EDL March: Police message

The Police have asked me to pass on the following message to you, in relation to the planned marches by the so-called English Defence League tomorrow. Clearly the proposed marches, which have been banned in a rare use of powers last excercised in 1981, do not relate to our borough. But the reality is that we are still only a couple of weeks on from the riots and of course this is one of the most ethnically mixed parts of the Capital. 

So here's what the Police have to say:

There are planned demonstrations in East London on Saturday 3rd September. The most significant one was to be English Defence League.

This was due to affect the following Boroughs, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Islington, and Hackney. 

The Metropolitan Police have issued the following messages.

• Extensive consultation is ongoing with the local communities in the affected boroughs, who are supportive of police actions 
• The police took the decision to ask the Home Secretary to ban the marches based on specific intelligence. Local community events and unconnected marches are unaffected by this ban. 
• The EDL marches are banned in these boroughs, and any unlawful and criminal behaviour will be robustly policed 
• S.60 will be in force and will be used - other static peaceful protest will be policed proportionately 
• If you were going to attend the march or were going to protest against it - do not come to these boroughs
• There will be additional officers on duty across London to keep the peace