Police have arrested 33 people during a demonstration against Islamic fundamentalism and counter-protest by anti-fascists in Birmingham, BBC News Online reports.
The demonstration was made up of football fans and calling themselves the English and Welsh Defence League and Casuals United.
The counter-protest was organised by campaign group United Against Fascism, West Midlands Police told the BBC.
Three people were injured in the disturbance in the city centre, and West Midlands Police said a “post operation investigation” was under way.
The police also said it expected the number of arrests to increase as photographs and video images are studied.
A police spokesman told the BBC anyone found to be taken part in acts of criminality will be prosecuted.
There was one report of criminal damage to a vehicle, but more were expected.
Resident Gary Nichols witnessed the disturbances on Saturday evening from his city centre flat and told the BBC he was unable to go outside for about two and a half hours.
“It was very disheartening,” He said. “I’ve never experienced anything like it before in the three years I’ve lived here.”
“It started off with a group of white guys who were chanting ‘England, England’. I thought they were just football fans, but then a large group of black and Asian people turned up and it all kicked off.
He the added: “You have people burning the Union Flag, people were being kicked – some of them weren’t anything to do with the protests”.
Superintendent Matt Ward from the West Midlands Police, said on the police website there had been similar protest against Islamic fundamentalism in July, involving 70 to 90 people.
He said July’s protest had been “vocal” but peaceful.
However, interestingly, the riot in Birmingham city centre was not reported in other UK publications apart from the BBC, and even in the BBC report, it did not clarify the injured ones’ race, and most probably the “lack of media coverage” aims to protect and promote “social cohesion”.
Some of the bloggers also made comments online saying it might indicates that multiculturalism in this country do not work well and different races in Birmingham do not particularly get on with each other.
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