Sheffield protests: Everything you need to know as right-wing protesters gather in the city centre
This is everything you need to know about the latest protests in Sheffield today, Wednesday, August 7.
A number of protesters gathered outside Sheffield City Hall at Barker’s Pool this afternoon following rumours of an anti-immigration rally taking place today.
There were said to be around two dozen protesters at the scene from around 1pm to 2.50pm, and there were many police officers with riot gear.
A large number of counter protesters from Stand Up to Racism among other organisations also gathered at the scene. They were seen holding placards that read phrases such as “refugees welcome”, and “black lives matter”.
It came after a weekend of disorder where around 750 people attended an anti-immigration protest at the Holiday Inn Express in Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, on Sunday, which quickly became violent. A much smaller rally also took place in Sheffield.
Seven people have since been charged in connection with the disorder, and police have warned “there will be further arrests in the coming days”.
What has South Yorkshire Police said?
An increased number of police officers are on the streets of Sheffield and Rotherham today.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “In light of the violent disorder seen on Sunday, [this] is causing significant concerns within communities. Please be assured we are continuing to closely monitor the situation and we have plans in place to respond to any disorder.
“You will have already seen a larger number of officers on the streets of South Yorkshire as our Neighbourhood Policing Teams patrol across the county. Our officers are there to provide reassurance and we are also talking to, and hearing from, faith and community leaders around our policing operation.
“Alongside planning for potential further disorder, we have officers working around the clock to identify those involved in the horrendous scenes we saw at the weekend.”
Closures in Sheffield City Centre
Lots of city centre businesses announced that they would be closed for the day amid fears for staff and customers’ safety. Events have also been cancelled.
We have been listing those confirmed in the article here.
Some disruptions to public transport has also been seen today due to the protest. This included First Bus’s X3 service, which the firm has since announced has reverted back to its normal service.
Why are the protests and riots taking place?
Much of England has seen riots in recent days following the killings of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29.
Axel Rudakubana, aged 18, has been charged with their murders alongside 10 counts of attempted murder. His identity was initially not revealed by police due to him being 17 when he was arrested.
Before his identity was revealed, false claims that Rudakubana was a Muslim and asylum seeker circulated online, provoking anger among the far-right