Northumbria Police braced for SDL demo tomorrow

Northumbria Police braced for SDL demo tomorrow


The Berwick Advertiser reports on steps being taken by Northumbria Police ahead of the Scottish Defence League's demonstration in Berwick tomorrow, Saturday 16th.


The local paper notes that "Posts on a Facebook group under the [SDL] branch's name contain a series of anti-Islamic references and seek to drum up support for the Berwick event.

"In response to the planned march, new group Berwick United Against Fascism has formed, and arranged a demonstration of its own at 12 noon in the town centre.

"Northumbria Police has said it will have an increased presence in the town on Saturday when members of both the Scottish Defence League and Berwick United Against Fascism descend on the town."

Estimated costs to the public purse of policing some of the EDL/SDL demonstrations in recent months include £800,000 for a demonstration in Manchester in January, and £100,000 for a demo in Norwich last December. An EDL demonstration held in Bristol last summer required the presence of 700 police officers at a cost of almost £495,000.

The Metropolitan Police Service claimed it was 'unable' to calculate the cost of policing EDL protests and counter protests in Walthamstow, East London last year in the months September and October after a Freedom of Information request was put in by a local paper.