(500)Muslim Burka For You – (2,000) Burka For St. George.

(500)Muslim Burka For You – (2,000) Burka For St. George.

A demonstration by far-right group the English Defence League again descended into violence today as extremists began fighting among themselves.

Around 2,000 ‘protestors’ – some wearing makeshift Burqas daubed in St George’s Cross – took to the streets of Blackburn town centre, supposedly to demonstrate at the alleged spread of Sharia Law and militant Islamism.

The East Lancashire town, which has a large Asian population, was brought to a standstill by a huge police operation designed to segregate EDL marchers from a rival protest by Unite Against Fascism.

But trouble flared as skirmishes broke out among EDL supporters.

Despite the violence, organisers insisted the demonstration had been ‘good’.

EDL spokesman Tony Curtis claimed clashes had broken out between the main body of marchers and a more extreme splinter group.

He added: ‘Once we got rid of the troublemakers it got better. It was a good demonstration.’

This was the first EDL demonstration to take place in East Lancashire, after previous marches in Luton, Stoke and Bradford all ended in skirmishes between EDL supporters, police and UAF protestors.

Some marchers concealed their faces with a St George’s mask, while others covered their heads with mock Burqas. Others sparked flares and carried banners, some carrying the Star of David.

Roads were closed and shops and pubs shut, with a large area of the town centre, which is the constituency town of former Home Secretary Jack Straw, declared a no-go area.

The region has a history of racial tension, with nearby Burnley the victim of rioting in June 2001. But police thanked the local community for behaving peacefully.

Hundreds of officers – some drafted from Cumbria – were employed to maintain order, along with council staff and community volunteers.

Divisional commander Bob Eastwood expressed some satisfaction that police, along with mounted officers and steel barriers, were able to keep the two sides apart.

He said: ‘We estimate that around 2,000 EDL and about 500 counter demonstrators took part in today’s events.

‘Although there were minor scuffles amongst the EDL demonstrators, there was no significant disorder.Read more:

EDL vs UAF Hit The Streets Of Newcastle England[OUR VOICES WERE STRONGER]

Looks Like The EDL Voices Were Stronger!!!  What did you offer those Two Boys at the bottom a Soda Pop to hold the UAF signs?


Shops and pubs in the city closed as up to 3,000 EDL and Unite Against Fascism members took to the streets, chanting and waving banners.

 The two camps came face-to-face near the city train station before their planned marches, with UAF protesters chanting ‘Off our streets, Nazi scum’ in response to the EDL’s chorus of ‘You’re not English anymore’. They were kept apart by hundreds of officers from five forces.

Chief Supt Graham Smith said: ‘It has been a great success. It has passed without incident. Newcastle is a city for peace and the aim of today was to allow peaceful protests which we have demonstrated is possible through careful planning.’

A strong police presence will remain in the centre throughout the bank holiday weekend to prevent trouble.

One of the EDL leaders, Ronnie Burgess, a 31-year-old bodyguard from Liverpool, insisted it was not a racist group.  Wearing a steward number one fluorescent jacket, he said: ‘The message has been lost and we have got a bad press lately. We don’t deny we have racist members, but we police ourselves and we will find them out. We don’t want them.’

Weyman Bennett, joint national secretary of UAF, said he was pleased with the turn-out to oppose the EDL.  He said: ‘They have come to try to divide black and white, Muslim and Christian.
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