More that 1000 Muslims have blocked the street near an empty embassy located in Belgrave Square, London, demanding that a caliphate should be established in the United Kingdom, the Daily Express reports.
Thousands of people shouted Allahu Akbar
This recent demonstration, which took placed Tuesday night, and gathered around one thousand people, was seen as an alternative to another one that took place on the same day near Downing Street. Both demonstrations called for an end to the war in Syria. The Belgrave Square protesters blamed the West for what happened in Aleppo.
Another thing that differentiates the demonstration that took place in Belgrave Square over the one in Downing Street is that the former had shades of fundamentalism in its fabric. Many of the participants shouted the words "Allahu Akbar," which means “God is great” in Arabic, an expression that has been historically used as a war cry or as a call to arms, although it can also have more peaceful connotations. The use in this context however, seems to suggest a call for more radical attitudes and actions in the future. The speakers at the rally incited the participants, and asked for the establishment of a caliphate in the UK.
The speeches at this rally lasted for almost an hour. At one point, a Muslim poet was invited to speak, and in a fiery poem, he declared that England needs a powerful Caliph, much to the delight of the crowd.
There were also women at the rally, most of which were dressed in the traditional Islamic clothing.
Traffic was blocked, which angered many Londoners
News website Breitbart has reported that there was more than met the eye in regards to the rally. According to them, one of the protesters seemed to be waving a Taliban flag. Another protester, identified by sources as Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, was distributing placards to the participants, which called for the establishment of a caliphate.
Another familiar face among Islamic activists in the UK was Haitham al-Hadad, a Salafist muslim, was also present at the protest. He congratulated the crowd for amassing in such a short amount of time. Asim Qureshi, director for CAGE, a Muslim rights group, blamed the American government for what happened in Aleppo.
Many motorists were forced to find an alternative route, as the street was blocked by the crowd. It is yet unknown who organized the rally. The protest was seen as another demonstration of Islamic fundamentalism, a growing phenomenon in the United Kingdom.
