Millions fall silent to mark Remembrance Day as Muslim extremists burn poppies

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Prince Philip laid a cross in Westminster Abbey's Field of Remembrance this morning as millions paid silent tribute to the nation's war dead - but police had to intervene elsewhere in London as Muslim protesters burned a model of a poppy.

Riot police were out in force in Kensington to stop any possible confrontation with around 70 English Defence League protesters who held a counter-demonstration chanting anti-Islamic slogans.

A group called Muslims Against Crusade, which drew around 30 supporters, was carrying black flags and chanted slogans such as "British soldiers burn in hell". An EDL protester was arrested after he tried to break through police lines.

Abu Rayah, from east London, said his group were protesting against the oppression by the Government. He said: "We're here today because people talk about all this patriotism but people in Afghanistan want Sharia and the soldiers keep dropping cluster bombs on our people and it's like they just want us dead. We want British and American troops out of Afghanistan now."

English Defence League protester Clive Donnellan, 49, a construction manager said: "The MAC could have chosen a more sensitive day to protest. They are preaching hate and although it's great to have free speech this shouldn't be happening today. They can come down any other day and say what they think."

The rest of the capital fell silent for two minutes at 11am to mark Armistice Day and the 92nd anniversary of the return of peace at the end of the First World War. Many gathered at the Cenotaph in Whitehall and there were poignant scenes at Wootton Bassett, the Wiltshire town through which Britain's dead from Afghanistan have been brought since 2007.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 89, who served as a Royal Navy officer during the Second World War, also visited the grave of the Unknown Warrior, 90 years after the soldier's coffin was interred in the abbey.

The field, set up by the Royal British Legion, has been filled with hundreds of small wooden crosses, each bearing the name of a lost loved one, a poppy and often a message of commemoration. The crosses grouped in dozens of plots representing regiments, ships and air corps involved in conflicts from the First World War to Iraq and Afghanistan. Today's ceremony was watched by many armed forces veterans.

At the Cenotaph, the Archbishop of Canterbury was joined by defence ministers, representatives of military associations, veterans and school
children.

The service was led by Brother Nigel Cave, the Western Front Association's padre. A bugler from the Scots Guards heralded the start of the silence at exactly 11am by playing the Last Post. The two minutes' silence was ended with the Reveille.

Take That's new single is going head-to-head in the charts with the Royal British Legion's 2 Minute Silence after the boyband's release was moved forward to this week.

It was also announced today that Olympics tickets will be given to 10,000 members of the Armed Forces. All serving forces members, and those medically discharged since the start of military action in Afghanistan in 2001, are eligible to register for the giveaway, arranged by charity Tickets for Troops.

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