Anti-Islamic Demo Turns Nasty In Nottingham
5:44pm UK, Saturday December 05, 2009
Alison Chung, Sky News Online
Clashes erupted between police and hundreds of members of the English Defence League during a planned protest in Nottingham.
Hundreds of officers surrounded around 500 EDL supporters in the city centre.
Police on horseback used batons and those on the ground used dogs to contain the violence.
A Nottinghamshire police spokesman told Sky News tempers flared this afternoon when some protesters tried to move from the site of their protest.
"Prior to the protest we engaged with the organisers to agree on where they would meet, but there were a few who were determined to go where we didn't want them to go, although they eventually complied," he said.
"We feel we had the proper planning in place and as far as we're concerned it went very successfully."
Officers arrested four people, including one who was taken to hospital after being bitten by a police dog.
During the protest, some EDL supporters shouted: "We want our country back", and waved placards which read: "Protect Women, No To Sharia" and "No Surrender".
The EDL claims it is not a racist organisation and has no links to the BNP and it is making a stand against the threat of Islamic extremism.
A spokesman said they had planned the demo for today as the Mercian Regiment were holding a homecoming parade in Nottingham following a recent tour of duty in Afghanistan.
The Unite Against Fascism group had also organised a counter demonstration in response to the protest.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-..._In_Nottingham