Stephen Lennon, the founder of the English Defence League, has been charged with assaulting a police officer, following a showdown between the anti-Islam group and members of the fundamentalist organisation Muslims Against Crusades.

The confrontation occurred yesterday when MAC broke the two minutes silence held at 11:00 to mark Remembrance Day. During the silence, the group burned poppies and carried placards saying that British soldiers are burning in hell, while the Muslim "soldiers" who fought them are in heaven.

The group were met by a counter demonstration by the EDL and fighting broke out.

As well as Mr Lennon, six other individuals were arrested, two of which are from MAC while the other four are believed to be from the EDL. The two individuals from MAC are aged 25 and 30 while the other four individuals are aged 18, 19, 41 and 42.

On the Facebook page "English Defence League (EDL)", which appears to be run by Mr Lennon, a message was left which said, "i wanna thank everyone that was there yesterday. as i said in Leicester we will combat militant islam where ever it raises its backward medieval paedophilic disturbed head. been charged with assaulting a copper, apparently as i took one of the scums sticks and swang it, it hit a coppers face behind me."

Meanwhile on the MAC website an article stated, "Unfortunately, as is the case with the dictatorial British regime, who are unable to live up to their supposed values of freedom and democracy, two Muslim participants were harshly arrested, by the oppressive British police.

"We ask Allah (SWT) to accept the actions of all the Muslims that attended and we moreover pledge that we will never stop condemning the British regime nor their allies until all British soldiers are withdrawn from foreign (Muslim) countries and until the justice of Islam is implemented all over the world."

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