EDL/UAF MARCHES: Law and order wins the day in Leicester
Hundreds of people with very different political viewpoints took to the streets of Leicester city centre during Saturday's rival marches.
Both the English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism claimed success for their protests.
The police presence in the city centre was clear hours before the demonstrations began and grew steadily throughout the morning.
The city was clearly quieter than a usual Saturday, with some shops closed for the entire day and others stopping trading for the duration of the protests.
Despite a police warning for groups to stick to their agreed march routes, Unite Against Fascism encouraged its supporters to gather at the Clock Tower at 11am and to remain there until the EDL passed by.
A group of at least 50 who congregated at the Clock Tower were then warned by police to move on or face arrest.
They included former city council leader Ross Willmott, who told officers he had a legal right to be at the scene of the EDL protest.
Councillor Willmott had earlier criticised city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and police for allowing the EDL to march through the city centre and for allocating march routes which kept the groups apart.
Coun Willmott said: "The police have a difficult job to do, but we are peaceful people who want to hold a vigil and demonstrate against the EDL."
The protesters were eventually shepherded along Gallowtree Gate to the New Walk Centre, the gathering point for their march.
Meanwhile, the EDL demonstrators had begun to meet at their starting point at St Margaret's Pastures, off St Margaret's Way.
Many supporters covered their faces to hide their identity from police spotters.
At about 12.45pm, surrounded by police officers and barely visible at street level other than their banners, the EDL started along their route.
As they passed St Margaret's Church, Canon Barry Naylor stood at the door holding a large crucifix and saying quiet prayers.
Alan Keen, 52, from Loughborough was walking past at the time and said: "It was very powerful. Quiet prayers were such a contrast to the bustle of the march."
The march passed along Burleys Way, into Abbey Street and then Belgrave Gate.
Raj Limbachiya, 43, who runs Belgrave News in Belgrave Gate, said: "I had to close the shop for two hours.
"Saturday is a very busy day so I've lost quite a lot of money.
"Other shops had to do the same thing. This isn't the sort of thing Leicester needs.
"However, the police have dealt with it well. This street was right in the middle of it all, yet there hasn't been any damage to shops."
John and Jane Carter, both 42, who live in the city centre, said the march was pretty scary for their two young sons.
John added: "We were never in any real danger. There were two lines of police on both sides of the protest, so you'd have to be like Houdini to get out of that and cause trouble."
Later, when the EDL returned to St Margaret's Pastures, its leader Tommy Robinson addressed the crowd, claiming that the group had brought 2,000 people to the city.
However, the official police estimate was 700.
The EDL's purpose in targeting Leicester was the criminal justice system's treatment of four Somali women who were given suspended sentences after an attack on a white woman in the city.
The EDL was angry the women who assaulted 22-year-old Rhea Page were not charged with racially aggravated assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service said it had no grounds to treat the case as racist because the victim had said only one of the women – who could not be identified – had made a racist comment.
Mr Robinson said the police had treated EDL protesters "like animals" when they last protested in Leicester in 2010 but said they had handled the latest demonstration well.
He said: "We have been allowed to march, we have been allowed to protest and we have been given this area. The rule of law has to implemented equally across all communities."
Unite Against Fascism and other opponents of the EDL set off from the Leicester City Council's New Walk Centre at 12.45pm.
Its supporters chanted and carried banners reading "Smash the EDL" and "No to Racism".
Lines of police officers made sure they did not deviate from their agreed route as they made their way up Pocklingtons Walk, along Horsefair Street and Halford Street before heading back to their starting point via Belvoir Street. UAF supporters said they were angry the EDL had been allowed to protest.
Andy Wynne, 57, from Glenfield Road, Leicester, said: "It's very upsetting the EDL have been allowed to march."
Sonja Grossner, 69, from Loughborough, said: "My parents had to flee Nazi Germany after trying to stand up for what they believed in, so I'm happy to be here. But I'm depressed the EDL were allowed to march."
Bystander Rowan Bergman, 29, from Oadby, said: "I'm glad there's this counter-protest. I can't get my head around how people can support the EDL."
Reporters: Ciaran Fagan, Tom Mack, David Maclean, Dan Martin, Peter Warzynski. Photographers: Chris Gordon, Jason Senior, Matt Short
14 Comments
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by saqibd
Friday, February 24 2012, 12:57PM
“Police praised for handling of demo yeah?
You need to speak to young Muslim lads who were kettled by the police whereas EDL members, some of them clearly identifiable with their black tops (didn't we fight these guys in the 30's and go to war against Nazis?) were allowed to walk around town unescorted. There are always two sides to every story.
Check these videos:
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and read my article here:
http://tinyurl.com/7ye8r9x”
by Red_Ned
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 1:40PM
“And yet the factually inaccurate comment by disident2 calling me a facist (sic)_ gets nearly top rating! Good job Mercury, you've devalued the comments system even further...”
by Red_Ned
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 1:38PM
“Amazing, my comment given red arrows. For what? Asking questions?”
by depreg
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 11:29AM
“What a pity the idiotic Ross Wilmott has to appear on TV and fail to support the upholding of law and order. Perhaps those who vote for him will think twice about it in the future - let's hoope so.”
by Red_Ned
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 11:18AM
“@PyrusEDL - QUOTE If you want to accuse people of misinformation, you might want to start with some areas of the press - those who insinuated (less than subtly) that Rhea Page's attackers were given a suspended sentence as a direct result of the claim that, as Muslims, they weren't used to alcohol END OF QUOTE
...so Tommy Robinson's speech which begins with stating that exact same thing is OK because it merely parrots the misinformation fed to him by the Daily Mail? Some leader you got there...
The EDL says the legal system is biased against English people, but how would you address that perceived bias? Would you be prepared to fund some research into whether it really was biased? And would be be prepared to stand by the results of that research if it didn't show that but rather showed that the system is biased in some other way, as all the evidence I've seen suggests? Indeed, if there is a bias pretty much everyone can agree on, it's that those with financial clout are more likely to "get away with it". Where doesn't the EDL demonstrate about that?
If you really think that the government isn't "doing enough" and you really think the Muslim community isn't "doing enough" about extremism how will you persuade them otherwise? By shouting obscenities about Allah? By burning Argentinian flags? By continuously running down "multiculturalism"? By spreading misinformation around the web? Because, no matter how reasonably you appear to be in your comments, that is what EDL supporters do every day. Is this more or less likely to lead to community cohesion, which is surely what we all want? And if it isn't, what is that you do want?”
by PyrusEDL
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 12:36AM
“@Red_Ned
If you want to accuse people of misinformation, you might want to start with some areas of the press - those who insinuated (less than subtly) that Rhea Page's attackers were given a suspended sentence as a direct result of the claim that, as Muslims, they weren't used to alcohol
Did that have an impact? I for one don't know. Did the CPS have good grounds for rejecting the racially aggravated charge? Looks like it. But the case provoked public interest - interest that should have provoked a reaction from government. Even if peoples' worries about a two tier system weren't really legitimate (as you claim) - surely the government should have issued some reassurances?
The lack of any convincing response just encourages the view that there is such a system - that the courts are hampering by politically correct attitudes that mean they must create all Muslim issues with such sensitivity that undermines the notion that all are equal under the law.
Sure, some 'sensitivities' do need to be borne in mind - but public feeling would seem to suggest that it's gone too far. In that context the Rhea Page case (and perhaps more importantly, the press and government response to it) is reflective of a bigger problem.”
by PyrusEDL
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 12:28AM
“hello anotherday356
you think it's 'disgusting' that people can come to Leicester and exercise their right to freedom of speech?
well on behalf of everyone, I'm terribly sorry that you feel our 'ideology' (whatever that is) was 'forced upon you'.
anyway, you asked a question and it's only fair that someone give you an answer.
how do we want to 'deal with' second generation British Muslims? Well, that sounds a bit sinister.
first of all, we don't want to 'deal with' anyone - we want to protest against a dangerous ideology (the radical form of islam - whatever you want to call it), the government's failure (and apparent unwillingness) to combat it effectively, and the wider Muslim community's failure to initiative any convincing anti-extremism schemes.
we don't think the government's doing enough, we don't think the Muslim community is doing enough, and we're fueled on by the fact that we get called all kinds of names when we raise any of these issues
yes, not all of our supporters will necessarily put in the most eloquent of ways - but as Tommy has said many times, we're a symptom rather than a cause. views that you might not agree with don't just pop up over night.
so you can disagree with us if you wish, or you can dismiss our concerns - but please don't insinuate that we must have some kind of shadowy agenda to 'deal with' Muslims
criticism of multiculturalism as a political project, or (in a more limited sense) criticism of some of the unfortunate side effects of the multiculturalist project, does not equate to a wholesale rejection of multi-cultural living or hostility to people of other faiths.
you seem to be taking pot shots at a stereotype - one which may exist, but one which is unfamiliar to the majority of EDL supporters (and, incidentally, one which we often work hard to weed out)
how would we 'deal with' second generation Muslims? Why would they need 'dealing with'. We're only opposed to extremism. Maybe you and I might disagree on how much of a threat extremism really is within the Muslim Community, but that certainly doesn't mean that I think that this threat requires some sort of drastic action against people based solely on their religion
In fact, the assumption's quite offensive
Radical Islam might be difficult to define - but that just means that we need to recognise the dangers of casting the net both too far and not far enough.”
by anotherday356
Monday, February 06 2012, 5:03PM
“I think it is disgusting that hundreds of people from across the UK can come to other people's home city and force their ideology on people who love Leicester for its diverse community. After the 2010 protest I hoped that Leicester wouldn't be targeted by the EDL again - but clearly they just aren't comfortable with a functioning multicultural city! And does anybody else agree that it is outrageous for our police service to be disrupted to protect and deal with hundreds of people who are clearly not wanted by the majority of Leicester's population?!
As mentioned previously - How do the EDL want to 'deal with' second generation British Muslims (amongst other faiths) who ARE British and have lived in the UK all their lives? Next thing you know, we'll have no international doctors, tradespeople and scientists - and the UK will rapidly become an empty country with no redeeming features whatsoever.
It actually kind of saddens me that most people haven't had the opportunity to grow up in a city like Leicester - It is an amazing city full of incredible people who do incredible things. Having moved away 6 months ago, I miss its diversity and genuinely feel privileged to have grown up in such a tolerant and diverse place.”
by Red_Ned
Monday, February 06 2012, 4:12PM
“Haha - 4 comments in and Godwin's Law is in effect!
Read all my comments - if you can find anywhere where I say I am trying to stop anyone say anything then call me what you want but I think you'll find (I hope so anyway) that what I actually try and do is combat the misinformation (repeated yet again by Tommy so-called-Robinson in his speech on Saturday) the EDL have based the reasons for their march on. Typically, those who support the EDL don't engage with this debate but instead play the victim card, calling people silly names and, repeating the same old platitudes.”
by Mr_Ryan_M
Monday, February 06 2012, 4:01PM
“The photos say it all!
First photo - a banner saying Muslims drink alcohol - what has that got to do with anything? Do they even know what they are protesting about?
Last two photos show EDL swearing at the camera - what mentality do these people have? If any at all?
I (white) was attacked by 3 black guys and had my jaw broken, it was an unprovoked racist attack (a lot of racist verbal abuse preceded the attack). The police didn't act on it despite a number of witnesses and even though they knew who the attackers were. The next week a black guy was attacked by three white guys and it was all over the Mercury and the police began a manhunt with CCTV pictures to find the attackers.
On this basis, I should be shaving my head and joining the ranks of EDL. However, I would never dream of joining the EDL. It is a small minority of whites, blacks and asians that are causing the friction in such a multi-cultural city, but the EDL's answer is to get rid of anyone who isn't English. My attackers were black, but second-generation english - so I'd love to know how the EDL would deal with that conundrum.
As much as I disagree with some of the immigration laws and how easy it is for people to pass our borders and begin claiming benefits, but it happens and if the EDL doesn't like it, maybe they should pop on a flight and go to see what our wonderful travellers and expats are doing to all the spanish resorts! Would love to know how they'd react to a Spanish Defence League trying to kick the expats out the country!”