Political leaders still at odds over EDL presence
Two political leaders are continuing to clash over the decision to allow the English Defence League to march in Leicester.
Former council leader Councillor Ross Willmott has repeated his criticisms of city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby's handling of the group's protest on Saturday – even though police said it had passed without significant disorder.
Councillor Willmott said the EDL should have been restricted to holding a "static" protest outside the city centre.
Sir Peter and senior police allocated a march route to the EDL and a separate route for its opponents, led by Unite Against Fascism.
As a result, there was no repeat of the serious disorder which spread across the city centre when the EDL staged a demonstration in October 2010.
However, the city centre was much quieter than usual, while several shops and Leicester Market shut for the day.
Coun Willmott said: "It was absolutely the wrong decision to allow the EDL to march in the city centre.
"If they had been confined to St Margaret's Pastures there would have been no disruption at all."
Speaking to the Leicester Mercury on Saturday, Sir Peter Soulsby defended his handling of the protests.
He said: "Allowing the march to go ahead was clearly the right call."When the EDL came to Leicester in 2010, the city centre was effectively shut down as a result.
"This time around there has been far less disruption and the entire march has been kept under tight control by the police.
"Of course, having the EDL march through our city wasn't desirable, and, of course, we didn't want it.
"But my biggest concern was making sure the people of the city faced the least disruption possible, and were kept safe."
Coun Willmott was also critical of police who escorted anti-EDL protesters away from the Clock Tower after several verbal warnings.Police had earlier warned that protesters would be legally required to stick to the two allocated routes to prevent clashes.
Officers, including some on horseback, escorted the group to the official UAF protest starting point, outside the city council's New Walk Centre in King Street.
Coun Willmott said: "We were not a threat to public order, we were simply peaceful local people who wanted to show the EDL they were not welcome."
A Leicestershire police spokeswoman said: "To ensure everything ran smoothly, the chief constable imposed conditions under section 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act, which included designated assembly points for those wishing to take part on the day.
"Those conditions applied to everyone wanting to protest and were circulated widely. Policing two protests by opposing groups was always going to be challenging.
"However, the force has been inundated by messages of thanks and support from the community."
Law and order wins the day
Hundreds of people with very different political viewpoints took to the streets of Leicester city centre during Saturday's rival marches.Both the English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism claimed success for their protests.
The police presence in the city centre was clear hours before the demonstrations began and grew steadily throughout the morning.The city was clearly quieter than a usual Saturday, with some shops closed for the entire day and others stopping trading for the duration of the protests.
Despite a police warning for groups to stick to their agreed march routes, Unite Against Fascism encouraged its supporters to gather at the Clock Tower at 11am and to remain there until the EDL passed by.
A group of at least 50 who congregated at the Clock Tower were then warned by police to move on or face arrest.
They included former city council leader Ross Willmott, who told officers he had a legal right to be at the scene of the EDL protest.Councillor Willmott had earlier criticised city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and police for allowing the EDL to march through the city centre and for allocating march routes which kept the groups apart.
Coun Willmott said: "The police have a difficult job to do, but we are peaceful people who want to hold a vigil and demonstrate against the EDL."
The protesters were eventually shepherded along Gallowtree Gate to the New Walk Centre, the gathering point for their march.
Meanwhile, the EDL demonstrators had begun to meet at their starting point at St Margaret's Pastures, off St Margaret's Way.
Many supporters covered their faces to hide their identity from police spotters.
At about 12.45pm, surrounded by police officers and barely visible at street level other than their banners, the EDL started along their route.
As they passed St Margaret's Church, Canon Barry Naylor stood at the door holding a large crucifix and saying quiet prayers.
Alan Keen, 52, from Loughborough was walking past at the time and said: "It was very powerful. Quiet prayers were such a contrast to the bustle of the march."
The march passed along Burleys Way, into Abbey Street and then Belgrave Gate.
Raj Limbachiya, 43, who runs Belgrave News in Belgrave Gate, said: "I had to close the shop for two hours.
"Saturday is a very busy day so I've lost quite a lot of money."Other shops had to do the same thing. This isn't the sort of thing Leicester needs.
"However, the police have dealt with it well. This street was right in the middle of it all, yet there hasn't been any damage to shops."
John and Jane Carter, both 42, who live in the city centre, said the march was pretty scary for their two young sons.
John added: "We were never in any real danger. There were two lines of police on both sides of the protest, so you'd have to be like Houdini to get out of that and cause trouble."
Later, when the EDL returned to St Margaret's Pastures, its leader Tommy Robinson addressed the crowd, claiming that the group had brought 2,000 people to the city.
However, the official police estimate was 700.
The EDL's purpose in targeting Leicester was the criminal justice system's treatment of four Somali women who were given suspended sentences after an attack on a white woman in the city.
The EDL was angry the women who assaulted 22-year-old Rhea Page were not charged with racially aggravated assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service said it had no grounds to treat the case as racist because the victim had said only one of the women – who could not be identified – had made a racist comment.
Mr Robinson said the police had treated EDL protesters "like animals" when they last protested in Leicester in 2010 but said they had handled the latest demonstration well.
He said: "We have been allowed to march, we have been allowed to protest and we have been given this area. The rule of law has to implemented equally across all communities."
Unite Against Fascism and other opponents of the EDL set off from the Leicester City Council's New Walk Centre at 12.45pm.
Its supporters chanted and carried banners reading "Smash the EDL" and "No to Racism".
Lines of police officers made sure they did not deviate from their agreed route as they made their way up Pocklingtons Walk, along Horsefair Street and Halford Street before heading back to their starting point via Belvoir Street. UAF supporters said they were angry the EDL had been allowed to protest.
Andy Wynne, 57, from Glenfield Road, Leicester, said: "It's very upsetting the EDL have been allowed to march."
Sonja Grossner, 69, from Loughborough, said: "My parents had to flee Nazi Germany after trying to stand up for what they believed in, so I'm happy to be here. But I'm depressed the EDL were allowed to march."
Bystander Rowan Bergman, 29, from Oadby, said: "I'm glad there's this counter-protest. I can't get my head around how people can support the EDL."
Reporters: Ciaran Fagan, Tom Mack, David Maclean, Dan Martin, Peter Warzynski. Photographers: Chris Gordon, Jason Senior, Matt Short
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."
