Posted on 09/12/2009 5:19:15 AM PDT by marthemaria
Following scenes of violence outside of a mosque in Harrow, north-east London, a cabinet minister has claimed today's right wing groups have "parallels" with 1930s fascism.
Ten people were arrested on Friday night after protestors from the Stop Islamification of Europe group demonstrated outside Harrow central mosque on the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Anti-fascist groups also attended the protest, leading to clashes between the two groups. Reports suggest police officers attempting to control the incident were struck bricks and bottles.
Commenting on the protests, Superintendent Julia Pendry from the Metropolitan police said: "What police set out to do was to police peaceful protests.
"Unfortunately what unfolded was a series of acts of disorder and even cases of violence."
She added: "It is completely unacceptable for people to use the excuse of protest to break the law and behave in this way."
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, communities secretary John Denham singled out the English Defence League for particular criticism, claiming groups were exploiting the white working class.
"If you look at the types of demonstrations they've organised... it looks pretty clear that it's a tactic designed to provoke and to get a response and hopefully create violence," he told the newspaper.
He also drew parallels with the infamous attempt by Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists, to march his supporters through a Jewish area of the East End of London, in October 1936, leading to violent clashes.
"You could go back to the 1930s if you wanted to - Cable Street and all of those types of things," Mr Denham said.
"The tactic of trying to provoke a response in the hope of causing wider violence and mayhem is long established on the far-right and among extremist groups."
Notice: “John Denham singled out the English Defence League for particular criticism, claiming groups were exploiting the white working class.”
..as if white working class people are dumb and cannot think for themselves!!!! We can see what is going on in our communities and how we are being taken over by a fascist Islamic ideology.
.....all of this could have been avoided if the government had acted on behalf of it's people and had faced Islam down from day one rather than pander to it.
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.