London Protests

I just caught the morning news coverage of the protests in London by Muslims against the Mohammed cartoons. The BBC has this to say-

UK Muslims have denied that the reaction to the cartoons' reproduction has been a threat to freedom of speech.

It was a "question of exercising good judgement", said Inayat Bunglawala, from the Muslim Council of Britain.

They mention briefly -

Some demonstrators chanted "7/7 is on its way" while also waving placards and burning flags, during a march through London to the Danish, French and German embassies.

They do not mention the signs being carried by the protestors either. They included-

Death to those who insult Islam

Behead those who insult Islam, and,

Freedom of Speech Go To Hell

The news report (from ITV) concluded with a former newspaper editor explaining that the solution to the whole problem is one of respect- saying that it was just not on to go around insulting the minority immigrant population of the country.

Thus far in this debate that's a stance I've heard several times. However, no one has asked that Muslims respect our tradition of free speech.

Update - The Guardian adds this detail to the protests-

Several of the demonstrators chanted "Down, down UK" and "Down, down EU" as well as other anti-British slogans. A group of around 20 women, covered by the traditional Islamic burqa, yelled slogans and held large banners proclaiming: "Kill the one who insults the Prophet."

Update 2 - Michelle Malkin has a collection of images from the protest by the Religion of Peace. They include-

"Europe you will pay, your 9/11 is on its way"

"As Muslims we unite, we are prepared to fight"

"Europe you will pay, your extermination is on the way"

"Be prepared for the real Holocaust"

So these Muslims are protesting the freedom of speech used to print some cartoons of Mohammed, but it's okay for them to use that same freedom of speech to threaten terrorist attacks against Europe?