In contrast to last week’s peaceful Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest in Newcastle, yesterday saw violent clashes at Greys Monument in the city centre as a group calling themselves “Defenders of Newcastle” counter-protested a BLM demonstration.

According to eyewitnesses, counter-protesters around Grey’s Monument had been drinking throughout the day without police intervening until bottles, flares and other debris were thrown, forcing BLM demonstrators further down Grey Street.

“The drinking was unbelievable,” said Eilidh Wilcockson, a medical student who lives in Jesmond. “It was almost like, football’s been cancelled so this was their ‘bit of fun’. Frankly, it just seemed like an opportunity for them to have a day out and fight.”

Police officers in riot gear, on horses and with dogs were eventually deployed to contain the violence, with multiple arrests made. Several people were injured as well as a police horse and police dog.

Alicia Souter, 24, a PhD student who used to live in Jesmond, said she believed police had been reluctant to stop counter-protesters drinking to avoid escalating the situation. “The far right [counter-protestors] were drinking alcohol from glass bottles and cans for hours. They had started in the morning, but the police did nothing. They let these thugs get intoxicated making them more violent. It was so explicitly clear too, with police stood facing them inches away as they downed cans.”

Wilcockson, who attended the protests in support of the BLM demonstration, said she witnessed much of the violence first-hand. “Beer cans and smoke grenades were thrown from the other side. BLM [demonstrators] threw the smoke grenades back, to get them out of the way. The police quickly came with reinforcements and separated us, making the gap between us bigger. This happened maybe twice and riot police arrived only on the [counter-protestors] side. Then horses arrived too.”

While kneeling for an eight-minute silence, Wilcockson said she heard a commotion and realised groups of counter-protesters were attempting to reach BLM demonstrators from side streets. Police were forced to deploy more officers to hold back the counter-protesters.

“It was scary,” says Wilcockson. “I’m not easily spooked, but bottles were landing at my feet and I was getting pushed back by police for my own protection faster than I could keep up with. I was genuinely scared at that point. I saw the police on horses were hitting the [counter-protestors] with batons. A few individuals from BLM ran to attack but we managed to calm them down and resumed kneeling.”

Once it was safe to do so, police eventually asked the BLM group to disperse. But violence continued as police attempted to contain counter-protesters, with clashes taking place in sides streets.

“There was active communication between BLM and the police who said we were going to be in danger and needed to disperse in a way they could manage,” said Wilcockson. “The majority of the BLM demonstrators co-operated, including those who organised it. I believe that any trouble that happened afterwards was because some individuals chose to stay behind and go against the advice that was given.”

“Very few of the counter-protestors wore any form of PPE [personal protective equipment],” said Souter, “whereas we [BLM] wore masks and the [BLM] organisers were handing out more.”

“We were socially distanced until protection [measures from police] meant we were pushed back and cramped in,” said Wilcockson. Northumbria Police say 13 arrests were made during and following yesterday’s events. No arrests were made during the Newcastle BLM protest last week. JesmondLocal has asked Northumbria Police to comment on suggestions officers allowed excessive drinking to continue in the run-up to yesterday’s violence.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has condemned the violence across the UK this weekend as “racist thuggery”.