A massive police presence on Saturday largely managed to control a protest by the English Defence League. Seventeen people were arrested as skirmishes broke out and one policeman was taken to hospital with an injured leg.
Windows were broken and fireworks and smoke bombs were thrown at the police. However, fears that the demonstrations would lead to widespread serious public disorder proved unfounded.
Source
The serious public disorder may not have been widespread, but it did exist - like when members of the EDL
attacked a fast food restaurant with women and children inside (Warning: footage may be upsetting)
They didn't start a riot,
but man, they were trying (Warning: footage consits of grown men beating the hell out of each other outside Benny's Chicken of all places)
They also lobbed fireworks and smoke grenades at police, broke a policeman's leg, smashed the second floor window of an art gallery, and
trashed a Sky News van.
Do the EDL seriously think this is upstanding English behaviour to be proud of?
On the other hand, perhaps now the EDL's violent idiocy is more apparent to any would-be, well-meaning supporters.