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There were violent clashes on the streets of Newcastle today as hundreds
of demonstrators (centre and bottom right) from controversial anti-Islam group
Pegida were met by a 2,000-strong counter-protest. Around 400 people from the
far-right group were shouted down by the counter-demonstration, with scuffles
(left) breaking out as the rally made its way through the city centre. The
demonstrations against the anti-Islam march were led by Respect MP George
Galloway (top right) who spoke at the counter-rally, branding the far-right protesters
a 'German Nazi group'.
Violent clashes break out during anti-Islam march in Newcastle city centre with hundreds of far-right protesters met by MP George Galloway leading a rival demonstration
- Violent clashes in Newcastle as 400 far-right anti-Islam protesters demonstrate as part of Pegida movement
- Rally was met by a 2,000-strong counter-protest led by Respect MP George Galloway who branded them 'Nazis'
- Organisers of Pegida - Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West - insisted protest would be peaceful
- But scuffles broke out and men with bloodied faces could be seen being dragged to the ground by police officers
- Five men from anti-Islam protest arrested on suspicion of assault, breach of peace and being drunk and disorderly
- Pegida anti-Islam movement has swept sections of Europe and started last year in Dresden, Germany
- Police arrested five people for various offences in connection with today's demonstration in Newcastle
There
were violent clashes on the streets of Newcastle today as hundreds of
demonstrators from controversial anti-Islam group Pegida were met by a
2,000-strong counter-protest.
Around
400 people from the far-right group were shouted down by the
counter-demonstration, with scuffles breaking out as the rally made its
way through the city centre, leading to five arrests.
The
rival demonstrations against the anti-Islam march were led by Respect
MP George Galloway who spoke at the pro-Islam rally, branding the
far-right protesters a 'German Nazi group'.
Scroll down for video
A man is wrestled to the ground as
violent clashes take place in Newcastle city centre as an anti-Islam
march is met by a counter protest
An officer grapples with this man, attempting to hold him still while his colleague handcuffs him during the arrest process
A handcuffed man with a bloodied face is led into the back of a police van after he was arrested at this afternoon's rally
There were violent clashes on the
streets of Newcastle today as demonstrators from controversial
anti-Islam group Pegida were met by a counter-protest
Police hold back members of the Pegida far-right group as they demonstrate against the perceived 'anti-Islamisation' of Britain
Five people were arrested as scuffles
broke out within the Pegida rally, on suspicion of assault, breach of
the peace and being drunk and disorderly
Seven-year-old Afif Uzzaman, pictured,
from Newcastle upon Tyne joined with counter protesters who were
objecting to Pegida's march
Flags of England and the United Kingdom fly as a woman address the Pegida rally of around 400 far-right protesters
This woman posed in front of a line of
police officers keeping the rival groups of protesters apart as they
demonstrated in Newcastle today
The demonstrations against the
anti-Islam march were led by Respect MP George Galloway who spoke at the
rally, branding the far-right protesters a 'German Nazi group'
Organisers
from Pegida insisted the rally would be entirely peaceful, but five
people were arrested amid a heavy police presence in Newcastle's city
centre.
The
five men, all from and the anti-Islam rally, were arrested on a range
of including suspicion of assault, being drunk and disorderly and
breaching the peace.
Mr
Galloway, MP for Bradford West, addressed the counter-protest: 'All
right-thinking people in Britain condemn the idea of a German Nazi group
coming to the north east of England trying to stir up trouble.
'The
vast majority of British people respect that and the people who are on
here on the counter-demonstration are representing millions.
'We
have enough problems in Britain without Germans coming over here and
causing more. We have problems in Britain without racism and
Islamophobia being further stoked.'
Mr
Galloway, who travelled to the North East in his Mercedes, said he was
not anti-German. 'I love Germans, I'm driving a German car, but this is
one German import we don't want.'
Police arrested five people following today's sporadic violent outbreaks.
A
37-year-old man from Newcastle was arrested for assault, while two
others, aged 43 and 54 were arrested on suspicion of being drunk and
disorderly. The final two people arrested were a 17-year-old youth and a
20-year-old man from Halifax who were detained for breach of the peace.
Paul Weston, leader of the obscure
far-right Liberty GP political party, told followers at the rally that
Muslims would soon 'take over' Britain.
A far larger gounter demonstration took place in Newcastle today, pictured, with representatives from several trade unions
Around 400 people joined the Pegida
rally (pictured), the first protest of its kind in Britain after a
series of demonstrations in Europe
Their demonstration was met by a counter protest of around 2,000 people, who gathered for speeches in Newcastle city centre
A tattooed man pokes out his tongue as Union Jacks fly in the background on the Pegida side of the police line
Pegida - whose German acronym means
Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West - peaked last
month in Dresden when 25,000 people attended a rally and has now made
its way to Britain
Protesters march during the first rally in Britain from the anti-Islam group Pegida, with around 400 gathering in Newcastle
Police separate the
counter-demonstration from the far-right group, as thousands lined the
streets to condemn the anti-Islam protest
THE ANTI-ISLAM PROTEST THAT'S SNOWBALLED FROM HUNDREDS IN DRESDEN TO THOUSANDS ACROSS EUROPE
Pegida leader Lutz Bachmann was pictured posing as Adolf Hitler
Pegida
started in Dresden, in Germany, last October as far-right activists
gathered weekly in the city to demonstrate against what they perceive as
the Islamisation of Germany and Europe.
The
protests rapidly grew in size - from hundreds to around 25,000 - and
spread into Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Spain, Belgium and now
Britain.
The
group has sought to distance itself from the far-right, saying in its
position paper posted on Facebook that it is against 'preachers of hate,
regardless of what religion' and 'radicalism, regardless of whether
religiously or politically motivated'.
It
has also banned any neo-Nazi symbols and slogans at its rallies,
however it was mired in scandal when its leader Lutz Bachmann was
pictured posing as Adolf Hitler.
He was forced to stand down as the group's leader after a furious backlash to the photograph, which he insisted was a joke.
Pegida's
leaders have singled out Muslim immigrants in their speeches, but the
movement has broadened into one against immigrants from all backgrounds.
A
particular target has been 'economic refugees', or asylum seekers who
they say are seeking a better standard of living in Germany.
Paul
Weston, leader of the obscure far-right Liberty GP political party,
told followers at the rally that Muslims would soon 'take over' Britain.
'That is exactly what they will do if we quietly do nothing,' he told the crowd. 'We have to fight back.'
Pegida
- whose German acronym means Patriotic Europeans against the
Islamisation of the West - peaked last month in Dresden when 25,000
people attended a rally, but its popularity faded when one of its
leaders was pictured posing as Hitler.
A number of further protests in Germany were also cancelled following fears they were at risk of terrorist attacks.
Dr
Jacqui Rodgers, a university lecturer, was on the counter-demonstration
which attracted a cross-section of people of different faiths.
She
said: 'I think it is really important for us to unite as a community
and make it very clear to organisations that are trying to get a
foothold in the UK that we will not tolerate their attitude and we won't
accept their racist and fascist policies.'
This woman with a tattooed finger shouts angrily towards a group of police officers in Newcastle tasked with keeping the peace
A man shouts as the rally makes it way
past Bigg Market in Newcastle, as the protest's leader said Muslims
would 'take over' Britain
Pegida supporters holding a flag from
Golden Dawn - a far-right political party in Greece - are escorted away
from the counter-demonstration
Hundreds of activists from the Newcastle Unites group were out in force to demonstrate against the far-right rally
Organisers from Pegida insisted the
rally would be entirely peaceful, but pictures show several arrests
being made and a heavy police presence
This man raised his hand in a defiant gesture with his hooded top featuring an AR15 assault rifle covered in an American flag
But
Pegida rally organiser Donna Trainor said: 'Islam is not a race, it is a
religion. (The term) racist shouldn't be on the table.
'Pegida raises awareness. We want the Government to take notice and take Jihadis and Muslim extremists off the street.'
Unemployed Wendy Ellison, 46, from Durham, took her bulldogs Willow and Betty to the Pegida rally.
She said: 'It's no good sitting in the house, shouting at the telly.
'I feel our country is messed up now. It doesn't feel like Britain any more.'
Northumbria Police said both protests passed without any major problems and that the arrests were for 'isolated incidents'.
WOMAN ARRESTED AS ANTI-UKIP PROTESTERS TARGET PARTY CONFERENCE IN MARGATE
Protesters also clashed in Margate as an estimated 250 people rallied against Ukip.
Anti-Ukip
demonstrators from Thanet Stand Up To UKIP outnumbered about 50 party
supporters who were in the seaside town for the annual two-day
conference.
One woman was arrested on suspicion of common assault.
A Kent Police spokeswoman said all protest groups were co-operating with police.
'There have been some very minor verbal exchanges,' she said.
'No-one has been injured and the protest has generally been conducted peacefully.
'Officers remain in the local area to reassure the public and to respond to any incidents if required.'
Protesters also
clashed in Margate as an estimated 250 people rallied against Ukip, with
one woman arrested on suspicion of common assault
Anti-Ukip demonstrators from Thanet
Stand Up To UKIP outnumbered about 50 party supporters who were in the
seaside town for the annual two-day conference
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