Police pay £2,500 to bus hundreds of English Defence League

[The_Patriot]

Police pay £2,500 to bus hundreds of English Defence League supporters to protest march
Police paid for the transport to make event in Manchester easier to control
City figures have slammed right-wing group for draining public purse
Protest, which attracted anti-fascist groups, cost force more than £50,000
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 17:00 GMT, 18 April 2013 | UPDATED: 17:12 GMT, 18 April 2013
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A police force paid £2,500 to bus hundreds of English Defence League supporters to a protest march, in an attempt to make the event easier to control.
Around 700 members of the right-wing group were taken into Manchester from across the region on taxpayer funded double-deckers last month.
The demonstration, which also attracted anti-fascist opponents, cost Greater Manchester Police more than £50,000 overall. £35,000 went on staff overtime alone.

Police paid £2,500 to bus hundreds of English Defence League supporters to a protest march in Manchester. File picture shows EDL supporters in Bradford demonstration in 2010
GMP bosses said paying for EDL transport reduced disruptions and cut the number of officers needed to funnel the supporters through the streets.
But leading city figures have slammed the right-wing group for draining the public purse.
The EDL members visited Manchester for a planned march through the city to Albert Square on Saturday, March 2.

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The event prompted 350 Unite Against Fascism (UAF) supporters to hold their own opposing protest in nearby Piccadilly Gardens.
The day-long rallies climaxed when the two factions faced-off in Albert Square.
After previous outbreaks of violence at similar events, the town hall's courtyard was fortified with a two metre high steel fence surrounding the square.

Leading city figures have slammed the right-wing group for draining the public purse. File picture shows EDL members in Birmingham in September, 2009
The EDL and UAF supporters were filtered into opposite ends of the square, and were separated by metal railings and a 30 metre no-man's land. Hundreds of frontline police officers were joined by Tactical Aid Units, dog teams, the force helicopter and surveillance teams at GMP operational command.
Figures obtained under freedom of information laws revealed the cost to the police for controlling the event. The bill, excluding VAT, was:
£35,360 police overtime (from 7.45am to 6.50pm)
£6,774 vehicle hire, including £2,560 for six buses to transport EDL protesters
£6,247 food and drink provisions for all operational staff
£2,840 equipment (metal fencing) and misc costs
It is believed more than 300 officers took to the street for the operation, which saw 15 people arrested, although police would not confirm the exact number of officers used for tactical reasons.
Councillor Afzal Khan, drafted a letter which was signed by many leading city figures ahead of the EDL march, which acknowledged their right to protest but added 'we can't welcome people who spew hatred and racism'.

The demonstration cost Greater Manchester Police more than £50,000 overall. File picture shows a demonstrator from the EDL standing in front of police during a protest in east London in September 2011
Coun Khan said: 'I am deeply concerned that at a time when public services are facing unprecedented deep cuts, we are seeing the police having to spend their scarce resources on the EDL yet again - especially when the individuals concerned come from outside our region simply to create not only disharmony but damage to the city's economy.'
Police confirmed the EDL supporters were collected from pre-arranged points at train stations in Greater Manchester.
Chief Supt John O'Hare, said: 'The use of coaches to transport large numbers of protesters reduces the number of police officers required to safely facilitate their movement and reduces any opportunities for confrontation. We worked hard in the planning stages to reduce all costs whilst ensuring such a sensitive event was managed effectively with minimum disruption to our city. The cost of not getting events like this right is often far greater.


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