Video: Petition to ban March for England from Brighton smashes 4,000 target

A petition calling on Sussex Police to ban the March for England has reached its 4,000 target less than a day after being published.

The plea, which was posted on the 38degrees website, was posted yesterday (Tuesday April 29) after Sunday’s event saw nationalists and counter-protesters clash in the city centre.

Exclusive video footage shot by Brighton-based documentary makers Racked Entertainment shows bottles, chairs and tables thrown in one incident outside The Dorset in Gardner Street, Brighton.

The clips will form part of a film to be shown on Brighton’s Latest TV when it launches in summer.

Despite the disruption to local businesses and the wave of public support against it taking place, senior police figures have previously claimed it would be near impossible to ban people exercising their natural right to protest.

According to the petition: “In 2014 and 2013 the reported cost of policing this group was £1million in Brighton alone.

“There were 27 arrests during the 2014 march, and several violent clashes bringing injury to bystanders and destruction to property.

“The marchers often stay in town once the march is over and create an atmosphere of intimidation, often resulting in further violence.

“It is clear that the people of Brighton do not want the March to take place, and make their presence known along the route.

“Free speech is important in our country, nobody wants to deny peaceful protest no matter how abhorrent the opinions of the protesters are to us.

“But when a protest consistently brings violence, stands for racism, hatred of minorities and scapegoating, AND costs the tax payer hundreds of thousands of pounds to police, it’s time to put an end to it.

“They are disturbing the peace and inciting hatred, and we want to stop them marching through our town.”

The petition will be presented in person to Brighton police station.

A March for England has taken place in Brighton by nationalists on a Sunday close to St George’s Day for the past seven years.

Despite some claiming those protesting had links to the far-right EDL, those organising the march have always claimed that it was free from hardline extremists.

This weekend’s event saw 27 people were arrested and two officers injured in an operation estimated to cost about £500,000.

Sussex Police said this afternoon (Wednesday April 30) that three people had been charged.

In a statement published on its website before the march, Sussex Police said it could only ban such events by applying for a special order to the home secretary.

It said: “It is a challenge to balance the rights of both groups to exercise their right to protest in a safe environment.

“The extreme option of seeking a banning order through the Home Secretary can only be taken when serious disorder cannot be prevented with the resources and legislation already available.”

“Serious disorder means widespread violent behaviour. Whilst there have been small pockets of disorder in previous years, these were contained by increasing the number of officers in the city.”

Conservative councillor Geoffrey Theobald told The Latest: “I’ve been calling for the last two years for the march to be moved away from our shop window – the seafront.

“I put forward a notice of motion to the Council last year and again this year but didn’t get any support.

“I think the police should consider moving it elsewhere. My main concern is for the businesses, the restaurant owners and the hoteliers, who suffer. It also paints our city in a bad light.

“Anyone seeing those scenes would probably think twice about visiting.

“However, banning the march outright would be a dangerous move – who is it that chooses which group is banned and which isn’t. It’s a slippery slope.”

—For more details on Racked Entertainment visit www.youtube.com/user/RackedEntertainment.