Couples married on day of EDL demo offered compensation

Rochdale Borough Council offered compensation of £1,000 to couples who got married at the Rochdale Town Hall on Saturday (5 March 2011) – the same day as the English Defence League demonstration.

Two couples were married on the day. One in the morning, so avoiding the majority of the day’s protests, and one later on in the afternoon. 

A third wedding was postponed.

The £1,000 compensation offered to the couples is said to be a “goodwill gesture” given the unusual circumstances.

The offer was calculated based on cancellation costs, administration of finding an alternative venue and room hire.

The weddings, which would have been planned for months, clashed with the demos, which had been planned for just a few days.

One couple hit the national headlines after being photographed close to the EDL and UAF demonstrations.

Andy Zuntz, Executive Director, Rochdale Borough Council said: “Whilst we couldn’t prevent the demonstration from happening, we did everything we could to make the special day at Rochdale Town Hall as enjoyable as possible.”