Marching orders: 'St George' will not be on parade
Posted on 04/20/2008 9:49:43 AM PDT by Stoat
Marching orders: 'St George' will not be on parade
Community groups had planned to stage the multi-cultural event in Bradford and 1,500 schoolchildren were due to take part.
Many of the youngsters had already made flags of St George to carry on the parade on April 23, which was designed to boost community cohesion.
But last week police and council chiefs told the organisers that the event could not go ahead as planned for 'health and safety' reasons. At a meeting, police demanded a shorter route which avoided two streets at the centre of the race riots in 2001.
As a result, organisers have decided to call off the event, which was due to attract more than 10,000 people.
Bradford City councillor Quasim Khan said: "We were told by the police at the meeting that the original route had not been risk assessed and if we wanted a march to go ahead on that date, St George's Day, we would have to accept a smaller, different route.
"The police officers were getting quite animated, saying things like 'look, this just isn't going to happen'." Police and council officials said they did not have sufficient warning of the event.
However, community leaders planning the parade said the event was blighted because of fears it could stoke up violence. They claimed a police inspector had actually begun the plans for the parade nine months ago.
The Rev Tony Tooby, chairman of governors at St Philips primary school, which was due to take part, said: "We wanted the route to include where some of the riots had taken place to educate our young people.
"The police and council just kept telling us that the reason for their objection was 'health and safety'. They proposed another route which was ridiculously short. The march would have been over before it began.
"Unfortunately, there's a fear that someone may have used it to cause violence.
"The day seems to have been taken away from us because of fears of thugs. "The council and police say something could go ahead on July 1, but it won't be a St George's Day celebration.'
Scroll down for more ...
Flashpoint: Bradford's violence in 2001 started after an Asian man was stabbed by National Front thugs
Instead Bradford City Council, on the advice of the police, offered organisers a shorter route that avoided those two streets. This was rejected.
Ironically, plans for the parade only started after Inspector Kash Singh of Bradford's Neighbourhood Policing Team brought together a committee of local community leaders and school headteachers.
Bradford City Council leader Kris Hopkins insisted last night that it had not cancelled the parade – simply the original route, which he maintained had been drawn up without the involvement of his officials.
"The council has not banned the St George's Day parade," he said. "It was a police-organised event which members of the community got involved in and which we were extremely supportive of.
"But given the involvement of 1,500 children, including six and seven-year-olds, we suggested a slightly safer route. It's not about banning any march. We've got a responsibility to look after our children."
West Yorkshire Police said: "Routes were offered to allow a smaller St George's Day Parade to go ahead, but these were rejected."
A spokesman denied the decision to change the route was to avoid potential violence.
Local Tory MP Philip Davies said: "This was a prime opportunity to promote integration in a celebration of being British. "The police and council, whether it's through political correctness or whatever, have failed miserably. It's frankly pathetic."
The Bradford riots in July, 2001, were sparked by the stabbing of a local Asian youth by National Front supporters. They ended with more than 300 police injured and 297 people arrested.
"Demography is Destiny"
—Rummey's Rules
So after taking a few deep breaths I can now be sort of normal in my post, if normal is the word
Anyway I am not surprised at all, I have said many times places like Bradford, Burnley, Leeds, Glodwick Oldham etc have many Muslim enclaves.
Yes I remember those riots well and that was the final straw for me
Few white lads, English lads, went for a drink in Bradford , well in a certain area, now the reason they did was because Pakistani muslims around the country had been beating up many English lads , so a small group of say about 20 went for a drink there to say we are not scared, this is our country and you can't do nothing about it
well the Pakistani Muslims got all wound up and were going mad
Anyway the police come and the lads leave after a bit, but wait this is not the end
You see about 500 Pakistani muslims grouped together and for a few days rioted, (google those riots on you tube, they were really mad etc)
Anyway BBC crew asked the pakistani muslims how they felt, of course the BBC , the guardian newspaper twisted it as that those English lads had no right to drink there
Anyway 5 or 6 pakistani muslims told the BBC crew that , I'll try and do it for word for word
those English have no right to be here, they don't belong here this is our place
Now I am sitting at home back then and thought , hey hang on, they don't have a right, er they are English in England going to an English pub, THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT i SHOUTED AT THE TELLY(tv)
Those riots woke many people up in England and while many of the media like the BBC etc try to blindfold the English public they are not winning doing so
more and more people are fed up, look at record levels of emmigration from England
I guarantee American opened her doors to England you would have at least one million people wanting to come here.
I just watched on the HD channel of direct tv a hour long clip about the coast of England
It was beautiful, the little fishing villages,the country side, the history it showed the south coast from Land end to Dover by helicopter
My wife who is Amercian turned to me , saw me sad and said it is such a shame tht maybe one day because of immigration England will be changed forever
How do we know that places like Stonehenge will still stand, castle still stand, Westminster Abby , st Paul cathedral, once and if Pakistani muslims take over
yes it might sound far out but think
a nd now look at Kosovo, Lebanon , even the Buddhist statues in Afghanistan which were blown apart by radical Muslims.
Muslims know this as does Mexico, they know that immigration is the way to win against a more powerful foe.
Muslims have done this and if many countries in Europe don't stop this lunacy then Europe is the next place to fall to a muslim empire
Yes the left ignores it but when they are in the minority, when they now realise that there is no more free speech, free to wear what ever, free to pray to who ever or even not to pray, when they realise that their demonstrations, for gays, against the govt, for against their views have gone then they will say hey this is wrong
they like to quote the they came for witches, they came for thew commies etc
well guess what you farleftie loons when the right has gone no one will be able to stand up for you
the left is going to reap what they sow and bring us all down because of their ignorance to the average person
ST GEORGE’S PARADE SCRAPPED… IN CASE IT UPSETS MUSLIMS
By Steve Hughes
A MARCH to celebrate St George’s Day has been axed – because the authorities fear it could spark race riots.
About 1,500 children were due to take part in a parade to commemorate the patron saint of England on Wednesday.
But council bosses in Bradford, West Yorks, have ditched the event over concerns it could upset the Asian community, many of them Muslim.
They feared a repeat of riots that hit the city in 2001, when an Asian man was stabbed by National Front supporters and 300 police were injured. Officials suggested making the route shorter to avoid areas where the riots took place.
But the Rev Tony Tooby, chairman of governors at St Philips Primary School, said: “We wanted the route to include where the riots took place to educate our young people.
“But the police and council proposed another route which was ridiculously short.
“The march would have been over before it began.
“Unfortunately, there’s a fear someone may have used it to cause violence.
“The day seems to have been taken off us because of fear of thugs.” Tory MP Philip Davies, 36, added: “This was a prime opportunity to promote integration in a celebration of being British.
“The police and council – whether it’s through political correctness or whatever – have failed miserably. Frankly, it’s pathetic.”
About 10,000 people were expected to line the streets.
But council leader Kris Hopkins, 44, said: “The council has not banned the St George’s Day parade.
“Given the involvement of 1,500 children, including six and seven-year-olds, we suggested a slightly safer route.
“We have got a responsibility to look after our children.”
Ladbrokes have cut the odds of St George’s Day being made a Bank Holiday after a flurry of bets by patriotic punters.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/35580/St-George-s-parade-scrapped-in-case-it-upsets-Muslims/
Thanks for reminding me.
I have to fly my St. George’s Day Flag tomorrow - right along with my American Flag.
Just to add that this story has made the press precisely because it is unusual and controversial. Ive actually noticed more St.George’s flags this year in my local area than ever before. A ST.George’s flag is to be flown at Number 10. This is the case all over the country. This parade issue in Bradford (if you read the article, a parade could have gone ahead) is absolutely wrong I readily admit. But it does not represent the sitaution in the UK generally at all.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.