Even if you didn’t watch last night’s BBC3 documentary, EDL Girls: Don’t Call Me Racist, chances are you read about it on Twitter. The programme, which followed a trio of young female members of the English Defence League – known as EDL Angels – got people so riled it was trending worldwide.
It exposed some predictably depressing viewpoints (‘Two weeks ago I didn’t know what EDL was, but I knew Muslims were wrong’) – and some criticised it for giving a platform to the far right movement. But director Fran Baker says we should be listening – not dismissing – the growing numbers of young women joining the EDL. Here, she tells The Debrief why:
The Debrief: Did the reaction to the programme surprise you?
Fran Baker: It’s kind of what I expected, to be honest. Perhaps not the volume – but I knew it would make people quite irate. I knew people were going to be wound up by the fact that the girls were essentially just allowed to talk about how they feel, without judgement.
DB: Why did you decide to make the film?
FB: There’s obviously a growing minority who hold those kind of views. We all hear people having those conversations which start: ‘I’m not racist but…’ It’s this unsaid fear that people have about Islam. But I think by constantly brushing people’s fears under the carpet, we push people towards groups like the EDL. Lots of people said to me: ‘I don’t think you should be making this programme, they don’t deserve a say.’ But just because they don’t represent what we all talk about at dinner parties, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have freedom of speech. There’s got to be a more honest debate about the issues. Like Amanda says in the film, ‘No matter what you believe in, everyone deserves a say.’
DB: How did you go about finding women to take part?
FB: It was really difficult, to be honest. It took a long time. People would constantly drop out. They were terrified of what their friends, family and bosses would say. But we just went on loads of demos. The people we met were mums, sisters and girlfriends – normal people with normal lives, who for whatever reason have had some kind of experience that has made them feel that the EDL is the answer.
**DB: Did you notice an increasing number of young women joining? **
FB: Yeah, there’s definitely a growing number there – and that’s significant. I think after the Lee Rigby murder, there was a real emotional reaction to that. And young women – young people in general – are increasingly disenfranchised with the political system, so they are turning to these specialist groups like EDL.
DB: In some ways it’s reminiscent of a cult, in the way that it attracts vulnerable people looking for somewhere to belong…
FB: Definitely. There’s a family element to it – people welcome you in and make you feel part of their gang. I think everyone in the EDL, whether they seem obviously vulnerable in that way or not, they’ve all had something that’s made them feel marginalised and they’ve finally met a group of people who feel the same way. When someone finally hears you, that’s a powerful thing. It says a lot about today’s society where people feel isolated in lots of ways. It’s human nature to want to feel part of something.
DB: Some of the lack of knowledge and understanding was pretty shocking – for example Amanda thinking it was OK to post a picture of herself posing as Hitler on Facebook.
FB: There were quite a lot of people being really harsh about Amanda on Twitter, but she’s not that unusual – and not just in the EDL. Yes, it is shocking, but there are a lot of people out there that don’t know much about politics, generally, and our recent history.
DB: Was there a temptation to try and reason with them when the cameras were off?
FB: No, our role was just to observe. I would never intervene and say you shouldn’t be doing this – but at the same time I’m not going to endorse what they believe either. I’m just the person that happens to be holding the camera up.
DB: How did you come away from it feeling?
FB: To be totally honest, I’ve got admiration for the girls. Whatever I think of their views, I appreciate that they let me and all these other people into their lives. To bare yourself in that way and say, ‘This is what I think, I don’t care about the consequences,’ is a brave thing for a young woman to do.
DB: With BBC3 being axed, it might be the last of these documentaries we get to see...
FB: We wouldn’t have got this commissioned anywhere else on British TV. If there’s not a home for stuff like this that’s a bit more challenging, then I think it will be really tragic. As a filmmaker, BBC3 is amazing. You have an ability to really stir things up and get people thinking.
Catch up with EDL Girls: Don't Call Me Racist here.
Follow Clare on Twitter @Thorpers
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.