A man has been charged in connection with an alleged social media post surrounding the County Road protest. Ryan Ferguson has been charged in connection with a social media post that reportedly encouraged violence against the police.
The 26-year-old, of Barberry Crescent, Bootle has been charged with intentionally encouraging/assisting an offence, namely battery, under Section 44 and 58 of the Serious Crime Act 2007. He has been remanded into custody to appear at Wirral Magistrates Court today, Thursday, June 18.
Anti-immigration protesters and a counter-protest group both gathered on the major Walton road on Saturday separated by a large police presence. Anti-immigration protesters marched under the banners of "no more illegals" and "mass deportation", while a counter group supporting Liverpool's refugee community faced them from the opposite side of the road.
Merseyside Police was given extra powers during the protest to "help prevent potential criminality and disorder" with a dispersal zone remaining in place for most of Saturday. The force confirmed that evening that officers had made eight arrests.
The march had attracted criticism from local politicians because the location suffered severe damage during the 2024 riots following the murders in Southport, including the destruction of a local library. Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said in an open letter: "Many local people have been in touch with me to say they do not want this march to take place.
"It is a painful reminder of one of the darkest moments in that area's history. I share their view, but local authorities do not have the power to prevent such marches from taking place."
Liverpool Lib Dem leader Carl Cashman added that people "have the right" to protest peacefully" but do not have the right to intimidate a community that is still bearing the scars of disorder".
The majority of businesses on County Road shuttered their doors for the day fearing a repeat of 2024's violence. One business owner on County Road, who had lived in the UK for nearly two decades, said: "I don't want to open the shop. I am foreign and people might just attack me because I am foreign."
