Anti-fascists targeted by police at EDL demo

Unite Against Fascism (UAF) accused police of attacking a peaceful demo after at least 55 of its members were held while just nine from the far-right English Defence League (EDL) were arrested.

Around 1,500 UAF members had descended on Bolton to oppose an EDL rally in the city's Victoria Square.

But they found themselves the main target of police - and even UAF organiser Weyman Bennett was held, on charges of conspiracy to commit violent disorder.

Mr Bennett said: "Officers came up to me as soon as I arrived and said they would arrest me.

"I have been to more than 200 demos and never been arrested."

Meanwhile, about 2,000 EDL members could be heard chanting: "E-E-EDL" and "Allah is a paedo" as they held aloft Union flags.

But the police claimed that anti-fascists were to blame for provoking a "violent confrontation."

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan from Greater Manchester Police, who oversaw the policing operation, accused protesters "predominantly associated with the UAF, engaging in violent confrontation" with the police.

"The police are not and should not be the target of such violence and anger, and this protest and the actions of some of the protesters is roundly condemned by Greater Manchester Police and by Bolton council."

UAF spokesman Anindya Bhattacharyya rejected the suggestion that the group was behind any violence, adding: "The police attacked a peaceful demo.

"They sent in squads of riot police to arrest senior UAF figures who were doing nothing wrong."

Claims by EDL bigots that their march was against "Islamic extremism" and "sharia law" were quickly dismissed by anti-fascists present at the demo.

World War II veteran Bertie Lois, 89, from Farnworth in Bolton said: "I fought the second world war against these nazis. What did I fight for?

"The EDL are the enemy. I would say to them: 'You are the guys we fought for, what are you doing'?"

Anti-fascist supporter Simon Marsden, a paintsprayer from Bolton, said: "Something has got to be done about these fascists who come into our town where there is no problem on the streets."

Veteran fighter against fascism Monty Goldman, the Communist Party mayoral candidate for Hackney, called for unity of the anti-fascist movement to develop local campaigning by tenants, trade unionists and all opposed to fascism and racism.

"We should readopt the position of campaigning against the enemy of the people and not using demonstrations to create havoc in the community," he said.