Police urged to ban Scottish Defence League march

ORGANISERS of an anti-racism demonstration in Edinburgh tomorrow are demanding the police ban right-wing activists from marching anywhere in the city.

They say they want officers to corral "Nazi and fascist" protesters and bus them out of the city if they attempt to stage any kind of protest or parade.

Activists claim a hard core of hooligans will almost certainly "rampage" through the streets of the capital if any kind of gathering by the fledgling Scottish Defence League is allowed by the police.

Scotland United – an alliance of campaign groups given permission by the council and the police to stage a counter-demonstration – said it was expecting 3,000 people to take part in the anti-racism event.

Glasgow has already been targeted by the SDL, but attempts to stage its first high-profile demo were thwarted there in November after they were surrounded by police and confronted by several thousand anti-racism protesters.

The SDL claims through its website that its aim is "peacefully protesting against militant Islam", while Lothian and Borders Police insists it is happy to facilitate "peaceful protest".

But despite promoting tomorrow's protest on a host of right-wing websites, the group has not sought official permission.

Human rights lawyer Aemer Anwar, spokesman for Scotland United, yesterday said police forces across England got their tactics wrong in recent months by allowing the SDL's sister organisation the English Defence League to stage gatherings only to see violence erupt.

He added: "These people are essentially the violent wing of the British National Party.

"The fact 1,500 of them rampaged through Stoke recently should set alarm bells ringing. We simply cannot allow Nazis and racists to rampage through our streets.

"We have had extremely positive meetings with Lothian and Borders Police about this Saturday.

"In Glasgow in November the police surrounded these people and corralled them on to buses provided by Strathclyde Police. We want to see that replicated in Edinburgh.

"Silence is not an option because their aim is to divide us by making scapegoats of one community just as the fascists did with the Jews in the 1930s."

Weyman Bennett, national secretary of the Unite Against Fascism group, said: "The people we are talking about are hardened ultra-violent football street fighters. We believe there has been a failure of policing across England by allowing them to gather."

Organisers of the official anti-racism rally, due to start in Princes Street Gardens at noon before a march from Princes Street to the Meadows, revealed that justice secretary Kenny MacAskill, Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray and Edinburgh City Council leader Jenny Dawe were due to address the crowds.

A huge police presence is expected in a bid to avoid clashes between rival factions.

Superintendent Lesley Clark of Lothian and Borders Police said: "We will facilitate peaceful protest, and we are confident we have contingency plans in place to respond promptly to any emerging issues. We have been advising businesses in the city centre, and engaging with the many diverse communities who live and work in Edinburgh.

"We have been reassuring people that while we have no reason to believe there will be any cause for concern, we will take appropriate action to deal with any anti-social behaviour.

"Finally, we would ask that all visitors to Edinburgh treat our city with the respect it deserves, and enjoy their time here without causing disruption."

No-one from the SDL could be contacted by The Scotsman.