HUNDREDS of anti-racists mobilised in Birmingham on Saturday in a show of solidarity following attacks on five mosques in the city last week.

In a display of unity across the community, members of Birmingham’s Muslim community stood shoulder to shoulder with lesbian and gay demonstrators, trade unionists, Labour Party activists and others.

The demonstration was jointly organised by Birmingham Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) and Birmingham Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend), a national movement with branches across Britain.

Michael Bradley of Birmingham SUTR said: “The demonstration was organised after the attacks on five mosques, which has now risen to six.

“Most people in the community see the attacks as being linked to what happened in New Zealand,” he said, referring to the horrific gun attack on two mosques in Christchurch which left 50 Muslim worshippers dead on Friday March 15.

Mr Bradley said: “The demonstration brought together people from the Muslim community, trade unionists, and there was a large delegation from the LGBT community.

“The attacks on the mosques were supposed to be a way of intimidating Muslim people to stay off the streets. It hasn’t worked.”

Two men have been arrested in connection with the Birmingham mosque attacks.

An anti-racism protest also took place in Edinburgh on Saturday in opposition to a demonstration by the far-right Scottish Defence League (SDL).

About 40 SDL supporters were outnumbered by 250 anti-racist counter-protesters.

Steve West of SUTR Edinburgh said: “We can take heart from the fact that anti-fascists and anti-racists vastly outnumbered the SDL.

“We are the majority and we will defeat the forces that seek to sew divisions in our society.

“Today’s events came in the context of an alarming rise in racist attacks across the world, which have been encouraged by the attitude of much of the Establishment, which wants us to blame immigrants, and especially Muslims, for our problems.

“In Edinburgh we have also seen a number of serious racist incidents in the last year.

“The recent massacre of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch is a devastating example of where demonisation of Muslims can lead.”