The Stand Up To Racism group tweets photos of the counter-protests alongside the words "this is what a mass movement looks like".

Counter-protesters have turned out in UK cities amid warnings of at least 100 far-right marches being planned for Wednesday night.

People were on the streets of towns and cities including Bristol, London, Liverpool, Birmingham and Brighton.

More than 6,000 specialist police had been mobilised amid fears of a repeat of the violence seen around the country over the past week.

Some businesses closed early and others chose to board up windows ahead of an anticipated 8pm start time.

Solicitors and other agencies who work with asylum seekers had been warned they could be targeted.

But as the night progressed it appeared the mass far-right protests had failed to materialise, with counter-demonstrators instead taking the initiative.

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The Stand Up To Racism group tweeted photos of the counter-protests alongside the words “this is what a mass movement looks like”.

  •  apotheotic (she/her)   ( @apotheotic@beehaw.org ) English
    2•1 month ago

    From BBC’s live coverage:

    A group of anti-immigration protesters blocked a major road in Portsmouth.

    Up to 200 protesters, some holding union flags and chanting “save our kids”, repeatedly blocked Mile End Road, just outside the city’s ferry port.

    It is one of the main roads in and out of the city.

    Police keep clearing them from the road but they keep running back in, blocking the carriageway in both directions.

    They gathered first outside Norman House near the ferry port, a building that is used by the immigration service.

    The protesters have now moved towards Portsmouth city centre.

    Seems like its pretty intentional

    https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cy8497l7dx8t?page=3

    •  HumanPenguin   ( @HumanPenguin@feddit.uk ) English
      1•1 month ago

      Hate to give excuses for these people.

      But nothing in these quotes would lead to legal proof that blocking traffic was the intent. It just leads to a group of 200 people trying to be noticed and avoiding police kettleing them.

      The 5 Just Stop Oil protesters were shown to have discussed limiting the travel of vehicles. Heck, as dumb as it sounds. The fact they allowed ambulances through, shows blocking other traffic, was an intentional part of the plan.

      Please remember, this is ion no way supposed to indicate I support the actions of these terrorists. Or oppose the actions of just stop oil. It is just a consideration o the actual legal justification in both cases.

      Some other evidence of the intent of the protests to limit the movement of traffic is needed in this case.

      Of course, with police filming and the number of phone vids made. Plus all the social media discussions leading up to the protests. That evidence may well become clear later on. But running onto the road to avoid police officers restricting their movements does not in itself prove a desire to limit traffic flow.