18 pictures as Brighton avoids riots and thousands counter-protest

Thousands of counter-protesters faced off with half a dozen men staying near police after anti-immigration protesters set out to target a lawyer's office in Queens Road in Brighton.

They were confined to a small space outside the BBC's office surrounded on all sides by activists, many wearing balaclavas or face coverings, who wanted to show they were not welcome.

Two of the five men separated from the crowd by Sussex Police say they were not protesters.

A man, who was wearing a white and green top, says he and his friend wearing a blue T-shirt "had nothing to do with any of the others standing by us".

He added: "The fact that police had surrounded us was because a group of black-hooded track-suited men with face masks kicked one of us. Which then escalated into the old school playground of ‘fight fight’.

"We were not arrested."

Brighton was noticeably quiet in the run-up to the demonstration with many businesses closing early and even installing wood hoardings in front of windows after hearing rumours the city could see similar scenes to those in Southport or Birmingham.

Buses were stranded in the middle of crowds (Image: The Argus)

Crowds started to gather in Queens Road on opposing sides of the pavement, mostly in show of support for the city's diverse culture - of which some said immigration is the very foundation of.

But it was not long before clashes erupted between this group and a small group of protesters wanting a stop to immigration after rising concerns over crimes committed by these groups.

Police swooped in and created a human barrier between the two which stayed throughout the evening, while counter-protesters lobbed eggs, flour and even bananas towards the six-strong - and a dog - group of activists.

Read more: Clashes and chants as hundreds gather for counter-protest

As darkness fell police rounded them up and slowly cut through the huge crowd of more than 2,000, towards police vans parked just around the corner in Upper Gloucester Road.

Police holding counter protesters back (Image: The Argus)

Once getting to the junction officers made the decision to sprint towards the vans, moving the crowd out of the way at speed and bundled the protesters in before driving off.

Counter-protesters deemed it a success having driven them out of the area.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Court said: “We would like to thank communities for their support, engagement and providing information to help us keep communities safe.

Live updates: The counter-protest as it happened and the morning after

Egg residue on the shirt of a protester being escorted away by police (Image: The Argus)

“There will be a continued police presence and additional policing resources in coming days to maintain peace and prevent disorder.

"We had a significant police presence and there were no incidents of note and no arrests.

“The message remains the same. Anyone planning to take part in criminal disorder in Sussex will regret their actions. Do not do it."

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