The heavy police presence in Southampton city centre yesterday told of concerns over an anti-asylum seeker demonstration which was set to unite ‘patriot’ groups from Southampton, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and Bournemouth – along with a counter-demo. However, ultimately there was little disruption to shopping expeditions to the...
Articles with the Tag Stand Up To Racism
Reader’s letter: I want the same human rights for a stranger as I want for my own children
By Southampton resident (details supplied). I first became aware that there were weekly protests outside an asylum seekers’ hotel in Portswood when I saw people gathering outside Highfield House Hotel, protesting against people seeking refuge here. Other people were turning up to counter-protest. I have lived in the area...
Interview: Jennie Formby, former general secretary of the Labour Party, shares the hope she finds in the Green Party
Words: Sally Churchward. Pictures: Chris Moorhouse. Jennie Formby is far from the first person to leave the Labour Party in favour of the Greens in recent years. But she’s probably the only one whose defection has made national headlines. It’s six years since her time as General Secretary of...
Cheers from the gallery as Southampton Reform councillor withdraws flag banning motion
By Sally Churchward. Additional reporting by Joy McKay. Image: Orlagh Scorey Auckland. Cheers and claps rung out in a Southampton City Council meeting this afternoon when Reform councillor Philip Crook withdrew a controversial motion to ban all flags except the Union Jack, St George Cross and Southampton City flags...
Unity in the Community march was a musical celebration of refugees in Southampton
Words: Sally Churchward. Images: Chris Moorhouse. Sunday afternoon’s Unity in the Community – Refugee Celebration March saw some 50 to 60 people march in the blazing sunshine from Southampton’s Civic Centre to Mayflower Park. It was a joyous, musical celebration of the resilience of refugees and asylum-seekers and a...
Unity in the Community – Refugee Celebration march to take place in Southampton this weekend
Southampton’s diverse cultural heritage will be celebrated this weekend. July 2026 marks 75 years since the United Nations Refugee Convention was signed in 1951, defining what it means to be a refugee and how countries like the UK should offer sanctuary to those fleeing fear, conflict or persecution. However...
March and counter-demonstration in Southampton go off peacefully
After the violent scenes on the streets of Southampton at a demonstration following the verdict in trial of Henry Nowak’s murder, the huge police presence on the streets of Portswood and beyond yesterday (20/6/26) was unsurprising. And it was a relief that the UKIP/Southampton Patriots vigil and march and...
Anti-racist community unity demonstration planned for Southampton this weekend
Picture shows anti-racism demonstrators in Southampton in October 2025. Southampton anti-racist and community groups are holding a demonstration calling for community unity this weekend. A counter-demonstration organised by one of the groups, Southampton Stand Up To Racism, is also being held on Wednesday evening (17/6/26). Both events will be...
Southampton police issue a statement about ongoing anti-asylum seeker demonstrations and counter protests
Ahead of an anticipated further anti-asylum seeker protest and community unity demonstration tomorrow (3/4/26), Superintendent Alex Charge, District Commander for Southampton police, has made a statement on the ongoing demonstrations, which have been taking place since early summer last year. In a statement posted today (2/4/26) on social media,...
Following RNLI protest, anti-asylum gathering and unity demonstrations back in Southampton on Friday
Following protests against the RNLI in Poole at the weekend and last Friday’s gathering outside a hotel in Portswood housing asylum seekers placed there by the Home Office, both of which saw anti-asylum seeker protesters vastly outnumbered by counter demonstrators, another gathering and counter demo are planned for Friday...