The march on Saturday (October 25) will now will head via Knightsbridge, which UKIP leader Nick Tenconi earlier described as ‘a playground for wealthy Islamists’
EU-hating political party UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) has been banned from protesting in an area with a significant Muslim community as cops fear “realistic prospect of serious disorder”. ‘Kippers’ had planned to march from Whitechapel Tube station in Tower Hamlets – which has the largest Bangladeshi community in England and Wales – on Saturday (October 25) but the Met Police have said no, amid fears of anti-social behaviour by marchers.
Public Order Act conditions were imposed, which banned the protest from being anywhere near the diverse borough. Instead, the demonstration with being outside the London Oratory, a Catholic church in Kensington, before marching on Marble Arch.
A number of events have been organised across the country, which have been promoted as “mass deportations tour,” with leaders demanding protestors “reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists”. The protest must not start before 1pm or last beyond 4.30pm.
A counter-protest, organised by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) will go ahead in East London, but police chiefs barred SUTR from gathering in part of central London including where the anti-immigration protest will happen. Commander Nick John, who is in charge of public order policing in London this weekend, said: “Our role in relation to the policing of protest is to ensure that they take place peacefully, that offences are dealt with, that they do not cause excessive disruption to the ordinary lives of local residents, visitors and businesses and to ensure that where there is a prospect of disorder we take action to prevent it.
“The risk of such disorder can be elevated if groups with clearly opposing views are allowed to gather in close proximity to each other, particularly if they do so in the heart of a residential area at a time when tensions and fears in relation to hate crime and similar offences are heightened.
“We intervened earlier this week to use our powers under the Public Order Act to prevent a protest taking place in Whitechapel due to the prospect of serious disorder.”
‘This was not a ban’
Commander John clarified UKIP is not banned, despite coverage stating otherwise. He continued: “This was not a ‘ban’ as it has been described in some coverage and commentary, but a requirement for the protest to move if it was to go ahead. We have used the same power on many occasions over the past two years when policing demonstrations by various groups.”
Where must UKIP marchers go?
Protestors will gather by Marble Arch Station at 1pm and will head down Park Lane. They will then turn right at Hyde Park Corner and head down Knightsbridge before making a sharp turn onto Brompton Road. Protestors must not deviate from the allotted route.
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