Masked Muslims vow to ‘stand ready to defend community’ after police banned demo to ‘reclaim’ area (Video)
A tense scene unfolded in east London today as a group of masked Muslim youths took to the streets, saying they were “ready to defend their community.” Their response came after police blocked a planned UKIP protest that aimed to “reclaim” the area.
The Metropolitan Police had banned the far-right demonstration from entering Tower Hamlets, a borough with a large Muslim population, citing fears of “serious disorder.” Officers redirected the UKIP supporters to Marble Arch in central London instead. Meanwhile, left-wing counter-protesters were told to stay in Whitechapel and avoid central London.
Despite these instructions, four counter-protesters believed to be linked to the group Stand Up To Racism were arrested at Hyde Park Corner after trying to confront UKIP marchers.
In Whitechapel, a group of masked men dressed in black gathered, one of them using a microphone to speak passionately to a crowd. “They came targeting Islam,” he said. “They said they were coming on a crusade, that they wanted to take back our streets. But we will stand firm. We will defend our elders, our women, and our community.” The crowd responded with Arabic chants as the man continued, urging unity. “Today we unite,” he said. “We have never gone into your areas to cause problems, so why come into ours? What is wrong with us standing up for ourselves?”
While tensions ran high in Whitechapel, around 75 UKIP supporters gathered outside the London Oratory church in Kensington. Many waved Union Jack flags and wooden crosses, holding banners that read “Islamist invaders not welcome in Britain.” UKIP’s leader, Nick Tenconi, led the march, claiming it was about “protecting Britain” and rejecting accusations of fascism. He told supporters that his own family had once fled Mussolini’s fascist regime in Italy.
As the group marched toward Marble Arch, they chanted slogans such as “Hail the nation, deportation,” “Send them home,” and “Christ is King.” Their presence, however, disrupted a wedding nearby, leaving one guest upset, saying, “The bride is just shattered. The whole day was ruined.”
Speaking to reporters, UKIP supporter Martin Ponting, 45, said the demonstration was about sending a message. “We live in a two-tier country,” he said. “We weren’t allowed to protest in east London, but we’ve had enough. We’ll speak out wherever we can.”
Earlier this week, police had officially restricted the protest under the Public Order Act, preventing it from being held anywhere in Tower Hamlets after concluding there was a “realistic prospect of serious disorder.” The march was part of a controversial nationwide series of rallies that UKIP had branded the “Mass Deportations Tour,” promoting it online with slogans like “Reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists.”
At the same time, counter-protests were organized by Stand Up To Racism and local community groups in Whitechapel. Police instructed them not to move toward central London or confront the UKIP supporters. A police spokesperson later confirmed that four counter-protesters who breached these restrictions were arrested for refusing to leave the area.
Nick Tenconi, UKIP’s leader, posted online before the march, saying, “We will confront the communists at Hyde Park Corner. We will march to Marble Arch, and I will give my historic address while they rage in the background. Patriots, this is just the beginning. The crusade begins.”
Commander Nick John, the Met officer in charge of protest policing, said the police’s priority was to prevent violence. “Our job is to make sure protests happen peacefully without disrupting local life,” he said. “When there’s a risk of groups with opposing views clashing, especially in residential areas, we step in to stop it.”
He added that moving the UKIP protest out of Whitechapel was not a full ban but a relocation for safety reasons. “We’ve used this power many times before to avoid serious disorder,” he said. The police also imposed strict limits, banning the UKIP march from starting before 1 p.m. or continuing after 4:30 p.m.
Commander John warned that anyone breaking these conditions could be arrested. “We urge everyone planning to attend either event to follow the rules,” he said.
The Jewish community in London also expressed support for the decision to restrict the march, recalling the famous “Battle of Cable Street” in 1939 when Jewish and anti-fascist groups in east London united to stop fascist marches through their neighborhoods.
Today’s protests — and the heavy police presence that came with them — show that the same tensions over race, religion, and national identity that defined that historic moment are still very much alive in parts of modern Britain.
