Hundreds at Britain First demo and counter demo

5 hours ago

News image — Britain First protesters flew English flags ahead of St George's Day

Getty Images Overhead view of hundreds of Britain First protesters holding red and white St George's flags as they march on a street. At the front is a banner saying "For England and St George". There is some red flare smoke at the back and police officers are escorting them at the sides. — Britain First protesters flew English flags ahead of St George's Day

Hundreds of people gathered for a Britain First march through Manchester city centre, with counter-protests also being held and disruption caused to tram services.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) arrested three people and said hundreds of officers had been "across the city to safely facilitate" the demonstrations.

There had been a "significantly increased police presence" following similar protests in February, when nine men were arrested after altercations between groups, the force said.

Tram services were temporarily disrupted as Britain First protesters marched from Manchester Piccadilly railway station and counter-protesters gathered in Piccadilly Gardens.

A GMP spokesman said "the number of attendees were fewer than expected but there were still around 1,000 protesters and counter-protestors in total".

In a statement, the force said: "The vast majority of both sides caused no issues for our officers."

Getty Images A woman with glasses perched on her head wears a union jack bandana that covers the lower part of her face. She has shoulder-length blonde/grey hair with a fringe swept to the side and has a fixed stare. She is holding a union jack flag which is hanging down. — Police said the "vast majority caused no issues"

Police said two males had been detained in separate incidents involving counter-protesters, with one held on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and the other on suspicion of failing to provide details after a request that they remove their face covering.

One woman was detained on suspicion of breaching the peace although the force said it was unclear if she was part of either group.

Officers said some counter-protesters had "attempted to break police lines and attempted to throw punches".

Getty Images Three police officers in yellow hi-vis jackets stand in front of a rally of counter-protesters holding placards with messages opposing Britain First. The placards show support for LGBT+ people and refugees and have message such as "smash the far right" and "refugees welcome, stop the far right". There are some Palestinian flags. Old buildings with shops are in the background. — Counter-protesters held a rally at Piccadilly Gardens

There have been no reports of any members of the public being injured.

Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson said: "Thanks to the efforts of our officers on the ground and the planning done with our partners, hundreds of people from a range of groups were able to come together safely, with no significant issues reported.

"I hope the work of our officers and partners meant that the general public were able to enjoy their day in Manchester city centre without significant disruption, and I thank them for their cooperation and patience."

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