London Cleaver Attack Sparks Protests in Woolwich by English Defense League
After the London cleaver attack was described as an Islamic terror attack, protesters from the English Defense League (EDL) took to the street to voice their displeasure with the attack.
There were several hundred EDL protesters that took to the streets in the wake of the gruesome London attack in which a British soldier was killed and beheaded, according to reports.
Dozens of riot officers were dispatched to Woolwich to disperse the crowd and prevent further destruction, which was described as broken car windows and smashed-in storefronts. There were no reports of serious injuries.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The protests were sparked by the murder of a British solider after he was hit by a car driven by two assailants who then exited their vehicle and began to mutilate the deceased's body.
Police responding to the attack shot both of the suspected assailants and both of the attackers were taken to local area hospitals, where they are being treated.
CNN affiliate ITN aired a video showing a man with bloody hands and holding a meat cleaver shortly after the attack occurred. The man is seemingly calm as he explains the reasons behind his horrific crime.
"We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you," the alleged attacker says in the video.
"The only reasons we killed this man this is because Muslims are dying daily. This British soldier is an eye for an eye a tooth for tooth," the man, who is black and appeared to have a British accent, continued. "We apologize that women had to see this today but in our lands our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government. They don't care about you."
The soldier had apparently been on duty in central London and was returning to the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich when he was attacked, Nick Raynsford, a Member of Parliament, told CNN.
