Police will respond 'safely and robustly' to any possible disruption in Blackpool, ahead of planned targeted protests this week.
The Blackpool Lead understands potential further protest in Blackpool is one of 39 co-ordinated far-right protests planned to take place across England all of which claim to target legal professional services connected with immigration and asylum.
Language shared in the promotion of said events is highly hateful and The Blackpool Lead will not be repeating the location, time or date of those events.
A spokesperson for Lancashire police said: “We are monitoring information at a local and national level around possible disruption, enabling us to have the right level of resources on duty to respond to any incidents safely and robustly in Lancashire, where required to do so.
“We continue to work with communities and partners to ensure we are ready to respond to any concerns or incidents and have been grateful for the public’s support.
“If there are outbreaks of disorder, we will robustly investigate any offences committed to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
“If anyone has any information regarding pre-planned disorder or criminality, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The commitment from police to manage any disruption robustly comes alongside a strong statement that any disorder in Blackpool ‘will not be tolerated’.
Lawyers have urged the Prime Minister and senior ministers to address concerns about the safety of immigration advice centres and legal firms offering immigration advice - after a list circulated online listed more than 30 places with planned demonstrations on Wednesday evening including in Blackpool.
Of 22 people arrested across the county on Saturday, 20 of those were in Blackpool. Three of those people have since pleaded guilty to offences related to the disorder and will be sentenced next month.
Police have said they expect there to be further arrests and that the events have ‘nothing to do with legitimate protests’ or the events in Southport last Monday.
Councillor Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said: "The violent scenes we saw were devastating, and are not a reflection of Blackpool and who we are.
"They do not represent our town, our people, our values of respect, friendliness, hospitality and inclusivity. Instead they undermine those values. While everyone has a right to express their views, that must be done, peacefully ,constructively and responsibly, the intent of the behaviour today seeks to erode the trust we have in one another. The disruption and impact on our residents, our businesses, our visitors is not acceptable.
"To the police, thank you for your service and commitment today, also to our council officers and staff.
"We are a welcoming inclusive town, our differences make us stronger and I know that we will move on from this with a renewed determination to respect one another and be kind. Any form of intolerance, violence and discrimination is not welcome in Blackpool."
There's lots of ways you can support our work as The Blackpool Lead, from a one-off donation, to a monthly payment through to shopping for The Lead branded merchandise too. It all helps support our independent, in-depth, journalism.
See our special edition which was sent to subscribers during Sunday morning, focused on the scenes of disorder from Saturday.
The Blackpool Lead is now on Substack.
Become a Member, and get our most groundbreaking content first. Become a Founder, and join the newsroom’s internal conversation - meet the writers, the editors and more.
