A total of 25 men appeared in court today -Thursday - charged with historic sex offences against two girls.
Police surrounded Calderdale Magistrates Court in Halifax from 9am as a planned protest by the English Defence League went ahead.
Officers - some with cameras - were on stand-by to disperse any potential trouble-makers outside the court.
Many of the defendants, who were all on bail, covered their faces and mouths as they arrived at court to jeers from protesters, some of whom also had covered faces, and chants of ‘EDL’ and ‘Yorkshire’.
At one point an EDL flag was raised.
Police confirmed one man was arrested outside the court for public-order offences.
Defendants also clashed with protesters on leaving the court and it is believed a car was damaged.
Inside the court, security officers and numerous uniformed police officers assisted court staff to allow the hearings to be heard in Court One.
The defendants, including a man from Huddersfield, spoke only to confirm their ages and likely plea indication.
No further details of the offences were made due to the majority of charges being indictable-only offences, which can only be dealt with at Crown Court.
The proceedings were stopped at one point during the morning session due to a disturbance in the public gallery and police escorted a number of people outside.
The charges relate to two victims, one girl who was aged under 16 at the time, and include rape, people trafficking for sexual exploitation, sexual activity with a child under 16, voyeurism and sexual assault. A drugs charge was also made.
After hearing the charges magistrates sent all cases to Leeds Crown Court to be heard on or before February 26.
All defendants were granted bail on the same conditions as before: not to contact two named complainants and to report to police stations on dates and time instructed by the court.
A court order was made preventing the press from publishing the full addresses of any of the defandants.
The men who appeared in court and the charges they face are as follows:
Hedar Ali,, 35, of Cheshire, two counts of rape and two counts of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Fasil Mahmood, 35, of Halifax, sexual activity with a child under 16 and supply of a class B drug
Zameer Asif, 24, of Halifax, sexual activity with a child; Mohammed Ramzan, 34, of Bradford, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16, rape and trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation
Khalid Zaman, 37, of Bradford, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16, two counts of rape and supply of a class B drug
Ataf Ali, 32, of Bradford, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16 and voyeurism
Mohammed Fiaz Askar, 32, of Bradford, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16
Aesan Pervez, 26, of Halifax, three counts of sexual assault
Mansoor Akhtar, 23, of Huddersfield. two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 and the supply of a class B drug
Furgaan Ghafar, 30, Derby, sexual activity with a child under 16
Aftab Hussain, 35, of Halifax, sexual grooming, sexual assault and sexual activity with a child under 16
Talib Saddiq, 29, of Halifax, two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16
Amaar Ali Ditta, 25, of Halifax, two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16
Sikander Malik, 30, of Halifax, sexual activity with a child under 16
Akbar Aziz Hussain, 29, of Halifax. sexual activity with a child under 16 and supply of a class B drug
Azeem Subhani, 23, of Halifax, two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16
Tahir Mahmood, 42, of Halifax, three counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 and sexual assault
Mohammed Ahmed, 41, of Halifax, sexual activity with a child under 16
Haaris Ahmed, 31, of Halifax, sexual activity with a child under 16 and supply of a class B drug
Taukeer Butt,, 29, of Halifax, four counts of sexual activity with a child under 16
Arshad Majid, 24, of Shipley, sexual activity with a child under 16
Christopher Mulqueen-Bennett, 36, of Newport, sexual activity with a child under 16
Muhammed Asim Janjuha, 33, of Bradford, rape
Haider Ali, 39, of Halifax, rape, sexual activity with a child under 16 and causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity without consent
Sikander Ishaq, 30, of Halifax, sexual activity with a child under 16.
