A PEACEFUL protest was disrupted by a self-styled "militant" group yesterday, with one person arrested during the police operation.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Southampton on Saturday to voice their solidarity with refugees and their dismay at austerity.

Members of groups including the Southampton Trade Unionists Coalition and Momentum met at the Bargate monument before marching through the city streets.

But dozens of members of the anti-fascist group Antifa also attended, dressed in all black and wearing masks to cover their faces.

Several of these people were involved in scuffles with the police, pushing and shoving them, and at one point attacked a taxi as it left Southampton Central Station.

A spokesperson for Hampshire police said: "When we are informed about any rally or possible protest we plan carefully to police them in the most appropriate way.

"This is to make sure people are able to exercise their right to demonstrate, without the need for police intervention to protect or in some cases, restrict those rights and also to make sure the event is peaceful. 

"This is what we have planned for this demonstration and we are pleased this worked successfully today. 

"We had the appropriate resources deployed to manage the rallies.

"One person was arrested today during the policing operation but this was for a matter unrelated to today’s protests."

The spokesperson added: "Working with British Transport Police we carefully managed access to Southampton Central Railway Station to make sure there was no opportunity for confrontation between the groups involved." 

Daily Echo:

A masked member of the group, who was handing out leaflets on what to do if you are arrested, told the Daily Echo: "The masks are for our own protection, we don't really want to get our faces seen and to be targeted.

"We don't tell everyone to wear masks but that is what we do.

"We are militant in our aims and we will use self defence, and we won't walk away.

"These fascists don't just demonstrate, they attack people, but we are not hoping for violence."

The protest had been organised as a counter demonstration against a march organised by far right groups South Coast Resistance and the Pie and Mash Squad on the same day.

But the groups were not seen on the streets of Southampton yesterday in significant numbers.

Later in the day, Pie and Mash squad posted a picture of a group of men onboard a train with bandanas over their faces. They were making obscene hand gestures with a caption appearing to taunt the Antifa group.

Despite there not being a rival march to protest against, there where outbreaks of violence between masked protesters and the police, who at one point drew their truncheons on the demonstrators who were trying to get past them.

The masked protesters also banged and hit a taxi as it was attempting to get past them and at the end of the rally they let off a red smoke bomb.

The mood between masked marchers and police was tense throughout the day as law enforcement attempted to direct the rally, while some demonstrators squared off with police and tried to get round them.

The vast majority of demonstrators were peaceful and said they were there to show their solidarity with refugees and migrants who may feel they have an uncertain future in post-Brexit Britain.

Daily Echo:

Nick Chaffey, the chair of the Southampton Trade Union and Socialist Coalition, said: "We want to live in a community where people can be confident in school, work and their community without discrimination or prejudice.

"The South Coast Resistance are a tiny group of people who represent racism but if their ideas go unchallenged it leaves a vacuum.

"Facism is a policy that aims to destroy the ordinary working class." 

Cllr Satvir Kaur, the city council's cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure spoke at the rally.

She told the Daily Echo: "It is really good to see so many people here today and there is a real sense of solidarity from all different parts of Southampton.

"There are a lot of people here today not just for an anti-fascist march, but because a lot migrant people in the community are feeling more sensitive post-Brexit, and this is showing solidarity with them.

"Despite the stats of hate crimes not rising in the city these are lived experiences and I hope everyone who witnesses or experiences any hate crime reports it so that it does not become the norm."