On Saturday, July 4, a small far-right protest marched from Walton to Liverpool city centre, but the majority of locals carried on with their day as normal. Police had swarmed County Road long before the protesters arrived, with vans and mounted officers patrolling the streets from before 10am.
Protest details and police response
The far-right group, numbering around 50, congregated outside the Royal Oak pub on County Road, which had closed its doors. Many in the crowd carried cameras and selfie sticks. The group arrived in far smaller numbers than previously seen on County Road, despite being publicised via several right-wing social media accounts. Young men wore all-black sportswear; some older men had flag patches or union flag armbands.
Police horses were fitted with Perspex visors. Three counter-protesters, all pensioners, arrived on the other side of the road, facing chants of “left wing scum, off our streets”. One demonstrator unfurled a St George’s cross defaced with the words “send them back”. Some cars sounded their horns in support, but most people on County Road continued with their business—pushing prams or heading to shops.
Local reaction and business closures
Most locals ignored the group or watched timorously from doorways. Children walked hand-in-hand with their parents or played on nearby side streets, heedless of the chants of hatred. The Spellow Hub library—set on fire by rioters after the Southport attack in 2024—and the Thomas Frost Wetherspoons remained closed, as did several other businesses. The Wetherspoons reopened after the protest had cleared.
March route and conclusion
Police positioned cars and vans along the entire marching route: down Walton Road, Great Homer Street, and across London Road to St George’s Plaza. The procession set off around 1pm, moved along by police at pace. The group chanted as they went and flew a union flag from a tall pole. The march continued without incident into the city centre.
The protest concluded at St George’s Plaza, where the group climbed the steps of St George’s Hall and chanted “get them out” while some held a St George’s flag. A wedding party exiting the building from the Queen Square side headed around the corner to investigate the noise. The area around Lime Street station was busy with slightly bemused onlookers, many of them rugby league fans visiting for the Magic Weekend event at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
