Birmingham: Rioting between anti-Islamists, anti-Fascists protesters
The Sunday Mercury has a video of the clashes, the Daily Mail brings pictures.
VIOLENT rioting brought Birmingham city centre to a standstill as rival groups of protesters clashed today.
Around 100 members of the right-wing English Defence League fought running battles with socialist demonstrators for more than three hours on Saturday afternoon.
Terrified shoppers locked themselves inside stores and cafes as they tried to avoid the fighting.
More than 30 people were arrested as police struggled to prevent the protests spilling over.
Members of the English Defence League, who had travelled from Luton and Bristol, held up signs reading: "Islamic Extremists Out" and "Make Britain Safe".
They met in the Figure of Eight pub in Broad Street at 12.30pm where they began drinking pints of beer.
They sang the national anthem and Rule Britannia, as well as shouting insults against Allah and Islam.
But the protests turned nasty when the EDL reached New Street at about 2pm, where they clashed with 30 or so socialist protesters, who were holding up banners saying: "Give the EDL the red card."
Shaven-headed men, some with bulldogs, squared up to the rival protesters before riot police intervened.
Bottles and glasses were thrown and masked men were seen wielding wooden poles.
Punches were thrown and the cops used their batons to stop the violence escalating further.
After an hour of angry skirmishes, police finally trapped around 60 EDL members in Bennetts pub in the city centre at 3.30pm, where they were held for more than an hour.
Meanwhile, a group of 60 Asian men gathered and tried to storm the premises, only being stopped by police using shields and protective headgear.
(more)
Source: Sunday Mercury
The Sunday Mercury has a video of the clashes, the Daily Mail brings pictures.
VIOLENT rioting brought Birmingham city centre to a standstill as rival groups of protesters clashed today.
Around 100 members of the right-wing English Defence League fought running battles with socialist demonstrators for more than three hours on Saturday afternoon.
Terrified shoppers locked themselves inside stores and cafes as they tried to avoid the fighting.
More than 30 people were arrested as police struggled to prevent the protests spilling over.
Members of the English Defence League, who had travelled from Luton and Bristol, held up signs reading: "Islamic Extremists Out" and "Make Britain Safe".
They met in the Figure of Eight pub in Broad Street at 12.30pm where they began drinking pints of beer.
They sang the national anthem and Rule Britannia, as well as shouting insults against Allah and Islam.
But the protests turned nasty when the EDL reached New Street at about 2pm, where they clashed with 30 or so socialist protesters, who were holding up banners saying: "Give the EDL the red card."
Shaven-headed men, some with bulldogs, squared up to the rival protesters before riot police intervened.
Bottles and glasses were thrown and masked men were seen wielding wooden poles.
Punches were thrown and the cops used their batons to stop the violence escalating further.
After an hour of angry skirmishes, police finally trapped around 60 EDL members in Bennetts pub in the city centre at 3.30pm, where they were held for more than an hour.
Meanwhile, a group of 60 Asian men gathered and tried to storm the premises, only being stopped by police using shields and protective headgear.
(more)
Source: Sunday Mercury
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