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Riot Police Arrest 20 as Right-wing Protest in Birmingham Ends in violence
Alastair Jamieson
Sept. 5, 2009
Dozens of riot police worked to contain the disturbance and a police helicopter hovered overhead Photo: PA
A planned demonstration against Islamic fundamentalism by The English Defence League ended in disorder as the group charged along busy New Street, close to the city's main train station.
Fights broke out and missiles and glass bottles were thrown.
One onlooker said: “There were about 250 people in total, fighting and throwing bottles at each other.”
The disorder spilt onto the adjoining Bennetts Hill, a street lined with a number of pubs, popular with shoppers.
Dozens of riot police worked to contain the disturbance and a police helicopter hovered overhead.
A police spokesman said a group of more than 20 men were arrested for violent disorder on a bus in Digbeth High Street, just outside the city centre.
Officers also arrested a 41-year-old man in Waterloo Street, close to St Phillip's Cathedral, for the same offence.
The police spokesman added: "Other sporadic outbreaks of disorder have occurred around the Bennetts Hill and New Street area of the city, during which missiles have been thrown.
"Police officers have been deployed across the city to deal with these outbreaks of disorder and contain them to prevent further disturbances."
West Midlands Police said it would deal with anti-social behaviour or criminal activity connected to the protests "robustly" after a similar demonstration last month turned violent.
The force, along with Birmingham City Council, had already obtained an order from the Home Secretary banning protesters from the Bullring area of the city, under section 14a of the Public Order Act.
Under the same legislation, Chief Constable Chris Sims passed an order restricting the protests to two locations Lancaster Circus and Old Square.
But after meeting on Broad Street in the city's entertainment district, demonstrators proceeded to New Street, around half a mile away, and trouble ensued.
The street, which houses a large number of banks, cafés and chain stores, is a major pedestrian route from Birmingham New Street train station to the Bullring shopping mall.
The exact location of the first outbreak of violence is close to the city's Town Hall and central library.
On its website, the English Defence League had earlier urged supporters to avoid being drawn into violent clashes.
It said: "As many people are now aware, we at the English Defence League are holding a demonstration in Birmingham on Saturday 5th September to oppose Islamic Extremists.
"We would like to state that anyone who wishes to cause trouble, or use this demonstration to voice any other issues other than Islamic Fundamentalists, Radical Islam and Sharia will be turned away.
"We are not a Fascist organisation, and urge anyone who knows of anybody who is intent on causing trouble on the day to contact us."
The group predicted the demonstrations would be a "great day out".
It added: "We are confident that, due to the support and communications with West Midlands Police, this looks set to be a great day out for all concerned.
"We must add that any trouble caused by anyone demonstrating with the English Defence League will be arrested or removed, and could destroy the hard work that has been put in by the English Defence League's organisers and West Midlands Police and ruin the day for everyone. "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6143569/Riot-police-arrest-20-as-right-wing-protest-in-Birmingham-ends-in-violence.html rupert009 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6143569/Riot-police-arrest-20-as-right-wing-protest-in-Birmingham-ends-in-violence.html