BNP has fifty at national demo

Hundreds gather in Hyde as English Defence League protest passes off peacefully

John Scheerhout

February 25, 2012


The many...



...and the few

                                              
Police arrested eleven people for minor public order offences as a march by the English Defence League today passed off without major incident.

About 600 people who had come from all over England marched through Hyde in protest over the alleged attack on trainee baker Daniel Stringer-Prince.

The 17-year-old suffered a fractured skull in an alleged attack by up to eight Asian men.

His family pleaded with the EDL to abandon the march but it went ahead anyway.

The march began shortly after 1pm when about 600 EDL supporters marched from the town's train station to a car park, where they held a mini rally.

The British National Party also had about 50 supporters in the town. [Emphasis mine].

Greater Manchester Police mounted a huge security operation with dozens of officers on the ground, on horse-back as well as India 99, the force helicopter, overhead, while dog handlers were also on hand.

Officers dealt with a handful of minor skirmishes with some of the marchers. No-one was hurt.

Superintendent Neil Evans said: "I would like to thank both the people of Hyde and the protestors for their conduct today, which has resulted in the demonstration passing peacefully and with minimal disruption caused to Hyde itself.

"GMP respects everyone's right to a protest, but at the same time we have to balance this with the concerns of people in our local communities.

"We, the council and the communities of Hyde have worked hard over the last couple of weeks in order to facilitate this protest in a safe and responsible manner, reducing the risk of disorder by ensuring there were no surprises. Today, this work has paid off.

"There was only minimal trouble at any point during the day and for most of Hyde, it was just a case of business as usual. And although 11 protestors from the EDL group were arrested for minor public order offences or being drunk and disorderly, the vast majority were well-behaved and compliant with police.

"There will remain an increased police presence in Hyde and the surrounding area throughout the rest of the day and into the night."

Ali Haydor, 21, of Croft Street, Hyde, has been charged with section 18 assault in connection with the alleged attack on Daniel Stringer-Prince. A 17-year-old and another 21-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident have both been released on bail.

Manchester Evening News