War memorial vandalised, mosque firebombed and ugly clashes on the street: Tensions rise after slaughter of British soldier

Thugs sprayed the word ‘Islam’ across two war memorials in a provocative vandalism attack yesterday.
Memorials to members of RAF Bomber Command and animals killed at war were targeted in London, as police forces across the country dealt with a spate of ugly attacks fuelled by hatred after soldier Lee Rigby’s murder.
One charity claimed that more than 200 attacks on Muslims had been reported to police since the brutal killing, while Help for Heroes said it would not accept any money raised for it by the English Defence League, saying it did not want to be used for ‘political purposes’.
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Message: This image shows the word 'Islam' daubed on the Animals In War Memorial, but police are not sure if it was carried out by Muslim protesters or far-right groups trying to stir up trouble

Attack: The Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London, was also targeted

A tarpaulin covers part of the Animals in War Memorial on Park Lane, which police say they found at 5am

In London, supporters of the far-Right clashed with police and anti-fascists, shutting down streets around Parliament. As tensions mounted across the country:

•  Up to 1,000 EDL supporters chanted ‘no surrender’ and held pictures of a bloody meat cleaver as they marched past Downing Street;
• Two men were arrested after a petrol-bomb attack on a mosque in Grimsby;
•  Police charged two Wolverhampton men with racially aggravated public order offences after a far-Right march in Walsall;
•  Three men and a teenage boy were arrested when a protest outside an Islamic centre in Portsmouth sparked violence;
•  A man appeared in court accused of posting a ‘grossly offensive’   anti-Muslim Facebook message;
• The home of a 73-year-old woman in Welling, South-East London, was raided hours after the arrest of a 50-year-old man, believed to be her son – the tenth person arrested in connection to Drummer Rigby’s murder.

Upsetting: The spray paint has been used to scrub out the inscription on the tribute to the animals which helped keep Britain free

In London, hundreds of police in riot gear fought to calm a volatile clash between the EDL and anti-fascists.
Tourists looked on in horror as hundreds of shaven-headed men carrying St George’s Cross flags chanted ‘there’s only one Lee Rigby’.

Kevin Carroll, joint leader of the EDL, said Drummer Rigby’s death must be a ‘turning point’ for the country.
He said: ‘We want to tell David Cameron – while he’s on a deckchair sunning himself in Spain – just how angry we are that one of our British servicemen was decapitated in this city.’
Great Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell said attacks on mosques and other Islamic institutions were playing into the hands of terrorists who wanted community conflict.
He added: ‘It’s sheer, simple stupidity. I’m appalled and shocked. I didn’t expect this in Grimsby.’
Nearly 200 anti-Muslim incidents have been recorded since the Woolwich murder, including attacks on mosques, online abuse and cars being daubed with graffiti, according to Faith Matters.
Spokesman Fiyaz Mughal said: ‘On a really heavy day we would normally pick up eight cases but at the minute it is around 40 to 50 every day. We are almost unable to keep up.’ 
Warrant office Douglas Radcliffe, 89, of the Bomber Command Association, travelled to Green Park to guard the monument yesterday, wearing his war medals.

He said: ‘It’s disgraceful. It is such a shame for this to happen to the memorial. It is very sad.
‘My fellow crewmen died in Germany to give freedom to everybody who lived, whatever their nationality, so it is so disturbing when this kind of thing happens.’

Patriotic: English Defence League supporters wore Union Jacks and flew England flags as they called David Cameron a 'coward' for going on holiday after the Woolwich terror attack

Hundreds of protesters with the EDL descended on London where they confronted anti-fascist demonstrators

Control: Police officers walk members of the English Defence League protest as they march from Trafalgar Square

EDL demonstrators pushed their way through a police cordon as they made their way to Trafalgar Square.
They chanted 'Muslim killers off our streets' and 'There’s only one Lee Rigby' and protesters held placards that read 'Blood on your hands' and 'GB RIP'.
A group of United Against Fascism supporters planned a counter-protest at the same time and were penned in by the Met Police to avoid ugly clashes. 
The demonstrators marched through Admiralty Arch and onto Parliament Square.
They were escorted by Metropolitan Police officers and vans, while a force helicopter followed overhead.
Tensions have also increased in certain communities where thugs have been attacking mosques in retaliation for the murder of Lee Rigby.

Messages: The EDL supporters were chanting and singing at the event in central London

Across the road: 'Unite Against Fascism' demonstrators shouted across police lines at English Defence League demonstrators

 

A Grimsby mosque was last night hit with petrol bombs, while people were inside, including children.
Chairman Diler Gharib said: 'We had just finished our prayers and were discussing how to thank our neighbours for the support they have shown us over the past few days when we heard a bang and saw fire coming under the door.
'I grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out and then two more petrol bombs hit the fire escape and the bin so I had to put those out too.
'Luckily the police have been monitoring the mosque since the last attack and they were able to arrest two people almost straight away.
'We have all been feeling on edge and now this has happened. It’s not just the people at the mosque we are worried about, it’s our wives, daughters and children who are out in the community.
'People need to realise that the people who committed the murder in Woolwich are criminals and it had nothing to do with the Muslim faith.'
A 33-year-old man and a 37-year-old man were arrested following the attack and were tonight in police custody at Grimsby Police Station.

Attack: This scorched door to the Grimsby Mosque shows the damage caused by the firebomb attack last night

Scene: Police and firefighters attend the blaze started by troublemakers at a Grimsby mosque on Sunday

Following a separate attack on the mosque last Thursday, six of the 11 people arrested have been released without charge.
Four boys, aged 16 and 15, have been released on bail until the end of June.
Chief Supt Tony Forbes said today: 'I would like to remind people that these are serious offences which are being investigated and those who are responsible will be brought to justice.
'It is important to remember that those people who have committed these offences are a very small minority and they do not reflect the vast majority of people who live in North East Lincolnshire.
'The people who want to engage themselves in this type of criminal activity will be dealt with using all appropriate police resources and powers.
'I have spoken to community leaders and what is clear to me is the attacks will not be allowed to undermine the very good community relations in North East Lincolnshire. My officers will continue to work with all of our communities to protect them and ensure their safety.'

Problems: Hoards of police were forced to break up the walk in Bristol because of disorder

Trouble: Riot officers were called to halt a Bristol walk in support of Help for Heroes after they feared it would stoke up 'community tensions' - this led to 19 arrests

Meanwhile an English Defence League activist who threatened to burn down a mosque in retaliation for Lee Rigby's murder has been told he faces jail.
Adam Rodgers took to Facebook following the murder and called on his fellow EDL members to meet him at a mosque in Hastings, Sussex.
The 28-year-old posted various 'inflammatory' remarks on the social networking site in the hours following the drummer's death including 'the mosque needs burning down'.
Lead magistrate Paul Brown, told him: 'The harm you could have created was potentially huge due to the circumstances. You made threats to burn down a mosque and mobilise people at a time when feelings are running very high due to a tragic incident. All options will remain open, including prison.'

Meanwhile, hate cleric Anjem Choudary has told how Muslims have been shaking his hand in the street in support of his views on Islam, as Theresa May takes steps to ban extremist preachers from our screens.
Choudary said that his rants were to do with foreign policy and the oppression of Muslims, and said he had never encouraged any terrorism.

He said many people were now scared of speaking - but he had been congratulated for his stance on the issue.

Figurehead: Anjem Choudary says Muslims have been praising his views on Islam and British foreign policy

He said: 'People are coming up to me and shaking my hand. There has been a lot of support for me, on the internet, on social networks and on the streets.

'At the end of the day what we say needs context. Nobody is saying go out and do something like that, stab someone in the street, but if you don't talk about the foreign policy you have to think about the implications.'
He also spoke against calls to ban 'hate' sermons.

He said: 'I would say that the question is should Muslims have love or hatred towards the British foreign policy?

'If Theresa May is now saying that Muslims must love what is taking place in Iraq and in Afghanistan then I'm afraid that the vast majority of Muslims around the world have nothing but contempt for the occupation of Muslim lands and the murder of innocent women and children.'

He added: 'Over the last 15 or 20 years we have organised hundreds of demonstrations, we have held classes, lectures and conferences with thousands of Muslims.

'Nobody has even carried out any terrorist activities. What people do when they leave we cannot be held accountable for.
'Most of the demonstrations have been organised with the full consent of the police and the council. They have been aware of our activities for so long.

'At the demonstration with Michael [Adebolajo, who was pictured with Choudary at a 2007 rally], there were no arrests.

'If it was so bad, why was he not stopped then?'

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