“read the article from leicester mayor , this sums it up

There are very few people who want these marches to take place. But, fortunately, we live in a democracy and people have a right to demonstrate.”

“As much as people like you and I don't agree with what the EDL stand for, as a democracy, it is wrong for anyone to tell people that they cannot protest. It is simply up to the 'audience' to make up their own minds. Luckily for us, people in Leicester are educated enough to understand that targeting one group is racist and wrong. Now that the march is over (and thankfully, pretty peacefully), Leicester can go back to normal :)”

“Because we do live in an open and democratic country, the day we stop peaceful demonstration is the day we loose our freedoms.”

“Because the awkward fact about freedom of speech is that sometimes it means letting people say at best things you don't agree with and at worst things you find reprehensible.

Where the line is drawn is when free speech becomes incitement, though where that line lies has been -and I think always will always be- debated. There is also the matter of slander (spoken) and libel (written/published). People are free to say what they want, but whoever they say it about is free to sue them if it crosses certain lines and is not provably true.”

“The fact is 700 wanted to march and demonstrate according to stories today and that's just on the EDL side. God knows how many in the UAF contingency.

So the description that "very few" want these demonstrations isn't true.

As I have said before the ONLY way to stop this sought of gathering is for the Government to outlaw the groups involved and I don't see any likelihood of that happening in our free society.

One thing that might make these groups reconsider their actions is for them to realise the Police bill will be passed on to them for settlement. Why should the ordinary taxpayer have to put up with paying this expenditure for a minority who simply couldn't care less?”

“Our parents/grand parents had to fight, and die, for us to be a free country. Unlike many other parts of the world, we are also able to speak freely, and protest if and when necessary.

It's called democracy.”

“People died in wars to keep their country and the rights of the country the EDL have the free right to march if they wish to. The feel that their country is not their own anymore and have the right to march, regardless if they are right or wrong.”

“What a resource events like this use though - surely all that police presence would be best placed elsewhere.”

“"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." Edmund Burke

Occasionally in life, it is necessary to take a stand for what you believe in, even if that means it may be inconvenient to do so. I don't particularly agree with some of the UAF's rhetoric but I marched with them along with all the other unions and community groups to protest against the EDL, as a stand against wilful ignorance and racism in Leicester.

I think the police did a fantastic job on the day and were it possible, it would be wonderful if they weren't required to keep the peace. The reality however is that there are a minority of people who use events like these as an excuse to cause trouble.

Consider how many police and security are required nationwide for the football *every week* before grumbling about wasted resources.”

“YouTube has some clips from the EDL/UAF march that happened yesterday, worth a watch x”

“I am unsure why people would want to join the EDL and others such as them. This is odd for the times that we now live in. Only they can tell us why?”

“@Jani88 - I would imagine because they agree with the ideology of the group/organisation? Just because somebody doesn't share your belief's doesn't mean that they shouldn't be allowed to have them.”

“In this country now few people dares to show support for any party sticking up for their country. Before SCREAMS of Racist are used to silence them.”

“Rachel.... I think calling anti racists a hate group is very dangerous and a false debate. On saturday I marched with many anti racists from many communities and did not feel like I was part of a hate group I felt that I was part of a bigger one Leicester against the views of drunk thugs shipped in from all over the country to spread an evil bile... Rachel think before you equate those trying to do good with those trying to spread evil.... because what you are saying is like saying Hitler was no worse than those who fought him in the Warsaw ghetto's or in the French resistance”

“by disident2
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 10:38AM
."In this country now few people dares to show support for any party sticking up for their country. Before SCREAMS of Racist are used to silence them."

Not sticking up for your country but using a single group as the focus of hate”

“LikeItaLot

I am not talking about idiots. I am saying many normal everyday people who live in fear of being branded RACIST for holding an opinion on immigration. Unless you are completely brain dead we are fast running out of land, housing hospitals schools and benefit for all these people flooding here. Ok I can understand you agree with the situation, on the estate we live in five years it has gone from white to black. Of course this will not help as resentment builds up in the community who cannot get housing. Labour as to back immigration as the people vote for the hand that feeds them free benefit. It is time people woke up to the fact this is a very small island and many pro-immigration do not work or pay tax to keep these people. The country is broke. When thing come crashing down many may wake up. Soulsby and his gang have the cash to do a runner.”

“I can understand people feeling strongly about certain things, but someone's right is another person's wrong and vice versa. This then can cause issues and unrest that can lead into hate for some but rightfulness for others.

Fighting in a war for one country you would kill other counties people as you believe your country is right, but the person you killed would have the same feeling for their country. So who is right or wrong if any? So therefore what is the point of trying to make a gang of people, is it because of this or is there something else happening, I think I understand it a bit more now. X”

“xavhorse "Consider how many police and security are required nationwide for the football *every week* before grumbling about wasted resources."

Most sporting events these days and definitely ALL football clubs have to pay their own policing costs, so it's unfair to attribute that rumour to your 'wasted resources point'....policing games comes out of the home clubs operating costs not the public purse.”

“Firstly, hate is not a bad thing, there are so many things in this world to hate. I would challenge anyone to look at the case of Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow and not feel hate. Look at the Rwandan genocide and not feel hate. And the same again for the child abusing catholic priests and subsequent cover up. People need to stop talking about hate as a bad thing.

@redcat; if something is true, then there should be no line drawn. Whether inciting something or not.



"It is surely harmful to souls to make it a heresy to believe what is proved"”

“"Firstly, hate is not a bad thing, there are so many things in this world to hate" - hate is one of our basic emotions. But I think that anyone who actively looks for things to hate, and nurtures their feelings of hate, has probably got some issues. It isn't a positive thing.”

“The world is full of hateful people, regardless of colour, religion, sex etc, lets face it!?..... but it has made small groups like the EDL and UAF exist. People are frustrated and scared with having a less popular view on something, like immigration, and not being able to say it in open forums that they get a chance to be part of a safer larger voice to share it through like the EDL /UAF. They then over compensate with there views 10 fold......Hate is not a bad emotion at all however it gets amplified when its surrounded by people hating the same thing....We have created this scenario in the UK with political correctness and human rights laws which have forced the disenfranchised underground to create these groups! until we recognise the fact that living in a harmonious multi-cultural society also includes accepting some people have been forced into living in it, and these people still have a voice and should be allowed to air it without fear of persecution... then the EDL / UAF groups will no longer be required and we can all just get on with!! Personally I think there are far more things in the world to be angry about like animal cruelty and child abuse and law breakers...etc..”

“martin.... better we turn a blind eye to things we hate, no matter the injustice?”

“I've never protested in my life before but I was against the EDL coming to Leicester and wanted to do something about it. It would have been different if it was just the Leicester EDL branch doing a march, they are allowed to have their say whether I agree to it or not. It was the coachloads of other EDL supporters coming to Leicester on purpose because Leicester is a multi cultural city. I joined the UAF on the 4th Feb with apprehension as I'm not a fan of any extremist group (as I find they all seem to lose a sense of perspective) but there was no other way of me to show my displeasure with what the ELD were doing. I'm not a crusty (as many people have commented), a socialist or fan of the socialist worker, a communist or a UAF member, just a Leicester resident who felt it unjest that EDL from all around England were allowed to come to Leicester. The eclectic mix of marchers in the anti EDL group were all pleasant and passionate and from a wide range of backgrounds and we had our 90 minutes of being able to say what we felt. No doubt the EDL will be back and I hope that more people will join the anti EDL march next time. It was peaceful (even kids came along) and allowed the people of Leicester to have their say.”

“"better we turn a blind eye to things we hate, no matter the injustice?"

No, but you don't need to be seething with hatred to identify and fight injustice or to deliver justice.”

“leicsguy - what are you talking about? Just a quick glance at comments pages herer and around the web (not to mention the numerous websites devoted to such issues) will tell you that people are perfectly entitled to their opinion about immigration. For heaven's sake it's all the Daily Express ever talks about (when there isn't snow on the ground)! The entire UKIP campiagn in the last election was based around it. The BNP are not outlawed, and they are obsessed with it! There is no law against talking about immigration. There is nothing in human rights legislation to stop you talking about it. "Political correctness" has no legal powers. Every time I watch Question Time there is a question about immigration. The EDL marched on saturday. They have demonstrated all over the country . No-one is stopping them. (oppsoing them maybe, not stopping them).

It is just simply not true to say that this is not discussed openly. The fact is that when people come to vote other issues are more important, the economy, the NHS, education.

Unless of course, by "having a less popular view" you mean something else?”

“I would also disagree that the world is "full" of hateful people. I've found most people to be perfectly charming.”

“Your entitled to your opinion of course Red_Ned but I think ill stick with my own opinion of what I believe is allowed to be spoken about openly and what is swept under the carpet, no there is no law about it but it is definitely frowned upon, unless your happy to be branded a BNP racists or EDL scum bag, then normal people generally keep silent and resentful, a less popular view however means one that is not the same as the masses, not sure what double meaning you can find from that! with regards to your 'perfectly charming people' yes the bulk of people throughout the world are fine, however there is a lot of people who aren't! again just my opinion and from my own experiences...its got nothing to do with their colour or religion, some people are just a***holes, and the number seems to be growing.”

“"...no there is no law about it but it is definitely frowned upon..." - but everything is frowned on by somebody, isn't it? That is part of what freedom of speech is, the freedom to frown on someone else's opinion.

If you want to talk about a subject, you need to be robust enough to not be put off by people that frown on you.”

“I don't think that's the issue here is it really!? you know and I know the minute someone mentions immigration / race / religion they are immediately branded a racist regardless or not whether they have valid point to make....and no not everything is frowned upon is it, things are only frowned upon when they dissect opinion..”

“Free speech is the reason why Rachel_Leics. We take it away and we don't discuss on forums ever, get to go to churches of our own choice, if we worship (and sometimes you'd be made to worship something). This can be taken to the nth degree but I don't feel you need to be told that.”

“Islam is a religion not a race so how can the EDL being against islamic extremists be racist??”

“by debdebs
Thursday, February 09 2012, 4:09PM
."Islam is a religion not a race so how can the EDL being against islamic extremists be racist??"
.
Often trotted out and on the surface sounds reasonable comment.Try single issue religious discrimination”

“The EDL was not comeing back to leicester untill this hapend there is a "two-tier justice system" at work in the UK where Muslims are treated more leniently than English people. thats why tha came back to Leicester because of this & nothing to do with..... race /immigration / Islam.”

“I've heard the EDL have a Jewish division....which would be interesting to see what the UAF reaction would be if that division decided to march through the city?”

“by tqzek
Friday, February 10 2012, 12:10AM
."The EDL was not comeing back to leicester untill this hapend there is a "two-tier justice system" at work in the UK where Muslims are treated more leniently than English people. thats why tha came back to Leicester because of this & nothing to do with..... race /immigration / Islam."

Quite worrying what some people believe”

“interesting x”