The Muslim News - ‘Anti Islamic’ march confronted

Issue 244, Friday 28 August 2009 - 8 Ramadan 1430

‘Anti Islamic’ march confronted

By Elham Asaad Buaras

A protest march by the newly formed ‘anti Islamic extremism’ English Defence League (EDL) ended in battles through Birmingham city’s shopping streets between the group and anti-fascist supporters.

EDL staged the march on August 8 near the Bullring Shopping Centre but its supporters were outnumbered by anti-fascist campaigners.

27 people arrested have been bailed, three have been charged with offences and one was given a final warning.

At least three people were injured as police in riot gear, broke up fights between EDL and Unite against Fascism (UAF) supporters who came counter-demonstrate.

EDL blamed UAF for the disturbances. A spokesman for EDL told The Muslim News, “The UAF found out about this march, and planned a counter demonstration and timed this counter demo to pre-occupy the area, and stir up locals of all races that we were the BNP before we were due to arrive. We were forced to relocate to a different area, but once locals found out where we were, they started to break up the UAF banners they were holding, and hurl them towards the EDL. We were forced to retreat.”

The group resolutely denies links with the British National Party (BNP) and other far-right groups. EDL were forced to remove BNP activists Chris Renton and Paul Ray after their membership was placed in an internet site. “Chris Renton and Paul Ray have been removed from the group due to their religious and political views,” said a spokesman for the group.

He added, “We have mixed raced members and openly invite people from all ethnic backgrounds to march alongside us, including Muslims…as long as they agree with our two main principles. One, remove Islamic fundamentalists and extremists from our streets and two, stop imposing Shari’ah law.”

UAF Joint Secretary, Weyman Bennett, told The Muslim News EDL’s anti-Islamic extremism manifesto was a cover for sinister fascist agenda. “In the 1970s the National Front used to organise racist demonstrations against black people through ‘anti-mugging’ front groups. Today the BNP and other fascist organisations use the issue of ‘Islamic extremism’ in exactly the same way,” he said.

UAF said the violence was “regrettable” but the group also challenged EDL’s version of events on how the demonstrations turned violent: “The trouble was sparked by a group of racists who broke off from the EDL demonstration and marched towards the anti-fascist rally to goad protesters. The blame for them lies wholly with the racist football hooligans that came to Birmingham to intimidate and attack the Muslim community. The police should have heeded the many warnings from the local community that this group was intent on anti-Muslim provocation rather than naively accepting the ‘English Defence League’ claim that it was ‘not racist’ at face value.”

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) paid tribute to UAF and locals that protested. “It is clear that the ‘English Defense League’ is a smokescreen for far-right racist outfit that are, like the BNP, working to provoke hate and division within British society by vilifying Britain’s Muslims. Recent history has shown such groups to use any pretext to peddle their thinly veiled racist agendas,” said a spokesman.

He told The Muslim News, “Whilst the few arrests were regrettable, on the whole it was a peaceful and healthy example of community solidarity uniting against the far-right, sending a message that intolerance, racism and certainly Islamophobia were not welcome in their town.”

Khalid Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham condemned both sides involved.
He said, “I think the groups ought to know better, and certainly if there was going to be rallies by both these groups at the same time it would always lead to this sort of confrontation. My issue is not just that it took place, but that it took place in the city centre environment where families and children were just going about their normal lives.”

The UAF criticised Mahmood for asking anti-fascism groups not to counter “intimidating and racist marches.” They also blasted Mahmood for what they viewed as his inaction following the July 4 troubles earlier this year, when EDL supporters took over a key spot in Birmingham city centre and chanted Islamophobic slogans at Asian passers-by.
UAF said their decision to counter-demonstrate was an attempt to expose EDL’s agenda and ensure that locals were not racially harassed like previous demonstrations.

A West Midlands spokesman confirmed to The Muslim News that whilst the UAF had fully co-operated with the police the EDL had not made a formal request to demonstrate adding, “It is important to be aware that West Midlands Police have no powers to ban or stop peaceful protests and would not seek to do so. However, if criminal acts or racially aggravated incidents are reported, then police will arrest and prosecute anyone found to be responsible.”

In a statement to The Muslim News, Chief Inspector Mark Payne, of West Midlands Police, said, “Isolated incidents of disorder occurred when small groups of protesters broke away and actively sought to engage in criminal behaviour.”

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