Liverpool Council leader Liam Robinson has condemned a planned anti-immigration protest on County Road in Walton, describing it as a deliberate attempt to drive 'fear, hate and intimidation' through the community. The demonstration, scheduled for Saturday, follows a similar protest last month where marchers carried English flags and banners reading 'no more illegals' and 'mass deportations'.
Dispersal Zone and New Police Powers
Merseyside Police has confirmed a dispersal zone will be in effect from 10am Saturday to 9.59am Sunday, covering a large area of north Liverpool including Queens Drive, Utting Avenue, Arkles Lane, and other roads. The order gives officers the power to direct individuals suspected of causing crime, nuisance, or anti-social behaviour to leave the area for up to 48 hours. A designated protest area will also be in place from 10am to 4pm, under new legislation introduced this week that grants police additional powers to seize items, including vehicles, used in anti-social behaviour. Anyone returning after being directed to leave may be arrested.
Pattern of Targeting
Cllr Robinson told the ECHO that an 'unacceptable pattern' is emerging along County Road, with far-right elements deliberately organising to 'reopen the wounds' of the 2024 riots, during which a library was set on fire. He said: 'That type of hate filled activity... on County Road or anywhere else in this city is completely and utterly unacceptable, it’s not welcome in this city. It’s an unacceptable pattern of targeting a certain location and a certain community where the vast majority of people who live in that community don’t want it there.'
Impact on Community
Cllr Robinson highlighted the disruption caused by such protests, noting that shops, libraries, and other services would have to close, and County Road, a key artery into the city, would be disrupted. 'People having to make plans who live in that community about how they’re going to go about their daily life, they shouldn’t have to be disrupted that way,' he said. He added that the protest appeared less organised than the previous one, based on low-level intelligence, but stressed that 'none of this kind of stuff is acceptable in this city or anywhere in the country.'
Call to Use New Powers
Robinson confirmed he had written to the Chief Constable, arguing that the new powers should be utilised because County Road is being targeted by far-right elements. He said: 'I think it’s about trying to create division, I think it’s about trying to deliberately reopen the wounds of what happened in 2024, I think it’s designed to cause fear, hate and intimidation and that’s not welcome in this city.' He emphasised that the vast majority of Liverpool residents look out for one another regardless of background and will continue to stand up against hate.
