A person holds a placard reading 'Southend stands against white Supremacists' during a counter demonstration to an anti-immigration protest called by far-right activists, near an Immigration Solicitors' office in Westcliff, near Southend-on-Sea, eastern England. Photo: AFP / STF
Thousands of anti-racism protesters have rallied in cities and towns across England after a week of anti-immigrant rioting and disorder.
Gatherings in locations where anti-immigration protests had been expected - including north London, Bristol and Newcastle - were largely peaceful, with counter-protesters chanting "refugees are welcome here" forming the bulk of the crowds.
Police had been braced for further violence, with thousands of officers deployed and more than 100 events anticipated.
Rioting was sparked by misinformation online that the suspect in the fatal stabbing of three little girls in Southport on 29 July was a Muslim asylum seeker.
Mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers were among places targeted during the disorder, with some shops burnt out and looted.
On Wednesday, on high streets across England, shop owners had boarded up windows and closed early in anticipation of further violence.
Immigration lawyers had been told by police to work from home after lists of solicitors' firms and advice agencies were shared in chat groups as possible targets.
A protester holds a placard reading "Racists not welcome here" during a counter demonstration against an anti-immigration protest called by far-right activists in the Walthamstow suburb of London. Photo: AFP / Benjamin Cremel
But only a handful of arrests were reported during the evening as demonstrations largely passed off peacefully across parts of England:
- In Liverpool, hundreds of people gathered outside an asylum services office, whose windows had been boarded up as a precaution, to support refugees and immigrants
- In London, the Metropolitan Police said thousands of people had attended protests in Walthamstow and North Finchley which had "passed without major incident"
- About 1500 counter-protesters gathered in Bristol where streets were filled with trade unionists, anti-fascists and members of the black and Asian community
- In Brighton, eight protesters gathered outside a building they believed contained the office of a lawyer specialising in nationality and refugee law but they were surrounded by 2,000 counter-protesters and forced to shelter against a building surrounded by police
- In Newcastle, about 1000 counter-protesters, mostly Muslims, took over the pavement in front of the Beacon Centre, where an immigration service business had been on a list of expected targets
- One verified video in Accrington on social media showed pubgoers embracing Muslims on the town's streets.
- In Southampton, between 300 and 400 people assembled at Grosvenor Square, chanting "racists go home" and "racism off our streets". About 10 anti-immigration protesters also arrived in the area, with the two groups kept apart by police and only one arrest was made.
In total, more than 400 arrests have been made in relation to the riots which started last week.
More than 140 people have been charged and some have already been convicted and sentenced.
Three men were given jail sentences for their parts in violent disorder in Southport and Liverpool.
Photo: AFP PHOTO / Merseyside Police
Wednesday evening's largely peaceful scenes raise the question of whether those earlier arrests and custodial sentences, and the desire of others to take a stand against the violence, had an impact on anyone intending to begin new riots.
Disorder was reported in Croydon but the Met said it was not linked to protests. Around 50 people gathered, throwing objects down the road and bottles at officers, police said. Eight arrests were made.
Police also came under attack in Belfast, where fires were lit and objects thrown at officers.
Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner visited the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, another hotel housing asylum seekers that was attacked by rioters on Sunday.
She vowed those involved with riots would be "met with the law" and urged people to "stay away from it".
Asked if protesters had legitimate concerns about immigration, she said: "Coming on the streets, throwing missiles at the police, attacking hotels like this one is not a legitimate grievance. It's not the way we do politics in this country. And nobody should be condoning that. This is thuggery. This is violence."
Riot police are expected to stay on standby for the "foreseeable future" including through the weekend "and beyond", according to assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams.
King Charles is being kept updated daily about the public disorder around the country, according to Buckingham Palace, but is not expected to make any imminent interventions or visits to trouble spots.
- BBC