Muslims Community leaders urge restraint in response

Muslim community leaders have urged restraint amid signs of a growing readiness to defend mosques, businesses and homes using violence if necessary after a week of aggression from the far right.

- Harriet Sherwood

On Monday, several hundred Muslim men, some wearing balaclavas or masks, gathered in the Bordesley area of Birmingham as threats of an imminent attack by the English Defence League (EDL) and other far-right activists circulated on social media.

A Sky News journalist was reporting live from the area when a protester interrupted her broadcast shouting "Free Palestine" and "Fuck the EDL".

West Midlands police confirmed that a "large number of people" had gathered in Bordesley but that there were no clashes between groups. The force said it was investigating reports of an assault, criminal damage to a pub, a car that had its windows smashed, a vehicle that had its tyres damaged and a man in possession of an offensive weapon.

In Bolton, about 300 people joined a counter-protest against far-right activists on Sunday, resulting in skirmishes between the two groups and police. Shakeel Afsar, who stood as an independent candidate in Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley in last month's general election, said "reasonable force" may be needed to defend communities.