The Home Secretary has approved the Metropolitan Police’s application to ban all marches in certain areas of London (including Tower Hamlets) for a period of 30 days starting from 2 September.
This means the proposed English Defence League march in Tower Hamlets on 3 September will not go ahead.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman, who campaigned for the EDL march to be banned, has welcomed this decision.
He said: “I thank the Home Secretary for making this decision, which means we can now move forward as a community free from the threat of the EDL marching through our borough with their messages of hate.
This has always been a borough where people of different faiths, cultures and backgrounds live in harmony, and we will not be divided by the EDL.
It is the correct decision, and I would like to reiterate my thanks to the thousands of people that supported our efforts to get this march banned. Their support has been fantastic, and I am delighted that our efforts have been successful. Once again we have shown we are One Tower Hamlets.
The police have pledged a significant presence on our streets to ensure that our borough remains peaceful and any disturbances will be dealt with swiftly. I am calling on all our residents and young people to work with the police and report any incidents to them”.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman 