Police say that City Centre protests passed off peacefully this afternoon
There were two arrests during a confrontation at the start of the march to the city centre.
But as protesters gathered in St Peter’s Square in the early afternoon there were no incidents of note.
Around 600 protesters attended the Britain First rally with around 400 people supporting the Stand Up Against Racism counter demonstration according to estimates
Chief Superintendent Colette Rose, Gold commander for today’s police operation in the city, said: “Today was expected to be a really busy day in Manchester with plenty of planned protest action from different groups in the middle of the city. We’ve had extra resources in place to ensure people could peacefully protest and to minimise disruption for the wider public.
“Thanks to the work of our officers on the ground, and the plans we put in place alongside our partners, hundreds of people from different groups were able to gather in a safe manner with no trouble of note.
“Greater Manchester is a place where people should feel free to exercise their right to lawfully protest, while ensuring that those who live, work, or visit here can feel safe to go about their business and enjoy their day.”
