Ex-British boxing ace among Muslim protesters who abused troops
By ANISaturday, June 19, 2010
LONDON - Former British boxing champion Anthony Small was among the group of protesters who screamed abuses at troops returning from Afghanistan.
Small, who now calls himself Abdul Haqq, joined a 50-strong group of demonstrators calling themselves Muslims Against Crusades during the march through Barking, East London, on Tuesday.
The group chanted “Murderers!” and “Baby killers!”, and waved placards saying “British Soldiers Go To Hell” at the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment.
After the incident, the 28-year-old ex-Commonwealth light middleweight title holder has also been dropped by his manager Frank Warren, who branded him “a disgrace”.
“I don’t want anything to do with him. What he’s doing just fans the flames,” The Sun quoted Warren, as saying.
Meanwhile, Charlene Byrne, whose partner was killed while the regiment served in Afghanistan, said: “It’s disgusting that extremists hijacked this parade.”
Small, however, refused to apologize and vowed to do the same again.
“I’m a Muslim first and a boxer second. These people are killing my brothers and sisters,” Small said.
“They come back to this country and parade medals they’ve won by killing. A man is not a man unless he stands up for what he believes in,” he added. (ANI)
