Arrests made in UK over racist comments

British police have arrested at least three men for making racist comments on social networking sites, following an attack in London, in which British soldier Lee Rigby was beheaded by two assailants.

Northumbria Police announced that two people from Gateshead and a third from Stockton, Teesside, were held ahead of a demonstration planned by the far-right group, the English Defence League (EDL), in Newcastle on Saturday.

The three men have been charged on suspicion of making malicious and offensive comments on Facebook and Twitter about the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London, on Wednesday.

Attacker Micheal Adebolajo, who is British-born and of Nigerian descent, was found to have been linked to an organization banned from allegedly professing extremist views.

Anti-fascist activists in Newcastle are also expected to turn out to counter the EDL protest on May 25.

Meanwhile, the heads of almost 100 mosques said in an open letter that they shared the “absolute horror” felt by the British society at the crime committed “in the name of our religion”.

Muslim leaders also accused far-right extremists in the UK of trying to fuel racial hatred after the Woolwich attack.