Following violent clashes earlier this month, fresh anti- and pro-migrant protests took place in the British city of Portsmouth over the weekend. The town of Tamworth, in Staffordshire, saw a similar anti-migrant rally too.
Hundreds of anti-immigration protesters and counter-demonstrators faced off on Saturday (September 12) in the southern British city of Portsmouth, news agency AFP reported.
Police banned face masks ahead of the demonstrations, which saw anti-migrant protesters calling themselves "patriots" at a rally opposite activists from Stand Up to Racism.
According to AFP as well as British media outlets like the BBC and Sky News, riot officers reportedly kept the opposing groups separated as they filled a central square in Portsmouth after marching through parts of the city.
Three people were arrested in Portsmouth, the BBC reported, with a 16-year-old reportedly having since been released. Police have moreover released images of six men they want to speak to in connection with the anti-migrant protest.
The standoff comes on the heels of violent clashes in the port city last Sunday (September 6), a day after hundreds of masked protesters disrupted traffic at the port of Dover to protest against small boat arrivals.
Police vehicles were damaged and several officers injured during the clashes, which the British government condemned as "thuggish." Police reportedly removed around 200 demonstrators.
"We're making a stand," retiree Colin O'Malley told AFP at Saturday's anti-migrant rally in Portsmouth where attendees waved Union Jacks and St George's flags, both of which are often deployed as symbols of national pride.
"We're sending a message to the government... illegal immigration has got out of hand, and it needs to stop," he added.
'The far-right do not own this city'
At the counter-demonstration, Stand Up to Racism supporters chanted "refugees are welcome here."
Demonstrator John Woods told AFP they wanted to show "the far-right do not own this city."
"The vast majority of people are opposed to racism, opposed to far-right thugs marching through our city (and) welcome refugees," Woods said.
Ahead of the rallies, Hampshire Police announced a strict ban on face masks to "reduce opportunities for violence, intimidation and criminality," following previous disruptions by a violent minority.
According to the BBC, face coverings were not seen on either side when the marches started. However, the BBC reported on Sunday that a man has been charged with hiding his identity at the protest.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood reportedly met with senior police officials earlier in the week to ensure security forces were prepared to handle potential unrest.
Similar protest in Tamworth
Some 200 kilometers north of Portsmouth, the town of Tamworth near Birmingham also saw anti-migrant protests on Saturday.
According to news agency Reuters, supporters of the far-right group Britain First called for mass deportations during their rally.
The "March for Remigration" demonstrators gathered near Government Buildings waving British and St George's flags.
According to a statement by Staffordshire police from Monday (September 14), "a large-scale policing operation was put in place to keep people safe," adding that "no arrests have been made" and that "officers will remain in the area this afternoon to provide visible reassurance."
The arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats each year has become a flashpoint in British politics, heavily leveraged by right-wing groups to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment.
The number of small boat arrivals, however, is currently at a seven-year low, as InfoMigrants reported at the beginning of September. August crossings fell to their lowest level since 2018, coming down 57 percent from last year and recorded as the lowest number of migrant arrivals since 2020.
The Home Office attributed the downward trend to the UK-France deal to curb irregular boat crossings through the English Channel.
Similarly, the number of asylum requests has also been decreasing: Last year, just over 100,000 people claimed asylum in the UK, down slightly from the previous year, according to Home Office data released last week.
Of those, just over 40 percent -- 41,262 people -- arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats, Reuters reported. Almost as many reportedly entered the country on another type of visa before later applying for asylum.
with AFP, Reuters