The home secretary has banned an English Defence League (EDL) march through a Shropshire town amid fears of disorder.
Theresa May she had stopped the march in Telford to protect "communities and properties". She said the ban would not stop an EDL presence in Telford on Saturday.
Telford and Wrekin Council had made the request under the Public Order Act on the advice of West Mercia Police.
Mrs May said: "I have given my consent to a ban on marches in Telford this weekend. It is clear that a ban is needed to ensure communities and properties are protected."
However, she said there would be a "significant number" of police deployed on Saturday.
"I encourage all local people to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined," she said.
Church Street in Wellington is to be the location of any protest by the EDL.
The council welcomed the ban but said security measures would remain in place.
Councillor Shaun Davies said: "People can be reassured that both organisations (police and the council) have the resources available and the experience to deal with any incidents on the day."
Chief Inspector Keith Gee of West Mercia Police said the ban did "not prevent any static assemblies taking place, which are still lawful provided they remain peaceful and we have no legal powers to prevent them".
He added: "We shall do everything possible to ensure that any assembly on Saturday remains peaceful and poses the least amount of disruption possible for those not involved in the assembly."
The EDL said it was going to Telford because "local people's voices deserve to be heard".
"We are not coming to Telford to inconvenience anyone, and we certainly do not intend to cause any trouble," a spokesman said.
BBC
August 12, 2011
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5 comments:
Now ban the EDL Tower Hamlets match !
If the Home Sec has the sense to ban this march, what about Tower Hamlets?
Comment from Hope not Hate
"London 0 Telford 1
posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 12 August 2011, 14:46
News has just come in that the Police in Shropshire have banned the EDL from marching there this weekend.
This comes after the police also asked for the Blue Square Premier league football match between Telford and Luton Town to be postponed.
There's no point beating around the bush. We know why this has happened: It is because the EDL are a travelling band of football thugs that no town or city in their right mind would want marching up and down their streets when decent people are trying to go about their daily lives.
The Home Secretary Theresa May, says that she has stopped the march to protect "communities and properties".
Perhaps Theresa could now do the people of Tower Hamlets the same favour?"
The Tower Hamlets march is on the same day as a Rugby double-header at Twickenham, meaning the already stretched Met has to facilitate the safe movement of 60 to 80 thousand people that day. To then have to cover the Keyboard Warriors of St. George out for blood on top of that is asking too much.
Instead of a match they'll be bussed to a central point, then marched en masse to their 'static demonstration.' They'll still march, Telford will still pay.
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