One arrest was made as people gathered for two protests in a town centre today.
A demonstration, billed as “March Against Illegals Housed in Kent” began at around 1pm in King Street in Maidstone.
Protesters gathered in Maidstone. Picture: Google
The group was later spotted in Week Street and the High Street, where chants including “send them back home” and “whose street? Our street?” could be heard.
They were met by counter-protesters outside the Metro Bank in Week Street, chanting “racists are not welcome here” and “this is what community looks like”.
Kent Police confirmed officers attended the planned protest, and a 30-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.
He remains in custody while inquiries continue.
The Maidstone march took place on the same day as a series of demonstrations across the UK.
Thousands of people also took to the streets in Brighton, Glasgow and Belfast.
In Belfast, the protests followed several days of unrest across the city in the wake of a stabbing attack in which Stephen Ogilvie lost an eye and suffered deep cuts to his head, face and back.