A far right demonstration in the North-East saw dramatically increased numbers following the murder of a British soldier in Woolwich last week.

Gavin Havery spent Saturday on the streets of Newcastle with the English Defence League.

THE sound of breaking glass from bottles thrown among the crowd of demonstrators squaring up to police, aggressively chanting right-wing slogans, signaled police would have their work cut out.

Prior to that, the hundreds of young men could have been on their way to an international football match as they sang Eng-er-land songs, swigging beer on the steps of the Cathedral Church of St Mary, opposite the Central Station.

Flags of St George with the three letters of the street protest group had their own home towns and cities proudly displayed; some poignantly dedicated to the memory of Drummer Lee Rigby, the 25-year-old butchered by Islamic terrorists on Wednesday, May 22.

Police estimate about 1,500 EDL supporters attended, about 1,000 more than were expected for the demo against the opening of a Muslim School in Benwell Towers, where Byker Grove was filmed.

The vastly swollen numbers in Newcastle on Saturday has in part been attributed to the horrific killing by extremists of a soldier on British soil.

Several cited that as their reason for attending and so, ironically, disaffected young men with no apparent overarching interest in politics appear to have been ‘radicalised’ themselves.

Glorious sunshine too played a part in attracting huge numbers to the city centre to get a flavor of the atmosphere and be involved in the reaction to a senseless murder that has stunned people all over the country.

The fine weather is also the reason so many of the young men went bare-chested, snarling the words of England Till I Die and E-E-EDL, to the lines of luminous vests from the 1,000 police officers drafted in to prevent widescale disorder.

With a line of police horses at the front, the crowd moved at pace, first down Neville Street, then onto Grainger Street where the first missiles of beer bottles and full lager cans were thrown at the camera men and photographers ahead of them.

As they reached Market Street the sound of fireworks could be heard exploding.

Amid three or four loud bangs more bottles were thrown and the pace of the crowd picked up as it turned on the Grey Street, causing some members of the media not wearing head protection to look for shelter behind the fleet of police riot vans parked outside the Theatre Royal.

The protest was then funneled along High Bridge into the Bigg Market where the EDL leader, who goes by the name Tommy Robinson, espoused his anti-Islamic views saying: “We must not let that soldier’s death be in vain and this is one of the best cities in the country to pay tribute to him. It is time for change.”

Less than hundred yards away, at the bottom of Newgate Street, members of a counter demonstration, Newcastle Unites staged their own noisy protest, kept back by line after line of the uniformed officers drafted in to keep the peace.

But the impact was felt most keenly by members of the public unable to move freely around the city or go their favourite pub because they were closed for the duration of the demo.

One 26-year-old, who did not want to be named, said: “It is just irrational hatred and they are nutcases.

“This is my city and the EDL are not welcome here.”

EDL members travelled from as far as Bournemouth, London and Bristol, chanting We Want Our County Back with the inference Muslims are not welcome on these shores.

People of Newcastle, unable to go about their business because of the intimidating atmosphere generated by the demonstration and huge police presence required, wanted their city back.

Many, judging by the comments of onlookers, will be relieved that it is they, the EDL who have gone back to where they came from.