Tensions in London: Muslim Counter-March Erupts After Ukip Protest Ban

Image: Jihad Watch

Tensions flared in London after columns of masked Muslim men were seen chanting “Allahu Akbar” during a counter-demonstration that took place in response to a planned protest by the United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip). The incident underscored growing friction between nationalist groups and Muslim communities in the capital.

The right-wing party, now led by Nick Tenconi, had originally announced a march in Whitechapel, an East London area known for its large Muslim population. However, the event was called off after Scotland Yard intervened, citing a “realistic prospect of serious disorder.” Police authorities imposed a ban on the planned demonstration, leading Ukip to relocate its protest nearly nine miles away from Tower Hamlets.

Despite the official cancellation, a large counter-march proceeded in Whitechapel, organized by local activists and led by Lutfur Rahman, the borough’s controversial mayor who has previously faced a conviction for electoral fraud. Hundreds of men, many wearing masks and chanting Islamic slogans, took to the streets to show solidarity against what they viewed as a provocation by Ukip.

Local leaders and residents largely welcomed the police decision to prohibit Ukip’s march in the predominantly Muslim district, where over 42 percent of residents identify as Muslim. Many expressed concerns that the rally’s original intent was to incite division and inflame communal sentiments.

Speaking through a megaphone amid the crowd, one protester accused Ukip of deliberately targeting Islam.

“They came specifically for Islam,” he declared. “They said they were on a crusade and wanted to ‘take back the streets.’ We’re here to show that we will stand firm — ready to defend our elders, our women, and our community.”

The scenes from Whitechapel highlighted a deepening polarization in Britain’s social fabric, where debates over immigration, identity, and religious integration have increasingly taken to the streets. Authorities have urged restraint on all sides, emphasizing that freedom of expression must not cross into hate or violence.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)