Video: Chief Supt Ian Howick says officers are confident of preventing major disruption
Nottinghamshire Police say plans are in place to keep the public safe while ensuring the EDL protest runs peacefully on Saturday.
It comes after the far-right group announced it will host a march through Nottingham city centre with the city council closing the Old Market Square beach attraction during the demonstration.
Chief Superintendent Ian Howick said that disruption is expected but police will keep it to a minimum.
He said: “Our resources will be strained but we have resources outside of Nottingham to assist us.
“The protest will involve a degree of disruption that’s accounted for within the law but that doesn’t mean we will tolerate criminal offences taking place, particularly racist behaviour.
“I’m sure that there will be some disruption on the roads tomorrow but we’ll try to keep that to an absolute minimum without having significant road closures.”
We have implemented an exclusion zone around Old Market Square
Nottinghamshire Police have told the EDL that they must follow certain conditions during the protest.
Chief Supt Howick said: “Where there is serious disruption anticipated, we are able to put conditions on a procession and this applies to the EDL and we have done that.
“We have been specific about parts of the route that the EDL must follow tomorrow and we have the power to implement an exclusion zone for the procession and we have done that around the Old Market Square.
“We will facilitate access for speaker’s corner for them.”
We are less clear on left wing plans
He added he had not heard any news on whether or not there will be a “counter protest.”
However, earlier in the week Unite Against Fascism told Notts TV they were planning an event at the Brian Clough statue.
Chief Supt Howick added: “The left wing haven’t notified us of a procession at the moment and we are less clear on what their plans are for the day.
“We haven’t put any conditions on them in advance of tomorrow’s counter-protest but there are a range of legal options available to us tomorrow as it develops dynamically.
“The important thing is that we achieve our operational objective and legal obligation which is to both facilitate a peaceful protest and to also ensure the general safety of the public.”
