A group protesting against immigration in Brighton has reported being subjected to urine and feces being thrown at them, and being trapped inside a pub for hours as counter protesters surrounded them. The incident occurred during a day of demonstrations in the city center, where more than 4,000 people took to the streets.
Clash Between Protest Groups
Approximately 300 individuals participated in the 'Stop The Boats' protest, while a larger counter protest called 'Carnival Against Fascism' drew around 4,000 attendees, including musician Fatboy Slim, who performed outside the city train station. One of the anti-immigration groups, Raise The Colours, shared footage on social media showing the hostile confrontation between both sides.
In one video, a woman is seen with a bloody scratch on her cheek, and one protester claimed they were 'smashed in the face'. Raise The Colours issued a statement condemning the violence, saying: 'How is this okay? Urine thrown on us, punched, kicked, scratched, thrown to the floor and cornered by the “everyone’s welcome” left. The violence and aggression from the left today was on another level. Enough is enough. The police today were non-existent in protecting the right. Two tier at its finest.'
Some anti-fascist protesters had reportedly warned the group that they were preparing urine-filled water balloons for their arrival.
Police Response and Arrests
Sussex Police arrested eight individuals for offenses including public order violations and assaults against emergency workers. Anti-immigration protesters said around 20 of them were trapped inside the Sussex Yeoman pub on Guildford Road, where they remained for two and a half hours before being escorted out by police.
Together For Children, another group, posted on X: 'What I witnessed from the far left today was absolutely vile. People pissing in bottles, shitting on the floor and then throwing it. It was filthy, degrading and completely unacceptable behaviour. We were locked inside a pub for two and a half hours, surrounded by these individuals, because the police appeared to have absolutely no control over the situation.'
The Sussex Yeoman later released a statement clarifying that it does 'not have any affiliations to any political party'. The pub added: 'We feel stupid now, but a marcher looks much like a regular fella out for a lunchtime beer, everything happened too quickly by the time we’d poured two pints boom there were 10 anti-immigration protesters in the pub and the eyes of the counter protesters was laser focused on the pub. And then what can you do? We just had to wait for the police to escort them off the premises.'
Official Statements
Chief Superintendent Adam Hays, Brighton and Hove divisional commander, said: 'Public order policing is complex, and while we understand this can be frustrating, we always balance the rights of all protest groups and the wider community. Public safety is always our priority. I’d like to thank the public for their patience while we worked hard in ensuring that all of those attending the city, for whatever reason, were able to do so safely.'
Prior to the protests, Brighton & Hove City leader Bella Sankey stated that the far right had been 'stirring up division'. She said: 'Brighton and Hove is a proudly diverse city, where white residents, black residents, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, people of no faith, gay residents, trans residents, feminists, refugees and mixed race people like me, live side by side peacefully.'
