Muslim protesters outside the Danish embassy in London on February 3 carried signs openly calling for murder and jihad, while British police did nothing but stand and watch.

No, that’s not quite true; the police did arrest two counter-demonstrators carrying pictures of the Danish Mohammed cartoons.

Now, more than a month later, they’re suddenly talking about arresting some of the Islamic demonstrators: Muslim protesters face arrest.

Arrests of Muslim protesters who demonstrated about cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in London last month are imminent, Scotland Yard said last night.

The Feb 3 protests outside the Danish Embassy caused widespread offence. Some protesters chanted and carried placards glorifying the July 7 London bombings and threatening beheadings. No arrests of Muslim protesters were made at the time, a decision by police that was widely criticised.

Yesterday the Metropolitan Police disclosed that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had advised it that potential public order offences were committed. Arrests, questioning and charges are now expected in the coming weeks in a number of cases said to run to “more than single figures”. …

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said in a letter he sent to Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, yesterday: “There is a clear public interest in ensuring that those who incite murder are appropriately dealt with and an equal public interest that there is no unnecessary delay. Furthermore, not to take action is to let down the moderate Muslim majority.”