The police have arrested 50 people outside Parliament in clashes between rival protesters.
Many of those detained were from the group Unite Against Fascism, who were angry that Dutch MP Geert Wilders was inside screening his controversial anti-Islam film Fitna.
He was invited to the House of Lords by Ukip leader Lord Pearson and crossbench peer Baroness Cox.
More than 200 protesters from a group called the English Defence League, a "counter-jihad" group, marched down Millbank in support of Wilders, who requires round the clock protection after multiple death threats.
Unite Against Fascism demonstrators, clashed with police and chanted "Nazi scum, off our streets".
Police, who kept the protesters apart, arrested around 50 people.
EDL members, some of them carrying English flags and signs reading Ban the Burka, chanted: "No surrender to the Taliban."
At a press conference in Parliament, Gilders said: "Islamism and democracy are incompatible.
The more Islamism we have, the more we will lose and this is something worth fighting for.
"To Muslims who do stay, I would say 'Follow our laws and you are welcome to stay'".
However, Gilders called for a total ban on Muslim immigration to Europe.
Baroness Cox defended her decision to invite Wilders to the Lords.
"We believe passionately in this country in the freedom of speech," she said.
"You don't have to agree but it is important to debate sensibly in a responsible and very democratic way."
Article Comments
The Unite Against Fascism crowd on the day was much more diverse than the mob of white skinheads that made up the English Defence League (with token black member). Don't be fooled by the EDL's claim to just be against "Muslim extremism"- they are against all Muslims or even people with an Asian appearance. They rioted and intimidated ordinary citizens in Luton and Stoke-on-Trent.
8th Mar 2010 at 6:24 pm by No Pasaran!Brave of Lord Pearson and Baroness Cox to sponsor the viewing and I am sure Geert Wilders is grateful to the useful idiots of the UAF for the publicity they gave to both the event and the EDL.
8th Mar 2010 at 10:35 am by Walsingham's GhostAh, the UAF idiots take to the street again to oppress free speech.So long as your opinion is the same as theirs, you may speak.
5th Mar 2010 at 8:27 pm by Bradley
