Day 2: Batley Grammar School closed as angry Muslims protest a second day

What more do they want (don’t answer that)? The school is closed, the teacher is suspended and under police protection with his young family, the headmaster has issued a grovelling apology. But the victimhood of Islam will never be sated. 

From the Huddersfield Examiner and the Daily Mail. It is, of course, Friday ~ day of rage, day of outrage. 

Protesters demanded the sacking of the teacher yesterday and have, this morning, arrived outside the school gates for another protest. Batley Grammar School has confirmed that the teacher involved has been suspended pending an investigation.

In an email sent to parents headteacher Gary Kibble apologised for the “inappropriate” resource used in the lesson.

Our reporter Connor says that protesters outside the school have now grown to around 50 people. A handful of these are said to be children. Protesters have now begun to make speeches outside of the school gates.

It is understood that the school has switched to remote learning for the day and is closed to students. Private security guards have also been called to the school to monitor the protest, while police liaison officers trained to deal with protests and community relations were also at the gates.

It is not known if all the group of around 50 men outside this morning were parents, with some likely to be from local mosques, including from nearby Leeds and Dewsbury. The leader of the group told those gathered: ‘Let’s keep social distance and let’s keep our masks on. We are here to protect the name of the Prophet.‘

Mohammed Hussain of the ‘Purpose of Life’ group has admitted to MailOnline that he shared teacher’s name on Facebook with a letter condemning him. 

He said: ‘His name was already while available in Internet posts and it was going around. I didn’t make public his name first. It was not our intention to cause any danger to him. In fact we asked for only peaceful protest. We don’t want people breaking the law. But we do feel that if this had been something that offended the LGBT community or something that was anti-Semitic, he would’ve been sacked on the spot. His resignation should be forthcoming immediately. He has insulted 2billion Muslims on the planet. We cannot stand for that. We have to make our voices heard on it.’ 

A police source added that there were ‘meetings’ within West Yorkshire Police about the demonstration, and how best to manage the fallout – including keeping teachers safe.  

‘Officers have been especially assigned to him,’ the source said. ‘This is obviously very sensitive. Local Muslims are up in arms and the teacher has not apologised. There is obviously significant risk around the individual.’ 

A West Yorkshire Police officer read out a grovelling apology to mothers and fathers from headteacher Gary Kibble, but this provoked even more fury from those gathered as they called the teacher – who is now believed to be in hiding after he was identified online – a ‘danger’. 

Gavin Williamson has condemned the death threats. Last night MP and former cabinet Minister Sajid Javed, tweeted:

In this country we are free to peacefully follow, preach or query any religion or none. These are hard-won freedoms that must be upheld by all public institutions. Reports of intimidation in Batley set a deeply unsettling and potentially dangerous precedent.

Many agreed with him and condemed the school for grovelling and not standing by the teacher; however elsewhere on twitter Muslims condemed the MP and vowed to be heard.  The police have powers to disperse a crowd. They dispersed young women holding a vigil for a murder victim last week (well before the vigil was hijacked by BLM and Antifa) so they know how to do it. 

I will be watching this, mindful not just of Samuel Paty, but Tower Hamlets RE teacher Gary Smith. 

Update at lunchtime. The Huddersfield Examiner reports that the protest is winding down, eight men are left, but they vow to gather everyday until the teacher is sacked. 
Meanwhile according to the Telegraph and Argus, the newspaper for nearby Bradford, 

Department for Education branded the protests “completely unacceptable”, and said they included “threats” and “intimidation”.

The department’s response has since been criticised by the Manchester-based Ramadhan Foundation.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the organisation, said the community rejected any violence or threat of violence, and said the incident “will now be hijacked by those who have an interest in perpetuating an image of Muslims”.

Mr Shafiq added that he condemned the cartoon “in the strongest terms” and was saddened that the teacher did not consider the hurt it could cause

The Times has a report with the cheering information tha while the Imans call for sacking and punitive action, some of his pupils have set up a petition calling for their teacher to be reinstated. 

A petition to reinstate the teacher, started by a pupil at the school, had received more than 600 supporters.

It said: “The religious studies teacher was trying to educate students about racism and blasphemy. He warned the students before showing the images and he had the intent to educate them. He does not deserve such large repercussions. He is not racist and did not support the Islamophobic cartoons in any manner. This has got out of hand and due to this students have missed out on lessons.”

Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, has criticised the Batley protests and said it was “very disturbing” that the teacher was now in hiding. 

“I was disturbed to see scenes of people protesting outside the school — that is not right. We shouldn’t have teachers, members of staff of schools feeling intimidated and the reports that a teacher may even be in hiding is very disturbing. “That is not a road we want to go down in this country so I would strongly urge people who are concerned about this issue not to do that. There has to be an appropriate balance — we have to ensure there is free speech, that teachers can teach uninhibited. . . in a respectful and tolerant way…”