The public headland close to the South Pier has been confirmed as the venue for the English Defence League (EDL) protest taking place in Blackpool on Saturday, May 28.
The EDL will muster in the vicinity of Britannia place at 10am before setting off at 12:30pm for a short procession along the promenade to the public headland where a demonstration will be held from 12:45pm to 2pm.
Planning for the event is already well under way with Police and council officials working hard to make sure that people in and around the town can go about their daily business with as little disruption as possible.
The only exception to this might be a small number of temporary road closures, details of which will be made available nearer the event. Police have no powers to ban a peaceful public assembly or protest, which is what the EDL have requested to stage, but the force can impose conditions or restrictions on the procession, something which is being considered as part of the planning process.
Chief Supt Richard Debicki, Commander of Western Division, said: "Our top priority is the safety of the community, people visiting Blackpool on the day and the demonstrators themselves.
"The Constabulary will facilitate any protest which is peaceful but we will deal firmly with anyone committing crime and disorder and I would urge anyone thinking of coming to the resort to attend the event to bear this in mind. Our role is about fair and balanced policing – we’re here to keep the peace, treat people with respect and dignity and uphold the law.
"Where the law is broken we will make arrests and pursue cases through to prosecution where appropriate."
"This is a busy Bank Holiday for Blackpool and we want to make sure the resort remains open for business as usual on the day and that there is no disruption to daily life, although obviously there will be a highly visible police presence throughout the day."
And John Donnellon, Assistant Director for Housing, Planning and Transport at Blackpool Council, said: "As a town Blackpool is used to managing events with a large number of people.
"We are working closely with the police to ensure that the protests are as peaceful as possible. We want to reassure businesses, shoppers, visitors and local residents alike that we are doing everything possible to minimise disruption so that people can go about their business as normal."
