Shoppers lock themselves in shops as thugs rampage in Birmingham city centre
Leisha Brookes, from the EDL, said: “We are ptotesting against Sharia Law and the acceptance by our Government of Islamic extremism.
“It is unfortunate that it has come to this but we are a multi-faith group who are just trying to protest against extremism.”
She insisted she did not want to see any violence and the group were not fascists.
No-one from the socialist protest group was available for comment.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS:
Midday: Riot police begin patrolling Broad Street and the city centre.
12.30pm: Members of the English Defence League meet at the Figure of Eight pub on Broad Street and begin drinking.
12.45pm: A separate group of socialist protesters meets in Victoria Square.
2.00pm: Around 70 members of the EDL, some with dogs, make their way down Broad Street to Victoria Square.
2.15pm: The two groups square up to each other as a handful of police officers try to separate them.
2.30pm: Dozens of police vans descend on New Street and banks of riot cops seal off four roads as running battles begin.
2.40pm: Around 100 members of the EDL are trapped in Bennett’s pub by police.
3.00pm: A group of 60 Asian men tries to storm the pub but is chased away by riot cops.
4.00pm: The EDL protesters are loaded onto two double-decker buses.
4.05pm: The group of Asian men returns and bombard the buses with bricks and other missiles
4.10pm: Members of the EDL are seen ripping up seats on the buses.
5.00pm: A small EDL protest is held at Lancaster Circus under heavy police supervision.
