Beleaguered teachers met with yet more chanting over equality lessons
LGBT school protesters ‘will not back down’ as demo returns
LAGBT protests by parents have returned to the streets of Birmingham with a vengeance after a summer of peace.
Protests resumed outside beleaguered Anderton Park School in Sparkhill last Friday – but this time campaigners were met with ‘loving resistance’ from a musical counter protest.
Gay mother Katy Rose Bennett and her friends belted out defiant songs in contrast to the angry chants of 20 campaigners, led by Shakeel Afsar, who protested they did not want their kids to be told it was ‘okay to be gay’.
Standing outside an exclusion zone set up by the high court to deter protests, Mr Afsar shouted for head teacher Sarah Hewett-Clarkson to stand down and led chants of “our kids, our choice” and “let kids be kids”.
He also repeated demands for staff to stop sharing LGBT equality messages with young pupils.
Yards away stood Ms Rose and eight friends singing Beautiful World, Over the Rainbow and
You Need is Love.
Ms Rose, a local musician, said she had endured protests at the school gates since January and had felt moved to show that the views being expressed did not reflect the local community.
She said: “We believe in love and harmony and everyone getting along and being equal. Love conquers hate.”
The group pressed on even when the protesters turned up their amp to try to drown them out.
Lead protester Mr Afsar, who has a nephew at the school, said the protests were being resumed to ensure the school did not think they had gone away.
The primary school, in Dennis Road, has been the scene of regular protests outside the gates from March. It is one of two primary schools in the city targeted by campaigners.
Mr Afsar said: “We will not back down. Parents want us to continue to press for the school to heed their request, consult with parents and stop going against their wishes.”
Fellow protester Amir Ahmed
All said there were sinister attempts under way across the country to “queerify the classroom”, with Parkfield School in Alum Rock and Anderton Park at the forefront.
“They say this is about equality and tolerance. There are other ways to teach equality – this is a sexual and gender ideology.”
The protesters and the school will come face to face in a court room next month, when the council renews its calls for a permanent injunction around the school to ban protests at the gates.
A temporary injunction, imposed in June, bans Shakeel Afsar, his sister Rosina Afsar and Mr Ahmed from coordinating protests, handing out leaflets, gathering inside an exclusion zone or being abusive about school staff.
The trial, starting October 14, will decide whether the injunction should be extended permanently.
Friday’s protesters included Christian campaigner John Allman, who is joining in the court action and insists the temporary ruling unlawfully infringes the rights of him and anyone else who wants to criticise the school and staff.