The English Defence League (EDL) held a march in Birmingham on Saturday and if one photo has to sum the day up it is definitely this one of Saffiyah Khan confronting the far-right group’s leader, Ian Crossland.
Whilst the far-right group rallied against school visits to mosques...
...with onlookers dressed like this...
Birmingham Central Mosque held a “best of British” tea party.
Birmingham’s Sikh community also made its voice heard.
Inside the mosque people enjoyed a “cuppa and a chat”.
Outside the EDL demonstrated its glaringly selective concern for animal rights.
Advertising the tea party on its website, the BCM said:
While the English Defence League and counter demonstrators protest elsewhere in the city, the mosque will be open to all and serving tea, coffee and cakes while draped in bunting and Union Flags.
The tea party will start at 11am and the general public are invited to attend and enjoy a cuppa and a chat with their neighbours.
Muhammed Afzal, chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque, said: “We would love the focus of Saturday to be our tea party rather than the protests going on elsewhere.
“Our mosque is open to all and we thought the best response to the demonstrations would be to invite our neighbours round for a cup of tea.”
The EDL originally planned to march in Derby but moved the event to Birmingham because the city was “frequented” by Westminster terror attacker Khalid Masood.
The leaders of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups on Birmingham City Council had urged people to go about their business as usual during the EDL protest on Saturday.
A statement issued by the city council on behalf of party group leaders John Clancy, Robert Alden and Jon Hunt said: “The English Defence League is not welcome in Birmingham. They will never be welcome in Birmingham.
