{"id":16711,"date":"2026-04-18T17:27:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T17:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/16711\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T17:27:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T17:27:17","slug":"hundreds-at-britain-first-demo-and-counter-demo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/16711\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds at Britain First demo and counter demo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hundreds of people gathered for a Britain First march through Manchester city centre, with counter-protests also being held and disruption caused to tram services.<\/p>\n

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) arrested three people and said hundreds of officers had been “across the city to safely facilitate” the demonstrations.<\/p>\n

There had been a “significantly increased police presence” following similar protests in February, when nine men were arrested after altercations between groups, the force said.<\/p>\n

Tram services were temporarily disrupted as Britain First protesters marched from Manchester Piccadilly railway station and counter-protesters gathered in Piccadilly Gardens.<\/p>\n

A GMP spokesman said “the number of attendees were fewer than expected but there were still around 1,000 protesters and counter-protestors in total”.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the force said: “The vast majority of both sides caused no issues for our officers.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Police said the “vast majority caused no issues” [Getty Images]<\/p>\n

Police said two males had been detained in separate incidents involving counter-protesters, with one held on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and the other on suspicion of failing to provide details after a request that they remove their face covering.<\/p>\n

One woman was detained on suspicion of breaching the peace although the force said it was unclear if she was part of either group.<\/p>\n

Officers said some counter-protesters had “attempted to break police lines and attempted to throw punches”.<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/p>\n

Counter-protesters held a rally at Piccadilly Gardens [Getty Images]<\/p>\n

There have been no reports of any members of the public being injured.<\/p>\n

Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson said: “Thanks to the efforts of our officers on the ground and the planning done with our partners, hundreds of people from a range of groups were able to come together safely, with no significant issues reported.<\/p>\n

“I hope the work of our officers and partners meant that the general public were able to enjoy their day in Manchester city centre without significant disruption, and I thank them for their cooperation and patience.”<\/p>\n

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds<\/a> and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.<\/p>\n

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