GROUP OF 20 MUSLIMS INTIMIDATE HOMECOMING SOLDIERS RAISING TENSIONS IN LUTON
A group of about 20 muslim protestors gathered in Luton hurling abuse at a homecoming parade of Brtish Soldiers from Iraq. The group held home made placards embedded with "Butchers of Basra" and "Baby Killers".
They also yelled terrorits as the homecoming soldiers marched through Luton. Other signs described the 200 men and women from the 2nd battalion as "criminals" and "murdered".
Things further became tense when locals waving St Georges flags turned on the protestors chanting, "scum" and "no surrender to the Taliban". As the two groups hurled abuse at each other police intervened with police dogs and riot vans were deployed. The following day Police confirmed that two people had been arrested for public order offences.
Luton has a 30,000 strong muslim community mainly asian, consisting 20% of the population of Luton itself and ethnic tensions have been high in recent years.
The muslim group who were protesting are said to be from an organisation called ahlus sunnah wal jammah.
Defence secretary John Hutton said: "I can only condemn the tiny minority who used this opportunity to make whatever thie personal views, utterly ridiculous and insulting comments to these brave men and women".
Defence secretary Liam Fox added:"This is offensive, appalling and disgraceful. It is only because of the sacrifices made by our armed forces that these people live in a free society where they are able to their sordid protests
One of the protestors Jalal Ahmed who works as a baggage handler at Luton Airport lost his airside pass and has been suspended. His employer Menzies Aviation, said it had rescinded his airside pass and he would not be working for them until a full investigation was complete.
Comments
Seems wrong.
The guy has every right to protest.
However, as mentioned in the forum topic, condemnding to hell is not a nice thing to do. Besides, recently the troops have been in more of atraining role, so calling them the butchers of Bsra is kind of innacurate.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
He has the right to protest but their is a time and place to do it, furthermore the way he and the other protestors carried out their protests was outrageous giving muslims yet again a bad name and increasing tensions within their own communities.
Why was this a bad place? let the people that matter know that their use has not been fuly apreciated.
If the soldiers on teh ground feel the heat, maybe their superiors will not be so blasé to public sentiment?
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
It was a bad place because the protestors intentionally wanted to cause a stir and they knew they would do so due to the environment and as their were just about 20 says it all, most people do not agree with what their views were and I am sure you dont either that the soldiers went their to butcher babys etc.
Im not surprised one of them lost his job as a baggage handler he should have tthought twice before he started making his abusive placards.
sajmal
I disagree with the posters, but I do not disagree with the location of protest, or the protest in itself.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Your contradicting yourself by saying you disagree with the placards but not with the protest itself, the placards were created for the protest and thus they used them to hurl abuse its all linked you cant justify it, the whole protest was a waste of time and didnt get anywhere on the contrary it caused more grief than pointing out a cause for which the protestors set out for.
sajmal
The protest was against the troops being in Iraq (and maybe even the original war itself).
But condemning the soldiers to hell, and calling them butchers is not a good idea - the last bit is not accurate either.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
???
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
I have made a separate post elsewhere on this site:
http://www.therevival.co.uk/forum/general/5038