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| Police move to control protests | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of rival protesters have clashed on the streets of Nottingham city centre. | Hundreds of rival protesters have clashed on the streets of Nottingham city centre. |
| About 300 Unite Against Fascism members staged a protest in the market square, as a similar number of English Defence League supporters also held a rally. | About 300 Unite Against Fascism members staged a protest in the market square, as a similar number of English Defence League supporters also held a rally. |
| Outside Nottingham Castle there was pushing and shoving as police tried to keep order after an earlier verbal exchange between the groups. | Outside Nottingham Castle there was pushing and shoving as police tried to keep order after an earlier verbal exchange between the groups. |
| The clashes came after troops returning from Afghanistan paraded in the city. | The clashes came after troops returning from Afghanistan paraded in the city. |
| Earlier thousands of Christmas shoppers gathered to watch the 500 troops from the Mercian Regiment march. | Earlier thousands of Christmas shoppers gathered to watch the 500 troops from the Mercian Regiment march. |
| The homecoming parade followed a six-month tour of duty in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan where the regiment lost five soldiers and dozens of its men were injured. | The homecoming parade followed a six-month tour of duty in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan where the regiment lost five soldiers and dozens of its men were injured. |
| Flag flying | Flag flying |
| A 43-year-old EDL member, a serving soldier who did not want to be named, said: "We came here to support our lads, and the UAF and other militants have turned up. | A 43-year-old EDL member, a serving soldier who did not want to be named, said: "We came here to support our lads, and the UAF and other militants have turned up. |
| "I think it's disgusting. I look at their protest and there's a Pakistani flag flying with a Muslim symbol. Their protest isn't against the EDL, they're protesting against the troops and it's anti-British. | "I think it's disgusting. I look at their protest and there's a Pakistani flag flying with a Muslim symbol. Their protest isn't against the EDL, they're protesting against the troops and it's anti-British. |
| "They haven't got one Union Jack or St George's Flag. I'm not a fascist, I'm not a Nazi but I am British." | "They haven't got one Union Jack or St George's Flag. I'm not a fascist, I'm not a Nazi but I am British." |
| Michael Vickery, from the UAF, said: "It's not good enough not to have any kind of a response (to the EDL presence) because basically, if we don't have a protest then it's letting them come into town and say: 'This is our place for the day' which it isn't, it belongs to everyone in Nottingham." | |
| Hundreds of officers were drafted in, some from other forces, to police the events in the city. | Hundreds of officers were drafted in, some from other forces, to police the events in the city. |
| Nottingham Forest were also playing at home against local rivals Leicester City and thousands of Christmas shoppers had to walk round the protests in their hunt for gifts. | Nottingham Forest were also playing at home against local rivals Leicester City and thousands of Christmas shoppers had to walk round the protests in their hunt for gifts. |
| Nottinghamshire Police Authority estimates the security operation will cost it about £1m. | Nottinghamshire Police Authority estimates the security operation will cost it about £1m. |
| It has recently had to pay for policing of a number of other high-profile events, including a protest by climate change activists at Ratcliff-on-Soar power station and a recent visit by the Cabinet. It hopes to be able to claim back the money from central government. |