Members of a British far-right group clashed with police at a rally in London on Saturday, despite a government ban on marches imposed after deadly riots that rocked the country last month. Police said they arrested 60 people after scuffles broke out and firecrackers were thrown by the crowd of more than 1,000 activists from the English Defence League.
EDL leader Stephen Lennon addressed the crowd in Aldgate, east London, saying he had defied bail conditions imposed for an earlier football hooliganism offence in order to appear at the rally.
"I'm meant to sign on at a police station on a Saturday, I'm not doing that ... The credible outcome is I will be put on remand in prison for my democratic right," Lennon said.
"That's what's going to happen and when I go to court, if they let me out of court with any bail conditions that restrict my democratic right to oppose militant Islam, I will break them the minute I walk out."