Royal Anglian Troops Abused by Muslim Extremists During Homecoming Parade After return From Iraq

Islamic protesters brandishing placards hurled abuse at soldiers parading to mark their return home from Iraq (10/03/09).


Around 20 men yelled "terrorists" and held homemade signs denouncing the soldiers as "butchers of Basra" and "baby killers" as they marched through Luton in Bedfordshire.

Other signs described the 200 men and women from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment as "Criminals, Murderers, Terrorists".

The atmosphere further deteriorated when locals waving St George's flags turned on the protesting group chanting "scum" and "no surrender to the Taliban". As the two groups yelled insults at each other, police dogs and riot vans were used to keep them apart.

Last night Bedfordshire police confirmed that two people had been arrested for public order offences.

Two years ago the head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, called on local councils to organise homecoming parades to demonstrate respect for servicemen and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. For the soldiers, many of whom fear a lack of support at home, the parades have become of source of pride and pleasure.

The Royal Anglian's 2nd Battalion known as The Poachers has recently returned home from its second tour of Iraq, having lost two men in the country in 2006. Its sister, 1st Battalion, suffered nine deaths in Helmand during a brutal tour in 2007.

Luton has a 30,000-strong Muslim community, 20 per cent of the town's population, and ethnic tensions have been high for several years. In 2001 the extremist Islamic group Al Muhajiroun claimed that three recruits from Luton had been killed by American bombs at a Taliban compound in Kabul.

The trouble broke out as the 200 soldiers paraded through Luton, greeted by crowds four deep. But a group of 20 Muslim protesters said to be from an organisation called Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah brandished placards with slogans proclaiming "Anglian Soldiers: Butchers of Basra" and "Anglian Soldiers: cowards, killers, extremists."

As the parade reached Luton Town Hall the group shouted "Terrorists" and "Anglian soldiers go to hell", only to be set upon by furious locals, who retorted "scum", while waving Union flags.

As the parade finished in St George's Square, in front of the Duke of Gloucester, Colonel-in-chief of the regiment, the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Sam Whitbread, and General Sir John McColl KCB, police had to force the protesters into a small area for their own protection.

Defence Secretary John Hutton said: "I can only condemn the tiny minority who used this opportunity to make, whatever their personal views, utterly ridiculous and insulting comments to these brave men and women."

"This is offensive, appalling and disgraceful. It is only because of the sacrifices made by our armed forces that these people live in a free society where they are able to make their sordid protests," added Shadow Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox.

An Army spokesman said the troops had been "deeply touched" by the support despite the disturbance, adding: "There is no better boost to a soldier than to see hundreds of people turn out to watch them on parade. It was a great sight, to see the packed streets in some places three or four men deep, and although a small minority of protesters chose to demonstrate this did not detract from the parade and the Poachers deeply appreciate the support shown from the local community."

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[borgduck]

That guy at 0:50 was right.

[JOHNFILOWIAT]

SCUM IS TOO GOOD A WORD.

[UltimateStu1234]

I don't get it, those muslim extremists are booing the soldiers of the country that gave them a second chance, if they don't like why don't they just fuck off back home.

[eddybullet]

Maybe they should team up with westboro baptist church.

[SUPERSILVERH8ORADE]

@MrWLangers and 'any way to remove men like these from out nation' if a muslim said that or simply someone who is not like you said that would you not think of them as terrorists? cant you see we are all terrorists. as long as you are dropping bombs and shooting you are a terrorist. fuck this rubbish about noble and brave when all they are are people trained to kill and usually they are the ones who are not intelligent enough to find something better to do than kill people for a wage...

[SUPERSILVERH8ORADE]

@MrWLangers Muslim not Moslem. educate yourself before you start trying to understand things on the outside. You are blind to see that killing is killing. and no human is insensitive to the loss of loved ones. you can only be a fool to think that the soldiers are noble. you dont know what happens in the army, do you not know they kill people. and ask yourself, if they wernt out in other peoples countries killing other people what harm would we come to? as a direct result of that? NONE.

[MrWLangers]

Do you see any Moslem soldiers? Exactly, they benefit from the soldiers protection, as an unwelcome part of our nation, yet they show their "gratitude" like this. One can hate the war our noble soldiers are in, but support them in the same breath, such disrespect to our soldiers , who risk their lives so they can live in our former utopia, should not be tolerated. Deport them, drive them out or sterilise them, any way to remove men like these from our nation is acceptable.

[GloucesterAdam]

Should have turned the soldiers on them, if they don't like it here they can f*** off home. Scum!

[SuperMentalita]

Muslim extremists, BURN IN HELL!

[TheRushingWind]

I'm not a Muslim but "just doing a job" is an ignorant thing to say. You need to THINK about whether what you're told to do is acceptable. And our forefathers fought for the right to protest

[cybersoldier777]

@CrossArmy100 British soldier speaks out against Afghan war search and watch that

[TheWeller37]

dirty fucking RAG HEADS

[Truth987Seeker]

@JustGlitchIt Lmao, "extremist Muslims protest against British soldiers". "Extremist's" holding nothing but a typical demonstration, against the murdering, rapist, terrorist, scum bags.

[domhanda]

I'd be saving the lives of thousands of women and children currently being murdered by British soldiers who are paid to commit these henious terrorist crimes against a population who's only crime is that they live in a country that has large oil resources that Nato want to steal.

[Bluezn2zz]

@domhanda Then you would be a murderer. What a silly comment.

[domhanda]

I would throw grenades into the parade of british murdering bastards if I had the chance.

[CrossArmy100]

WE WILL KICK ALL OF YOU MUSLIM OUT FROM OUR KINGDOM THAT  NOT YOUR COUNTRY MOTHER FUCKER

[arsenal4tupac]

fucking british solders go to hell uneducated scumbags 

[day6660]

thats what i call pigs fucking piece of shits

[funkyfenman]

@Angles786 You really are a lieing little prick, you was trying to tell people you was a Marine on another page he he take your hate and bullshit somewhere else child

[Angles786]

@markisalegend Too bad I am in the British Army :[