Iraqis clash at polling station [Manchester, England, anti-election group vs. expat voters]

BBC ^ | Jan 30, 2005

[Mike Fieschko]

Fighting broke out between demonstrators and voters

One man has been taken to hospital after clashes at a polling station in Manchester for Iraq's elections.

About 200 demonstrators against the election were chased by another group who burned their flags, while other Iraqis clashed with police.

One man was taken to hospital with head injuries, but Greater Manchester Police described it as a "minor incident".

Oldham Athletic manager Brian Talbot was also attacked after his car became stuck in traffic near the disturbance.

He accidentally struck one of the Iraqis and more than 20 then surrounded his car, smashing its windows and attacking him.

He suffered a neck injury, cuts and scratches and his car was damaged but he managed to get to Oldham's Boundary Park ground in time for his side's FA Cup fourth round match with Bolton Wanderers.

Witnesses at the ground described him as "looking shaken".

An Oldham Athletic spokesman told BBC GMR: "Brian was very shaken up and his car was in a right state.

Brian Talbot's car was attacked and he was assaulted

"But he has made it to the game and he just wants to get on with the match now.

"He was told he did not have to come if he did not feel up to it but he insisted on being here.

"The players were shaken as well, but hopefully they will want to go out there and do it for the manager now."

The demonstrators were from Hizb-ut-Tahrir - an Islamic group which is against the elections in Iraq.

David Kahrmann, from the Iraq Election Team, claimed the protesters "were not even Iraqis".

"The Iraqi community here were saying 'Why are these people who are not even from Iraq protesting against these elections?'," he added.

Thousands of Iraqi expatriates from across the North and Midlands have come to Manchester since Friday to vote in the elections.

More than 13,000 voters have registered in Manchester and an estimated 6,000 attended the polling station in Oldham Road, Collyhurst, on Saturday.

There have been no arrests and police said the incident was under control.

[Mike Fieschko]

Yellow jacketed persons in photo are police, I believe

[Still in Denial]

yep

[Dark Skies]

The question is, who are the protesters?

[Still in Denial]

The ones without the yellow jackets (presumably).

[Tensgrrl]

"Brian was very shaken up and his car was in a right state."
English please?

[jocon307]

More Western Islamofacists clearly showing their opposition to democracy for Muslims.

I really wonder how long Islamofacism would last if every last one of these demonstrators was rounded up and summarily executed.

[seppel]

Hizb-ut-Tahrir: Justr give these guys a one-way ticket to Guantanamo Bay.

[squarebarb]

There is a foto I think on Yahoo which tries to make it look like there are thousands of anti-election protestors, but it's just a few ****'s with huge orange signs. However, the media is helping them as much as it can.

[Still in Denial]

""Brian was very shaken up and his car was in a right state."
English please?"

Brian was distressed and his car was badly damaged.

[OneLoyalAmerican]

David Kahrmann, from the Iraq Election Team, claimed the protesters "were not even Iraqis".
"The Iraqi community here were saying 'Why are these people who are not even from Iraq protesting against these elections?'," he added.

Should have been the story lead.

[Dark Skies]

But I am asking who they are...where are they from (country of origin), are they Muslim hardliners, are they Wahabbi sect...that kind of thing?

[basil]

I think this is a taste of what Europeans may be facing from all their Islamofacists immigrants in the future. They are all over Europe in huge numbers I have read.

[Mike Fieschko]

Football manager attacked in election violence at the Guardian. No other details or photos, though.

[Still in Denial]

Probably just brain dead moslem youth, who've been wound up by some lunatic local mullah I expect. Most likely they don't even know what the elections for.

The annoying thing is the police have made no arrests here, but they recently managed to prosecute some young woman for eating an apple while driving.

You couldn't make it up really.

[Mike Fieschko]

"Brian was very shaken up and his car was in a right state."
English please?

Busted up, damaged and in need of repair, I believe.

[Eurotwit]

According to Sky News they were Pakistani.

[Wilhelm Tell]

It won't be long before the Islamofascists start using guns and bombs to "protest" free elections in their host countries (and they will get help from the radical left).

[Dark Skies]

You're probably right. Hizb-ut-Tahrir is their name but these are round-up workers.

[sausageseller]

Shssssssss.. Redcoats would not want you outing their islamofacists.

[jocon307]

They had a similar little "mini-riot" in Sydney, Australia. The anti-vote crowd there was described as "Wahabis" in the Sydney Morning Herald. Presumably immigrants or the children of immigrants in both cases. I think it is notable that we didn't have any problems like this in the USA. I can only wonder what would have happened if they'd had a polling place in Jersey City.