Scottish Defence League hemmed in by protestors

A planned march by anti-Muslim campaigners was axed after a heavy anti-demonstration took to the streets of Edinburgh and British Transport Police escorted protestors back on trains out of the city.

The Scottish Defence League (SDL), an affiliate of the English Defence League (EDL), were due to demonstrate on Saturday 20 February.

Approximately 40 SDL supporters were held at Waverley Station by police in an attempt to limit confrontation in the city, with many put back on trains to Glasgow and England by the transport police who had travelled with them, The Journal can reveal.

A strong police presence used cordons and roadblocks to keep the thousands of anti-racist marchers from pubs and areas where SDL members were suspected to be, including Jenny Ha's pub.

Three separate protest groups organised the anti-SDL protests: the Edinburgh Anti-Fascist Alliance (EAFA) met to confront the SDL, whilst Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and the Scotland United (SU) group planned to assemble in the Princes Street Gardens for talks.

The EAFA was the group largely responsible for confronting the SDL on the Royal Mile, after finding out their location in the Royal Mile pub. Hundreds of anti-fascists marched down the Royal Mile, despite Unite Against Fascism attempts to draw people back to the planned events at Princes Street Gardens.

Top Scottish lawyer Aamer Anwar who led the peaceful protest from Princes Street Gardens to the Meadows spoke to The Journal about the significance of the anti-demonstration: "It's a message of solidarity that they [the SDL] will not divide us. It's two nil to us, the SDL were beaten in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

"It's important to note that all political parties are united around this issue. In England the parties aren't united on this issue."

Organised speakers at the Princes Street Gardens included Jenny Dawe, the Lib-Dem Edinburgh City Council leader, Iain Gray, Scottish Labour Party leader, and Kenny MacAskill, the SNP Justice Minister.

Alistair Martin, a student involved in the anti-SDL demonstration on the Royal Mile commented:

"When people like the SDL decide to stomp through the streets of a community intimidating those of a different race or religious inclination, then I think it's an amazing thing that decent members of the community come out and try to prevent those groups from making others in society feel isolated and threatened.”

After being held in Jenny Ha’s pub, the remaining SDL supporters were put on buses, and by the early evening were being transported from the city.

Lothian & Borders Police said that three arrests were made.