Peaceful 'Cartoon' Protest - 2 Dead

Police are investigating complaints relating to the protests against the Danish cartoons of Mohammed in London over the weekend.

Banners were raised calling for the death and beheading of any cartoonist who dares mock Islam. Particuarly strong were references to September the 11th and the 'Glorious Four' who carried out the suicide bombings in London on July the 7th.

Chief Supt. Mark Perry of the Metropolitan Police said, "We have had it brought to our attention that several people walking past the protests were alarmed by the incitement to violence and glorification of violence carried on protesters placards.

Obviously we are not going to tolerate this kind of threatening behaviour and have arrested the people who have complained on suspicion of hate-crimes."

A spokesman for the protesters, Mohammed Dakar Dakar al-Jihad, gave this response to the arrests.

"I think it is quite right that the police have acted in this way. What sort of country do we live in where you cannot peacefully call for the beheading of artists and for holy war to be waged against all infidels, without someone quietly mentioning to a policeman that perhaps it might be a bit too strong?"

"This is a disgrace, and anyone who protests against our violent call to arms should be hanged!"

Susan Bender, a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service, issued this statement.
"We regard this matter with the utmost seriousness. Though hanging has been banned for many years in this country, we may indeed bring it back to deal with the offenders from Saturday's march."

"No-one has the right to impose their extremist views on anyone else, and quite clearly the people who objected to the protests harbour dangerous racist tendencies that we cannot allow to go unpunished."

"We are committed to protecting and preserving the unique cultural heritage of our militant Islamic fringe and will act swiftly against anyone who tries to threaten this with their calls for 'reasonable behaviour'. "

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