big scoop but the tinderbox that is Tottenham, Edmonton & Enfield which I am sure you're aware off will not take much to start again.

Enfield residents are stunned by what happened, Enfield residents are scared for their families, property & their town and with the vigilante group it is a last resort. It is not a racist group, it is not the EDL, it is a group to stop what the police haven't.

I would like to ask you, how long have you lived in Enfield? What does Enfield mean to you? does your job mean everything and nothing else matters? or are you just not very good at your job?

Apology is the least you can do, on a moral view your resignation should be handed in. If the first is beyond you or your paper, I am happy to start any campaign to boycott your paper and in these days of social media I am sure you agree this will be easy do and can snowball in no time at all.

Apologise to the good people of Enfield at least and possibly look at yourself afterwards and resign

Yours faithfully

P Brace

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BoyzMamma says...
8:22am Fri 12 Aug 11

Maybe this jorno used to work for the news of the world!
The community of Enfield who have stood side by side protecting their town are doing just that! Making people feel safe at night! Yes it should be the police doing it but they weren't doing it! Read this report from a jorno with praise for our boys! http://t.co/R9f102T You can keep your comments to yourself David. The people of Enfield know their community and stand by it, stronger now that ever before.

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nickdavo says...
10:03pm Sat 13 Aug 11

Dear Mr Hardiman, Please explain the following: 1.When Sikh men patrol their area there are hero's (with weapons) 2. When Turkish men defend their shops and area with weapons they are hero's. But when some white English and others patrol Enfield with no weapons they are racist ? It seem to me that anyone who is white, can't speak out or do anything without being branded racist, because of small minded attention seeking journalist like yourself.This was just people from Enfield who had enough of watching the area which we love be ruined by mindless thugs, but now it is being ruined by one mindless Reporter (or so called!)

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