During the peaceful demonstration by UKIP at Bargate in Southampton many ‘anti racism’ protestors appeared wearing sunglasses and face coverings with the intent of disrupting and intimidating free speech and right to protest. Interestingly the bulk of the police time and presence was spent containing these individuals who set out to disrupt free speech.
One demonstration goer Sarah from Romsey said she found it very intimidating coming to a peaceful talk and being faced down by gangs of hooded and ‘masked youths aggressively shouting obscenities towards the gathering’. Southampton Police were forced to contain most of the Anti-racism protesters and hold them in.
The UK government has recently announced new powers allowing police to arrest protesters who wear face coverings, marking a significant shift in protest policing. Southampton Police advised if they did arrest anyone, the scale of arrests could get out of hand and incite the event. So the safety of the UKIP protesters was deemed inferior to the safety of the ‘anti-racism’ protestors. This could add to the calls of ‘two tier’ policing in the UK under Keir Starmer.
And why do protesters cover their faces? Anti-fascist and anti-racist organisers often cite personal safety as their primary reason for wearing masks. With modern surveillance technology and the rise of far-right groups documenting protests, many activists fear identification could lead to harassment or workplace discrimination.
It seems particularly strange that the Southampton authorities allowed a demonstration to occur next to the UKIP march with the sole intention of disturbing it. Making it hard for any neutral observers to listen to what was being said and make up their own minds, as is the case in a democratic country. Has the UK descended into a fascist state where no free speech is allowed?
