Open Letter to Home Secretary (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

Leeds Liberal Democrats <info@leedslibdems.org.uk>

Open Letter to Home Secretary

October 21, 2009 12:00 AM

Dear Home Secretary

Liberal Democrats and many other thinking people in Leeds have been horrified to learn that the English Defence League is planning a demonstration in Leeds on 31 October 2009. Similar recent demonstrations in Luton, Birmingham and Manchester have led to violent confrontation and a worsening in race relations. Leeds has worked very hard, since some of the 7/7 bombers were found to have come from our area, to build community cohesion and this demonstration threatens these achievements.

My Group is fundamentally opposed to the English Defence League and their provocative actions. We do not want this demonstration in Leeds but I understand there is nothing in the powers of either Leeds City Council or West Yorkshire Police to prevent it taking place. We fully understand the right to freedom of speech but with that right must come responsibilities to act within the law and not to deliberately set out to provoke violence.

The recent record of the English Defence League shows no sign of such responsible actions so even at this late stage Liberal Democrats ask you to ban this demonstration. I would further ask you to review this whole situation in the light of recent events and consider giving local Councils and the Police more powers to control damaging events of this nature in the future.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Richard Brett

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

Leeds City Council