Protests at Lib Dem Meeting Over Proportional Representation
THE TELEGRAPH: Protesters demanding proportional representation have picketed a building where Nick Clegg and his Liberal Democrat front-bench team were meeting.

Electoral reform demonstrators call for Britain's Liberal Democrat leader Clegg during a protest in central London. Photo: The Telegraph
Around 1,000 campaigners from pressure group 38 Degrees urged the party to fight for parliamentary reform.

They held up placards outside Local Government House which read: "Be brave - fair votes now" and "Be brave - demand PR".

A group of protesters, accompanied by a police escort, marched into Smith Square chanting "Fair votes now".

The demonstrators, mostly wearing purple, also waved placards and flags as the meeting of the Lib Dem parliamentary party continued inside Local Government House.

Senior Liberal Democrats today fully endorsed Nick Clegg's strategy on possible co-operation with the Conservatives, one of the party's negotiators said.

David Laws described the leader's talks with the parliamentary party and Lib Dem cabinet as "very positive and constructive". >>> | Saturday, May 08, 2010

British Muslims Join In the Protests Against the Knighthood of Salman Rushdie

”This honour will have ramifications here and across the Muslim world”, said Anjem Choudray, protest organiser and former head of the banned radical group, Al-Muhajiroun

MAIL & GUARDIAN ONLINE (SOUTH AFRICA): Muslims angered by Britain's decision to honour author Salman Rushdie with a knighthood were rallying in London on Friday, warning that anger over the award could match the fierce reaction to publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark last year.

Organisers of a protest outside Regent's Park Mosque in London claimed several hundred demonstrators planned to denounce the decision to reward Rushdie, whose novel The Satanic Verses led to a death threat from Iran in 1989.

"This knighthood is just another example of [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair and his government's attempts to secularise Muslims and reward apostates," said Anjem Choudray, protest organiser and a former head of the British wing of the banned radical group al-Muhajiroun.

"Rushdie is a hate figure across the Muslim world because of his insults to Islam," Choudray said. "This honour will have ramifications here and across the world" just as with the protests over the Danish cartoon. British Muslims join in global Rushdie protests (more)

Mark Alexander