UPDATE: In a dramatic turn of events, thousands of anti-racism protesters took to the streets across England on Wednesday night, in response to a week of anti-immigrant rioting and disorder. The peaceful demonstrations have brought a temporary sense of relief to a country on edge.
Anti-racism protests sweep Britain after far-right riots | REUTERS
Rallies in potential hotspots such as north London, Bristol and Newcastle were largely peaceful. Counter-protesters, chanting “refugees are welcome here,” made up the majority of the crowd, helping to defuse tensions in areas where anti-immigration protests were expected, the BBC reports.
Police had prepared for further violence and deployed thousands of officers across the country, but the events of the evening were peaceful.
"We've put thousands of officers on the streets and I think the show of force from the police and frankly the show of unity from the communities, together, has overcome the challenges that we've seen," Mark Rowley, commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, told the BBC. "It was very peaceful last night. There were a couple of local criminals who turned up in a couple of locations to create some anti-social behaviour and we made a few arrests. But it was a very successful night and the fears of far-right disorder were allayed. A successful operation thanks to the communities and the police."
