Cartoons: Big protest in London

2006-02-12 08:04

London - Thousands of demonstrators converged on Trafalgar Square in central London on Saturday to protest about the publication of Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

In marked contrast to the last week's angry demonstrations, the protest appeared good natured and there was no sign of extreme anti-Western placards.

Organisers said the aim was to allow Britain's Muslim community to express concern about growing Islamophobia across Europe but also to appeal for calm.

Last week, about 400 angry protesters gathered outside the Danish embassy in London carrying placards with slogans such as "Massacre those who insult Islam".

The scenes provoked calls from politicians and mainstream Muslim organisations for police to take action against those involved. One man who dressed as a suicide bomber has since been arrested for breaching his prison parole order.

"The first message we want to send to the country is that of the legitimate voice of the Muslim community as opposed to those that hijacked last week's demonstration outside the Danish embassy," the organisers said in a statement.

Appealing to Muslims to remain peaceful, they added: "It may appear to them that there is a great Western conspiracy against their faith, but there are a large number of people who are on the side of reconciliation, and we hope that comes out loud and clear on Saturday."

Uproar over the cartoons, one of which showed the Prophet Muhammad with a turban resembling a bomb, has swept the Muslim world since they first appeared in a Danish newspaper and were then reprinted in other countries, although not in Britain.

Livingstone accused the media of devoting too much coverage to the "tiny minority of extremists" who had taken part in the highly publicised protest at the Danish embassy.

"I am supporting this event because, unlike some of the BBC's coverage, it will allow the views of the mainstream Muslim community to be properly heard," he said.

The BBC has attracted criticism after the cartoons were briefly shown on some of its news bulletins.

"There is no excuse for breaking the law and anyone who does so should and will face prosecution, but there is no getting away from the fact that this whole episode has allowed much of Europe's media to engage in an orgy of Islamophobia," Livingstone said.

Saturday's rally has the backing of numerous Islamist groups, including the Muslim Association of Britain and the Muslim Council of Britain.

- Reuters