More than 20 people were arrested in Birmingham city centre today after fighting broke out between far-right protesters and groups of youths, Reuters quoted police as saying. A little-known nationalist group calling itself the English Defence League met in the town centre to protest against what they see as Islamic militancy in Britain. The demonstration led to angry clashes between the protesters and groups of youths who hurled bottles at each other and bricks at police. West Midlands Police were prepared for the trouble, which they said involved little more than 200 people in all. They said violence flared by mid-afternoon in the New street area of the city, close to the main train station. A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said 20 men were arrested on a bus in Digbeth High Street. "Police moved in to make the arrests for violent disorder shortly after 3:30 p.m. Officers have also arrested a 41-year-old male for violent disorder in Waterloo Street," she said. Riot police have been deployed across the city to deal with any further outbreaks of disorder West Midland police said in a statement. On its website, the English Defence League had urged its supporters to avoid violent clashes after a similar march it organised last month in Birmingham city centre was also marred by fighting and arrests.
