Alan Johnson MP urges Harrow people: 'Police will protect the mosque - stay away'
9:40am Tuesday 8th December 2009 in News
THE Home Secretary has issued a plea to the people of Harrow to stay away from planned protests in Wealdstone this Sunday.
Alan Johnson MP said the best thing for residents to do is to stay away from Harrow Central Mosque and leave marshalling of anti-fascist and Islamophobic rallies to the proper authorities.
He said: “The message is you don't need to turn up in order to safeguard the right for people to go about their business and to go to prayer at the mosque.
“Police will be there to do that. You don't need to turn up to demonstrate against a demonstration.”
There are fears the streets around the mosque, in Station Road, could see a repeat of September 11, when members of anti-Islam group Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) tried to hold a rally.
The small numbers who turned up were chased away by hoards of predominantly young Asian men who then clashed with police in ugly scenes which caused the closure of many roads in the borough for several hours.
Some senior Harrow figures called for future protests by SIOE to be banned, but following meetings with community leaders, Mr Johnson said it was not possible to put a stop to Sunday's protests.
Speaking yesterday evening exclusively to the Harrow Times at a Labour Party fundraiser at the Premier Banqueting Suite, in Wealdstone, Mr Johnson said: “It would be crazy to change the law to deal with such a small group of people.
“What they are doing is legal and there is absolutely no way the government or the police can ban a static demonstration unless it is on private ground.
“What Harrow can do is learn from the last experience and allow police to do their job.”
The SIOE rally is expected to be countered by a demonstration from Unite Against Fascism (UAF) on Sunday, but on September 11 the organised anti-fascist protest soon gave way to chaotic and aggressive mob-mentality behaviour from hundreds of youngs men.
The Labour group on Harrow Council said last week it intends to join the UAF rally, going against the calls from council leaders and the Home Secretary that people should stay away rather than join in.
Comments(2)
leon gramsci
says...
7:09pm Wed 9 Dec 09
At the same time local people are to turn a blind eye, according to Alan Johnson.
Well wake up. It is local people who are insulted and attacked by the racists and local people have had enough.
If the Establishment ignore the racists , then we will through peaceful mass mobilisation show that we will not put up with it.
Harrow is a united community which will defend all from racism and fascism with or without the support of the Labour Minister. Has he not learnt anything from the 30's? We have.
mom says...
5:41pm Tue 8 Dec 09