Far right protest brings the town to a standstill
AFAR-RIGHT demonstration brought the town centre to standstill on Saturday afternoon.
A major police presence greeted more than 150 Britain First supporters who marched through Rochdale waving flags and chanting.
The far-right group organised a demonstration following the sentencing of a grooming gang in the area in 2012.
The gang were back in the spotlight with the screening of BBC Drama Three Girls in May.
Police officers were drafted in from other forces to bolster Greater Manchester Police numbers and ensure the protest passed off safely.
Stretches of roads were closed across the town centre while the march passed through and buses were diverted.
The far-right protesters carried Union Jack flags and chanted while they marched from the railway station to a penned-off area on the car park next to the market.
Speakers, including leader of the group Paul Golding and deputy Jayda Fransen, addressed the crowd.
Several dozen counterprotesters from groups such as United Against Fascism were kept in another area to prevent a clash.
Chief Supt Neil Evans said: “This has been a challenging day with hundreds of people attending Rochdale town centre for the protest.
“I would like also like to thank members of the community who have acted as mediators and helped the smooth running of today’s event.
“In order to ensure we could deliver a safe operation we deployed large numbers of police which meant another busy weekend for officers, who have worked long hours in challenging circumstances to look after our communities.
“It was pleasing to see that this protest did not stop the people of Rochdale from going about their normal activities.”
Mark Widdup, director of neighbourhoods at Rochdale council, added, “The council alongside GMP, partners and the community have worked very hard to ensure that the demonstrations today in the town centre caused the minimum amount of disruption for residents, visitors and businesses.
“I am pleased that by working together we have demonstrated exactly what the Rochdale borough is all about, different people coming together, working together for the good of our borough.”