Rival anti-immigration marchers and counter protest rally face off

Rival anti-immigration and anti-racism protesters faced off against each other in Bournemouth today amid a heavy police presence.

Officers from Dorset Police separated the two groups in outside the town hall on Sunday as hundreds of people gathered at the rallies.

Police reported ‘safe and legal protest activity’ and ‘minimised disruption’ to the local community, with no arrests.

At the demonstration, which began at around 11am, around 200 anti-immigration marchers were heard chanting ‘save our kids’, ‘stop the boats’ and ‘we want our country back’.

The group, which said they were ‘peacefully protesting’ against illegal immigration and knife crime, also played songs such as ‘Rule Brittania’ and ‘Jerusalem‘ were played on loudspeakers.

Over the road at the town’s cenotaph war memorial, a similar number of counter demonstrators arrived to at a protest dubbed ‘Stop the Far Right’ waving Palestinian flags and placards welcoming refugees.

They were heard singing ‘say it loud, say it clear, refugees welcome here’, ‘no to Nazi scum’ and ‘where’s your Tommy gone’ – the latter of which was a reference to former EDL leader Tommy Robinson who has left the country in recent weeks.

Police had warned those in attendance that they had been given additional stop and search powers and wouldn’t hesitate to arrest people causing trouble. 

In recent weeks cities across England have been hit with disgraceful scenes of violence from far-right thugs after violence broke out in the aftermath of the fatal stabbings of three young girls in Southport.

Misinformation spread online claiming the alleged knifeman was an illegal immigrant who arrived on a small boat stoked tensions, with riots breaking out across the country.

Since then hundreds of people have been arrested with dozens already sent to prison – some of whom were given prison sentences of up to five years – after being convicted of violent disorder and riot. 

A local resident, supporting the Far Right protest said: ‘I don’t have a problem with migrants if they arrive here legally.

‘Britain has had migrants for many years and we have lived happily. The problem is illegal migration where you don’t know who is coming in.

‘They could be criminals and frankly that is dangerous for the country. This is not about racism.’

Following the protest, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan, of Dorset Police said officers ‘enabled safe and legal protest activity’ and ‘minimised disruption’ to the local community. No arrests were reported.

In a statement, he said: ‘Thankfully, two peaceful static protests took place and there were no reports of disorder.

‘We enacted our well-rehearsed plans and utilised specially trained officers based on intelligence and demand to ensure disruption to residents, visitors and businesses was kept to a minimum. 

‘Our highly visible policing approach enabled lawful protests and provided a reassuring presence for the public.

‘There were temporary powers enacted that gave officers, where necessary and proportionate, additional tactics to keep communities safe and prevent serious violence.

‘Over recent weeks we have repeatedly demonstrated our ability to enable people to exercise their right to protest without causing significant or ongoing disruption. 

‘Our primary focus has always been public safety and we have done all we can to prevent officers from facing violence while carrying out their duties.’

He added that no criminal offences took place, and added his thanks to Dorset Police and nine other forces from across the country who provided officers for ‘the professionalism they displayed to ensure everyone remained safe.’

Councillor Millie Earl, Leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said additional CCTV had been put in place and extra community safety officers on patrol. 

She said: ‘Everyone has the right to feel safe in their community and I am conscious that some will understandably remain concerned after these protests. 

‘We will continue to engage with our faith, community and business leaders to provide further support and reassurance.

‘We remain immensely proud of the diverse and vibrant communities that help make Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole such a special place and we are deeply committed to making sure that BCP remains a sanctuary for all those who call our three towns home.’

Ahead of the rallies in Bournemouth today, assistant chief constable Mark Callaghan said his officers were ‘anticipating two peaceful static protests’.

He said: ‘While we will be there to enable lawful protest, we will not tolerate any hate, violence or disorder in our communities. 

‘Offenders can expect to be arrested, charged and brought before the courts.’

He added that officers had been given additional stop and search powers to ‘keep communities safe and do all we can to prevent serious violence’. 

It comes as the courts continue to deal with violent protesters who took part in riots over the course of the last three weeks.

Ministry of Justice figures show that more than 460 people have already appeared in court, with 99 sentenced by Friday.

On Friday one far-right thug who threatened police at a protest wept in court as he pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Alfie Arrowsmith repeatedly threatened officers and shouted ‘come on’ as he invited them to fight him in Westminster on July 31, a court heard.

The 28-year-old appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to ‘using or threatening unlawful violence’.

Photographs show Arrowsmith, of Dartford, Kent, being forced back by police as he furiously confronts them, while in others he is seen hurling abuse as a foaming can of lager flies over his head towards officers.

Wearing a grey tracksuit, he choked back tears and looked over at his girlfriend in the public gallery as he issued his guilty plea in court.

District Judge Annabel Pilling denied Arrowsmith bail ahead of sentencing at Inner London Crown Court on Tuesday. 

Two men on Friday received the longest jail sentences yet over the riots, as prosecutors charged another man with the more serious offence of rioting and said further charges were likely to follow.

Roger Haywood, 41, of Yew Tree Close, Blackpool was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Friday after previously pleading guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and violent disorder on August 3.

Haywood, donning an England football shirt, encouraged a group of people to follow him to various locations around Blackpool, including the Cenotaph, the Tower and the comedy carpet.

He was on the streets of Blackpool ready to cause violence and disorder on a sunny Saturday in the school holidays, the court heard.

Haywood’s involvement in the disorder included attempting to pull the shutters up of a store in the Hounds Hill centre and assaulting a member of the security team.

Judge Robert Altham, the Recorder of Preston, told Haywood on Friday: ‘One cannot begin to imagine the grief and the despair suffered by the families of those young children killed and, indeed, injured.

‘People from all communities who make up the British public offered solidarity by either laying flowers, standing in peaceful condolence or by silently and respectfully holding the bereaved families in their hearts and in their prayers.

‘Whereas others, such as you, decided to usurp this terrible incident as an excuse for mindless drunken thuggery.’

Serious disorder which had already erupted that week meant everyone knew that ‘so-called demonstrations were pretext for violence and expressions of hate and there was no political or ideological basis for taking to the streets’, the judge said.

Haywood was part of an angry group which confronted police in a shopping area.

The judge said: ‘You repeatedly approached the police line, jabbing a finger at them and ignoring their many requests to move away.

‘Next you were seen leading a large group down the promenade, some had flags and some had their faces covered.

‘You were at the front with your hands above your head to beckon them on. You were clearly in the lead.

‘You led this large group into a pedestrianised shopping area where there were families with young children.’

Haywood was seen at the forefront of ‘an ugly and intimidating scene’ alongside a man who pushed a sign over, another person who was carrying a chair and hit out at rope barrier as another kicked at it, the court heard.

He was also seen trying to push headfirst through a police line to get to a group that was on the other side. He had to be pushed back twice by police.

His mob went into an indoor shopping centre as ‘brave security staff who were vastly outnumbered’ accompanied the group to try and protect shoppers and staff, as people tried to get out of the way.

The judge said Haywood tried to stop the shutters going down at JD Sports and others joined in the attack as he was pushed away but a chair was thrown towards security officers.

A security officer suffered a ‘terrifying experience’ as he was pushed against the shutters and repeatedly punched and hit in the face.

Police stopped a chanting Haywood from getting to the Cenotaph but he told them they were ‘outnumbered ten to one’, which was an ‘unmistakable threat to them’, the judge said.

He told Haywood that what he did next was ‘unforgivably dangerous’ as he turned away from the officers to face the shouting mob behind him, who were a significant distance from the police lines.

The judge said: ‘You shouted to them to the effect that the police would not let you through and then with your arms you beckoned them on to breach the police lines.

‘The crowd moved forward in response and we hear the shout of missiles as at least one item was thrown at the police. Your aim was clear, you wanted to create a serious, violent and dangerous incident.’

Haywood also took a loud hailer and tried to continue to try too lead the mob but was ‘too intoxicated’ to work out how to use it.

He refused to get into the police van when arrested and kicked out at two officers, who were not seriously hurt.

The judge added: ‘Assaults on police officers in any circumstances are unacceptable, in these circumstances they were particularly serious.’

David Wilkinson, 48, was also sentenced on Friday. A judge jailed him for six years for a number of offences including racially aggravated criminal damage and violent disorder in Hull on August 3.

Judge John Thackray said Wilkinson had played a leading role in what he described as ’12 hours of racist, hate-fuelled mob violence’, kicking out and throwing missiles at officers, spitting at them and trying to start a fire.

Another man John Honey, 25, was jailed for 56 months for violent disorder and burglary. Honey was repeatedly seen on film footage of the Hull riot because he had worn a distinctive shirt with the England flag.

He was shown in the footage looting shops and being part of a group which, along with Wilkinson, attacked a car carrying three Romanian men and had tried to drag them from the vehicle.

‘You … were intending to create a high risk of injury to persons because you were doing your best to assist others in exposing the occupants to the wrath of the baying mob,’ Thackray told them.

The sentences are the longest imposed after days of rioting involving violence, arson and looting as well as racist attacks the previous longest being three years and four months.