Scottish Defence League wins appeal to hold rally in Edinburgh

The Scottish Defence League has won an appeal to hold a rally in the capital. The group previously had a request to march through Edinburgh rejected by the City of Edinburgh Council. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday it was granted permission to gather on Regent Road on Saturday.

Anti-fascism group Unite Against Fascism Edinburgh have said the city's residents will be "rightly outraged" by the decision. Luke Henderson from the group said: "This is not about freedom of speech; this is about vile racists bringing a message of hate into Edinburgh. They want to divide communities and spread fear and violence. Edinburgh is one city of many cultures and in this town there is overwhelming opposition to racism and organised racists and fascists."

Following the decision, a spokesman for the SDL said: "We have legitimate concerns about extremist interpretations of Islam and cultural applications of Islam including issues such as forced marriages and honour violence. We have the right to communicate our concerns to our fellow citizens and make them aware of our concerns in the capital of Scotland this Saturday. The Scottish Defence League would like to thank the courts for overturning the council and letting democracy thrive in this great nation."

STV, 24 May 2012

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