CAMPAIGNERS held a vigil outside Bolton police station to support a colleague arrested during protests against an English Defence League demonstration in the town in March.

The peaceful demonstration outside the Scholey Street station was a show of solidarity for the young activist from Newcastle who was answering his bail.

He spent around 30 minutes with police before emerging to cheers from the group of UAF supporters.

He had been charged with assaulting a police officer and declined to speak to The Bolton News.

Dr Rhetta Moran, joint secretary of Greater Manchester Unite Against Fascism, said: “This is a show of solidarity. All the people who came to Bolton in March did so to oppose the English Defence League and we are here to support those who fell foul of what was extraordinary policing on that day.

“It is not an offence to mobilise against the EDL, it is not an offence to be an anti-racist and it is not a Crime to exercise a legal right to a peaceful demonstration, which we did on March 20.

“We will not be criminalised for that and that is why we wanted to hold this vigil.” Thousands of UAF and EDL demonstrators held counterdemonstrations in Victoria Square on March 20.

On the day, police made at 74 arrests, more than 55 from the UAF and nine from the EDL.

Yesterday, Dr Moran was joined by other activists from Greater Manchester, including pensioner Bartley Willcock, from the Manchester TUC Pensioners Association, who held a banner which read “Opposing Nazis Is No Crime.”

He said: “I was at the demonstration and I was horrified.

“I was shocked to see so many of our people arrested and, even though I do not know the person who is answering bail today, I wanted to come and support him.”