Readers may recall that on 22^nd May a march of English Patriots handed in a letter to the Prime Ministers Office appealing for, amongst other things, an amendment to the Arbitration Act 1996 to abolish the clause that has allowed 85 or more Sharia Courts to set up in England and which deny Muslim women their full rights under English Common Law.

If the reply was not satisfactory they vowed to visit No 10 again. The reply when it came was from an official of the Ministry of Justice and was the standard ‘fob off’ letter of that department. Believe me, I recognise it!

So today English Patriots returned to Whitehall. I got there early to have a look around and about. A counter protest was expected and I had heard that this would be contained in the usual space  the other side of Parliament Street opposite Downing Street. When I got there I could hear Christian hymns and Gospel Music. It was a rally of the Bengali Christian Fellowship, Pakistani Christians, including the British Pakistani Christian Association, and a Sikh organisation calling for a end to the persecution of Christians and minorities in Pakistan. Their key speaker was Bishop Michael Nazir Ali (I didn’t catch the name of the other Bishop present) His speech was in Urdu so I can’t tell you what he said. They too had handed a petition into Downing Street.

Pompey Dave and a couple of the men from MfE spoke to Bishop Michael afterwards. I can report that he is well and since his retirement from the see of Rochester is working on an international education project in Nigeria, Egypt and elsewhere.

I then went to see the ENA march form up outside the Old Star Pub (where I had my farewell drink the night I retired – this was slightly noisier) then returned to Whitehall where some Free Palestine and Class War protesters were gathering in the space so recently vacated by the Bengali and Pakistani Christians.

The march entered Parliament Street from Parliament Square where the men and women of MfE joined them. We stopped at Downing Street and the second letter was handed in.

A few of the Pakistani Christians decided to join the march in order to learn more about this effort in England in the fight against Sharia and jihad. I spoke in particular to two brothers, from a Catholic family about the prejudice their fellow Christians experienced in Pakistan, and in England including the threat of death for their continued refusal to convert to Islam. They believe England will be unrecognisable in 10 years.

There was a lot of jeering from the Pro Palestinians who decided to follow the march down Whitehall on the other side of the road. The police made sure they stayed on the pavement and away from the barrier. At some point before Trafalgar Square they beat a retreat while the march skirted Trafalgar Square and made its way to the steps below the Duke of York monument in Waterloo Place for speeches.

Michael Johnson spoke. He told us that the English are 3/5ths of the United Kingdom and that we must come together. Today we are various English organisations, March for England, English Shieldwall and the English Defence League.

He spoke of Richard the Lionheart. He emphasised that the fight is not against the majority of Muslim people but against those who care nothing for their Muslim brothers but whose only care is to create an Islamic state. We cannot allow this.

Michael has promised to send me a full copy of the speech later and I also have the press release to study. The rally ended and various groups made their way for refreshment. As well as old friends I was glad to meet in person members of the LGBT and Jewish Divisions. Who included Zeus, who has the coldest wettest nose in any division of the EDL.

A final untoward incident before I left. Some young men appeared about to attack some members of MfE and/or EDL who were standing with their drinks outside a pub, insisting that ‘You are all Nazi racist scum’. The police ushered them further down Whitehall to a chorus of ‘Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio’.

Following the advice received from the two brothers I have looked up the website of the British Pakistani Christian Association. The protest should have been covered by Premier Radio the Christian Station.

This wasn’t the most important event of the day. That was the rally in Blackpool in support of the family of Charlene Downes who was murdered five years ago.  Her killers were never brought to justice and the men suspected of the crime, who are known to have sexually abused her and other teenage girls in their kebab shop are still in business, in the same premises.

Apparently all went well there.

I have more photographs of the day - they are now here on the Flickr website.