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Ex-EDL leaders Tommy Robinson and Kevin Carroll cleared | Ex-EDL leaders Tommy Robinson and Kevin Carroll cleared |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Two former English Defence League (EDL) leaders have been cleared of a charge of obstructing the police. | Two former English Defence League (EDL) leaders have been cleared of a charge of obstructing the police. |
Tommy Robinson and Kevin Carroll were accused of trying to defy a ban on marching from the East London Mosque to the scene of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich. | Tommy Robinson and Kevin Carroll were accused of trying to defy a ban on marching from the East London Mosque to the scene of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich. |
The pair denied obstructing police near Aldgate East station on 29 June. | The pair denied obstructing police near Aldgate East station on 29 June. |
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there was "insufficient evidence" to proceed with the case. | The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there was "insufficient evidence" to proceed with the case. |
Mr Carroll, Mr Robinson's second cousin, learned of the decision when he attended Westminster Magistrates' Court to stand trial. | |
The pair were charged after attempting to stage a charity walk to Woolwich Barracks via the East London Mosque, with a plan to lay flowers in memory of Fusilier Rigby on Armed Forces Day. | The pair were charged after attempting to stage a charity walk to Woolwich Barracks via the East London Mosque, with a plan to lay flowers in memory of Fusilier Rigby on Armed Forces Day. |
Police said they offered two alternative routes which avoided Tower Hamlets and the mosque, and warned that anyone who tried to march to Woolwich would be arrested. | Police said they offered two alternative routes which avoided Tower Hamlets and the mosque, and warned that anyone who tried to march to Woolwich would be arrested. |
'Hijack' | |
Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also pleaded not guilty to two further public order charges relating to an EDL demonstration in east London on 7 September. | |
He is accused as a public assembly organiser of failing to comply with the condition of limiting speeches at the rally to 30 minutes, and is alleged to have incited others to breach the condition. | He is accused as a public assembly organiser of failing to comply with the condition of limiting speeches at the rally to 30 minutes, and is alleged to have incited others to breach the condition. |
Mr Robinson and Mr Carroll, who set up the EDL in 2009, announced their withdrawal from the group earlier this month over concerns of the "dangers of far-right extremism". | |
During his court appearance Mr Robinson said he had received a number of death threats from both Muslim extremists and Nazis, since resigning and it had "upset a lot of people". | |
He said: "The people who the death threats are coming from are the people who I was opposing anyway - they were the elements that were always on the outside of the English Defence League, they were around it always wanting to hijack it." | |
A previous bail condition preventing him from entering the east London borough of Tower Hamlets has been revoked. |