Birmingham Mail on the Dudley Demo

Dudley EDL protest: Traders will be hit hard by market closure

"TRADERS hit by an English Defence League demonstration planned for the Midlands said the protest would strike them hard in the pocket.

The group, which is claiming to protest against an £18 million mosque in Dudley, will take to the streets on Saturday, one of the busiest trading days of the year for market workers.

After carrying out a survey of stall holders Dudley Council pulled the plug on Saturday’s trade and urged shoppers to make the most of tomorrow’s Good Friday Market.

Terry Rhodes, who runs a cake and biscuit stall, said the Saturday before Easter was one of the busiest of the year. He said: “I’ve been telling customers to come tomorrow and hopefully they will.

“It’s the worst possible day for us.”

Clothes stall owner Trevor Hopkins said: “Everyone from different ethnic groups get on with each other here. Dudley doesn’t want what the EDL is bringing. Ask most of them where Dudley is and they wouldn’t even know.”

Up to 40 roads will be closed in order for the protests to go ahead."

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Comment on the Birmingham Mail article:

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2010/04/01/dudley-edl-protest-traders-will-be-hit-hard-by-market-closure-97319-26151146/

*) Watch out. I've just found out that my own comment has been deleted. But this is not the first time the Birmingham Mail has done so. And there wasn't a single swear word, etc. woooops. It's back on. Perhaps I'm being paranoid. But it was off for a bit.