Today, June 13, anti-immigration group South East Patriots planned a march through Brighton city centre as part of a ‘Stop the Boats’ campaign.
In response, a counter protest ‘Carnival Against Fascism’ was organised.
Ahead of the event, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council Bella Sankey said “hatred is not welcome here”.
Hobgoblin Music on Queen’s Road also announced it would be closed for the protests.
Sussex Police estimated around 300 Stop The Boats protesters were in attendance, with roughly 4,000 protesters part of the Carnival Against Fascism.
The force also confirmed that five arrests had been made during the protests.
The scenes in Brighton on Saturday, June 13, as Stop the Boats and Carnival Against Fascism protesters clashed in the city centre (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)
Speaking to The Argus following the event, one Brighton local – who wished to remain anonymous – shared their feelings about the day.
They said: “There was a bit of anger manifesting in the crowd, but also it was quite joyous and kind of a party, carnival atmosphere.
“I liked the way that the crowd thanked the police towards the end of the afternoon, once they had brought all the fascists up here and got them safely on the train.
“It was a real scene when everyone was waving them goodbye, let’s put it that way. It just summed up Brighton’s attitude to the far right.”
Another woman attending the protest described their “pride” in the city’s turnout.
They said: “I feel that today’s protests have shown what the community of Brighton is all about.
“I feel really proud in how everyone’s responded and the number of people which have turned out. It’s been a great day.”
The scenes in Brighton on Saturday, June 13, as Stop the Boats and Carnival Against Fascism protesters clashed in the city centre (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)
Both marches began to gather near Brighton train station at around 10.30am, with members of South East Patriots gathering outside The Railway Bell pub and opposing protesters on the other side, divided by lines of police officers.
One was seen tackled to the ground by police during protests in the morning.
There were also clashes between protesters, with an eye witness describing how the scene “was getting a bit violent”.
Throughout the day, the protests moved across the city with the Carnival Against Fascism’s aim to “turn the far-right away” by blocking their route.
Smaller blocks of protesters also gathered along Queen’s Road, with many enjoying live music, dancing, and chanting.
A pop-up DJ set was also held near Brighton station, where Fatboy Slim was later seen joining in with the festivities.
Later in the day, protesters gathered outside the Sussex Yeoman pub, on Guildford Road, where they blocked in members of the Stop the Boats protest group.
The Sussex Yeoman pub in Guildford Road (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)
During the protest, Sussex Police confirmed officers had deployed riot shields after items were thrown at them.
It said: “As a result of items being thrown towards officers and protesters, officers are now deployed with additional protective equipment.
“We will not tolerate our officers or the public being put in danger by such behaviours, and will be responding accordingly.”
However, the protests were drawn to a close when Stop the Boats protesters became kettled – a police tactic where officers form a block around people to control their movements – under the railway bridge, on Trafalgar Street.
With this, the majority returned back to the station, which was greeted with huge celebration and cheers from those taking part in the Carnival Against Fascism.
Smaller breakout groups remained, however, including one with around 40 attendees on Hove Lawns.
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