Police arrested eight people including at least one woman as 4,000 people joined a demo and counter-protest in Brighton today (Sunday 13 June).
Sussex Police estimated that about 300 turned out for a “Stop the Boats” protest while about 4,000 others gathered for an event called the Carnival Against Fascism.
The counter-protesters were entertained by Fatboy Slim outside Brighton railway station. He posted a message on social media, saying: “Never been more proud of my home town. More disco, less fascism.”
Arrests were made for public order offences, having a pyrotechnic and assaulting police as officers worked to allow protesters to demonstrate while trying to minimise disruption.
Sussex Police said: “More than 4,000 people gathered today (Saturday 13 June) to protest in Brighton city centre.
“We had a large policing operation in place, working with our partners to facilitate peaceful and lawful protest and ensuring the safety of all those involved and the wider public.
“A total of eight arrests were made, ranging from public order offences to assaults against emergency workers.”
A rump of those attending the South East Patriots protest about uncontrolled immigration ended up on Hove Lawns, by Courtenay Gate.
Those listening to a speaker appeared to be outnumbered by police vehicles – let alone officers – and were effectively boxed in by a fleet of minibus-style public order vans and with a phalanx of police motorbikes poised on the A259 Kingsway.
The last of the demonstrators were escorted towards Hove railway station at about 6pm and dispersed.
Chief Superintendent Adam Hays, the police divisional commander in Brighton and Hove, said: “We understand that there was some disruption near the railway station and surrounding roads.
“Public order policing is complex and, while we understand this can be frustrating, we always balance the rights of all protest groups and the wider community.
“Public safety is always our priority. I’d like to thank the public for their patience while we worked hard in ensuring that all of those attending the city, for whatever reason, were able to do so safely.”
I’m very proud of Brighton today
Another load of rent a mob with their flags.
Glad it remained peaceful. I had a personal chuckle at the fella holding up a UKIP flag, but outdated that one.
The antifa group are the real fascists now. If they are so welcoming for asylum seekers let them house and feed them
1) there is no group calling themselves antifa in the UK (that’s America) 2) if you were transported back to 1939 would you have gone to fight Hitler? – you’d have been anti-fascist then, why not now? 3) the world used to be feudal, socialism came along and ended that, then the former feudal overlords funded Mussolini and his Fascist party to attack and kill the socialists, desperate to return to feudalism. Hitler, a fascist, usurped the socialists when one bigger party was formed – he killed all the socialists in the 1930s before ww2 (The night of the long knives, a famous event) 4) Fascism’s rise is happening again, billionaires are funding fascism in an attempt to return to feudalism… so they can own more and live like pharaohs – lots of emotional thinkers and ignorant people are making it happen again sadly, completely unaware of history, ideologies, the sacrifices their ancestors made having to stamp it out the last time – add the fact they’re being led by their emotions like little angry children and seem blind to reason, it’s pretty scary for kind or educated people to witness. So when folks shout ‘no to fascism’ you understand why now. I’m betting you’re thinking “but what about my feelings on migrants, I’m only angry”? Sigh.
Except the fascists are now the far-left who have infiltrated and corrupted every institution and government. The woke left-wing morons calling for socialism and communism will end up under the very same boot. They are nothing more than useful idiots.
Very sensible, I totally agree!
If only there was a less complicated way of saying “anti-anti-fascist”
Boo hoo, move to Clacton please Oswald.
Lol ‘antifacists are real facists’ hurdur what a take
Not a word about police violence against peaceful demonstrators on Trafalgar street. The police had no justification for attacking the ordinary people of Brighton with pepper spray, batons, and fists. It is a real scandal that those police officers have seemingly got away with such vile aggression.
So the radical far-left agitators and masked-up Antifa turned up and were the ones causing trouble, throwing missiles and being violent. Interesting to note that all the arrests were from the radical left-wing counter-protest groups. The ‘Stop-The-Boats’ protest group was peaceful. Bet the mainstream media will not report that!
As usual, the radical far-left extremists refuse to allow anyone with a difference of opinion to express their views or protest. It’s clear that there is no such thing as the tolerant left. Shockingly, the useless woke council leaders (Labour) were stirring division and hatred before the protest with their rhetoric and even supporting them. Now we all know who to vote out at the next election! Can Labour be any more unpopular? No wonder useless Labour cancelled the local elections around the country. They know their days are numbered because they do not listen to the citizens of the country and so they must go!
#Brighton #StopTheBoats
#LabourOut #StarmerOut
Yeah, the Stop the boats protest group was peaceful. All the violence seemed to come from the left-wing counter protest groups. The ones the Labour council support, the leaders were even there.
Clearly a demonstration of two tier policing. What with 300 very very far far right thugs hell bent on disorder, being challenged by 4000 saintly marxists, communists, labourites, SWP, etc All dregs of the lefty swamp, standing up for all that godly, uncontrolled illegal immigration