Luton: Anti-Islamist protesters clash with police
Nine people have been arrested after hundreds of anti-Islamist protesters clashed with police yesterday.
The streets of Luton descended into violence after demonstrators, many hiding their faces behind balaclavas, brandished England flags and chanted at officers.
A group called March for England was said to have organised the rally as a peaceful protest against Muslim extremists. They were joined by a local group United People of Luton.
Demonstrators gathered in George Square in Luton town centre yesterday
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During the protest, the mob, which included teenagers and women, held banners with slogans such as 'No Sharia Law in the UK' and 'Respect our Troops'.
Some protesters wore masks with the horned face of Sayful Islam, a local hardline political agitator who led Muslim demonstrators in an anti-war protest during the Royal Anglian Regiment's homecoming parade in Luton in March.
But chaos broke out when a crowd of around 500 ran away from police who had been escorting the protest along its route, and ran down side streets towards the town centre.
Officers on horseback and police dogs were deployed, and policemen drew batons to defend themselves.
Groups of young men in balaclavas and England shirts chanted outside the city centre and one balacava-clad protester held a Rottweiler on a chain, while others clashed with police in riot gear.
One Asian man was hit across the face with a banner and left with a bloody nose.
Last night Luton town centre was calm as police maintained a presence on the streets.
A spokesman for United People of Luton, Wayne King, said many people in Luton were concerned and annoyed that the Muslim community in the town had not taken steps to deal with Sayful Islam's 'hate-filled preachings'.
The 24-year-old, who wore a T-shirt with the words 'No surrender to Al-Qaeda' on it, said: 'We decided enough was enough after the soldiers got heckled as they marched through the town centre by the Muslim extremists.
'Our community has been racially attacked for the last 10 years.
'A mosque in the town got set on fire a few weeks ago and it made national news but churches in Luton are regularly being set fire to.
'We want laws brought in to stop preachers of hate operating here.'
(more)
Source: Daily Mail (English)
Nine people have been arrested after hundreds of anti-Islamist protesters clashed with police yesterday.
The streets of Luton descended into violence after demonstrators, many hiding their faces behind balaclavas, brandished England flags and chanted at officers.
A group called March for England was said to have organised the rally as a peaceful protest against Muslim extremists. They were joined by a local group United People of Luton.
Demonstrators gathered in George Square in Luton town centre yesterday
(..)
During the protest, the mob, which included teenagers and women, held banners with slogans such as 'No Sharia Law in the UK' and 'Respect our Troops'.
Some protesters wore masks with the horned face of Sayful Islam, a local hardline political agitator who led Muslim demonstrators in an anti-war protest during the Royal Anglian Regiment's homecoming parade in Luton in March.
But chaos broke out when a crowd of around 500 ran away from police who had been escorting the protest along its route, and ran down side streets towards the town centre.
Officers on horseback and police dogs were deployed, and policemen drew batons to defend themselves.
Groups of young men in balaclavas and England shirts chanted outside the city centre and one balacava-clad protester held a Rottweiler on a chain, while others clashed with police in riot gear.
One Asian man was hit across the face with a banner and left with a bloody nose.
Last night Luton town centre was calm as police maintained a presence on the streets.
A spokesman for United People of Luton, Wayne King, said many people in Luton were concerned and annoyed that the Muslim community in the town had not taken steps to deal with Sayful Islam's 'hate-filled preachings'.
The 24-year-old, who wore a T-shirt with the words 'No surrender to Al-Qaeda' on it, said: 'We decided enough was enough after the soldiers got heckled as they marched through the town centre by the Muslim extremists.
'Our community has been racially attacked for the last 10 years.
'A mosque in the town got set on fire a few weeks ago and it made national news but churches in Luton are regularly being set fire to.
'We want laws brought in to stop preachers of hate operating here.'
(more)
Source: Daily Mail (English)
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