Kevin Ackerman:

Before I begin my unbiased opinion of today's events, I would like to say a big thank you to the all the police forces from around the country who took part in protecting our city today. Well controlled boys....and well done!!.

I didn't manage to catch the beginning of the march that started in the Oval basin in the Bay, but I was just in time to see the beginning of the head to head chanting between the UAF and the EDL/WDL at Cardiff’s city hall. When I arrived all was very peaceful and people were gathering on the grass outside the City hall (some were even playing football). There also happened to be a wedding reception in the city hall that had to wait for all the protesters to leave the area before they could proceed with their wedding day. The police were using great tactics to keep the traffic flowing and keeping people tightly fenced in. 

The EDL turned up as promised at the city hall....about 75 of them at best it seemed. The UAF turned up too...approximately 150-200 of them. It was a peaceful protest to be fair and the only stupid chants came fromm the EDL and WDL. This is one of their chants today whilst pointing their fingers at the people of Cardiff and the UAF......"You're not English anymore"!!!. When they sang this I laughed so much..... This is Cardiff, we weren't English in the first place you morons. Didn't anyone even think about telling them that? 

There was also one guy in front of me with a dog, can of lager in his hand and being deliberately abusive. He was chanting "You nazi scum" "You effing nazi bath bastards"...he definitely wasn't a local and I really wanted to point him in the direction of a shower room to be perfectly honest. The police warned him several times and eventually managed to calm him down a bit. He was, what I would call, an agitator and no better than the ones he was shouting at! The UAF were chanting something like " nazis go home and take your friends with you". 

Then the first incidents appeared. 

At "Boulevard de nantes" a van full with EDL, jumped out and punched a female UAF supporter in the face....she managed to take a photo of the offender and also managed to grab his top (which she has kept). At the same location some Muslims were hiding and waiting for the EDL behind police lines and also managed get a few punches in to the EDL. As far as I know there were no arrests over this incident and I didn't personally see any. The police on this occasion seemed to allow the odd disturbance here and there, and I think they were more concerned about the whole place kicking off. 

The EDL/WDL then began their counter-march singing their "E E EDL" chants as they went. The grass at the city hall was cleared and everyone was sent through the subway away from the EDL/WDL march. As they entered "Dumfries Road" a small congregation of Muslims from the "Islam for humanity" organisation were waiting for them at the end of "Queen street" to chant their stuff at them ....although I have no idea what as I got there just as the EDL/WDL had just passed. They also couldn't get anywhere near the EDL/WDL protesters and only spoke on a megaphone to protest against them.

All along the EDL/WDL march, I felt they were being highly protected and kept well away from the counter protesters. At best, I think 300 yards was the minimum distance between the 2 sides apart from the "Queen street" Muslim demo which indirectly was a bit closer. 

I'm not sure where everyone went after that but small groups of people were trying hard to get in front of the Police in order to give them a farewell wave, but I guess there's still is the potential for trouble in the city as some of the EDL will stay in Cardiff and mingle with the rugby crowd. This can also be said for the UAF and other Cardiffians. I'm not connected with anyone who is on either side of the demo's to find out.

At the city hall a reporter wanted a photo of my United Shades of Britain shirt but without my face. It will be in one of the local papers and I explained to him before taking the photo that we are a peaceful organisation and against any any kind of extremism, violence or protests. Many people at the protest were asking what the "United Shades of Britain" are all about and many were very interested in my reply when I told them what we're for and against.

Today Cardiff proved to the EDL and WDL that they were not wanted here. This is too diverse a city for the likes of their rhetoric. We live in relative peace here and we want it to stay that way. This is also my view of the UAF.....yes guys, what you did today was a real good thing but personally, I think it makes things worse when you're shouting abuse at them.