Pro-refugee counter-protesters outnumber far-right across the country (2024)

Anti-racist protesters have gathered in their thousands to protest against hate marches and riots in the wake of the Southport stabbings.

In Belfast, about 15,000 people are taking part in an anti-racism rally, following a week of unrest and disorder in the city, while other gatherings are taking place in cities including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Hull, Liverpool and Manchester.

There were also widespread anti-fascist protests across London, with the largest gathering meeting outside Reform UK's building in Westminster before moving to Trafalgar Square for speeches.

Samira Ali, who made the closing speech, said: 'We feel like we have turned the tide. It's a testament to our mobilisation that they failed to come out. They would not have been stopped if it was not for our mobilisation.'

One protester was separated by police from a GB News crew on Whitehall after appearing to take issue with the broadcaster's presence at the demonstrations.

Footage shared by the broadcaster on X, formerly Twitter, shows a man in black shorts and a grey hoodie standing a few feet from the camera crews - before cutting to him batting away an off-screen reporter who tries to speak with him.

As a member of the GB News team approaches him he yells 'Don't touch me' and appears to lash out with his hand before being swarmed by Metropolitan Police officers.The channel claimed he was chanting 'GB News, off our streets'.

A Met Police spokesperson has since confirmed to MailOnline no allegations were made at the scene and that GB News did not wish to take the matter further.

The force said: 'It is important that the press are able to report freely, including at protests, without being subject to harassment, abuse or intimidation.

'The footage released appears to show a protester trying to obstruct a GB News camera crew as they reported, by putting his hand up to the lens.

'As he does so, a man who was working as security for the camera crew intervenes and pushes him away. Officers moved in quickly to prevent any further escalation.

'No allegations were made at the time and both parties went their separate ways. We have confirmed with GB News that they do not wish to take the matter further.'

GB News reporter Charlie Peters told the PA news agency the man had 'attacked one of my colleagues'.MailOnline has asked GB News for comment, and a copy of the full footage.

Reform UK said its Victoria Street office was not attended by staff, serving only as a postal address because of the 'invasion of our offices in previous years by extremist left wing campaigners'.

It added:'The head office is not in London, and you will understand why we are not going to reveal its whereabouts given the thuggery and aggression of the far left whose only thought to democratic opposition is to bully and attempt to intimidate it into silence.'

Police made early arrests ahead of other demonstrations today - adding to the hundreds already detainedfollowing civil unrest in the wake of the July 29 tragedy.

Disinformation about the identity of the suspect fuelled far-right dissent online and the engineering of hate-led protests targeting mosques, asylum lawyers and immigration centres.

Despite pleas from the families of the victims of the Southport attacks, police chiefs and even the King to choose love over hate, far-right thugs have continued turning out in force to sow dissent into this weekend, almost two weeks on from the attacks.

A man was among 14 people to be detained at a anti-immigration rally in Newcastle town centre after allegedly being found in possession of a hammer. Others were arrested for failing to comply with either stop and search or dispersal orders.

The campaign group Stand Up To Racism Scotland (SUTRS) organised counter-protests outside Holyrood in Edinburgh, Dundee's City Square and in George Square in Glasgow.

Demonstrators carried placards and banners displaying slogans such as 'No to racism' and 'Refugees welcome: Stop the far right'.

One campaigner posted on X along with a video capturing the large crowd in George Square: 'This is Glasgow. Sending a LOUD and CLEAR message to the FAR RIGHT. These are OUR STREETS.'

Other videos posted online showed a man holding a sign reading: 'Asylum Frauds Out' was met with chants of 'Refugees are welcome here' and led to him leaving amid outbreaks of cheers and applause.

The demonstrations follow similar counter-protests in Bathgate and Paisley on Friday, which were the first to be held in Scotland following riots across parts of England.

In Trafalgar Square, speakers condemned X boss Elon Musk - under whom, experts say, hate speech and misinformation have thrived on the site formerly known as Twitter - and accused Reform UK Nigel Farage of 'spreading racism'.

One speaker from Stand up to Racism, which organised the event, said: 'After being outnumbered, we turned it around this week.'

Northumbria Police said the Newcastle rally 'was peaceful and passed without incident' - adding that while 14 people were arrested none were detained for disorder or violent offences.

The force's Chief Superintendent Steve Wykes said: 'This week, our region has spoken - we will not tolerate the disgraceful disorder seen over the last week by a minority whose only aim is create division.'

Some turning out on Saturday were seen with signs criticising what they call a 'two tier' system of policing.

Met Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley this week branded the claims 'complete nonsense' and said they were putting officers at risk.

'We operate independently under the law without fear or favour,' he said.

'They are putting them at risk by suggesting that any of those officers are going out with, as with any intent, other than to operate without fear or favour in protecting communities.'

Suspected rioters are continuing to appear in court as well, as online influencers who 'stoked the flames of hatred and division and incited violence' were being pursued by specialist officers.

More than 700 people have now been arrested over rioting, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), of whom more than 300 have been charged.

Among those in court on Saturday was childminder Lucy Connolly, 41, the partner of Conservative West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, who has been charged with publishing written material to stir up racial hatred on social media.

She did not enter a plea during a short hearing at Northampton Crown Court and was remanded in custody until her next appearance on Monday.

The court heard it is alleged that Connolly, from Parkfield Avenue, Northampton, posted on X, formerly Twitter, on the day of the Southport knife killings, saying: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the bastards for all I care... If that makes me racist, so be it.'

Lee James, 42, admitted possessing a knuckle duster during a demonstration in Southampton on August 7.

Janet Brownlow, representing James, said her client had attended the protest 'out of curiosity' and wanted to stress that he is 'not a racist'.

She said James had picked up the knuckle-duster at a property he had previously worked on, and left it in his van, from where he had picked it up and then put it on before the protest.

'He put it on his fingers and couldn't get it off,' Ms Brownlow told the court. 'He has quite thick knuckles.'

Elsewhere, three people have pleaded guilty to violent disorder in Manvers, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Sunday August 4, South Yorkshire Police (SYP) said.

Kaine Hicks, 22, of Wombwell Road, Platts Common; Drew Jarvis, 19, of no fixed address; and a 17-year-old boy, admitted the offence at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Saturday, the force said.

Merseyside Police said two more people have been charged after the violent disorder in Southport and Liverpool.

Andrew McIntyre, 39, from Cousins Lane, Rufford, has been charged with encouraging an offence of murder; encouraging an either way offence namely violent disorder and possession of a bladed article.

He is due to appear at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates Court on Saturday.

Police also said a 16-year-old from Stockbridge Village has been charged with violent disorder, two counts of burglary at non-residential properties, criminal damage to a police vehicle amounting to £5,000, and assault of an emergency worker in Liverpool city centre.

He will appear at Merseyside Youth Remand Court on Saturday.

Adam Turner, 38, from Birmingham, was charged with violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker after disorder in Solihull on Sunday, August 4.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said a glass was thrown at an officer in Damson Lane as they responded to a large gathering in the area, although nobody was injured.

Turner was remanded to appear before Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

It comes as the NPCC said specialist officers have been tasked with pursuing suspected online offenders and so-called influencers, who they say are responsible for 'spreading hate and inciting violence on a large scale'.

Across the country, teams are investigating 'hundreds of leads'.

Police are currently bracing for a weekend of fresh riots, with masked demonstrators already clashing in Belfast after a petrol bomb was hurled at a mosque in Newtownards, County Down in the early hours of Saturday.

Belfast has seen some of the worst disorder, with 22 people arrested in connection with the riots that have raged over several days.

Arrests were made on Wednesday night after bins were set on fire and houses attacked.

Four men were charged yesterday of criminal damage, resisting police, rioting and throwing a petrol bomb.

The two groups faced off outside a Holiday Inn in Crawley, Sussex yesterday, though it was clear support had dwindled since masses turned out to attack hotels housing asylum seekers last weekend.

Protestors also descended on Barnsley on Thursday, prompting businesses to lock their doors and forcing staff to work from home amid fear of further rioting.

Detectives confirmed there three people were detained at the protest, including a 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.

South Yorkshire Police also told MailOnline that a 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a banned breed and possession of a controlled drug; and a 42-year-old man was detained on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

Planned anti-immigration protests failed to materialise on Wednesday, despite the threat of more than 100 planned demonstrations - but fears remain that more could follow.

Clashes began on July 30 following a spate of misinformation about the killing of three children in Southport a day prior.

The suspect was not initially named, granted automatic anonymity due to his age.

But as misinformation spread online that the perpetrator was an Islamist asylum seeker, his identity was revealed as a 17-year-old from Lancashire.

He is accused of killing Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, with a kitchen knife on Monday.

Eight other children sustained knife wounds from a brutal attack on a dance class in the town, with five of them left in critical condition.

Judge Menary KC cited 'idiotic rioting' in parts of the UK in his reasoning for lifting the anonymity.

Suspect Axel Rudakubana has since beencharged with murdering three children.

The government has implemented new measures aimed at tackling misinformation and deterring would-be criminals from instigating further violent disorder.

On Friday, the Prime Minister said that the government would review social media laws as part of those efforts.

The Telegraph reported that ministers are now looking at introducing a duty on social media companies to restrict even legal content deemed 'harmful'.

This could mean firms would be obliged to remove or suppress posts spreading fake news or other topics 'such as self-harm', the newspaper reports, 'even if they do not meet the threshold for illegality'.

Critics have branded the proposals 'sinister and authoritarian'.

Controversially, a court in Belfast also heard this week that anybody present at a riot would be remanded in custody, even if they were only a 'curious observer'.

District Judge Francis Rafferty said someone's presence at a riot alone made them involved as he refused two bail applications, as reported by The Telegraph.

Cameron Armstrong, 18 from Belfast, was charged with rioting in the Connswater area of east Belfast after his solicitor argued that while his client was on the 'periphery' of the scene, he denied being involved in any of the rioting.

The defence solicitor said his client had gone to 'have a look' but left when petrol bombs were thrown.

'He doesn't have to throw a petrol bomb or brick to be involved in disorder, if he's present at disorder,' Judge Rafferty said.

'Anybody involving themselves in this type of behaviour, this type of disorder, as an active participant or a curious observer can expect to be, save for the most exceptional circ*mstances, remanded into custody, and this defendant is remanded into custody.'

The full scope of this provision was unclear.

More than 700 people have now been arrested over rioting, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), of whom more than 300 have been charged.

The NPCC has said specialist officers have now been tasked with pursuing suspected online offenders and so-called influencers, who they say are responsible for 'spreading hate and inciting violence on a large scale'.

Across the country, teams are investigating 'hundreds of leads'.

The NPCC's serious and organised crime team is working with Counter Terrorism Policing and other national agencies to review content across a range of social media sites and platforms.

Online content will be assessed by a senior investigator to determine if it meets the criminal threshold and offenders will then be identified, arrested and charged.

Chief Constable Chris Haward, the NPCC lead for serious and organised crime, said inciting violence and encouraging mass disorder are 'incredibly serious offences'.

He went on: 'But this abhorrent activity didn't happen by itself. Large crowds and gatherings didn't mobilise spontaneously.

'It was the result of dozens of so-called influencers, exploiting the outpouring of grief from the tragic loss of three young girls in Southport.

'They knowingly spread misinformation, stoked the flames of hatred and division and incited violence from the comfort of their own homes, causing chaos on other people's doorsteps.'