Police have made early arrests ahead of demonstrations today as thousands gathered to face off far-right rioters across the UK.
The civil unrest comes after the killing of three young girls in Southport, after which disinformation was spread about the suspect on social media.
A man has been detained at a planned anti-immigration rally in Newcastle town centre after being found carrying a hammer to the event, the Associated Press reported.
A woman was also taken away by police in Grainger Town as opposing groups met this morning, following clashes and arrests on Friday.
In Belfast, about 15,000 people are taking part in an anti-racism rally, following a week of unrest and disorder in the city.
A man is detained for carrying a hammer to a protest in Newcastle on Saturday
Police make arrests among EDL supporters in Newcastle city centre today
Protestors hold banners during a ‘Stop the Far Right’ demonstration at George Square in Glasgow on Saturday
A counter demo holds an anti immigration banner during the George Square demonstration in Glasgow, Scotland
It was not immediately clear which group the man carrying the hammer was with, if either
The demonstration began at Writer’s Square and made its way to City Hall where speeches are taking place.
The campaign group Stand Up To Racism Scotland (SUTRS) organised counter-protests outside Holyrood in Edinburgh 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.
Shops were boarded up across Newcastle ahead of a potential far-right demonstration this afternoon, following nearly two weeks of rioting, looting and attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers nationwide.
Northumbria Police has implemented a number of extra legal powers ahead of planned events this weekend, including enhanced stop-and-search capabilities in the hunt for weapons, and powers to remove items used to conceal identity.
A woman gets arrested ahead of a far-right anti-immigration protest in Newcastle
Police have made several arrests already as demonstrators gather in Newcastle
A woman takes part in the anti-immigration demonstration in Newcastle on Saturday
Under the extended provisions, police have the power to impose directions on anyone organising or taking part in an assembly where there is a reasonable belief that it may result in serious public disorder, serious damage to property, or serious disruption to the life of the community.
Officers will also have the power to disperse anyone in a certain area if they believe their behaviour contributed to or is likely to contribute to members of the public in the locality being harassed, alarmed, or distressed or the occurrence of crime and disorder.
Chief Superintendent Steve Wykes said: ‘The right to lawful protest is a key part of any democracy, however, we will not accept people using them as a means to commit crime.
‘A robust policing presence has been stood up. Officer rest days have been cancelled and resources redeployed to ensure officers are out and visible in our communities to keep you safe.’
He added: ‘This should act as a warning to anyone with the intention of causing any further disorder – you will face the full force of the law. You are not welcome in our region.’
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.
A protestor wears a flag and shows a placard at a rally in Newcastle on Saturday
Anti-immigration protesters hold up flags in Newcastle, including a Celtic Cross. The Cross is used by neo-Nazis and white supremacists today, according to the Anti-Defamation League – but is also used for religious purposes ‘as well as to symbolise concepts like Irish pride’
Shops have been boarded up in anticipation of more unrest in Newcastle today
Among those in court on Saturday is 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 will appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court via video link.
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.
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.
Anti-racism protesters demonstrate in Newcastle ahead of the planned rally on Saturday
Police officers in Newcastle ahead of a far-right demonstration on Saturday
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 been charged 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 circumstances, remanded into custody, and this defendant is remanded into custody.’
The full scope of this provision was unclear.
Newcastle saw a huge turnout of protestors rallying against racially-motivated rioting
Demonstrators gather in Newcastle city centre for a Stand Up To Racism counter protest
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.’