Police were out in force in Bolton town centre on Sunday afternoon amid heated far-right and counter demonstrations. A far-right group had gathered around the area from Newport Street leading onto Victoria Square in front of the town hall. Counter-protesters had also gathered around Oxford Street leading onto the square with police granted special powers to order people to leave the area.
Chief Inspector Natasha Evans said: “We have been working with organisers of pre-planned protests to help facilitate peaceful and lawful protests, to prevent serious disruption and ensure everyone can go about their lives without fear or risk of harm. Police with dogs on Bradshawgate (Image: Phil Taylor) “We will continue to have an increased police presence around these areas to deal with any incidents that may arise, and with these additional powers, officers are more equipped to intervene early to ensure people feel safe and are safe. The far-right group had gathered as part of a self-styled “Enough is Enough: Stand up for Country” rally.
Police at Victoria Square (Image: Phil Taylor) Many of the counter-protesters opposing the group had brought with them Bolton United for Peace placards. Bolton Unison secretary Andrea Egan said that she had come to the counter-protest to represented her union and to show that the town was united against the far-right. Also attending the counter-protest was Eileen Murphy.
She said: "It very distressing that after the dreadful thing that happened i.