Inside the protests
Protesters and counter-protesters gathered in Bournemouth last Sunday, amid the nationwide unrest over immigration. Their face-off, in pictures
Photographs: Thanh Hung Nguyen
Interviews & text: Nichola Hunter-Warburton & Thanh Hung Nguyen
The protests were to begin at 11am, but protesters began arriving much earlier. Around 9:30am, two men, one named Carl and the other wearing a military-style camouflage backpack and cap, stood by the stairs leading down to the War Memorial.
Spotting a group walking towards them through the gardens holding placards, Carl whispered, “Left, left. They're here!” They turned around, crossed the road, and entered the premises of the Town Hall, which was the assigned spot for the anti-immigration protesters.
Across the road, in the Central Gardens, the counter-protesters had begun to assemble. Call-and-response chants began to emerge from their side soon after.
| A counter-protester holds up a placard by the Cenotaph, a memorial built to honour the sacrifice of local residents in the First World War, in Bournemouth Central Gardens. Across the road, on the higher grounds of the Town Hall, the anti-immigration protesters linked to far-right groups were slowly assembling.
| As recent anti-immigration demonstrations had turned into riots in several parts of the country, additional police personnel from nine other forces in South West England were deployed for tactical, "highly visible" crowd-control measures. By 10:30am, they were spilling out of riot vans parked on the adjacent roads, positioning themselves in the no-man's land between the counter-protesters by the War Memorial and the protesters in front of the Town Hall. Above: Two police officers, swollen with chest and back protectors, readies a drone, which was soon to provide an aerial view of the demonstrators. Top left: Additional police forces wait on Bourne Avenue before deployment. Bottom left: A riot police officer consults with local personnel.
| A demonstrator for the anti-immigration group, who had arrived early, waits for his side to gather by the Town Hall.
| As chants begin to emerge from the counter-protesters, Carl poses for the camera, unfurling what he stood for. "It's nothing about colour," he said. "The country has laws. If you are so desperate to be part of it, enter it legally."
| What are your feelings towards the other group?
Lots of people are struggling financially. Unfortunately, they are blaming it on the asylum-seekers, which are not the right people to blame it on. But I understand why people are angry. I do understand people are struggling. It's really sad they've turned to the far right.
Who would you say is to blame for what's going on?
14 years of Tory rule. Billionaires. The divide between the poor and rich is getting ever more. I would say that's where to lay the blame on. Not on people seeking refuge from war or whatever they are fleeing from.
| What brings you here today?
I am not racist at all. But when older people are going to bed at six o'clock because they can't afford heating, and they can't afford to have their teeth done, and glasses... This is what's wrong. Those are the people that fought for us. And I feel it is getting all out of hand.
What would an ideal British society look like?
15 million illegal immigrants out of the country straight away. Then the government get all our 9 million on benefits back to work.
| What is your motivation behind being here?
Losing the British way of life, to be honest with you.
And what's the British way of life?
Friendly. Peaceful. No antagonism. And no overpopulation of the country.
Who do you think are to blame for all the problems you think is caused by all of this?
The politicians firstly. Secondly, we've been far too tolerant. That's another British way of life, isn't it?
And what are your feelings towards the other group?
A lot of them seems to be foreigners. I don't think they should be here today, because it is our moment. We have come here today, we are not looking for any trouble. I think it is quite antagonistic. They've got a lot of racist cards out there claiming we are racists. And it is got absolutely nothing to do with that. This country has always taken in foreigners.
| It's not the boats that are the problem, argued counter-protesters, but the yachts. The real problem is the people in power, who withhold what everybody needs.
| Hammadi Nait-Charif said he was protesting against racism in all forms. "I am a Muslim myself, but that's not the only group I am standing for."
"Some of their points can make sense," said Nait-Charif when asked about the anti-immigration group's views. "But they blame the wrong people. They blame people from overseas.
"But if you go to our NHS to see a doctor, you are very likely to see someone from overseas. They themselves, if they want to have a sandwich after the demonstrations, they will end up having a takeaway or kebab prepared by someone from overseas."
Notes on Inside the Protests
Thanh Hung Nguyen, better known as Marco, and Nicola Hunter-Warburton are journalists for The Breaker, the award-winning news and features website published by MA Multimedia Journalism students at Bournemouth University. This was their first experience reporting on protests. Marco and Nichola spent three full days producing Inside the Protests. All photography and audio editing by Marco. Nichola conducted the interviews. Text and captions were co-written by Marco and Nichola. See also their news story, Protestors face off peacefully in Bournemouth. Editorial mentor: Chindu Sreedharan.
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