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‘Sporadic outbreaks of disorder’ and arrests at EDL demo in Rotherham

‘Sporadic outbreaks of disorder’ and arrests at EDL demo in Rotherham

Categories: Latest News

Monday September 15 2014

The Guardian, Daily Express, The Star and ITV News all report on the English Defence League march in Rotherham at the weekend. The march, which was organised following the publication of a report by Professor Alexis Jay into sex grooming gangs was designed to ‘focus on the child sexual abuse by Muslim rape gangs and the cowardly and weak betrayals by local officials’, according to the EDL website.

The Guardian observes that the EDL’s Facebook page announced the event as “a protest against the Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs” and labelled Rotherham the “Islamic paedophile capital of Britain”.

ITV News and The Star both note the precautions taken by the local council and police with barricades installed to seal off shopping streets and forcing a number of shops to close.

Around 1,500 police officers were drafted in to police the operation, including officers from West Midlands, Metropolitan Police Service, North Wales, South Wales, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Devon police forces. The operation is expected to cost £1 million, according the The Star.

Senior police officers estimated that there were approximately 1,000 EDL protesters with “sporadic outbreaks of disorder” occurring during the day.

Footage on ITV News shows protesters confronting police officers “with missiles”. A group of protesters are also shown trying to force their way through police lines. Several arrests were made in the lead up to and during the protest.

Three men were arrested in Wickersley ahead of the protest on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. They have consequently been released on bail.

A 20 year old man from Mexborough was arrested on suspicion of damage after the glass door of a Rotherham mosque was smashed.

A 34 year old man and a 44 year old woman were arrested on suspicion of causing racially and religiously aggravated fear, alarm and distress.

A 40 year old man from Middlesbrough was also arrested on suspicion of assault but was consequently bailed.

An 18 year old male was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer.

A 19 year old male was arrested on suspicion of threatening behaviour.

A, 25 year old male was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.

The protest follows a series of attempts by far right groups to bolster support for their anti-Muslim ‘grooming’ campaigns. The EDL previously staged a protest against the “sexual exploitation of young girls” in 2012. Britain First, another far right group, has since capitalised on this effort by organising ‘mosque invasions’ and distributing leaflets as part of its ‘Muslim Grooming: Britain’s Secret Shame’ campaign.

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