UNITED KINGDOM: Riot police bring English town to standstill to allow far-right anti-radical Islam demo

Record ID: 737917

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Riot police bring English town to standstill to allow far-right anti-radical Islam demo
  • Date: 6th February 2011
  • Summary: LUTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 5, 2011) (REUTERS) ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE (EDL) SUPPORTERS GATHERED BY PUB WITH ENGLAND BANNERS AND "HELP FOR HEROES " BANNER AND UNION FLAG CHANTING "NO SURRENDER TO THE TALEBAN" EDL CHANTING "E-E-E-EDL", WITH UNION FLAGS, ENGLAND FLAGS CHANTING WITH ANTI-SHARIA LAW BANNER VARIOUS OF EDL SUPPORTER WITH ST GEORGE CROSS IN HIS CONTACT LENSES EDL SUPPORTER HOLDING ANTI-ISLAM POSTER, SAYING THAT NONE OF THE SUPPORTERS ARE FOOTBALL HOOLIGANS EX-PARATROOPER SOLDIER AND EDL MEMBER HOLDING FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) EX PARATROOPER SOLDIER AND EDL MEMBER, MERRIOT JOHN, SAYING: "We will integrate with Muslims, but Muslims must understand that radical Islam is a serious threat to peace, democracy and freedom." EDL SUPPORTERS SINGING "I'M ENGLAND TILL I DIE" EDL LOGO ON BACK OF SWEATSHIRTS ELIZABETH SABADITSCH-WOLFF, MEMBER OF PAX EUROPA FROM AUSTRIA, CURRENTLY BEING TRIED FOR HATE SPEECH IN AUSTRIA, AMONGST CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELIZABETH SABADITSCH-WOLFF, MEMBER OF PAX EUROPA FROM AUSTRIA - CURRENTLY BEING TRIED FOR HATE SPEECH IN AUSTRIA, SAYING: "I support anyone and everyone who fights Islamisation of Europe, who fights this radical ideology that is a danger to all of us, to women, to homosexuals, to children, to everything non-Muslim it's a very, very grave danger." RABBI NACHUM SHIFREN, FROM LOS ANGELES AND MEMBER OF AMERICA'S TEA PARTY MOVEMENT, TALKING TO ANOTHER EDL SUPPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) RABBI NACHUM SHIFREN, FROM LOS ANGELES AND MEMBER OF AMERICA'S TEA PARTY MOVEMENT, SAYING: "There's conservative groups in America that are really horrified at what's going on in Europe. I mean Europe is on the verge of becoming an Islamic nation. It's not much longer. If they don't put up a fight soon it's going to be too late." TWO EDL MEMBERS WEARING BLACK SKI MASKS, HOLDING FINGERS UP IN VICTORY SIGN LINE OF POLICE HORSES LINE OF POLICE OFFICERS RIOT POLICE OFFICERS AT FRONT OF EDL CROWD, AS THEY PREPARE TO MARCH STEVEN LENNON, AKA "TOMMY ROBINSON", AT FRONT OF CROWD SEEN THROUGH RIOT POLICE HELMETS POLICE HORSES LEADING MARCH LARGE CROWD AND RIOT POLICE AS MARCH BEGINS FIRE-CRACKER GOING OFF IN FRONT OF POLICE HORSE EDL SUPPORTERS WALKING ALONG, ONE SINGING "I'M ENGLAND TILL I DIE" RIOT POLICE LEADING FRONT OF MARCH EDL SUPPORTERS PUSHING AGAINST RIOT POLICE AS MARCH MOVES TWO POLICE HORSES BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER EDL SUPPORTERS CROWD INTO ST GEORGE'S SQUARE EDL SUPPORTER JUMPING UP AND DOWN, WAVING FLAG, CHANTING "EDL"
  • Embargoed: 21st February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom, United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5XIHNSG5Y8L56LWVAWWU5O3KL
  • Story Text: The small English town of Luton, just north of London, had been bracing for Saturday's (February 5) march for weeks, but at a cost of just under a million pounds and a near lock-down of the town, the event passed off largely peacefully.
    The far-right group, the English Defence League (EDL), which has a history of violent protests, brought 1,500 supporters from across the UK and several other countries to protest against radical Islam.
    Shouting football chants and drinking pints of beer, the EDL supporters gathered on Saturday morning. Many carried emblems of St George's cross - the patron saint of England - either in the form of flags, banners, face-paint or even contact lenses.
    "We will integrate with Muslims, but Muslims must understand that radical Islam is a serious threat to peace, democracy and freedom," said EDL member and former paratrooper, Merriot John.
    The EDL, led by Steven Lennon, also known as "Tommy Robinson" after an infamous football hooligan, opposes any form of Sharia law in the UK and accuses politicians of treating radical Islam with kid gloves.
    A few far-right activists from Germany, Norway, Sweden, Austria and other European countries, as well as from America, came to Luton for the rally.
    Elizabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff came from Austria, where as a member of Pax Europa, she is currently being tried for hate speech and the denigration of religious symbols.
    "I support anyone and everyone who fights Islamisation of Europe, who fights this radical ideology that is a danger to all of us, to women, to homosexuals, to children, to everything non-Muslim it's a very, very grave danger," she said.
    From America's ultra-conservative Tea Party movement, Rabbi Nachum Shiffren, came to support the EDL from Los Angeles.
    "There's conservative groups in America that are really horrified at what's going on in Europe. I mean Europe is on the verge of becoming an Islamic nation. It's not much longer. If they don't put up a fight soon it's going to be too late," he said.
    As the EDL rallied in Luton's central square, Lennon told them: "Stand tall, stand proud, look around you. Feel your strength, you are part of a tidal wave of patriotism that is sweeping this country at an uncontrollable rate. We will not be held down. We are re-introducing patriotism and Britishness, Englishness, a non-racist Britishness."
    1,800 police were drafted in to police the EDL rally and a counter rally held by anti-fascists at the other end of Luton's small high street.
    The town was in lock-down, with many shops along the deserted main shopping area closed and boarded up, fearing violent clashes between the two sides.
    Unite Against Fascism supporter, Elain Heffernan, said she didn't believe the EDL's claim it was no longer a racist organisation:
    "I think Hitler said he was a democrat until he burnt down the Reichstag, let's be honest, that is what fascists do - they lie about what their nature is, don't they? They lie because there's been so much anti-fascist activity in this country that they have to lie about their true nature, they can't tell people what they really stand for. No, they haven't changed, they are clearly a bunch of violent racist thugs."
    The heavy police presence prevented any violence and the two demonstrations passed relatively peacefully, but at a cost to the police of more than 800,000 pounds (1.3 million USD).
    A few streets away, in the Muslim area of Bury Park, local community leaders took it upon themselves to police the streets, along with the police force. Local stewards from mosques held a line preventing Muslim youths from marching into town to protest against the presence of the EDL, keen to avoid repeat scenes of two years ago, when a few Muslims clashed with police during a small EDL demonstration.
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