The English Defence League (EDL) could target Ely following its march in Cambridge. Muslims want to build a ‘miniature mosque’ at Paradise Centre fields, but the EDL could take to Ely’s streets against it.
Police estimated more than 1,000 people attended the two marches on Saturday - the EDL march and counter-protest in Cambridge by Unite Against Fascism and the Trades Council.
Arbury resident Ross Ground, 32, a member of EDL’s Cambridge Division, said: “I cannot confirm there will be a march in Ely but members of the East Anglian branch who came on Saturday said they were looking into it if the plans for a mosque go ahead. I think the march on Saturday went off pretty well and there were only a few arrests. We had about 700 to 1,000 members attend. The police were fully co-operative with us.”
The management committee of the Ely centre told the city’s Muslims it would lease them part of its land if they gained planning permission. The group has around 50 members who gather inside the centre on Fridays.
Mohammed Tahir, from Ely, said: “The EDL have threatened to march in Ely if the Muslim community of Ely go ahead with plans to build a mosque here.”
More than 650 officers and staff from six forces, including Cambridgeshire, policed the EDL and opposition march by the Trade Union Council and Unite Against Fascism, which claimed it had around 2,000 attend. Police praised Cambridge residents following Saturday’s protests.
Insp Robin Sissons said: “They are familiar with and generally supportive of protest activity and this was evident on Saturday. Their tolerance, combined with the joint operation by police and partner agencies, meant the protests were largely peaceful with only minor disorder and some minor disruption to residents, visitors and businesses in the city.”
He added: “It was heartening to hear that members of the community who reported tension before the protests, then praised the tone and nature of the policing operation after it was complete.”
Cambridge News
Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up
Showing posts with label Cambridge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cambridge. Show all posts
July 12, 2011
July 09, 2011
Five arrests during Cambridge EDL and anti-fascist marches
Five people were arrested after scuffles broke out as the English Defence League (EDL) and anti-fascists marched in Cambridge.
The number of people marching with United Against Fascism (UAF) and the TUC swelled from about 300 to 1,000 during the day, police said. About 350 people were on the EDL march, according to police.
More than 650 officers from six forces took part in the policing operation. Police said it was largely peaceful.
Those arrested were: a 36-year-old man from Norwich, on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly; a 48-year-old man from Colchester, Essex, on suspicion of a public order offence; a man aged 27 from Ely, Cambridgeshire, on suspicion of a public order offence; an 18-year-old man from Peterborough on suspicion of affray; and a man aged 28 from Cambridge, arrested on suspicion of a racially-aggravated public order offence.
Insp Robin Sissons said: "In the end it was a largely peaceful protest with only minor disorder and some minor disruption to residents, visitors and businesses in the city."
BBC
The number of people marching with United Against Fascism (UAF) and the TUC swelled from about 300 to 1,000 during the day, police said. About 350 people were on the EDL march, according to police.
More than 650 officers from six forces took part in the policing operation. Police said it was largely peaceful.
Those arrested were: a 36-year-old man from Norwich, on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly; a 48-year-old man from Colchester, Essex, on suspicion of a public order offence; a man aged 27 from Ely, Cambridgeshire, on suspicion of a public order offence; an 18-year-old man from Peterborough on suspicion of affray; and a man aged 28 from Cambridge, arrested on suspicion of a racially-aggravated public order offence.
Insp Robin Sissons said: "In the end it was a largely peaceful protest with only minor disorder and some minor disruption to residents, visitors and businesses in the city."
BBC
Labels:
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July 08, 2011
More than 670 police officers to attend EDL march
More than 670 officers will police an English Defence League (EDL) march and counter-protest in Cambridge tomorrow.
The massive police presence will deal with protesters from each group. And more than 25 local officers will take part in dedicated community patrols around the mosque in Mawson Road, off Mill Road, along with other possible flashpoints in the city centre.
Officers are also prepared for protesters from the EDL and Unite Against Fascism to pour onto Parker’s Piece during the city’s Big Weekend celebrations. Patrols will be put on at the train station and taxi ranks. They will be backed up by the hundreds of officers from forces in the region including Suffolk and Essex.
Insp Robin Sissons, who is running the community operation, said: "Certainly we don’t want it to affect the Big Weekend which has a reputation as a family event that we want to protect but we can’t stop people going onto the site. We will have police officers there who will be alert and able to deal with any sign of trouble. We want it to be business as usual and my phone has been red hot with all walks of businesses calling me saying they are going to stay open. The message is to keep calm and carry on."
Fears over the march raised by residents and traders have been dealt with by police. Insp Sissons said: "We are committed to listening to these concerns and doing everything in our power to alleviate them. We will continue to work with our key community contacts to ensure people are aware of our plans and we are dealing with community issues. For those planning on visiting the city this weekend, our message is clear - it’s business as usual. We understand people may be concerned but there is nothing to suggest they are at risk."
Cambridge News
The massive police presence will deal with protesters from each group. And more than 25 local officers will take part in dedicated community patrols around the mosque in Mawson Road, off Mill Road, along with other possible flashpoints in the city centre.
Officers are also prepared for protesters from the EDL and Unite Against Fascism to pour onto Parker’s Piece during the city’s Big Weekend celebrations. Patrols will be put on at the train station and taxi ranks. They will be backed up by the hundreds of officers from forces in the region including Suffolk and Essex.
Insp Robin Sissons, who is running the community operation, said: "Certainly we don’t want it to affect the Big Weekend which has a reputation as a family event that we want to protect but we can’t stop people going onto the site. We will have police officers there who will be alert and able to deal with any sign of trouble. We want it to be business as usual and my phone has been red hot with all walks of businesses calling me saying they are going to stay open. The message is to keep calm and carry on."
Fears over the march raised by residents and traders have been dealt with by police. Insp Sissons said: "We are committed to listening to these concerns and doing everything in our power to alleviate them. We will continue to work with our key community contacts to ensure people are aware of our plans and we are dealing with community issues. For those planning on visiting the city this weekend, our message is clear - it’s business as usual. We understand people may be concerned but there is nothing to suggest they are at risk."
Cambridge News
July 06, 2011
Cambridge Labour and Green parties reject EDL views
Cambridge Labour Party and the Green Party have issued a statement rejecting the views of the English Defence League.
The two parties, whose members, who will be joining the counter march, protesting against the far-right group this Saturday (July 9), said: “As Cambridge councillors we do not welcome the decision by the EDL to organise their event in our city next Saturday, a city of so many special and well integrated cultures and faiths and a city that is at peace with itself.
“We reject the views expressed by the EDL and we fully support the right of all Cambridge people to celebrate their cultures, enjoy their places of worship, and be treated with equality and respect.
“We want local people to come to Cambridge as normal this Saturday to shop and to attend the stunning Big Weekend community event. We will join with other residents in showing our peaceful opposition on Saturday to the views of the English Defence League at the counter event, and at other events this week.”
The statement was signed by Cllr Lewis Herbert, Labour city council group leader, and Cllr Adam Pogonowski, Green city council group leader.
Cambridge First
The two parties, whose members, who will be joining the counter march, protesting against the far-right group this Saturday (July 9), said: “As Cambridge councillors we do not welcome the decision by the EDL to organise their event in our city next Saturday, a city of so many special and well integrated cultures and faiths and a city that is at peace with itself.
“We reject the views expressed by the EDL and we fully support the right of all Cambridge people to celebrate their cultures, enjoy their places of worship, and be treated with equality and respect.
“We want local people to come to Cambridge as normal this Saturday to shop and to attend the stunning Big Weekend community event. We will join with other residents in showing our peaceful opposition on Saturday to the views of the English Defence League at the counter event, and at other events this week.”
The statement was signed by Cllr Lewis Herbert, Labour city council group leader, and Cllr Adam Pogonowski, Green city council group leader.
Cambridge First
Labels:
Cambridge,
demonstration,
EDL,
English Defence League,
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Labour
League's flyers urge people to join protest over mosque
The English Defence League has been handing out flyers in Cambridge to drum up support for its march through the city.
Tensions are heightening before the march by the controversial group and a counter protest on Saturday. Members of the EDL have been handing out flyers outside city pubs and shops. Posters have also been put up in Mill Road shop windows by counter-protesters. The group is marching in protest at the building of a mosque in Mill Road. The march will clash with the city’s Big Weekend celebrations.
Dave Utting, landlord of The Emperor pub – which will be closed during the march – said: “A group of EDL supporters were in the pub but they weren’t causing any trouble. They were a bit vocal but I had no reason to stop serving them. They handed out flyers outside the pub.”
EDL flyers were also evident near a street party in Gwydir Street, off Mill Road, which was being held to “bring the local community together”. Cllr Kevin Blencowe, who represents Petersfield, said: “I should imagine the residents at the street party would not have welcomed them. This was a party on a nice sunny Saturday and not the time for political opportunism.”
Rebecca Harris, who lives off Mill Road, found the flyers. She said: “I picked up three EDL flyers in Gwydir Street after the party and binned them. It’s starting to feel tense in the run-up to the march. I think I’ll give it a wide berth.”
Jethro Scotcher-Littlechild, who runs the Cambridge Blue pub, said: “If we had seen any of them giving out flyers, we would have stamped it out.”
Aston Perrin, a member of the EDL, believes there is strong support for the group in Cambridge. The student teacher from Bedford said: “There’s a reasonably-sized Cambridge division who travel to demos and I imagine the ‘silent support’ is huge, as it appears to be nationwide, with many national polls showing that over 50 per cent of the country would support groups such as ours if it wasn’t for the violent image. It’s important for the counter demonstrators to aggravate us and start the violence, as usually happens, because the press will always make it out to be the fault of the EDL.”
Campaigners say support has “snowballed” for the Unite Against Fascism counter-protest, which held a meeting last night in the Unitarian Church Hall, Emmanuel Street. Speaker Richard Howitt MEP said: “The EDL want to stir up hatred. They are trying to artificially create tension around the moving of a mosque and will be importing their members from London and the Midlands.”
Cambridge News
Tensions are heightening before the march by the controversial group and a counter protest on Saturday. Members of the EDL have been handing out flyers outside city pubs and shops. Posters have also been put up in Mill Road shop windows by counter-protesters. The group is marching in protest at the building of a mosque in Mill Road. The march will clash with the city’s Big Weekend celebrations.
Dave Utting, landlord of The Emperor pub – which will be closed during the march – said: “A group of EDL supporters were in the pub but they weren’t causing any trouble. They were a bit vocal but I had no reason to stop serving them. They handed out flyers outside the pub.”
EDL flyers were also evident near a street party in Gwydir Street, off Mill Road, which was being held to “bring the local community together”. Cllr Kevin Blencowe, who represents Petersfield, said: “I should imagine the residents at the street party would not have welcomed them. This was a party on a nice sunny Saturday and not the time for political opportunism.”
Rebecca Harris, who lives off Mill Road, found the flyers. She said: “I picked up three EDL flyers in Gwydir Street after the party and binned them. It’s starting to feel tense in the run-up to the march. I think I’ll give it a wide berth.”
Jethro Scotcher-Littlechild, who runs the Cambridge Blue pub, said: “If we had seen any of them giving out flyers, we would have stamped it out.”
Aston Perrin, a member of the EDL, believes there is strong support for the group in Cambridge. The student teacher from Bedford said: “There’s a reasonably-sized Cambridge division who travel to demos and I imagine the ‘silent support’ is huge, as it appears to be nationwide, with many national polls showing that over 50 per cent of the country would support groups such as ours if it wasn’t for the violent image. It’s important for the counter demonstrators to aggravate us and start the violence, as usually happens, because the press will always make it out to be the fault of the EDL.”
Campaigners say support has “snowballed” for the Unite Against Fascism counter-protest, which held a meeting last night in the Unitarian Church Hall, Emmanuel Street. Speaker Richard Howitt MEP said: “The EDL want to stir up hatred. They are trying to artificially create tension around the moving of a mosque and will be importing their members from London and the Midlands.”
Cambridge News
June 21, 2011
400 will march against new Cambridge mosque, claims EDL
The English Defence League (EDL) claims 400 people will march through Cambridge against plans for a new mosque in Mill Road.
Cambridgeshire police are gearing up for the far-right group’s demonstration and a counter-protest by Unite Against Fascism on Saturday, July 9.
EDL leader Tommy Robinson told the News he expects up to 400 people will attend the march against plans for a new £13 million mosque in Mill Road to replace the one in Mawson Road, which has space for just 500 of the city’s 4,000 Muslims.
He said: "We are against the building of this mosque which will be the biggest in East Anglia and we have had a lot of people in Cambridge contacting us who are worried about it. We are against the building of all mosques because they preach homophobia and anti-Semitism which we should not tolerate in this country."
The march clashes with The Ridgeons Big Weekend on Parker’s Piece.
An EDL march in Peterborough last year was policed by about 1,000 officers from 18 forces.
A police spokeswoman said: "Plans are under way to ensure an appropriate police response on the day. The force fully supports people’s right to peaceful protest, as well as ensuring minimal disruption to the people of Cambridge."
Councillors, trade unionists, Cambridge Muslim Council and Cambridge Islamic have signed a declaration saying EDL is "deeply Islamophobic" and aim to "divide us by making scapegoats of one community, just as the Nazis did with the Jews in the 1930s".
Richard Rose, Cambridge’s national officer for Unite Against Fascism, said: "The EDL is trying to divide our city but Cambridge loves its multi-cultural mix and they will fail."
Muslim leader Abdul Arain, Mill Road store owner and Chancellor of Cambridge University candidate, said: "In Mill Road you will find the melting pot of Cambridge and you will find the EDL really do not have any support here or indeed across the city."
Cambridge News
Cambridgeshire police are gearing up for the far-right group’s demonstration and a counter-protest by Unite Against Fascism on Saturday, July 9.
EDL leader Tommy Robinson told the News he expects up to 400 people will attend the march against plans for a new £13 million mosque in Mill Road to replace the one in Mawson Road, which has space for just 500 of the city’s 4,000 Muslims.
He said: "We are against the building of this mosque which will be the biggest in East Anglia and we have had a lot of people in Cambridge contacting us who are worried about it. We are against the building of all mosques because they preach homophobia and anti-Semitism which we should not tolerate in this country."
The march clashes with The Ridgeons Big Weekend on Parker’s Piece.
An EDL march in Peterborough last year was policed by about 1,000 officers from 18 forces.
A police spokeswoman said: "Plans are under way to ensure an appropriate police response on the day. The force fully supports people’s right to peaceful protest, as well as ensuring minimal disruption to the people of Cambridge."
Councillors, trade unionists, Cambridge Muslim Council and Cambridge Islamic have signed a declaration saying EDL is "deeply Islamophobic" and aim to "divide us by making scapegoats of one community, just as the Nazis did with the Jews in the 1930s".
Richard Rose, Cambridge’s national officer for Unite Against Fascism, said: "The EDL is trying to divide our city but Cambridge loves its multi-cultural mix and they will fail."
Muslim leader Abdul Arain, Mill Road store owner and Chancellor of Cambridge University candidate, said: "In Mill Road you will find the melting pot of Cambridge and you will find the EDL really do not have any support here or indeed across the city."
Cambridge News
Labels:
anti-mosque,
Cambridge,
EDL,
English Defence League,
Islamophobia
June 28, 2007
Cambridge gets £1m for Jewish-Muslim centre
A Jewish philanthropist who was on the panel of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry has donated £1 million to a new centre for the study of Muslim-Jewish relations.
Richard Stone, a former GP and son of Lord Stone of Hendon, has given £1 million to the Woolf Institute, a body with close links to Cambridge University that specialises in the study of Jewish-Christian relations. The money, from his family’s Stone Ashdown Trust, is intended to mark the antiracist activities of Dr Stone over the past 30 years.
It will be used as an endowment to fund the work of the new Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations, which will teach a Cambridge University course with the aim of overcoming prejudice and hostility between the two religions. Students will begin by researching the areas the two faiths have in common, such as monotheism, close family ties and diaspora communities.
Dr Stone told The Times he believed there had been a “serious lack” of academic study in this subject.
Once the centre in Cambridge is established, studies will develop into more controversial areas, including issues around Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The donation will be announced today by the Woolf Institute’s director Edward Kessler. Dr Kessler told The Times: “As far as I know, there is no centre that is examining the encounter between Muslims and Jews. We are really pioneering the way. I would like to see the work feed into the work of people who need to use inter-faith relations — the police, prison officers, teachers.”
Times Online
Richard Stone, a former GP and son of Lord Stone of Hendon, has given £1 million to the Woolf Institute, a body with close links to Cambridge University that specialises in the study of Jewish-Christian relations. The money, from his family’s Stone Ashdown Trust, is intended to mark the antiracist activities of Dr Stone over the past 30 years.
It will be used as an endowment to fund the work of the new Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations, which will teach a Cambridge University course with the aim of overcoming prejudice and hostility between the two religions. Students will begin by researching the areas the two faiths have in common, such as monotheism, close family ties and diaspora communities.
Dr Stone told The Times he believed there had been a “serious lack” of academic study in this subject.
Once the centre in Cambridge is established, studies will develop into more controversial areas, including issues around Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The donation will be announced today by the Woolf Institute’s director Edward Kessler. Dr Kessler told The Times: “As far as I know, there is no centre that is examining the encounter between Muslims and Jews. We are really pioneering the way. I would like to see the work feed into the work of people who need to use inter-faith relations — the police, prison officers, teachers.”
Times Online
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