Portsmouth Braces for Rival Migration Protests
Portsmouth Braces for Rival Migration Protests
The News
Anti-migrant protesters marched in Portsmouth, England, on Saturday as police warned that anyone covering their face would be committing an offense and could be arrested.
Two rival anti-migrant groups converged on the city alongside a counter-protest organized by the Stand Up To Racism campaign, according to The Sun.
The marches follow earlier unrest in the city, and Hampshire Police vowed to make more arrests.
Timeline
Anti-migrant protests in Portsmouth turned disorderly, prompting police to prepare tougher measures for the next round of demonstrations.
Deputy Chief Constable Andy Mariner said officers were "absolutely ready" to use powers to ban face coverings ahead of the fresh protests, The Independent reported.
Del Leon Somerville, 42, appeared in court accused of throwing a bottle and kicking out at a police officer during the earlier anti-migrant protests, the BBC reported.
Protesters marched through Portsmouth as police repeated the warning on face coverings and vowed further arrests, the Daily Mail reported.
Reactions
Hampshire Police's Deputy Chief Constable Andy Mariner said the force was "absolutely ready" to use its powers to ban face coverings at the demonstrations.
The Independent reported that anti-migrant protesters were plotting ways to get around the face mask ban ahead of the march.
Stand Up To Racism organized the counter-protest against the two anti-migrant groups descending on the city.
What's Next
Police have signaled more arrests are likely, and the case against Del Leon Somerville, 42, moves through the courts on charges of throwing a bottle and kicking out at an officer.
The face-covering powers remain the flashpoint: officers say wearing one at the protest is an arrestable offense, and organizers have looked for ways around it.
More
Portsmouth is a naval port city on England's south coast, and the demonstrations there are part of a broader wave of migration protests that have drawn both large street turnouts and organized counter-marches across Britain.
Poll
Should police be able to ban face coverings at protests?
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