This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury (with an expanded version on its website):
Appeals ahead of EDL march
by Ciaran Fagan
Muslim community leaders have urged people to stay away from a protest against the English Defence League, (EDL), in Leicester this weekend.
The Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations, (FMO), has written to its members, including mosques and various community groups, across the city and county ahead of Saturday’s planned event.
Leicester members of the EDL announced earlier this week that they intend to march from the Clock Tower to the war memorial in Victoria Park to lay a wreath in memory of Drummer Lee Rigby, the soldier who was murdered in London last week.
Leicester Unite Against Fascism is preparing a counter-protest.
Suleman Nagdi, spokesman for the FMO, said: “We are advising people it is better to stay away because of the risk of confrontation.
“It is right to pay respects to Drummer Lee Rigby but you have to ask whether it is necessary to march through the city centre.”
The EDL has said its members would not wear the group’s branded clothing, drink alcohol or chant throughout the march.
The march is also expected to only attract its local supporters.
Mr Nagdi also urged people not to react to rumours which may circulate on social networking sites or via text messages.
He said: “In many cases this information is not accurate. The police will be providing regular updates up to and including Saturday.”
Leicestershire Police said it was talking to both Leicester Unite Against Fascism and the EDL.
In a statement issued this afternoon, the force said: “We are expecting relatively small, low-key events, which will be peaceful and respectful in nature, and which will cause a minimum of disruption.
“We are not expecting people to travel from outside Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for either of these events – there are similar events in neighbouring counties on Saturday.
“We will adopt a low-key policing style, with appropriate contingencies in place.
“We do not expect either event to disrupt normal business in the city centre, and encourage people planning to visit the city centre on Saturday to continue with those plans.
“We are talking with the organisers of both events to remind them of their obligations to ensure safe and peaceful events.”
The three city councillors who represent the Castle ward, which includes the city centre and Victoria Park, jointly condemned the EDL’s decision to march.
Patrick Kitterick, Lynn Moore and Neil Clayton said the EDL should not be allowed to march through the city.
Councillor Kitterick said: “The English Defence League could pay its tribute without marching through the city centre. There is absolutely no need for them to do this.
“Any counter demonstration needs to be peaceful and respectful.”
In a joint statement, the three councillors said: “As Castle Ward Councillors we wish to totally condemn and dissociate ourselves from the potential decision by senior officers of the police and city council to allow the EDL to march in Leicester on Saturday.
“We wish it to be made clear that no consultation took place with ourselves before this decision was made and if it had we would have asked for the march to be stopped.
“We call on anyone who wishes to pay tribute to Drummer Lee Rigby to do so as individuals and communities as thousands have done.
“The decision of the EDL to do this as a group and incorporate a march through the city shows that they are cynically exploiting the death of a young man for their own political aims.
“We call on senior officers of the police and council to ban the proposed march which has nothing to do with paying tribute to Drummer Lee Rigby and everything to do with dividing our city.”
This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:
Mosque plans given go-ahead by Leicester City Council
Plans to build a mosque with a 60ft minaret on the site of a demolished public house have been approved.
The scheme by Goodwood Community and Education Trust was voted through unanimously at a city council planning meeting on Thursday, despite opposition from some neighbours.
The trust was also given permission to continue using a temporary centre on the site in Gamel Road, Evington, until the permanent building is ready.
Objectors had complained visitors to the temporary mosque would cause parking problems and disturb neighbours in the early hours of the morning.
City council planning committee chairman Patrick Kitterick proposed the scheme should be accepted as there was an established community use on the site.
His deputy Bill Shelton, who lives three minutes' walk from the mosque, said: "In the past, the land has looked like a building site. I like the design of the building.
"I hope users will talk to the residents to resolve problems."
Councillor Dr Lynn Moore said: "I think we should encourage the building of holy places dedicated to prayer."
Ward councillor Baljit Singh said he supported the application for the mosque, but said it was essential worshippers abided by the conditions regarding noise and traffic.
Councillor Susan Barton told the meeting she felt the building was tall in comparison to surrounding houses.
Trustee and imam Ibrahim Mogra said after the meeting: "We are pleased. We hope to invite the wider community to use our facilities, so it is not exclusively for worshippers."
During the meeting he said the temporary centre had already opened its doors to the community for meetings.
He said: "Our intention is to open up rooms for coffee mornings, meetings and education."
He said to reduce parking problems, worshippers would be urged to walk while the new building was being erected.
Those who could not walk would be encouraged to worship at another mosque.
The application was opposed by a group of residents, 33 of whom signed a petition.
Dalziel McLean Carr spokesman for the objectors told the committee: "We do not think it is a suitable location for a mosque."
Having sent a press release to the Leicester Mercury about our open meeting on Tuesday evening with City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby - and having had a reporter from the Mercury attend the meeting - I've been looking forward to some decent coverage of that event in the paper. There's mention of it in the Mercury today, bolted onto something else. I wrote some comment to go at the end of this article, but I'll credit you with enough native intelligence, faithful reader, to know the kind of thing I would have said: "Wrong to allow EDL rally" say Leicester councillors
Concerned city councillors have backed former council leader Ross Willmott, who said it was wrong to allow the EDL to march through the city centre.
Coun Willmott spoke out on Tuesday, and said it was "astonishing" that the police advised the council that the group should be allowed to parade through the city.
City centre ward councillors Patrick Kitterick and Neil Clayton have backed his stance, and say other councillors feel the same way.
Coun Kitterick said: "A march is going to cause huge disruption to shopkeepers and market traders on the busiest trading day of the week. Many people will choose to avoid the city centre altogether.
"I also have a problem with the march on a point of principle, because images of the EDL marching past the clock tower in a city like Leicester – which is so proud of its diversity – would be very damaging."
Coun Clayton said: "There's no real reason why the EDL couldn't have been banned from marching altogether and forced to have a static demonstration away from the city centre."
The Leicester Council of Faiths has also revealed it wrote to the police recommending that the EDL march be banned. Fayyaz Suleman, vice-chairman of the Council of Faiths, told a 100-strong meeting on Tuesday night that the group had opposed Saturday's march in Leicester.
Mr Suleman, speaking at an open meeting of the Council of Faiths at the Gur Panth Parkash Gurdwara, in Knighton Fields, said: "We felt that the EDL should be banned this time as they were last time.
"The police have met with us and explained that they feel it is easier for them to contain the march rather than deal with a static protest. We have accepted the police's position and their reassurances that it is the best of two not very good options."
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby told the meeting he had spoken to the police who had advised him that the best way to deal with the EDL was to let them march in the city, but with very specific conditions.
This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:
Gay quarter plans for Leicester city centre
A nightclub entrepreneur is hoping to transform an area of the city into Leicester's unofficial gay quarter.
Venue owner Paul Giles has said that he would like to give the gay community "ownership" of a district in the city centre.
The area being proposed is the stretch of Belgrave Gate from its junctions with Abbey Street and Burleys flyover.
His two bars, Quebec and The Village, in Belgrave Gate, are what he sees as the start of a long-term plan to transform an area of Leicester into a gay-friendly district.
He says he is in talks over four more venues, all in the area.
Mr Giles said: "The plan is still very much in the pipeline but it would be fantastic to have a gay district in Leicester.
"Most other cities have one and it's about time we did, too.
"It brings in people from out of town and is great for the city's economy.
"It also promotes safety if there's an area of city which is completely gay-friendly."
The idea has been welcomed by bosses at the Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre (LGBT), who say that the city could "greatly benefit" from a gay village. The director of the centre, Ian Robson, said it would increase tourism and boost business.
He said: "Giving LGBT people more choice in where they socialise can only be a good thing.
"If we look at cities like Manchester, Brighton, Birmingham and London, we see that the city as a whole has greatly benefited by these gay villages with a huge increase in tourism which benefits all business in that area."
Plans to create a gay district have also been welcomed by city councillor Patrick Kitterick.
He said: "Cities have used gay villages to regenerate areas of their city centres.
"The Manchester village near Piccadilly Station is a very good example of this.
"The key to any area being successful is a good mix of gay and straight people using the area and adding to the diversity of the city."
The project would also include a scheme where people could buy shares in the village.
Mr Giles hopes to encourage investors to buy up 49% of his company Quebec Leisure, which would still give him the controlling 51% stake in the company.
"It would be aimed at the gay community, but it would by no means be exclusively for gay people," said Mr Giles.
"Having shares in the area would give a sense of ownership over the area and I would like every gay person in Leicester to own at least one."
The businessman hopes to convert four other properties, including the Aspen building.
He also plans to extend Quebec into the Royal Bank of Scotland building next door.
Mr Giles, who also organises the city's Gay Pride event, has started a group on the social networking site Facebook.
It aims to promote the shares scheme.
The group, which is called Shares in Quebec Leisure For Sale, already has about 80 members.
