Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Police vow to break up planned anti-lockdown protests in UK cities

Police vow to break up planned anti-lockdown protests in UK cities

Identity of organisers is unclear, but experts warn of cross-pollination with far-right ideas
Police have said they will break up anti-lockdown protests advertised on social media for this weekend if necessary, amid warnings that the events could be exploited by the far right.

Flyers for around 60 protests to be held in parks in cities such as Manchester, Leicester and Southampton have circulated online, produced by the little-known “UK Freedom Movement” which aims to say “no to the new normal and no to the unlawful lockdown”.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester police said: “We have patrol plans in place throughout the area to respond to these protests if required.” Similar comments have been made by several other forces.

Rules on physical distancing mean no large-scale gatherings are permitted. People are allowed to meet just one other person from outside their household at a time, and must keep two metres apart.

It is not clear who is behind the flyers, which also say “no to mandatory vaccines”, and police are unsure how seriously to take them. But there are warnings that they tap into coronavirus arguments swirling on the far right.

Police sources told the Guardian there was a “cross-pollination” between anti-lockdown sentiment and the far right.

On Thursday Jayda Fransen, a former deputy leader of the extremist anti-Muslim group Britain First, highlighted a monthold YouTube channel called the British Freedom Movement on her Telegram feed. She is also the sole director of a company created at the end of last month called Freedom Movement Ltd.

Although she did not claim to be behind the weekend flyers, Fransen is one of a number of far-right figures who are trying to win support by opposing the lockdown.

One of the YouTube videos from Fransen’s organisation announces that she is launching a “free advocacy service” aimed at “my people” and anyone subjected to “tyrannical and unlawful policing” during the lockdown.

Unlike in the US, anti-lockdown protests have so far been minimal in the UK. Police broke up a protest by around 50 people in Westminster on Saturday carrying banners and messages ranging from “no consent” to 5G conspiracy theories.

Hope Not Hate, an anti-extremism campaign group, said that while it did not believe the latest planned protests were organised by the far right, it did say there was a big risk of cross-pollination, partly because of the narratives being promoted around the groups.

Patrik Hermansson, from Hope Not Hate, said: “We already see far-right narratives occasionally spread in these groups, antisemitic conspiracy theories etc. A rise in conspiracy theory will almost inevitably lead to rise in things like antisemitic conspiracy theory, and what we are seeing is very much in line with that.”

The former BNP leader Nick Griffin has been criticising “Covidcops” and encouraging people to “smash the lockdown” on his Twitter feed in the past couple of weeks, while Tommy Robinson filmed himself criticising police for setting up a mobile speed camera, claiming it unfairly targeted key workers.

Tackling far-right extremism represents a growing proportion of the work undertaken by counter-terrorism police and MI5. The security service was handed the lead responsibility to tackle the threat in 2018, and last year among six violent terror plots it disrupted, three were from the far right.

Experts and police have cautioned that people have had more time to engage with extremist material during the crisis. Jacob Davey, of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said: “The concern is that while the whole population has been locked down it creates the opportunity for people to be radicalised by rightwing content.”

There is some anecdotal evidence that traffic to far-right sites has grown. The ISD said an international white supremacist Telegram channel focusing on coronavirus grew its user base from 300 to 2,700 people in a month.

Police are also concerned that fewer people are making referrals to the government’s anti-radicalisation Prevent programme during lockdown. Around a quarter of cases referred to Prevent related to the far right.

Ch Supt Nik Adams, the national coordinator for Prevent, said: “Isolation may exacerbate grievances that make people more vulnerable to radicalisation, such as financial insecurity or social alienation. The extremists and radicalisers know this and, as ever, will look to exploit any opportunity to lead those people into harm, often using topical issues as hooks to lure them in.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×