Five people were arrested during a demonstration by the far-right English Defence League (EDL) against alleged sexual grooming, police said today.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the arrests were all for “public order offences” and came either during or after the extremist group held its protest in Church Green, Keighley , on Saturday.
Those arrested have now been released on bail pending further inquiries.
However, the spokesman could not say how many extra officers were drafted in to police the demonstration, or how much it cost.
Dozens of officers were on patrol during the demonstration as well as community and Bradford Council leaders.
The spokesman said: “The operation was undertaken using the existing resources available to the force.”
Anti-racism campaigners have praised the resolve of Keighley’s community for “failing to rise to the bait.”
Paul Meszaros, a spokesman for the Hope Not Hate group, which campaigns against the EDL and other far-right groups, said: “What is important is what we saw in Keighley on Saturday. The overwhelming majority of ordinary people were opposed to the presence of the EDL but they did not rise to the bait. It was very encouraging.”
Meanwhile, Mr Meszaros called for a police investigation after supporters of the EDL posted threats to blow up a Keighley mosque.
One uploaded a picture of the Markazi Jamia Mosque in Emily Street which was said to have been taken by an EDL supporter at the demonstration.
A police spokesman said: “West Yorkshire Police are aware of a number of offensive postings on the internet made by different parties. We will routinely follow them up.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article