ONE of the leaders of the English Defence League (EDL) has been arrested after police received complaints about his speech during their protest in Peterborough on 11th December.
Guramit Singh (28), from Nottingham, was arrested yesterday (22nd December) on suspicion of intentionally causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.
Cambridgeshire Police received two complaints after Mr Singh, an unofficial leader and spokesman for the EDL, gave a speech during the EDL’s two-hour protest in the city on Saturday, December 11.
Mr Singh was addressing around 1,000 EDL supporters and hundreds of onlooking members of the public during his speech, which was delivered outside Peterborough Magistrates’ Court and has since been uploaded onto YouTube.
A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said: “A 28-year-old man from Nottingham was arrested on suspicion of intentionally causing religiously aggravated harassment alarm or distress, under section four of the public order act 1986.
“He was questioned in Nottingham and has now been bailed.
“Police are investigating whether any further criminal offences were committed during protests in Peterborough.
“The arrested man will return to a police station in Cambridgeshire in February.”
The EDL held its protest claiming to be against Islamic extremism and its perceived rise in England.
The protesters went from outside the Peterborough United Football Ground, in London Road, to Peterborough Magistrates’ Court in Lower Bridge Street, where they gathered for a static protest and were addressed by Mr Singh.
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the other unofficial leader of the EDL, confirmed that Mr Singh had been arrested.
Mr Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, said: “Guramit was arrested in the morning.
“The EDL are fully behind him and we don’t think there was anything wrong with his speech.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he has been arrested but it does disappoint me.”
The EDL’s decision to come to Peterborough to march and protest sparked the biggest policing operation in the history of the city.
Around 1,000 officers from 18 forces across the country were drafted in to police the EDL march as well as the counter demonstration which was organised by Peterborough Trades Union Council.
The operation cost Cambridgeshire Police an estimated £750,000 to pay overtime and draft extra officers in for the day. It resulted in 10 arrests on the day.
Police investigations are ongoing following the marches and officers have asked anyone with information to contact them on 0345 456 4564 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Peterborough Today
Showing posts with label Peterborough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peterborough. Show all posts
December 22, 2010
December 18, 2010
EDL protesters fined for threats to police
Two protesters involved in the English Defence League (EDL) march in Peterborough have been fined for using threatening behaviour towards police.
Scott Whitehead (32) and James Black (22) appeared separately at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court yesterday (17th December). They both pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive behaviour likely to cause harrassment, alarm and distress and were both fined £150 by District Judge Ken Sheraton.
Black, of Heathyfields Road, Farnham, Surrey, was punished for throwing a coin at mounted police officers last Saturday as the EDL march proceeded across Town Bridge towards Bridge Street. Prosecutor Graham Dalley said that although Black’s coin did not hit anyone, mounted police put their helmet visors down to protect their faces.
Black appeared at court wearing a dark-hooded top bearing the writing: “English Defence League. Surrey Division”.
Defending himself, Black said he only acted in that way to get the police’s attention as he felt threatened by the proximity of the mounted officers. He said: “The horse came towards a group of EDL on the bridge. Some went down the steps at the side of the bridge, I was following but the horse came straight in front of me and trod on my foot.”
Meanwhile, father-of-four Whitehead, of Pilton Close, Peterborough, apologised for his drunken behaviour after shouting abuse at the mounted officers following the march.
Mr Dalley, prosecuting, said Whitehead had shouted insults at the officers at around 5.15pm, a few hours after the EDL march had finished, before attempting to grab the reins of one of the horses in Bridge Street. Whitehead, who also represented himself, said: “I just want to apologise for my behaviour and for wasting both police and court time.”
Judge Sheraton, while sentencing Whitehead, said: “I think it’s about time you grew up.”
He fined Whitehead and Black £150 each and ordered them both to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Speaking after the court hearing, Inspector Matt Snow said he could not say whether a horse trod on Black’s foot but he rejected Black’s claims that a mounted officer had acted inappropriately during the march.
He said: “The riders have to make a judgement under the circumstances as to the amount of force that is required. I presume in that officer’s mind there was a reasonably large number of EDL protesters in the area at the time and that he acted for the public safety.”
Peterborough is being held up as an example of how to effectively police an EDL march and associated counter-protests. Supt Paul Fullwood said Cambridgeshire police had received calls from other forces including police from Luton who are preparing for an EDL march in February, asking for information about how they handled the event.
Ten arrests were made on the day, with the EDL and the Peterborough Trades Union Council marches passing generally peacefully.
Supt Fullwood said: “We learned from forces that had policed similar protests, taking into account the good and the bad aspects, and formed our own plans. Since then we have been approached by a number of different forces asking how we handled the situation.”
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Scott Whitehead (32) and James Black (22) appeared separately at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court yesterday (17th December). They both pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive behaviour likely to cause harrassment, alarm and distress and were both fined £150 by District Judge Ken Sheraton.
Black, of Heathyfields Road, Farnham, Surrey, was punished for throwing a coin at mounted police officers last Saturday as the EDL march proceeded across Town Bridge towards Bridge Street. Prosecutor Graham Dalley said that although Black’s coin did not hit anyone, mounted police put their helmet visors down to protect their faces.
Black appeared at court wearing a dark-hooded top bearing the writing: “English Defence League. Surrey Division”.
Defending himself, Black said he only acted in that way to get the police’s attention as he felt threatened by the proximity of the mounted officers. He said: “The horse came towards a group of EDL on the bridge. Some went down the steps at the side of the bridge, I was following but the horse came straight in front of me and trod on my foot.”
Meanwhile, father-of-four Whitehead, of Pilton Close, Peterborough, apologised for his drunken behaviour after shouting abuse at the mounted officers following the march.
Mr Dalley, prosecuting, said Whitehead had shouted insults at the officers at around 5.15pm, a few hours after the EDL march had finished, before attempting to grab the reins of one of the horses in Bridge Street. Whitehead, who also represented himself, said: “I just want to apologise for my behaviour and for wasting both police and court time.”
Judge Sheraton, while sentencing Whitehead, said: “I think it’s about time you grew up.”
He fined Whitehead and Black £150 each and ordered them both to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Speaking after the court hearing, Inspector Matt Snow said he could not say whether a horse trod on Black’s foot but he rejected Black’s claims that a mounted officer had acted inappropriately during the march.
He said: “The riders have to make a judgement under the circumstances as to the amount of force that is required. I presume in that officer’s mind there was a reasonably large number of EDL protesters in the area at the time and that he acted for the public safety.”
Peterborough is being held up as an example of how to effectively police an EDL march and associated counter-protests. Supt Paul Fullwood said Cambridgeshire police had received calls from other forces including police from Luton who are preparing for an EDL march in February, asking for information about how they handled the event.
Ten arrests were made on the day, with the EDL and the Peterborough Trades Union Council marches passing generally peacefully.
Supt Fullwood said: “We learned from forces that had policed similar protests, taking into account the good and the bad aspects, and formed our own plans. Since then we have been approached by a number of different forces asking how we handled the situation.”
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
December 11, 2010
Arrests at city protest marches in Peterborough
About 1,000 officers from 18 forces policed the protests in Peterborough town centreAbout 1,000 officers from 18 forces policed the protests. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said about 500 EDL protesters were involved. They said about 80 people took part in the Peterborough Trades Union Council protest and no arrests were made there. Both groups were escorted by police to and from the city centre.
Supt Paul Fullwood, from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, said the joint police operation had enabled the community to go about "business as usual".
"Peterborough stood firm and the city should be proud of the way it has responded to today's events," he said. "There were some issues of disorder dealt with promptly and professionally to achieve a peaceful outcome. Some arrests have been made, but both protests have been generally peaceful."
'Stir up hatred'
EDL leader Tommy Robinson said: "Militant Islam is probably at its peak in this country. The problem will get worse and worse unless it's tackled, and that's what the English Defence League is trying to do."
Shortly after 1300 GMT he gave a speech via a loudspeaker in Lower Bridge Street. Some supporters chanted "EDL" and "I'm England till I die". Police said most protesters had left the city by 1545 GMT and roads which had been closed ahead of the demonstrations had reopened.
Unite Against Fascism said it and Peterborough TUC had called for a "march for unity" from Bishops Road car park to show local opposition to the "invasion" by the EDL.
"The EDL hope to stir up hatred against the city's Muslim population and the many migrant agricultural workers who travel from across Europe to work on farms during the harvests," a spokesman said.
BBC
December 10, 2010
Sikhs show opposition to EDL’s march
Muslim and Sikh leaders meet at the Faizan e Madina Mosque [Wednesday] nightRepresentatives from the two Gurdwaras in Peterborough met with Muslims from local mosques at the Faizan e Madina Mosque in Gladstone Street last night. Their purpose was to show their support to the city’s Muslim community and to distance themselves from [an] EDL leader Gurmeet Singh, who is also a Sikh.
A statement signed by representatives from Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Sahib and Gurdwara Baba Budha Sahib Ji said: “On behalf of the Peterborough Sikhs we vehemently oppose the views of the EDL and any of its members. In Peterborough, Sikhs have worked hard to build relationships with other religious communities and have expressed our concern that this demonstration could upset the balance of the wider community.”
Peterborough Today
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