Police are looking for these seven men, believed to have been responsible for throwing missiles on the day of the English Defence League march.

On Saturday, July 14, the English Defence League marched in the city centre and counter-protesters held demonstrations.

The event was mostly peaceful, but Avon and Somerset police ended up responding to a number of incidents and 16 people were arrested for offences including going equipped to cause damage and assaulting a police officer.

An investigation was also launched to identify other offences committed and those responsible.

Detectives investigating the throwing of missiles have identified seven men who might have important information which could help with their enquiries.

Bristol Post, 2 August 2012

There is no indication whether the individuals whose photographs the police have released were EDL supporters or from among those counter-demonstrators who didn't join the We Are Bristol rally away from the EDL march and preferred to express their verbal hostility towards the EDL more directly. Pictorial evidence (see above) would suggest the former, and the Post described at the time how missile throwing was initiated by the EDL:

As the rally ended, EDL members were guided by police to exit Queen Square through the exit by the Hole in the Wall bar.

As the EDL members were kept on the bridge, tensions started to rise again as anti-fascist protesters had started to gather on the other side of Redcliffe Wharf by the roundabout.

As those who had come by coach and minibus walked back into Redcliffe Wharf, they traded insults with people lining Redcliffe Parade above them.

Then trouble started to flare as people in the EDL crowd began to throw rocks and stones up at the people taunting them.

Bottles and rocks were then thrown back down towards the EDL supporters below, and police forcibly cleared the area.

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'We Are Bristol' march against EDLLabour's Bristol mayor candidate Marvin Rees has been accused by a rival politician of being "naïve and weak" in his handling of the run-up to Saturday's EDL march and counter-protests.

Mr Rees was also branded as "easily led" in the statement released today on behalf of Lib Dem councillor Gary Hopkins. But the mayoral candidate has hit back – saying he is "disappointed" by the move.

Mr Hopkins' statement notes that Mr Rees and other Bristol Labour politicians appeared on Unite Against Fascism (UAF) leaflets before the counter-protests on Saturday, and that violent clashes had broken out between counter-EDL protesters and the police.

The councillor, who is in charge of community safety in his council role, said: "The Labour Party were well aware that there was likely to be street violence but still persisted in supporting direct counter-demonstration and, it is reported, speaking at the rally.

"Labour councillor Mike Wollacott faces calls to step down from his position of responsibility on the council after he tried to put pressure on the council leader to speak on behalf of UAF and then ignored police attempts to bring order by encouraging a potentially dangerous assembly in a provocative place. Does Mr Rees support Councillor Wollacott or not?

"This was totally irresponsible. Marvin Rees has shown himself to be weak, easily led and – if he didn't realise violent disturbances might follow – naïve, as well."

Mr Wollacott told ThisisBristol that the calls for his resignation after he had asked the council leader to speak at the demonstration made it a "disappointing day for democracy" .

Mr Rees reacted to Mr Hopkins by saying it was "simply not good enough to abdicate responsibility" when it came to the issue of the EDL march, and that Bristol needed "change and leadership".

He said: "Let's remember the most important thing here is standing up against the dangerous and divisive politics the EDL represent. At the same time, it goes without saying that under no circumstances would I support violent protest.

"I'm disappointed in Gary and the Liberal Democrat press office. The challenges thrown up by the EDL march are just too important to Bristol's future to be used for Party posturing, yet that is what the Liberal Democrats are doing with them. Their press release lacks insight, understanding and accuracy."

Mr Hopkins also criticised Bristol Labour MP Kerry McCarthy for letting herself be reported calling for a ban of the EDL march, which he said was “wholly irresponsible”.

“She has some explaining to do,” he said. “Was she deliberately stirring up passion and anger for political gain or was she genuinely so ignorant of the facts that she thought a ban was possible?”

Kerry McCarthy replied: "Yet again Cllr Hopkins and the Liberal Democrats have taken a cowardly and unprincipled position which has been characteristic of their time in office.

"I am, of course, opposed to all violence and that is why Cllr Wollacott and I were in frequent contact with Pride, UAF and the police to ensure these groups were talking to each other and working together.

"It is a disgrace that the Lib Dems failed to take leadership. They have focused all their energy on attacking those standing against division and violence, while failing to speak out against the disruption the EDL brought to Bristol."

Bristol Post, 19 July 2012

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Councillors will not be calling on the Home Secretary to ban the English Defence League from marching through Bristol.

Campaigners gathered at the Council House last night to protest at the far-right group being allowed to stage the event in the city on July 14. About 20 people rallied outside the College Green building ahead of the meeting of the council's cabinet.

They held placards and banners bearing the words "defend our multicultural city if Bristol" and "No to racism, EDL is not welcome here". Some chanted slogans against the EDL, which describes itself as an anti-Islamist organisation.

Paulette North, one of the organisers of the rally, was armed with a megaphone during the protest, shouting: "We should be saying the EDL are not welcome here and if they do come they should be concentrated in the open area behind Temple Meads, do whatever they want there and then go home. That's what Tower Hamlets and Milton Keynes did and that is what we are asking this council to do – but they have done very little and really need to do more."

A man originally from Iraq, who would give his name only as Esam, was among the protesters. "People in Bristol live like brothers and sisters and we want to live in peace together," he said. "That is why I am here and I want the government to stop them coming here."

The protesters then joined the meeting in the council chamber, holding their placards aloft to ensure councillors knew their message.

Adrian Probert, the lead name on an online petition calling for the council to ask Theresa May to ban the EDL march, which has already been signed by more than 2,000 people, spoke in the public session of the cabinet meeting. He called for a ban similar to those imposed in some other cities when the EDL had tried to stage protests in the past.

Mr Probert told the meeting: "Bristol is supposed to be a city of sanctuary and we have people across our communities who are fearful of these people coming in to march in our city – when the EDL march, hate crime goes up."

Cabinet councillor Gary Hopkins told the protesters that the EDL "are not welcome" in Bristol but that the police had not suggested they would be unable to manage any potential public disorder. He praised the response of Muslim communities for their decision to hold a peace walk in the city the following day, instead of a counter demonstration.

"We think that will be a far more positive way to respond to what happens on the Saturday," he said. "The last thing I want is these people going into areas that are far more sensitive. I don't want them coming close to, for example, a mosque.

"If we tried to ban the EDL and we got a ban from the Home Secretary – and there is not the slightest chance of getting that without police recommendation – if we ban this organisation because we don't like that or agree with their views, the ban would probably be drawn in such a way that it would affect other organisations."

Earlier this week the Post reported that policing the EDL march is expected to cost about £500,000 and involve 1,000 police officers being drafted into the city. March organiser Mickey Bayliss has told the Post he expects about 500 EDL members to take part.

Bristol Post, 5 July 2012

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An MP has called for a march through Bristol by the English Defence League to be banned.

The controversial protest group will congregate in Castle Park on July 14, the same day as Bristol Pride's We Are: Proud lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender event takes place on College Green.

A heavy police presence is guaranteed on the day, with up to 700 officers expected to be on duty to police the events, in an operation costing as much as £1 million.

But Bristol East Labour MP Kerry McCarthy has called for the EDL to be barred from marching that day, saying she fears for public safety. She has written to the city council and Avon and Somerset police saying she is "not satisfied" public order will be maintained after the march.

Ms McCarthy told the Post: "For me, this is not an issue about the freedom to protest but a matter of public safety. The clash of these two quite contradictory events on the same weekend will put our city under enormous pressure and could put public safety at risk. For this reason, I have written to the police and Bristol City Council to express my profound concern and to request that they reconsider their decision to allow the EDL to march on July 14."

The MP has attacked the organisation on her website, saying: "The EDL's reputation for Islamophobia, intolerance and public disorder runs contrary to what Pride and vast majority of decent Bristolians stand for. We know from their previous demonstrations in towns like Luton that EDL marches place a huge burden on the police and can lead to violence and intimidation."

A police memo seen by the Post said that the EDL leadership was keen to avoid any conflict with Pride. The EDL says on its website that it champions equality for homosexuals and a member of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender division will speak at its march.

Although Avon and Somerset chief constable Colin Port could apply to the Home Secretary to ban the march, the police fear that could open the door to EDL members congregating in the city unsupervised. A security operation is being put in place to keep both groups apart and police have met with leaders of the Muslim community to allay their fears.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Bangham said: "Bristol is open for 'business as usual'. Public safety is our top priority and we're working closely with our partners in Bristol, including the city council, to ensure the EDL march is peaceful. We're seeking to minimise disruption to those who live, work and visit.

"Our challenge is to balance the right to peacefully protest with the rights of the community and citizens of Bristol. We will facilitate peaceful protest, but we will be active in tackling anyone who becomes involved in violence or disorder, whatever form it may take."

Lib Dem Bristol West MP Stephen Williams warned rival groups not to protest against the EDL.

"I have no problem with any organisation demonstrating," he said. "That's what a free and democratic society is all about. As long as it's a peaceful demonstration it should not be a problem. More to the point, others should not seek to make it a problem.

"That's where the problem lies – people who give them much more publicity by protesting against them. It's much better for Bristolians to collectively turn our backs on them. They are a reprehensible bunch, and best ignored."

Bristol Post, 27 June 2012

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