Anti-Islam protest ends in farce after only 24 people turn up

Protesters marched 200m up the street, stood around for five minutes and then went home

Only 24 people turned up to the protest (Getty)

An anti-Islam rally ended in embarrassment after police outnumbered protesters four to one at a rally in Staffordshire.

Just 24 people showed up to the demonstration in Burton organised by a group called The Casual Infidels.

The Casual Infidels describes itself as a “freelancing movement” dedicated to “battling Islam”.

They say they have “many branches popping up all over the country” but only have just over 400 likes on Facebook.

Staffordshire Police attempted to reassure the public about the march before it went ahead on Sunday, saying they were working with the group and local communities to ensure the safety of residents.

In the end, only two people were arrested at the end of the march for allegedly failing to disperse when ordered to.

They were subsequently dearrested and given notice to leave by police.

Organisers reportedly discussed cancelling the march when people were already at the assembly point because the turnout was so poor, the Burton Mail reports.

When they arrived police told them to start marching, but they reportedly asked if they could wait to see if anyone else turned up.

They were refused and began marching 200m down the road to benches where the leaders were due to give speeches. Instead, upon realising they had no one to give speeches to, they waited for around five minutes before going home.

Chief Inspector Steve Maskrey said: "Our top priority was the safety of everyone concerned and I am pleased to say the event has passed off without incident.

"We understand the impact that these events have on the community and that they can cause frustration so I am grateful to people for following our advice.

"Policing a protest is always a balance between protecting people's democratic right to freedom of speech and assembly, while upholding the rights of local communities, businesses and the wider public to go about their normal business."