Police ‘encouraging’ far-right by stopping anti-fascist protests

FORCE IS ACCUSED OF ‘ATTACK ON DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS’

NEWCASTLE police have been accused of making an “attack on democratic rights” and “encouraging the far right” by shutting down anti-racist protests.

One campaign group in the city say police officers are allowing far-right activists to effectively prevent protests by threatening disorder like that which took place around one Black Lives Matter demonstration in the city in June.

A group called the Anti-Racism Protest Defence Campaign North East claims a small group were prevented from handing out information around the Monument in Newcastle City Centre on Sunday August 2 when one person threatened to hold a counter-protest against them.

Group member Patrick Kirwan said: “The police narrative is that after the disorder that happened around the Monument, that’s given them pretext to stop protests. Since then, if anyone puts a threat on Facebook or tells them anything, however likely it is, they will use that to shut us down.

“Last Sunday, two of us arrived to set up a stall, and when we got there an organiser was there watching us. When the fourth person arrived – there were only four of us in total – he went over to a police officer, who then came over to us and said they’d had a complaint from a member of a far-right group who said he was going to set up a counter stall.”

He said that his group of four activists were told to move to a quieter area which, he said, would have made their aim of informing people about their campaign, including their claims about racism within the police, impossible. After refusing to relocate, the campaigners were ordered to get out of the city centre, or face arrest.

The person who threatened to oppose them, who the group claim is a far-right protester, did not arrive with any evidence of a counter protest, and the group believe his actions were “a ploy to get the police to act”.

The section 35 order handed to the leafleters ordering them to leave, seen by the Chronicle, cited “intelligence that other extreme was going to counter protest”. Meanwhile, a larger planned protest which had been scheduled on Saturday, August 1, was told to relocate to outside Newcastle Civic Centre by police, again, because of concerns about disorder.

Highlighting the issue on Facebook, a spokesperson for the protest group said: “Fascists are working through Northumbria Police to dictate what political activity is acceptable in the city. All it takes is for one racist to make a complaint and police move in to gag anti-racists.

“This is a major and unprecedented attack on democratic rights – there is a de facto ban on anti-racist events in Newcastle.”

“It will be encouraging to the far right,” Patrick added. A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “The right to lawful protest is a key part of any democracy, which police uphold and facilitate.

“In doing so we need to strike a balance between the rights of the protesters and those of the wider community we serve. “Restrictions were put in place around a number of proposed protests on Saturday to ensure public safety, with concerns that their assembly at Grey’s Monument may result in serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the community. As a result, alternative locations were put forward.

“The following day, when a group of people spontaneously gathered at Grey’s Monument they were subsequently issued with a dispersal order.

“Many protests have taken place across our Force area without the need for any restrictions to be imposed. We are committed to working with protest groups and would encourage organisers with concerns to contact police so we can address these.”

All it takes is for one racist to make a complaint and police move in to gag anti-racists

Spokesman