Route agreed for EDL march

On Saturday 14th July the English Defence League (EDL) will be holding a demonstration in Bristol. It will be held in Queen Square following a short march through nearby streets. Up to 1000 members of EDL are expected to attend.

There were calls for the demonstration to be moved to a different date, as the Bristol Pride festival is also being held in the city centre on the 14th. The EDL has stated they are not targeting the event, and the two events and associated marches are taking place at separate locations.

The demonstration will take place in a small geographic area and the central shopping and tourist destinations will remain unaffected.

The march route begins at Redcliffe Wharf at 1pm, goes across Redcliffe Bridge, along Welsh Back, Crow Lane and Queen Charlotte Street and finishes in Queen Square.

The route has been agreed to ensure the EDL and Bristol Pride events do not impact on each other. Plans are in place to facilitate the EDL supporters arriving by coach, train and car to ensure they know where to go and to minimise the disruption on the wider city area.

In recent weeks Avon and Somerset police officers have been liaising with organisers from EDL to facilitate the march and ensure it passes off safely. This includes negotiating a route, ensuring that they have enough stewards on duty and reminding them of their responsibilities to ensure those taking part are well behaved.

The indications are that counter-protests may be held by groups who oppose EDL. Police are appealing for any groups intending to protest to come forward so they can talk to them about their plans.

Avon and Somerset Police are bringing in up to 1,000 officers - some from as far away as South Yorkshire. The additional cost to tax payers is likely to be between £500,000 and £1 million.