Joan* can think of many other things she’d be happy to do with her Friday evening. But tonight, as with most other Fridays since early summer, she’s made the short journey from her home and is standing on a street in Portswood, to show her support for asylum seekers in a nearby hotel.
“I’m here because they’re here,” she says, gesticulating towards the crowd of around 40 ‘Southampton Patriots’ on the other side of the street, who are playing loud, somewhat retro pop music – James, Oasis, Kings of Leon, Pink Floyd – waving Union Jacks and St George Cross flags and shouting – sometimes at the hotel housing asylum seekers that they’re lined up in front of, sometimes at the significantly larger crowd of counter-protesters.
The crowd numbers vary week to week. At tonight’s gathering, the counter-demonstrators outnumber the anti-migration protesters by about three to one. There are also around 20 police on site, with another van available if needed.
There’s a friendly atmosphere amongst the counter-protesters. Many are involved in community life in the city – volunteers with local charities, a vicar from a nearby church, musicians – and some know each other from before the anti-migration protests, and counter-demonstrations, became a regular feature of Highfield Lane on a Friday evening.
Despite popular but inexplicable rumours amongst those who support the anti-migrant protesters, everyone I speak to is local – some live a few minutes’ walk away, others have driven the short distance from other areas of the city – Shirley, Woolston, Northam, Swaythling – close by but a bit too far to walk. After the event I see claims of a bus, but there is no bus, no hint of paid actors, hired as a rent-a-mob – just local people who want to make a stand for something they believe in.
The counter-protesters don’t engage in direct confrontation with those on the other side of the street. Rather, there’s some coordinated chanting – tonight’s is ‘no more hate, no more fear, refugees are welcome here,’ but mostly they’re here to make a stand against the rhetoric on the other side of the street through their presence.
Ore, who lives nearby, has been to the counter-demonstrations a few times.
“I want to show I don’t agree,” he says.
“If you go on social media, what they say can seem to be the dominant opinion. Many political parties have moved to an anti-immigrant stance. I’m here to show I don’t agree with that – refugees should be welcomed and treated better.
“And I value having the democratic right to protest.”
“I’ve been coming regularly, every other week,” says Louise.
“I live locally and we want to show solidarity to the people in there (the hotel housing asylum seekers), who are being subjected to intimidation.
“There is a real feeling of community on this side of the road,” she says, adding that there are plenty of familiar faces to chat with.
“I hope that the people in there know how many people are standing with them.”
John* addresses the popular myth amongst anti-migrant protesters that they’re bussed in actors: “They say ‘when are your coaches coming’ but we are local people on this side of the road – we know a lot of them personally.”
A nearby woman adds: “I’ve been living here for 5 years. We knew they were in the hotel but it has never been an issue.
“I can hear the shouting from my living room and walk up to the protest.”
John notes that students coming down the road from the nearby university generally choose to walk through the counter protesters rather than on the other side of the street, citing the difference in atmosphere.
Indeed, I see several groups and individuals cross to the counter-protesters’ side of the street, whilst I only see one person remain on the hotel side to walk past the ripple of St George’s Cross and Union Jack flags on that side of the street.
I also noticed two families – one with very young children – standing at their gates as the counter protesters walk past en masse, having gathered beforehand at Highfield Church, seemingly to watch them go by, smiling at members of the group and later walking through them.
John adds that the anti-migration protesters have a mistaken view of immigration.
“My mother is in a care home,” he says.
“If people didn’t come to the UK to be carers, my mum and her fellow residents would really struggle. The image they’ve got of immigration is completely at odds with reality.”
Adnan, a volunteer with Southampton Stand Up To Racism, one of the organisers of the counter demos, is proud to see the community come together for the weekly gatherings – and additional events such as the emergency counter protest that was planned for the following day.
“It’s amazing to see the solidarity from the people of Southampton, week in, week out,” he says. “It shows people in Southampton are very against racism, hate and division.
“We have people from all different backgrounds and ages and that’s something we’re very proud of.
“We love that people are standing against hate and for a City of Sanctuary.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Paul, who says: “ I think it’s important to show solidarity. We are a City of Sanctuary and we are a multi-racial country.”
One woman I talk to is at her first demonstration. She hadn’t intended to come, but drove past on her way to Sainsburys, and felt compelled to join in the counter-demonstration.
“You can’t let racism and inhumanity stand without opposing it,” she explains.
“I think a lot of them just jump on the bandwagon. It’s important to show the oppressed that they don’t stand alone. There are people who stand for unity over division.”
It’s a sentiment shared by many, including Nikki from asylum seeker and refugee support group, Southampton Action.
“It’s important that the people in the asylum hotel know that they aren’t alone and people welcome them. I personally know a lot of the people in the hotel and I know how scared they are.”
Carol* has been to almost every demonstration. “I’m here to support immigrants who need as much help as they can get, not abuse,” she says simply.
Meanwhile, many of the counter-protesters are concerned about the social and political direction the country is going in.
“I feel the government has appeased them,” Tim says of the wider anti-immigration movement.
Peter feels very worried. “This country is creeping towards fascism if we’re not careful.”
At around 6pm, about half-an hour after the counter-protesters arrive, the ‘Southampton Patriots’ turn to face the hotel, chanting that refugees aren’t welcome and a song using an expletive to describe Keir Starmer.
One man holds up a large pixelated sign, displaying various slogans. For a while, it’s ‘stop the boats’, in rainbow colours. At another point it says ‘how many jabs have you had?’.
Most of those gathered are waving Union Jacks or England flags. One man has both, plus another large homemade flag stating that Keir Starmer is a **** in bright colours, to which a criticism of Gary Neville has been added with less care, in black marker.
They also call the counter-demonstrators traitors and paedophiles – the inexplicable chant ‘never trust a lefty with your kids’ is met with indifference from the counter-demonstrators, who have been briefed in advance to avoid entering into direct confrontation but to stick to the group chants, ‘no hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here,’ as and when.
Counter-protester Rosie talks about how threatening the anti-immigration protesters can feel.
Attendees describe how the group used to walk together back to Highfield Church at the end of the demonstration, but recently a group of ‘Patriots’ surged up the road in front of them as they were leaving, creating a potential physical confrontation.
Now the counter-protesters leave in small groups at a time, with the police still lining the streets. It feels safer.
“They say ‘our streets’ but the streets don’t belong to them alone,” says John.
“The people on the other side of the road project hate,” adds Rosie.
“They say they want to protect women and kids but I’ve never suffered as much aggression from anyone as I have from them.”
One of the organisers, Parveen, stresses the importance of focusing on inclusion, not division, and that includes not calling political opponents names or looking to get into battles, verbal or otherwise, with them.
“We don’t want our community to be divided,” she says with passion. “We’re here not for hate – not in Southampton, not in England, not in our hearts.
“We should look after each other. We welcome everyone – we welcome them too. We want to make sure Southampton is a place for everyone. We’re not here to be negative.
“We don’t shout things about them – we say ‘no hate, no fear’.
“When white British people go to other countries, they’re made welcome. It’s good to integrate and learn from each other – different cultures, different food.
“I don’t know why they have so much hate. I feel sad that some of them are struggling but so are a lot of the people on this side of the road.
“We chant ‘stop the hate’. There’s no room for hate.”
After around an hour, word goes round the counter-demonstrators that it’s time to get into groups and head off. As we walk past two of the police in attendance, friendly ‘good nights’ are exchanged between officers and counter-demonstrators. I chat to one of the group, who is heavily involved in a local charity, about what he does away from demonstrations. He drops his sign off for the organisers to collect in for next time – his friends remind him he could have hung onto it for the counter demonstration the next day, when a larger group of ‘South Coast Patriots’ is planning a march through the local high street and another rally outside the hotel.
The counter-protesters will be back the next day, and next Friday, and the Friday after. They will keep coming as long as the anti-migrant demonstrations continue, to stand against division, and share a message of welcome, hope and community.
* Some counter-protesters requested that their real name not be published.
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