They Wanted Us to Kettle Ourselves

The protest pen that had been set up by Hull City Council for counter-protesters

At Hull's far-right protest, police urged counter-protesters into a restrictive pen, exposing dangerous priorities and unfair treatment.

On Saturday, the 16th of August, Hull saw yet another "concerned citizens" protest in the city centre. As counter-protesters, we gathered to show that our city rejects hate and division. But instead of protecting us, Humberside Police and Hull City Council tried to force us into a situation that would have left us trapped and vulnerable.

Just before 11 am, a Police Liaison Officer told us that they wanted us to move into a fenced-off area - a so-called "protest pen". In reality, it would have meant fencing ourselves in, surrounded on all sides, with no real exit. We refused. And we were right to. We knew the far-right would eventually make their way across towards us. And they did. Had we been inside the pen, we would have been completely kettled, with no way out if things escalated. The police response? Little to nothing.

It feels worth mentioning that when their numbers began to lessen, we had many of their protesters come across and begin harassing us - putting phone cameras in our faces, hurling abuse, minimising the input of female counter-protesters, mocking the voice of one of our female comrades, using subtle homophobia, and mocking the appearance of individuals. Let me be clear - these people do not care about the safety of women and girls. Their sole aim is to farm content, generate income, and make a name for themselves. The fact that the police allowed them to get so close to us - literally within touching distance - is a gross failure by Humberside Police.

The double standard was striking. The far-right were given a large area with minimal fencing and plenty of space to move around. We, the counter-protesters, were told to stand in a cramped pen - policed more tightly than those who came to spread hate. The message this sent was very clear: restrict and contain the anti-racist voices, while giving the far-right more freedom and legitimacy. There is a huge debate at the moment around so-called "two-tier policing". This is something that exists, but the far-right are not the ones being targeted by this two-tier approach by the police.

Just over a year ago, Hull was thrust onto the national stage as a result of the riots, which caused significant damage to our community. So it begs the question as to why the so-called "concerned citizens", who are known to spread anger, division, and become violent, are given more freedom to protest than we are. It sets a concerning precedent. Regardless of your views on what's happening with the small boat crossings, illegal and legal migration, etc., this is something that needs to be examined closely and condemned. The Liberal Democrats and Humberside Police have failed.

We were told by the Police Liaison Officer that it was Hull City Council who put in place the protest pen situation, which raises serious questions that must be answered:

• Who exactly authorised the use of pens?

• What risk assessment justified fencing people in with no safe exit?

• How much did this operation cost, and was it value for money when safety was compromised?

• What does this say about the priorities of Hull City Council when it comes to tackling extremism and protecting our local communities?

On Saturday, we showed courage by standing against hate. But the policing strategy did not protect us from the far-right. Instead, it tried to force us into kettling ourselves. That is unacceptable, unsafe, and needs to be scrutinised. Hull deserves answers, and a commitment from the Liberal Democrat-led Hull City Council that anti-racist protesters will never again be treated as the problem while the far-right are handed the larger stage.