Home Secretary Theresa May has authorised a blanket ban on marches in Bradford on the day of a planned protest by a right-wing campaign group.

The English Defence League (EDL) had intended to demonstrate in Bradford on Saturday 28 August.

Unite Against Fascism had planned a protest in the city on the same day.

Despite the ban, groups can still hold static demonstrations. The move follows a high-profile campaign in Bradford to stop the planned EDL march.

A 10,000-signature petition opposing it was handed to the Home Office earlier this month.

The Home Secretary was asked to authorise the ban by Bradford Council which submitted a written application.

It came after West Yorkshire Police's chief constable Sir Norman Bettison wrote to the council requesting an order to prohibit any public processions over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

'Balanced rights'
Guramit Singh, spokesman for the EDL, said he was "upset" and "angry" about the ban.

He said the group had been working towards a peaceful demonstration with the police.

He said the EDL would still stage a static demonstration in Bradford instead.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Having carefully balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, the home secretary gave her consent to a Bradford Council order banning any marches in the city over the bank holiday weekend.

"West Yorkshire Police are committed to using their powers to ensure communities and property are protected and we encourage all local people to work with the police to ensure community cohesion is not undermined by public disorder."

The EDL says it opposes "militant Islam" and describes itself as a "grass roots social movement who represent every walk of life, every race, every creed and every colour; from the working class to middle England."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-br ... e-11041289

That happened in Bolton a while ago. EDL planned a march, UAF decided to have a counter march. Police decided to let both happen and it got a bit fighty although not in any sense riotous.

Anyway, I'm with the famous Voltaire quote on this one. You may not like the EDL (n fact you may think they're a bunch of right wing loonies) but that of itself doesn't mean they're not allowed to have a demonstration. Unless you expect an actual riot to break out you have to let them march. This is of course equally true of the UAF, although they only ever seem to want to have a demonstration because the EDL are having one, rather than having a particular point or agenda of their own to push.

Let them both have a demo but limit it in terms of numbers and allow them only in distinct areas separate from each other. Do that and you probably won't have any trouble worth talking about.

They still have the right to march. As much as the EDL are a reprehensible group they still have rights, as do their opponents.