More than 100 supporters of the English Defence League last night gathered near the scene of where a
soldier was hacked to death by Islamic fanatics and threw bottles at police. Officers
formed a cordon and the men left the immediate area after the brief incident.
Some of the EDL supporters gathered at The Queen's Arms pub locally, where they
sang nationalistic songs. One local Muslim said that a brick had been thrown
through a mosque during the march. Giving his name only as Abdul, he said: 'I'm
not happy about it. It's a place of worship - a place of God. They have got Islam all wrong. The
people who did this are nothing to do with the real Islam.'
Elsewhere, two men were arrested after separate attacks on mosques
following yesterday's killing.
A 43-year-old man was in custody on suspicion of attempted arson
after reportedly walking into a mosque with a knife in Braintree, Essex. Local
MP Brooks Newmark tweeted last night : ‘Local mosque in Braintree attacked by
man with knives and incendiary device. Man arrested. No one injured.’ Mr
Newmark added: ‘Just met with leaders of local mosque in Braintree which was
attacked this evening. Thanked local police for their swift response.’ Essex
Police confirmed a 43-year-old from Braintree had been arrested on suspicion of
possession of an offensive weapon and attempted arson after the incident on
Silks Way at 7:15pm.
Meanwhile police in Kent were called to reports of criminal damage
at a mosque in Gillingham at 8.40pm. A man was taken in custody on suspicion of
racially-aggravated criminal damage. The EDL men had first gathered at Woolwich
Arsenal station in Woolwich, south-east London. Riot police with shields
stood guard outside for a short time, before moving back into their vans.
The EDL group waved a flag of St George and chanted 'no surrender to the
Muslim scum'. Around 20 of the men wore black balaclavas with an EDL logo on
the front.
Leader Tommy Robinson addressed the crowd, saying: 'We have got weak
leadership. They have allowed this to happen. People are scared to say the word
Muslim. They are scared to offend them.
‘You know what? We are
offended. People in this country are angry. They have had enough.’ The crowd, chanting 'Rule Britannia' and 'EDL', as well as 'England',
marched to the cordon where the killing took place. Others chanted 'No
surrender to Al Qaeda'. A statement by the EDL said: ‘The terrible events in
Woolwich were a reminder of something very few are willing to accept. We are at
war.’
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said he was not
aware of any arrests following the protest last night. The march had been
dispersed by 11pm.
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