Brian Haw, Syria And EDL Stopped: My working day on Saturday third September 2011 started in Parliament Sq., then an excessive proper protest in Westminster, Syrians at Downing Road and eventually to Whitechapel the place a number of thousand got here to cease the EDL getting into Tower Hamlets.
Brian Haw Peace Protest Continues
Three days earlier, police had come to Parliament Sq. and brought away all the materials within the everlasting 24/7 peace protest there begun by Brian Haw in 2001 and now continued after his dying in June 2001 by Barbara Tucker and different supporters.
Regardless of the protestation by these carrying on the protest there, the police claimed the fabric had been deserted and eliminated it. The police have for years been underneath strain from politicians to finish the protest and took benefit of the truth that Barbara Tucker was then being held in Holloway Jail. However a crew of others had stored up the protest whereas she was away and have been there when the police got here are have been nonetheless persevering with the protest.
This was not the primary time that the show right here has been stolen by police, probably the most well-known being in Might 2006, after which a reconstruction by an artist was controversially placed on show at Tate Britain. Since 2006 there had been restrictions on the dimensions of the show allowed there and steady harassment and arrests of Brian Haw, Barbara Tucker and others concerned.
Parliament Sq. had then been fenced off to the general public for a while, with the general public denied entry to the statues of Churchill, Lloyd George and others, with protests and public restricted to the pavements round two sides of the sq.. However the fencing was helpful to show various banners. Police didn’t contact the opposite peace protest on the pavement by Peace Strike.
Brian Haw Peace Protest Continues
Different Motion Anti-Sharia Protest
Different Motion introduced collectively “patriot activist teams” from the far-right who had beforehand taken half in EDL protests. They mentioned they needed to dissociate themselves from the loutish behaviour, violence and racism of EDL protests and particularly from the inflammatory incursion into Tower Hamlets the EDL have been intending later within the day.
Among the many teams concerned have been the English Nationalist Alliance, the British Patriotic Alliance, the Mixed Ex Forces, the Ex EDL Affiliation and the Nationwide League of Infidels. ‘Tommy Robinson’ had been reported as saying that the EDL would come to disrupt the peaceable march that they had organised however this didn’t occur.
The establishing of Different Motion displays varied bitter disputes over the management and insurance policies of the EDL, particularly over the shortage of accountability within the organisation and the behaviour of a few of its self-appointed leaders, together with Robinson and the ‘Jewish division’ of the EDL.
They’d come to march from the Ministry of Justice to Downing Road handy in a letter calling for one system of regulation within the UK and an finish to Sharia courts. The march was peaceable though there was one minor incident when English Nationalist Alliance chief Invoice Baker shouted at Syrian protesters, mistaking them for Islamic extremists, however others quickly persuaded him to cease. Later a few of these on the march expressed the view that it was inappropriate to permit protests involving overseas flags so near the Cenotaph with its flags honouring our navy useless.
Though effectively over 100 had indicated on Fb that they’d march, solely round 20 turned up. The march paused on the Cenotaph to put a wreath and observe a minute’s silence in reminiscence of the troopers who’ve given their life for his or her nation earlier than persevering with to the gates of Downing Road.
Though that they had earlier made preparations with the Downing St police liaison officer to ship their letter, police on the gate refused to allow them to accomplish that and wouldn’t take the letter. Different protests have had the identical reception, which appears to me to be in opposition to the letter and spirit of democracy. The marchers then stopped on the pavement simply previous Downing Road for a rally and after a couple of minutes I left.
Different Motion Anti-Sharia Protest
Protest In opposition to Repression In Syria
Round 100 members of the Syrian Neighborhood in London had marched from the Syrian Embassy to carry a loud protest at Downing St calling for freedom in Syria and an finish to oppression, atrocities and humiliation by the Assad regime.
They referred to as on the UK to help additional sanctions and produce diplomatic strain to help the peaceable protests in Syria in opposition to the Assad regime which had begun on fifteenth March 2011 and had met with brutal repression.
Marches has been met with tanks, cities and villages attacked by helicopter gunships, males, ladies and youngsters tortured and greater than 1800 folks killed, together with many kids. Troopers who refused to open fireplace on civilians or participate in torture have been themselves killed.
Lots of the ladies participating wore Muslim headscarves, however there have been others who didn’t, and though many of the drumming, dancing and flag-waving was by the boys, this was not a rigidly segregated occasion though women and men primarily stood it separate teams. The number of Syrian flags prompt that these participating included these from varied teams opposing the Assad regime.
Protest In opposition to Repression In Syria
Tower Hamlets Unites In opposition to EDL
The protest in Tower Hamlets by residents and their supporters in opposition to the plans by the English Defence League to carry a rally someplace of their borough had began round 11am, however I solely arrived later on the time the EDL rally was scheduled to start out near Aldgate East Station.
The road there was empty however blocked by a row of police who refused to let me by means of regardless of exhibiting my press card, and I used to be prevented from going to the place the EDL have been holding their rally a brief distance to the west, simply contained in the Metropolis of London.
Initially the EDL had deliberate to march by means of Whitechapel however dwelling secretary Theresa Might had banned marches. The EDL then tried to have a static demonstration on a grocery store automotive park near the East London Mosque, however the grocery store and different attainable websites within the space refused them. Pubs within the space the place they meant to satisfy up for the protest additionally mentioned they’d deny entry, and the RMT introduced they’d shut the Underground stations due to the hazard to employees.
Police stopped some EDL supporters and turned them again as they tried to enter London. Others bought misplaced wandering round London looking for pubs that may serve them, and the numbers on the EDL rally have been apparently significantly lower than the organisers or police had anticipated.
I gave up attempting to get to the EDL rally and went as a substitute to the big crowds who had come to Whitechapel Excessive Road and Brick Lane to cease them, after which on to a different giant crowd who had come to defend the the East London Mosque. The neighborhood had clearly united to cease the EDL and there was an enormous cheer when it was introduced that EDL chief Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) had been arrested after talking on the EDL rally, the place he had apparently boasted of getting damaged his bail circumstances.
There was extra jubilation when the group heard that police have been transferring the EDL away from the rally at Aldgate to Liverpool road and their coaches ready throughout the river in Tooley Road.
The protesters started a ‘Victory March’ from the underside of Brick Lane alongside Whitechapel Excessive St, led by the Mayor, councillors and others who linked arms throughout the width of the highway.
It stopped on the East London Mosque, however some activists determined to proceed and have been briefly stopped by police who instructed them their march was unlawful due to the ban in place in Tower Hamlets.
They walked across the police who tried to cease them however just a few hundred yards on stewards and among the protest leaders together with Mayor Lutfer Rahmen managed to convey the march to a halt, telling them to take pleasure in their victory and never proceed as arrests now would develop into the story of the day for the press reasonably than it being one in all a neighborhood victory over racism. They calmed down, some took up the provide of a cup of tea again within the Muslim Centre, whereas others, together with myself, went dwelling.
Extra on My London Diary at Tower Hamlets Unites In opposition to EDL.
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Tags: Aldgate, Different Motion, Anti-Sharia, Assad regime, atrocities, Invoice Baker, Brian Haw, Mixed Ex Forces, downing st, East London Mosque, EDL, English Nationalist Alliance, Ex EDL Affiliation, harassment, London, loutish behaviour, Lutfer Rahmen, march, Nationwide League of Infidels, oppression, parliament sq., Peace Protest, peace strike, peter Marshall, police, protest, racism, ritish Patriotic Alliance, Sharia Regulation, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, Syria, Syrian Neighborhood, Tommy Robinson, Tower Hamlets, violence, Whitechapel
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