Easter Protests
Our thanks to everyone who played a role in preparing for the English Defence League Protest in Dudley over Easter, and to those who choose to stay away from the protest, to reduce the likelihood of violence. We’re very pleased that the protests passed by without any major damage or injury. There was unfortunately an incident at Dudley Central Mosque Community Centre, with a car being damaged and some minor damage to the centre, and the Police have been working with the Mosque to review what happened. You can read our briefing on the EDL here.
The Interfaith Network played a key role in supporting the understanding of faith communities, offering information and reassurance through our partnerships with the Council and Police, and in the last couple of weeks, in supporting negotiations between the Police and the UAF organisation, which was also in Dudley on the Day. Following an approach from UAF and then a request for support from the Police, the Network was able to act as a broker and facilitator between the Police and UAF in changing from their planned counter-protest opposite the EDL, to a celebration style event in a different part of the town. This was a great success, and ran as a peaceful event.
The estimated cost of the event is high, with local businesses losing around £250,000, a difficult blow during a time of recession. Dudley Council estimate the protest cost £250,000 to prepare for, and the police £400,000 on staffing. While the EDL have declared their intention to return to Dudley, we know that Dudley people will pay for each and every protest, and will be joining with others in urging the EDL to stay away. We know that the EDL have started to recycle old myths around the proposed mosque in Dudley. We’ve produced a guide to help you identify the facts against the myths and distortions, which will be available online shortly.
