EDL: GONE TO POTTERIES

The EDL march in Stoke saw a violent mob tear through the city centre before embarking on a racist rampage through a predominantly Asian part of town.

Trouble began even before the marchers were released from their Wetherspoons’ holding pen as boozed-up rival football crews slugged it out in the pub.

After being released, the crowd of around a thousand descended on the city centre, hurling racial abuse as they went. On catching sight of the 300 people assembled for a UAF counter demo, the mob surged towards the police cordon separating the groups. In the clashes that followed, bottles, rocks, wooden planks, metal fixtures, cigarette lighters, burning rags and coins rained down on the police and journalists, and police riot vans were trashed. Three photographers were punched, one hit in the chest with a plank of wood and one hit in the face lobbed coins. One member of the public and six police were also injured.

After around two hours of brawling, the EDL broke through the police lines and headed towards the predominantly Asian area of Cobridge. They left a trail of destruction behind them, smashing shop and car windows and terrifying the locals.

In total, police arrested 17 people. Six have been charged with racial and public order offences.

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