Masked Muslim protesters took to the streets of Tower Hamlets in East London on Saturday, vowing to “defend” their community after police had banned an anti-Islamist march in the borough.

The multicultural Whitechapel area of Tower Hamlets was flooded with Muslim demonstrators, many of whom were wearing black clothing, masks and balaclavas. They were joined by members of the far-left Stand Up to Racism group, four of whom were reportedly arrested.

The demonstrators were seen waving Palestinian and Bangladeshi flags as they celebrated the fact that the Metropolitan Police had prohibited the populist United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) party, whose leader Nick Marcel Tenconi described as the start of a “crusade” against Islamists and Communists in Britain.

London’s Evening Standar

See Full Page