Sunday, September 06, 2009 BIRMINGHAM: Police arrested more than 30 men Saturday after violence broke out at a protest against Islamic extremism in Birmingham.Supporters of the English Defence League, which campaigns against Islamic fundamentalism in Britain, clashed with opponents who argue that they are racists and facists.Police said they had arrested "more than 30 men" in connection with the violence, which took place in a busy shopping street and involved about 200 people, despite the presence of dozens of riot police."Officers acted quickly and robustly to quell pockets of disorder caused by several groups of 20 to 30 men. Police estimate around 200 people in total were involved in the trouble," a police statement said.Police had warned they would deal with any troublemakers "robustly" after similar clashes in the city last month, and the English Defence League had also urged its supporters to avoid being drawn into fights."We would like to state that anyone who wishes to cause trouble, or use this demonstration to voice any other issues other than Islamic fundamentalists, radical Islam and Sharia will be turned away," the EDL says on its website.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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