Extremist Communists rioted in the streets of the German city of Cologne this morning, attacking police, vandalising property and setting fire to rubbish bins.

This scandalous behaviour gave the German police the excuse they needed to ban the anti-Islamification rally due to be held in the city, at which the BNP’s Richard Barnbrook was to have been a guest speaker.

Speaking to BNP News from Cologne, Mr Barnbrook said the police had prevented hundreds of supporters from entering the rally area while the Communists rioted elsewhere in the city. About 3,000 protesters threw stones at officers, while some tried to steal their weapons.

The Pro-Cologne (German: Pro-Koeln) group had sought to protest against plans to build one of Europe’s biggest mosques in the city — a domed mosque, which will have two 177ft minarets.

Pro-Koeln said about 1,500 people had been prevented from attending the rally in the city centre to oppose the mosque and what they say is an ‘immigrant invasion’ of Europe. The rally was also against Islamification and in support of Europe’s “shared, 1,000-year history” and “Western values and Christian traditions.”

Earlier, the leftist demonstrators blocked two Pro-Koeln leaders from entering the conference venue, pursuing them as they sought refuge on a boat.

Police say they responded with batons after left-wing protesters set fire to barricades.

Pro Cologne, which won 5 percent of votes at the last city-council elections, said it was outraged by the decision to cancel the congress. Secretary Markus Wiener said that it was “typical of the Cologne police leadership that they can’t enforce freedom of assembly and that they cave in to street terrorism.”

A city councillor for the group said he would challenge the ban in court. “We’ll repeat the event later,” Manfred Rouhs told WDR television.