Police injured in Muslim Old Bailey protest

4:52pm Wednesday 1st November 2006

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A POLICEMAN was punched in the face when police and Muslim demonstrators clashed outside the Old Bailey today.

About 25 people gathered outside the central London court to support a man on trial over the Muslim cartoon protests.

Four people were arrested and several police officers suffered minor injuries after the protest turned ugly.

One person was arrested for allegedly punching a cameraman.

Three others were also taken to a central London police station for questioning for allegedly preventing the arrest.

The demonstrators were supporting Mizanur Rahman, who is accused of race hate crimes.

Mizanur Rahman denies soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred at the February 3 protest outside the Danish Embassy.

Riots erupted around the world in February after the caricatures first appeared in a Danish newspaper.

Specialist officers gathered more than 60 hours of video evidence of the protests, but made no arrests at the time. The Met also received more than 500 complaints about the protests.

The Press Association reported that Muslim extremist Abu Izzadeen was among the protesters who gathered outside the Old Bailey this afternoon.

Home Secretary John Reid was heckled by Mr Izzadeen when he visited Waltham Forest, in east London, in September to call on Muslim parents to do more to prevent terrorism.

Mr Izzadeen shouted "shame on you" at the audience of Muslim parents and called Dr Reid a "tyrant".