October 29, 2011

Birmingham EDL demo given two-hour time limit

Demonstrators from the English Defence League have been slapped with a two-hour time limit on their protests in a fresh bid to prevent scenes of violence which have marred previous visits.

West Midlands Police had also told the group that their protest must take place in Centenary Square and must be over by 3pm. Conditions have also been imposed on the community event, ‘Unity and Celebration of Differences’ and any counter demonstration.

Organisers have been told that their event can last no longer than three-and-a-half hours and must be over by 4pm. They must also confine the activities to Chamberlain Square.

The EDL said they were expecting between 700 to 2,500 of its members to turn up. The last time the far-right group was in Birmingham was in 2009 and it ended in ugly scenes of violence and dozens of arrests as they clashed with members of the Unite Against Fascism (UAF).

Asst Chief Con Marcus Beale, who will lead the policing operation, said: “We have to balance the desires of those involved with the safety requirements for the event, and ultimately this has to take precedence.

“We want people to feel reassured and in response to community concerns, we will be staging a large-scale operation on the day to ensure that everyone who comes to the city centre, be it to take part in the protests, or to go about their day to day business, can do so in safety.”

Birmingham Mail

5 comments:

B31 Antifascist said...

'Big pig' Marcus Beale obviously doesn't live in the same Birmingham that I live in, and it is I and many hundreds of thousands of Brummies of all races and creeds that pay him to say that to the press.

I can tell him that, even though my neighbourhood is around 85% white, the word on the streets is 'stay away from town 'coz the nazis are there again, remember last time....(August 2009)' Take note, Birmingham Chamber of trade.

It should also be noted that Birmingham City Council along with their police friends yesterday applied for the Occupy Birmingham peace camp, which for two weeks has not taken part in nor incited any acts of violence and mirrors many Christian ethics, be moved purely on the aesthetic arguments, i.e 'it doesnt look good', whilst at the same time allowing a load of white supremacists who don't even know how to use their own language free rein to descend on our city on its busiest day of the week, get thoroughly arseholed on Broad Street (scaring and intimidating many genuine pub customers) hurl sickening racist abuse at black Asian and white people who dare to challenge their racism and dragging of the Union Jack and St.Georges Cross through the racist shit.

We do not want this in our city. We told you this and still you do not listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56O1XVmEwEU

(great song from those days when Radio 1 was great)

B31 Antifascist's best mate Paul said...

From Birmingham's biggest commercial radio station

http://www.brmb.co.uk/news/headlines/protest-in-birmingham/

The EDL are planning a protest against Islamic Extremism.

Change the fucking record. Not only is this grossly untrue and not what the EDL are about, the reporting does not reflect the true nature of the EDL, which the whole of the Queen's Realm have seen with their own eyes in the two or so years since the EDL have launched their manifesto of violent drunken hatred for almost anything resembling a united cohesive society.

This is not accurate journalism based upon historical facts BRMB. It is yet more one sided propaganda.

B31 Antifascist said...

Just a middling crowd on Broad Street, hardly the 'thousands' that toady Yaxley Lennon promised. Most of them from the North West, if the feeds are to believed.

B31 Antifascist said...

So glad to see the positive and PEACEFUL scenes from the UAF event, the Bhangra crew were on the regional news (ps I love bhangra, its a real serotonin producer!!) compared with what was going on the other side of Paradise Forum.

You see, we told you the EDL were incapable of staging a peaceful protest, and we were 100 per cent RIGHT!!!

Incidentally, knowing a little bit of rightie history and what happens when fascists meet, the EDL riot did indeed turn on itself, with rival factions fighting, as was the case up there in Geordieland today also. English, my arse!!!

They look more like a small penis support group than the saviours of the Aryan English race.

Anonymous said...

400 EDL - seemed mainly from Yorkshire & Milton Keynes/Surrey. Brief scuffle amongst themselves. Lots of police; city centre seemed as busy as normal, all the shops were certainly open.