DEARBORN – A planned march
from City Hall to the Arab International Festival by extremist Pastor
Terry Jones was cut short today as Jones found himself in a scuffle
with counter-protesters that resulted in six arrests.

Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad
reportedly said that five of the six were from outside the city.

Jones and a few supporters were away in
a vehicle by police and then dropped off at their own cars. They told
police that they would not proceed to the festival as planned.

While the vast majority of the local
Arab American and Muslim communities ignored Jones, the Detroit-based
group BAMN (By Any Means Necessary) decided not to ignore Jones as
Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly had asked locals to do, instead
responding with a counter-protest of dozens.

O’Reilly reminded reporters in a press
release that BAMN has no connection to the Dearborn community.

About 15 supporters of Jones joined
during his second City Hall protest against “shari’a” in
the America.

The pledge of allegiance was recited by
Jones’ group and patriotic music was played while Jones spoke about
banning shari’a in America among other topics. Rabbi Nachum Shifren
of California also while reportedly calling
mostly African American counter-protesters “rappers, punks, and
gang-bangers” and others “communists.” 

Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly said in a
press release that he was proud of the city for mostly ignoring Jones
as did Haddad.

Later in the afternoon, a group of
about 10 people from a group that called itself “Bible
Believers” gathered at the “Free Speech Zone” on
Warren and Appoline St. to preach to passers-by at the festival.

Speaking through a megaphone, group
members shouted that those who did not believe would “burn in Hell” in an
antagonistic fashion among other sayings. 

Most of the onlookers and counter-protesters were children aged
8-15; many of them had thought that Jones was still scheduled to show
up. Wayne County police on
horseback and on foot secured the area and the crowds eventually dispersed. 

The Bible Believers group said according to TV news reports that they planned to stay at the festival during the weekend.