Was the far-right protest in Brighton a taste of what's to come this summer?

It is set to be another summer of protests, and today, Saturday the 13th of June, saw another humiliating defeat for anti-immigration protestors in Brighton city centre. But how did we get here? And how much worse is it going to get?

Over the last few years, we have seen intensifying anti-immigration protests, usually organised and encouraged along by far-right groups and agitators. In 2024, those protests came to a head following the devastating murder of three young girls in Southport. Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed on the 29th of July 2024, and their murders led to a summer of violent riots which led to over a thousand arrests.

More recently, we have seen riots in Southampton and Belfast following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa who murdered 18-year-old Henry Nowak in December 2025, and the alleged (legally, we have to say 'alleged') attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie. In Belfast, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) used water canons to deter would-be rioters after a night of violence on the 9th of June. Anyone who saw the scenes in Belfast should be sickened.

But is it going to get better? Well, I've no idea. Cities like Kingston upon Hull are preparing for more protests this summer, with a counter demonstration planned by the local Stand Up To Racism against a protest on the 20th of June 2026, largely organised by John Francis Gilling who was behind the 2024 protest-turned-riot in the city. He went on to condemn the riot, but given that in the days prior we had seen 'peaceful protests' turn violent, it was not a surprise to anybody that Hull descended into chaos on the 3rd of August 2024.

Now, thankfully, in Brighton the anti-immigration protestors were massively outnumbered by counter-protestors. It is exactly the blueprint we should strive towards. I live up north, so wasn't able to be there in Brighton. But one person I spoke to described it as a "carnival atmosphere" with music, dancing, and a very clear message to the sixty-or-so racists: your hate will not win.

As somebody who helps to organise anti-racism and anti-fascist protests here in Hull, it's important to recognise that the response seen in Brighton is unusual. We don't usually see that level of public support, particularly in northern cities. I think we could all take a leaf out of Brighton's book and get on the streets every time the far-right decides to march to show them they are not welcome.

This summer, we are likely to see huge organised protests by far-right groups across the United Kingdom. If you see a counter demonstration being organised, go to it. If you see an opportunity to get involved in your local Stand Up To Racism group or trade union, do it. These are the groups on the frontline of fighting against the rise of the far-right, and they urgently need your help. We will not be able to fight these groups with you sat comfortably in your armchair watching along on TikTok. Get out there and help your local groups.

I guess, the message to take away from this is to be more Brighton. I'll sign off by saying a huge congratulations to everybody who turned out today. And a big fist (not that type of fist) of solidarity from us in the north.

The Doom and Gloom

I feel it is important to get the doom and gloom out the way. The truth is, we need you to wake up to the threat that the far-right poses. If you are reading this article, you are very likely to be LGBTQ+, or an ally. But if you are privileged enough to think that 'this doesn't affect me', well, it does. People like Nigel Farage, Rupert Lowe, and Elon Musk despise your very existence. And they will not stop at destroying trans rights. You are needed in this fight, or we all lose.