EDL protest outside Jami mosque in Portsmouth, again

Approximately 20 members of the English Defence League held a protest outside the Jami mosque in Southsea yesterday night, local paper The Portsmouth News reports. EDL supporters gathered near the mosque at around 7pm holding up placards stating “terrorists are being radicalised here”.

A counter-demonstration led by about 16 supporters from Unite against Fascism was also held in defence of the mosque, according to the local paper.

EDL protests in Portsmouth have not always passed without major incidents. In August, with the support of South East Alliance, March for England, English Volunteer Force and the Croydon Casuals, the EDL rallied against a Muslim school, the Madani Academy. EDL supporters broke barriers, clashed with police and threw fireworks with one man consequently arrested on suspicion of assault after a police officer was hit by a firework.

An EDL member, Blaise Silvester, appeared in court in 2011 for attacking local community members at a demonstration, again, outside the Jami Mosque. He was given a two-month curfew and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.