SHOW our heroes you are here for them.
That is the call from a former soldier who, with 300 others, will march from Grimsby to Cleethorpes in memory of tragic Woolwich Drummer Lee Rigby on Monday.
The 25-year-old father was slaughtered in the street outside his barracks in an apparent terrorist attack by two Muslim fanatics on Wednesday.
Shocked at the brutal killing, Private Liam Ladds, from Grimsby, who has served two tours of Iraq, has organised a peaceful protest march from Grimsby Cenotaph to Cleethorpes Cenotaph at noon.
Also 25 years old, the attack has had a profound impact on Liam and his comrades.
He said: "It is horrific. It is hard enough to take when a soldier dies in Afghanistan, but when it happens on home soil it makes you feel sick.
"It has angered a lot of my Army mates but getting angry is not the way.
"This will be a peaceful protest to show everyone we are here for our heroes and serving soldiers and show the country we must stand together."
Since Liam, who now works at IT Industries near the Humber Bridge, set up Facebook group, 'March In Honour of the Woolwich Attack and Our Fallen Heroes', 238 people have joined.
On it he stresses: "This has nothing to do with race, colour or religion. It is 'purely to pay and show our respects and to stand together'.
North East Lincolnshire Communities Together and North East Lincolnshire Interfaith Forum, added: "We deeply regret the pain, suffering and loss of life. Likewise, we deeply regret the atrocities carried out by others in the name of faiths we follow. Our faiths do not condone or encourage this."
A minute's silence will be held at Grimsby Cenotaph before the march and a poem will be read.
Liam added: "I will always wear my Help For Heroes band. We are not going to back down to extreme individuals. We are all standing together."
Help For Heroes fundraising group, The Pink Berets, echoed Liam's pledge.
Chairperson, Linda O'Sullivan, added: "This will show his family there are people out there who care and show respect to him and the job he did to keep us safe."
Humberside Police are monitoring social networking sites after reports some were using them to incite racist attacks.
A spokesperson said: "Officers remain vigilant and ready should the situation occur where response is required."
Members of the English Defence League (EDL) have announced they are planning a flash protest in Grimsby today to "make the Government take notice".
EDL activist Lee Croucher said the rally at the Riverhead, which will start at 11am, was not racist, with protesters from "many different backgrounds" attending.
He said the local branch of the EDL, which he claimed had received more than 500 calls from residents in the Grimsby area alone, felt compelled to take action following the murder of 25-year-old Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich.
Mr Croucher said: "People just want to say they have had enough.
"They are letting people in all the time and terrorists are now killing soldiers in their own country."
Editor's Comment The dreadful murder of soldier Lee Rigby outside the Woolwich Barracks in London has shocked the nation. People simply cannot come to terms with this event in broad daylight – nor should they be expected to, this is tragic and does not happen on the streets in the society in which we live and work. Can any good at all come from such a terrible crime? Well yes, some would like to think that there is a glimmer of hope. The country will unite, will show that the vast majority of people here want to live in peace and abhor such acts of brutal terrorism and killing. Let us not allow it to lead to a backlash, instead let it show we are a nation that can rise above and fight on a civilised level. Follow the editor on Twitter @michellelalor
