FORMER ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE LEADER TOMMY ROBINSON JOINED 200 PEGIDA SUPPORTERS IN BIRMINGHAM HIS SPEECH
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Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson joined 200 supporters of the controversial PEGIDA organisation today to protest against the ‘growing influence Islam has on society’.
The far-right anti-Islamic group conducted a silent march from Birmingham International train station to a remote business park outside the city centre.
EDL founder Tommy Robinson stood at the front of the group holding a banner which read: ‘Protect freedom. Reject hate’.
Speaking to reporters before he addressed around 200 supporters from a makeshift stage, he said: ‘PEGIDA is exactly what it says, patriotic European citizens opposed to the Islamisation of the England and the rest of the continent.
‘We are ordinary people, we are opposed to the Islamisation of not just our country but the rest of Europe.
‘We are part of the European Union so it affects us, what decision Angela Merkel makes they affect us here.
‘We have got many different races here today, I dont incite any hate, I oppose hate. I would like you to tell me what have I said that is hatred.
‘I have never been anti-immigration, my mum was an immigrant to the UK. I have never said I am either.
‘I am opposed to Islamisation. I don’t care who comes into the country as long as they are not coming in to cause us harm.
‘The growing influence Islam has on society is not good for society. The more Islam, the less freedom, that is a reality.
‘I don’t believe that we should be bringing in last year one-and-a-half million fighting age Muslim men into Germany, 600,000 of them have gone missing, 160,000 have gone missing from Sweden.
‘We don’t know who they are, we don’t know what their motives are in being in Europe. We have already seen 130 people killed by so-called refugees in France.
‘We have a big problem. The facts are I didn’t rape 800 women, I didn’t attack 800 women, Muslims did. I didn’t rape 1,400 kids in Rotherham, it’s not my fault it happened, I just tell you it happened.
‘I didn’t make 360 Muslims try and commit acts of terrorism last year, I didn’t make 2,000 British Muslims go to fight for ISIS. I didn’t do that, they did it… I’m just telling the truth.’
There was a heavy police presence at the silent march and rally, which took place from 2pm till 3pm, as police also managed a crowd of 60 counter protesters from the Unite Against Facism group.
Last night officers confirmed no Pegida members had caused any trouble and said just one counter demonstrator had been arrested for a public order offence.
The 39-year-old man, from East London, was detained by officers at 1pm outside Birmingham International train station and is currently in police custody.
Chief Superintendent Alex Murray, from West Midlands Police, said: ‘We’ve been planning the operation for months, the collective efforts of our officers, Solihull Council, partner agencies, protest organisers and community groups helped ensure the event passed off without any serious disorder.
‘We had a large police presence on the ground, including protest liaison officers, in order to deal effectively with any issues.
‘But we were confident the rally would be peaceful, our negotiations with Pegida representatives were positive and they stressed their intentions to express their views lawfully.
‘Disruption was kept to a minimum – Bickenhill Lane was closed temporarily to allow for protestors to walk from Birmingham International to the demo point but hopefully it didn’t hugely inconvenience motorists or local businesses.’
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson added: ‘I would like to thank the police for their thorough, sensible planning which has helped ensure the event remained peaceful.
‘Protests like this have a knock-on effect on the force’s ability to deliver non-emergency policing.
‘I sincerely hope this is the last protest of its sort that we see here for a good long while.
‘The West Midlands is a place where people live side by side happily, it is sad when people from outside the region try to undermine that.’
A further protest against the group under the Birmingham Unites banner was also held in Victoria Square in Birmingham city centre today.
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