Showing posts with label
Leicester Unite Against Fascism.
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Showing posts with label
Leicester Unite Against Fascism.
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Campaigners accuse police over handling of EDL march in Leicester
Police have defended their handling of the English Defence League's march in Leicester earlier this year.
A national campaign group, the Network for Police Monitoring – Netpol – yesterday criticised officers' conduct toward people opposed to the EDL's presence in the city centre on Saturday, February 4.
The EDL marched through the city surrounded by police officers while their opponents, Leicester Unite Against Fascism, staged a march in a different area of the centre. No arrests were made.
However, Netpol – which trained a number of local people to monitor events on the ground – accused police of:
- Using unnecessary force against groups of predominantly Asian youths who arrived in the city centre after the two demonstrations had finished.
- Using stop and search powers only against black or Asian people. Official police figures show 15 people, all Asian, were stopped and searched.
- Surrounding groups of young people and escorting them out of the city – known as kettling.
- Allowing a small number of EDL supporters to stray off the march route they had been ordered to stick to.
The city council was criticised for urging young people to stay away from the city centre, stressing that unaccompanied youths could be detained and escorted home.
Both city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and the officer in charge of the police operation have defended their handling of the event.
They stressed they spent several weeks before it took place speaking to community leaders.
Sir Peter said allowing the EDL to march prevented a repeat of the violence which marked the protest of October 2010, when people inside the EDL cordon pelted police with missiles and several hundred broke through police lines.
He said: "I don't know who Netpol is, but they don't speak for any local people I know."
Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon said other independent monitors, including the Bishop of Leicester and the Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations, had endorsed his officers' handling of the event.
"There were no arrests made as a direct result of the marches and no damage to property," Mr Nixon said.
"This was in no small way due to the professional manner in which officers and staff from Leicestershire Police and Leicester City Council planned and managed the events and thanks to the co-operation of local communities and businesses."
The Netpol report was published at a public meeting at the Highfields Centre, Leicester, last night.
Its author, Leicester youth worker Saqib Deshmukh, said: "There was not the same level of disorder as we saw on the previous occasion and this could reasonably be seen as a success for the police and the city council.
"But this came at a cost for young people, particularly young Muslims, for whom the city centre was a no-go zone, while there is a perception that the EDL came and went as they pleased."
This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:
Government to hear plea on cost of policing EDL march
MP Keith Vaz and Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole are to meet Government minister Nick Herbert to discuss the cost of policing last weekend's English Defence League march.
As previously reported by the Mercury, the Leicestershire force faces a bill of at least £800,000 for protests by the EDL and Unite Against Fascism last weekend.
The final bill could be even higher when planning and preparations in the run-up to the day itself are taken into account.
Leicester East MP Mr Vaz said it was "unfair" that the entire cost for the policing operation lay at the door of the county force, which has had to save millions of pounds from its budget because of Government spending cuts.
He raised the issue, along with his concern at the impact on frontline policing from budget cuts, with policing minister Mr Herbert during the Police Grants debate in the House of Commons.
Speaking after the debate, he said: "Leicestershire Constabulary, like others in the country, is facing serious cuts to its budget in light of the Government's deficit reduction programme.
"It is highly unfair that the £800,000 bill for policing the march should have to be met by the Leicestershire police force.
"I am delighted that policing minister Nick Herbert has agreed to meet with me on this issue."
Chief Constable Simon Cole has also accepted an invitation from Mr Vaz to meet him and the minister.
A police spokesman said: "The chief constable has been invited to meet with Mr Vaz and Mr Herbert to discuss the issues surrounding the cost of policing these kinds of protest marches and the implications for police resources."
About 700 people took part in the EDL march on Saturday, February 4, while police said 200 joined the Leicester Unite Against Fascism's counter protest on a separate route.
The chief constable put 2,200 officers on the streets on the day, with most of the operation costs coming from the need to bring in police from 16 other forces.
The Leicestershire force was praised for its handling of the potentially volatile affair and there were no arrests.
Although the police are entitled to a financial contribution from football clubs such as Leicester City for policing home games, that is not currently the case with protests involving loosely-affiliated groups such as the EDL.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Ministers regularly conduct private meetings with MPs to discuss any issues or concerns."
Writing in a First Person column in the Mercury, earlier this week, Mr Cole said: "It is not for the police to set the laws, but I do think that there needs to be some reflection about the costs and expectations placed on police forces as we are currently paying, on your behalf, the price of free speech.
"That price is significant, and it is paid with the money paid in through taxes by us all."
No distinction made between EDL and UAF
It was with great sadness that I read Peter Soulsby's open letter to the people of Leicester ("Don't let protests tear our city apart", Mercury, February 4).
He seems quite unable to make any distinction between Leicester Unite Against Fascism and the English Defence League.
I was on the Leicester Unite Against Fascism demonstration which was, of course, completely peaceful and the vast majority of people were from Leicester, although a few friends came from Nottingham and Derby.
I am sure most of the people on our demonstration voted for Peter in the mayoral election and many had voted for him as our local MP.
Some of the people I recognised as long-time members of the Labour Party who, I am sure, had canvassed for Peter in the past.
There were even people who were personal friends of Peter's. All of us were united in our love for multicultural Leicester.
In contrast, the vast majority of the EDL were from outside Leicester and are full of hate for our multicultural city.
Is Peter not able to make any distinction between love and hate?
Andy Wynne, Daneshill
This is the official communication sent from Leicestershire Police on their Neighbourhood Alert network about events yesterday in Leicester city centre
No arrests during city centre protests
Leicestershire Police Chief Constable Simon Cole has sent a public thank you to the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for their support in ensuring today’s marches in the city centre passed peacefully.
Around 700 supporters from the English Defence League (EDL) and 200 from Leicester Unite Against Fascism (UAF) carried out separate marches in the city centre.
There were no arrests directly connected to the marches.
Mr Cole said: “The success of the operation is due to a number of factors, not least the support from Leicester City Council in preparing the city for today’s event and the co-operation of the Leicester public.
“The planning for this day began just two weeks ago with many officers and staff working extremely long hours working out the logistics, meeting with other Force colleagues, partners, businesses, community leaders to name but a few.
“Today more than 2,000 officers and staff were involved in policing the marches joined by colleagues from 17 others forces and to those we owe a huge debt of thanks for their support.”
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: "Today has passed without major incident and is a real testament to everyone involved - from the police and retailers to our own council officers.
"Whereas the last visit from the EDL ended in violence and the city being brought to a standstill, this year it has largely been business as usual.
“This goes to show that allowing the EDL and UAF to march was the right thing to do.
"The city has proven it takes more than a demonstration like this to pull our communities apart and that when the going gets tough, the city unites.
"It is now important to get our city back to normal. The Leicester Comedy Festival is in full swing and on Tuesday the city will be hosting the second Big Eat.
"I'd encourage residents to come into the city and take part to show that Leicester is a peaceful and warm city, with something for everyone."
Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon, city commander, said: “I would like to pay tribute to the way our communities in Leicester and local businesses have responded to the challenges of today.
“We appreciate the support we have received from the community and can now begin to get the city back to normal.”
During the morning some of the protesters stopped at towns in Leicestershire on their way into the city but there was a policing operation in place across Leicestershire and Rutland to deal with this.
Chief Inspector Sanjiv Pattani, who was part of the team policing the wider counties today, said: “There was a gathering of around 300 EDL supporters in the Nottingham Road area of Loughborough.The supporters were good natured.
There were no incidents of disorder in anywhere the in the county [sic] and we would like to thank local people and businesses for their patience and support during the operation.
“We tried to keep people updated throughout the day and sent regular messages to nominated community members. This was well received and people told us they were grateful for being kept informed.”
Whose are the voices of sanity and reason?
The Bishop of Leicester asks what we can learn from the marches that take place today
As copies of this newspaper are being distributed today, the city of Leicester will be holding its breath. Hundreds of people will have been working hard to keep the city safe and secure as the marchers from the English Defence League (EDL) and Unite Against Fascism (UAF) take over different parts of the city centre.
This public drama takes on to the streets some of the enmities, resentments and anger which can be generated in complex urban societies. When the marchers have gone and the crowds have dispersed, we shall no doubt heave a collective sigh of relief.
But what might we learn from the great effort which the police and the authorities have to put into preventing outbreaks of violence?
As we look around the world we can see how divided societies can gradually erupt into public violence.
We have been watching the signs from Syria and Egypt recently on our television sets and hoping that nothing similar could happen here.
And yet, closer to home, the voices that set us against each other seem to get louder and louder.
All this raises a series of questions about which voices we can trust in the noisy public space which we all inhabit.
Can we trust Church leaders, or do we turn to the newspapers for sound advice? Or what about other institutions which historically have been regarded as trustworthy: the medical profession, the BBC, schoolteachers, or legal institutions and so on?
As we hold our breath this weekend and hope and pray that the city emerges unscathed, so we need to ask where we should turn now to hear the voices of sanity and reason.
Those will not always be the voices that shout the loudest or attract the most media attention.
But I have a feeling they are the quiet voices of those who have worked so hard for peace this weekend.
They are the voices of community leaders, good neighbours, competent public servants, professional police officers, faith leaders and many many others. It is upon those people that the functioning of a civilised society depends. It is to those people that the city has looked this weekend.
And it is those people; in whom we should learn to place our trust.
The shrill clamour of so many voices appealing to our baser instincts and turning us against each other needs to be resisted. A headline, a news exclusive, or an eye-catching interview are one thing, but peace building is something else.
It is hard work, unglamorous, time consuming and labour intensive.
And it is the peace builders whom our whole city looks to at a time like this. I hope they will get their just reward and that after this weekend the city will once again learn who its true friends and most faithful servants really are.
The Rt Revd Tim Stevens is Patron of Leicester Council of Faiths.
Don't let protests tear our city apart
Hundreds of people are expected to arrive in our city today to join marches led by the English Defence League and Leicester Unite Against Fascism.
There are very few people who want these marches to take place. But, fortunately, we live in a democracy and people have a right to demonstrate.
This means that we have to allow them to come here, but can impose controls on what they do.
In October 2010, marches were banned but there were demonstrations that brought the city centre to a standstill for much of the day.
This time, by allowing controlled marches with very strict conditions, we believe we can greatly reduce the disruption and get things back to normal much more quickly.
Leicestershire police have been working incredibly hard to prepare for today.
I would like to commend Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon, the city centre commander, and all of those involved for their professionalism and expertise.
I would like to ask all of our citizens – young and old – to remember these marches will be over in a couple of hours.
We must not do anything that will allow them to pull our communities apart or have any kind of lasting impact.
I also call on those planning to join the marches to follow the conditions that have been set by the police for your safety, and to show you can exercise your democratic right in a peaceful way.
All at the council have been working very closely with the police to ensure that in the main it will be business as usual this weekend.
Saturday night sees the second night of Leicester Comedy Festival – one of the biggest and best events in the city's cultural calendar.
Several hundred people will be coming to the city for this, and they are very welcome.
This is what Leicester is all about – a warm, friendly and peaceful city with something for everyone.
Please come into the city and enjoy the shows, the shops and restaurants and let's ensure today is remembered for the right reasons.
This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
"We should be looking to ban the EDL march in Leicester"
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has been urged to ask the Home Office to outlaw Saturday's English Defence League march.
The call was made yesterday by former city council leader Ross Willmott.
He said he was concerned at the potential for disorder breaking out along the route allocated to the group, which includes Belgrave Gate, the Clock Tower and Church Gate.
Instead the group – whose members turned violent during a previous demonstration in the city in October 2010 – should only be allowed to go ahead with their "static" demonstration outside the city centre, Coun Willmott said.
The EDL yesterday appeared to agree to the route and conditions laid down for it by the police by posting a message to its supporters on its Facebook page, saying they should arrive at the agreed departure point – St Margaret's Pastures – at the time stipulated by police.
Coun Willmott, who claimed other members of the council supported his position, said: "The march will allow the EDL to effectively take control of these streets in the city centre.
"It's astonishing that the police have advised the council that these people should be allowed to parade along a busy shopping area on a Saturday.
"The march will be intimidating for many people."
He also criticised the route allocated by police and the city council to Leicester Unite Against Fascism.
The group has been offered a route which begins at city council headquarters, in Welford Place, and includes Pocklington's Walk, Horsefair Street and Charles Street.
Sir Peter defended his handling of the protests and said he was acting on police advice. The council still has time to apply for a ban on marches, he confirmed.
He said: "The fact is that over the past two weeks I have met community leaders, faith groups and businesses who have been almost unanimous in saying they do not want us to seek a ban on the march.
"They were concerned there would be a repeat of the violence we saw in October 2010 and have encouraged us to do all we can to minimise disruption in the city centre on Saturday.
"The advice we have had from police is they are confident they can contain the march.
"On the last occasion, when they were banned from marching and held a static protest, the city centre was effectively closed for 24 hours.
"We have learned lessons from that and do not want to see a repeat of that violence."
Leicester Unite Against Fascism members will decide shortly if they are happy to stick to the route given to them by police.
However, they are unhappy with the route given to the EDL.
Jackie Lewis, chairwoman of the group, said: "We are disappointed the council and the police have allowed the English Defence League a route through the symbolic heart of the city centre.
"This area belongs to the people of Leicester, not the English Defence League which is, largely, busing people in from outside the area."
City businesses have nothing to fear, insists EDL
The English Defence League has told businesses they have nothing to fear from its supporters during next weekend's planned protest in Leicester city centre.
The EDL, which says it was created to combat Islamic extremism, plans to stage a protest in the city centre on Saturday, February 4.Leicester Unite Against Fascism hopes to stage a counter-protest on the same day.
Police are planning a major public order operation to "facilitate" peaceful protest and to combat any potential for a repeat of the violence which broke out when the EDL last staged a major protest in the city.
On that occasion, in October 2010, many businesses chose to close for the day and many premises near the protest site in Humberstone Gate East were boarded up.
Now, the EDL's local leadership has written an open letter, on Facebook, to city businesses to urge them to ignore "propaganda" it claims is being spread about its supporters' behaviour during protests.
It has passed a copy to the Leicester Mercury.
The EDL letter restates that the purpose of the march was to highlight the group's anger that, in a recent court case, four Somalian women "escaped jail for a savage street attack" on a white woman.It says: "It has come to our attention that many communities and businesses prior to our demonstrations are misinformed by certain groups or individuals as to our intentions, and many places of business are advised to close.
"We feel this is an attempt, merely to raise tensions and undermine our message.
"I would like to assure you there is no need to close because of an English Defence League demonstration.
"We have marched through many cities and towns across the country with zero disruption to communities and that is our full and only intention for February 4."
Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon, head of city police said: "We trust that EDL will fulfil their promises as set out on the letter.
"The police have a legal duty to facilitate peaceful protests.
"We take our role of protecting our communities seriously and there is a significant policing operation in place as a precautionary measure."
Martin Traynor, chief executive of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: "I'm encouraged by the police approach of trying to control this march. However, based on past experience and people's perceptions of them this will still have a detrimental effect on the city centre."
Suleman Nagdi, spokesman for the Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations, said: "What we have seen in other parts of the country does not instil confidence in this letter.
"So, we welcome their undertaking but we have doubts this will be the case on the day.
"If violence does break out – and we hope it does not – will they blame a fringe group they have no control over?
"They are responsible for bringing people to Leicester on that day and they have to rein in any fringe groups."
Mayor Peter Soulsby said: "We are talking to business leaders about our plans for the day, and these discussions will increase next week as more details become available.
"The success of city centre businesses is vital to Leicester and we will do whatever we can to ensure they can operate normally before, during and after the demonstrations.
