Britain First rally to face large counter-protest in Birmingham city centre - West Midlands Police issue update

A counter-protest has been launched to oppose the upcoming Britain First rally in Birmingham this weekend.

Far-right group Britain First is scheduled to visit Birmingham on Saturday for a rally in the city centre.

Earlier this week, the far-right group attributed the ‘political action’ to the deaths of Henry Nowak and the attempted beheading in Belfast, citing them both as the reason for the rally.

The announcement of the rally was met with immediate backlash from some members of the public, with a counter-protest quickly being organised for the same day.

Now, 2,700 people have confirmed their attendance on behalf of the ‘Stop Fascist Britain First in Birmingham’ counter-protest, opposing Britain First’s message of ‘remigration and mass deportation’.

The rally description read: “On Saturday, June 20, the far-right hate group, Britain First, plans to bring its message to Birmingham, calling for the ‘remigration and mass deportations’ [sic].

“This is a thinly veiled threat against half of the population of Birmingham.

“The united march in London on May 16 outnumbered the far-right, and we can do the same in Birmingham.

“We need to rally in large numbers in a peaceful demonstration to show we are the majority.

“We reject the politics of racism, hate and division. Our city is proudly diverse, built by working-class people, black, white, brown, local people and migrants from all over the world.

“The threat from the far-right is now greater than ever, but we’ve mobilised before, many times, and we will keep doing it.”

The counter-protest group plans to take to the streets at 11am, one hour before Britain First is set to launch their protest.

West Midlands Police have said that they are aware of the protests and have organised a planned operation that will see an increase in police presence across the city centre.

Assistant chief constable Sarah Burton said: “Our officers police without fear or favour, which means we uphold the law impartially and treat everybody fairly.

"We want to reassure all local communities that we understand how events such as those taking place this weekend could cause genuine fear and anxiety.

"Our primary job is to protect the public from harm, and whilst we are legally obliged to facilitate people's rights to protest, we are clear that any behaviour or speech that crosses into criminality will be dealt with appropriately.

“West Midlands Police is experienced in policing large gatherings, including protests, and significant resources are in place as we work alongside our city partners to ensure local people, businesses, and visitors can go about their day with minimum disruption.

“Local officers will be on hand to help as usual in the city centre, and I would urge anyone with concerns about this weekend to speak to them.”

The force said that they plan to facilitate a peaceful demonstration, but will intervene appropriately should any criminality take place.