English Defence League (EDL) should 'go home', says Harrow MP Bob Blackman

The English Defence League (EDL) wants to stage a rally outside Harrow Civic Centre, in Station Road, on January 15, in protest at Halal only meat menus in the borough's schools.

The group is likely to face old rivals Unite Against Fascism (UAF) if they go ahead and the two groups have clashed on numerous occasions in areas like Birmingham, Bradford and Bolton.

Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, said: “They should take their placards and their banners and go home to where they come from.

“We don't want them, we don't need them and they are just going to stir up tension at a time when people like myself and others have urged the council and schools to ensure there's choice of meat available for school meals.

“Not just fish, a vegetarian option and Halal meat but Halal and non-Halal options. The EDL are exactly the sort of people we don't want.”

Police said they are in regular contact with the EDL and have not been approached for permission to demonstrate by the group, but said this may be because the event is still some way off.

Harrow was hit by two sets of protests organised by proud Islamaphobics Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) last year, on September 11 and December 13, over the new Harrow Central Mosque building.

In both cases anti-Fascists far outnumbered anti-mosque demonstrators.

Councillor Susan Hall, leader of the Conservative opposition on Harrow Council, said she was mortified by the protest threat.

She said: “If left to our own devices in Harrow we will get on very well, we only have problems when people come in from outside.

“I think this protest is quite different from the last ones. The sad thing is there seems to be growing concern around Islamic topics.

“The reality here is that so far as I know nobody from the Muslim community asked that Halal meat be put in schools.

“It's just something that has happened and this could have terrible ramifications for community cohesion.”