Fears of more violence on the streets of Birmingham have been raised after it emerged the English Defence League was planning a second march in the city.
The organisation’s supporters are set to take to the streets on October 29, more than two years after their last visit ended in confrontations with anti-fascist groups. The Unite Against Fascism group, whose supporters clashed with EDL followers during clashes in Birmingham in 2009, has also announced plans for a counter-demonstration in Birmingham on the same day.
Selly Oak Labour MP Steve McCabe urged West Midlands Police to apply to Home Secretary Theresa May for the EDL protest to be banned as it would cost too much money to patrol. Two protests by the EDL in Dudley last year cost West Midlands Police and Dudley Council £1.1 million.
“I used to say that the EDL should be allowed to demonstrate but having seen the trouble they cause, I’ve changed my mind,” Mr McCabe said. “Birmingham people can’t afford to waste that much money on policing and repairing the damage to our retail area. These things are deliberately organised to cause maximum destruction. There’s no element of normal demonstration. This is a rag bag of extremism looking to cause trouble and I don’t think the Birmingham people deserve it.”
The exact location of the EDL’s Birmingham event was being kept secret until nearer the time but 575 supporters had confirmed their attendance online yesterday.
Unite Against Fascism confirmed it was organising an anti-EDL demonstration, to start at noon in High Street. A spokesman said: “The EDL wants to bring its vicious, anti-Muslim racist hatred to the multi-racial, multi-cultural city.”
A Birmingham City Council spokesman said they were liaising with police. A police spokesman said: “West Midlands Police is aware of a planned protest in Birmingham city centre on October 29. As on previous occasions, police have no power to ban a static protest.
“Police will be monitoring the situation to ensure maintenance of public order and officers will be deployed throughout the city centre to provide a visible reassurance to retailers, shoppers and all those visiting Birmingham. Any criminal or public order offences will be robustly dealt with.”
Birmingham Mail
Not what we want so soon after the riots.
ReplyDeleteHere we have the benefit of hindsight. The infamous photo of the Nazi saluting EDL was taken at their last visit to town. Shoppers were genuinely scared and the police, as they did with great aplomb during the August riots FAILED to protect the people who pay their wages.
Not to mention Yaxley Lennon's pledge not to descend on our city again after last time. Bet he's forgotten saying that but we Brummies certainly haven't.
I agree B31, the fascists know they have the police by the balls, the police know the fascists can do what they like, or so it seems.
ReplyDeleteMyself and my girlfriend (we are a mixed race couple, white and Asian) were walking down New Street on the Saturday the nazis came to town. We and about a hundred or so others had to take cover in Tesco because of gangs of rampaging fascist yobbos with St.Georges crosses shouting violent abuse and throwing things at everybody who were unfortunately got caught up in all of it, most of whom were just casually doing a bit of weekend shopping at the time. With the police just playing cat and mouse with them and looking like they had absolutely no idea of how to cope, before the EDL turned their drunken anger on the police.
And then, quite unbelievably Sharon Rowe (police official of WMP) had the gall to go on TV and say they (police) handled the situation 'extremely well'.
When will the police realise the English defence League are NOT (unlike the guys presently in St Pauls churchyard, or the Parliament Square peace camp) a democratic legitimate protest lobby group but a 'hooligan firm' with overtly dangerous intentions to our society. Ban them from Brum NOW.