In pictures: Tens of thousands gather for anti-racism protests
Thousands of counter-protesters hit the streets following predictions of more violence in English towns and cities in the wake of the Southport stabbings.
Demonstrators and police officers at an anti-racism protest in Walthamstow, East London. (PA Images via Getty Images)
Fears of further violence across England largely failed to materialise on Wednesday as counter-protesters turned out in their thousands to see off far-right demonstrations.
English cities including Newcastle, Bristol and Birmingham, as well as London, had been braced for more rioting on Wednesday following the Southport stabbing attack.
Campaign group Stand Up To Racism estimated 25,000 people took to the streets across the country to show their opposition to recent unrest and, it said, take a stand against racism and violence.
Here's a selection of the best pictures from what Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson called an “on the whole peaceful” night of action.
Demonstrators in Walthamstow play drums on a night which reportedly had a party atmosphere in many locations. (PA Images via Getty Images)
A young boy tries on a police officer's helmet after giving officers water ahead of an anti-immigration protest in Newcastle. (PA Images via Getty Images)
Thousands gather for Stop the far-right Protest in Queens Road Brighton UK Caron Watson/Alamy Live News
Counter-protestors in Brentford. (Getty Images)
People pray during an anti-racism counter-protest against a potential anti-immigration protest in Walthamstow, East London. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Counter-protesters in Walthamstow show off their placards. (Getty Images)
Drivers in Brentford were invited to show their support for counter-protests. (Getty Images)
Birmingham also saw large crowds drawn to oppose recent unrest. (PA Images via Getty Images)
Walthamstow, in East London, is understood to have seen one of the biggest counter-protests. (Getty Images)
Palestine flags were on display at many demonstrations, including in Newcastle. (PA Images via Getty Images)
Unrest was expected near an immigration solicitors' office in Westcliff, near Southend-on-Sea. (Photo by AFP)
Reports of planned violence prompted counter-demonstrations in several towns and cities, including Southend, in Essex. (Getty Images)
Several police horses were rewarded for their night on duty by members of the public in Newcastle. (AFP via Getty Images)
Counter-protesters in Newcastle had some of the more imaginative signs and placards on the night. (PA Images via Getty Images)
An anti-immigration protest called by far-right activists outside Birmingham's Refugee and Migrant Centre prompted a large counter-demonstration. (AFP via Getty Images)
An anti-immigration protest outside Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau, in Walthamstow, London, included several people wearing masks and face coverings. (PA Images via Getty Images)
Businesses in Peterborough and elsewhere boarded their windows ahead of more predicted riots. (PA Images via Getty Images)
Aldershot, in Hampshire, was one of the few towns to see significant violence, with police forced to separate rival groups of protestors. (SWNS)
Demonstrators in Newcastle injected some humour into their signs and placards, including one which read 'Newcastle loves black + white + brown' in reference to the city's famous football team and Brown Ale. (Getty Images)
Metropolitan Police of Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley attending an arrest in Sutton, south London, connected to last week's violent disorder. (Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)
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