Anti-mass migration protests have erupted across multiple cities in the United Kingdom, including Brighton, Liverpool, Sheffield, and Glasgow. Left-wing counterdemonstrations also took place over the weekend. The events come in the wake of an attempted beheading, where the alleged perpetrator is a migrant from Sudan.
On Saturday, protesters gathered in several urban centers amid heightened public attention regarding violent crime cases involving migrants, as well as ongoing debates over alleged two-tier policing in the UK regarding differential treatment of citizens based on ethnicity or immigration status.
The concerns have ramped up in particular after the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, who died after he was handcuffed by police despite being stabbed by a British Sikh man, as the man falsely accused Nowak of racial abuse.
In Sheffield, a protest organized by the grassroots group Raise the Colours, which campaigns against illegal immigration, resulted in five arrests. Superintendent Charlotte Bloxham said the policing operation was “complicated by a counter-protest group which did not adhere to conditions in place,” adding, however, that officers “were able to safely manage the protest and counter-protest throughout,” according to The Guardian.
In Brighton, protesters affiliated with the group South East Patriots called for stronger border controls and were met with counter-protesters who claimed that “The far right are not welcome in Brighton.” Small scuffles took place between the groups.
In one instance, a leftist counterprotester followed a woman carrying her country’s flag, and called her “fascist scum.”
Liverpool saw protesters clash as well, where one man was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace.
In Glasgow, thousands took part in a demonstration organized by the left-wing Stand Up to Racism. The event drew right-wing counter demonstrators, as police monitored the gatherings.
The protests come amid broader tensions over immigration policy and public safety concerns in the UK. Such unrest has ramped up in recent days, particularly in Northern Ireland, where protests have turned violent following an incident where a Sudanese man attempted to behead a Belfast man on the street. The city has since erupted into chaos, with anti-immigration activists setting fire to suspected migrant homes.
On Saturday, protesters gathered in several urban centers amid heightened public attention regarding violent crime cases involving migrants, as well as ongoing debates over alleged two-tier policing in the UK regarding differential treatment of citizens based on ethnicity or immigration status.
The concerns have ramped up in particular after the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, who died after he was handcuffed by police despite being stabbed by a British Sikh man, as the man falsely accused Nowak of racial abuse.
In Sheffield, a protest organized by the grassroots group Raise the Colours, which campaigns against illegal immigration, resulted in five arrests. Superintendent Charlotte Bloxham said the policing operation was “complicated by a counter-protest group which did not adhere to conditions in place,” adding, however, that officers “were able to safely manage the protest and counter-protest throughout,” according to The Guardian.
In Brighton, protesters affiliated with the group South East Patriots called for stronger border controls and were met with counter-protesters who claimed that “The far right are not welcome in Brighton.” Small scuffles took place between the groups.
In one instance, a leftist counterprotester followed a woman carrying her country’s flag, and called her “fascist scum.”
Liverpool saw protesters clash as well, where one man was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace.
In Glasgow, thousands took part in a demonstration organized by the left-wing Stand Up to Racism. The event drew right-wing counter demonstrators, as police monitored the gatherings.
The protests come amid broader tensions over immigration policy and public safety concerns in the UK. Such unrest has ramped up in recent days, particularly in Northern Ireland, where protests have turned violent following an incident where a Sudanese man attempted to behead a Belfast man on the street. The city has since erupted into chaos, with anti-immigration activists setting fire to suspected migrant homes.
