Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the UK last night to stare down feared far-Right rioters.
Threats of disorder across the UK saw shops boarded up, restaurants shuttered and immigration law firms in lockdown.
But several rallies were thwarted on Wednesday with powerful images showing crowds of anti-fascist marchers massing around areas thugs had threatened to target.
In major locations, counter-protesters vastly outnumbered those who had turned up to protest against migration.
More than 5,000 demonstrators flooded the streets in Walthamstow, east London, to stave off a far-Right rally outside an immigration centre.
In Brighton, a wall of police was seen shielding just a handful of men – one of whom was draped in a Union Jack – from a crowd of protesters shouting: “Nazi scum, off our streets.”
Fireworks were let off in Bristol amid a protest which was largely peaceful and anti-hate protesters also gathered in Southampton, Liverpool and Aldershot.
However clashes broke out in Accrington, Lancashire, as tensions flared across the country.
It came after the Home Secretary urged the public not to mount counter-demonstrations.
Yvette Cooper had told communities to “let the police do their jobs… to make clear that we collectively reject this criminality and disorder”.
The police operation deployed across the country last night was the biggest since the 2011 riots, with 41 out of 43 police forces in England and Wales braced for possible clashes.
Before the protests started at 8pm local time, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council warned rioters they were taking a “hard line” on yobs with more than 400 already arrested.
Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said some are “facing years behind bars” and that even those with no prior convictions “will be remanded into custody” after arrest.
He warned: “You won’t be going home to see your family and friends. If you carry out this thuggish behaviour, then you need to know the personal consequences that come with it and that will directly affect you.”
The police were ready for the riots as intelligence officers had identified more than 100 protests and 30 counter-demonstrations. In parts of the country, there was a party atmosphere last night with counter-protesters dancing to brass bands.
In Birmingham a group of masked men – including one with a balaclava and MMA gloves – gathered outside a refugee and migrant centre.
Several hundred gathered holding “free Palestine” signs and chanted: “Fascist scum out of Brum.”
More than 2,000 counter-protesters came out in Bristol with some activists seen letting off fireworks.
Police deployed 250 officers but those gathered said it was a “carnival atmosphere”.
Thousands more were also seen taking to the streets of Liverpool to protect an asylum centre.
A police van blocked the road with mounted police patrolling as crowds held signs reading “Nans Against Nazis” and “Merseyside Pensioners Fight Back”.
In Accrington, pubgoers were seen embracing a group of Muslims walking past shortly before dusk fell.
But the tension soon mounted as protesters holding “Stand Up To Racism” placards faced off with a group chanting: “Stop the boats.”
Dozens of police rushed in to stop them getting close as they marched towards each other.
Meanwhile, in Portsmouth, dozens of far-Right protesters gathered outside a UK Border Agency office shouting: “Save our kids.”
Smaller groups of anti-racism protesters were gathered in backstreets in Sheffield, away from the main counter-demo.
One woman, whose face was obscured, said: “We’ve done a good job of scaring them away.”
In Northampton around 250 counter-protesters congregated at a junction where an immigration law firm had been identified in a post circulated by far-Right agitators online.
Earlier Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned those inflaming tensions on social media they too would face consequences.
“If you’re a keyboard warrior, you’re not safe from the law if you incite violence,” he said.
He also dismissed those who accused his force of “two-tier policing” as speaking “complete nonsense”.
It came after Elon Musk started a bitter war of words with Sir Keir Starmer suggesting police were treating far-Right protesters more harshly than Muslims. While Sir Mark took aim at the “serious voices [who echo] crazy views”, he refused to be drawn on naming anyone specific.
However former chief inspector of constabulary Sir Thomas Winsor did not mince his words, telling X owner Mr Musk to “stick to batteries, cars and rockets”.
More than 140 people have already been charged and police are considering using terror charges for some rioters. Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said he was already aware of “at least one instance” where this was happening.
Earlier on Wednesday far-Right thugs published a list of 39 locations for gatherings in a group on encrypted messaging app Telegram.
Yobs said they would target “immigration centres, refugee shelters and visa lawyer”’ homes with some joking about killing anti-racism campaigners.
They were seen using sick slurs and sharing tips on how to “hood up” so they weren’t identified by the police.
Andy Mariner, of Essex Police, warned them: “If you’re planning on coming here intent on disorder, we will be waiting for you, and you will be arrested.”
“There is information going around on the internet highlighting specific locations around the country and some of those details of locations are just plain false, including here in Essex.”
Many of the immigration centres and lawyer firms named on the hit list had boarded up their premises on Wednesday.
Other visa specialists told staff to work from home with one employee saying: “I’m really worried it will flare up.”
“It’s a really frightening time for many vulnerable asylum seekers and also immigration firms.”
Another law firm in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, was boarded up while one lawyer in Bristol said this was the most threatened he had felt in over a decade.
Aziz Deen said: “I haven’t felt fear like this for probably 10 to 15 years when the [British National Party] were in force.”
Workers were seen putting up boarding at shops in North Finchley, London, with local restaurants putting their shutters down.
Medical clinics were shut down in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool where rioters set cars on fire and attacked police earlier in the week.
In Sunderland, Italian restaurant Sambuca said: “Although we have faith in Northumbria Police we cannot take the risk to be caught up in violent riots like the ones that happened a few days ago.”
Businesses in Northampton were also boarded up as Sheffield United Football Club announced that the area around its ground would be shut.
An office worker in the City of London said he and his colleagues had been told to leave their office near Liverpool Street because of “planned riots” in the area.
Employees were urged to work from home for the rest of the week.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, House of Commons Speaker, also wrote to MPs asking them to also consider remote working.
A House of Commons spokesman said: “The ability for Members and their staff to perform their Parliamentary duties safely, both on and off the estate, is fundamental to our democracy.
“Abuse and intimidation is completely unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, Thailand was the latest country to warn citizens about the dangers of travelling to the UK.
It came after similar alerts from Nigeria, Malaysia, India, Australia and Indonesia.
Sir Keir pointed to the jailing of three men in Liverpool on Wednesday as an example of what would happen to other rioters.
He said: “This is the swift action we’re taking.”
“If you provoke violent disorder on our streets or online, you will face the full force of the law.”
The Met police said last night that 50 people had gathered in Croydon with an “intention to cause disruption and fuel disorder”.
The force said they had thrown objects down the road and thrown bottles at police in what appeared to be “pure antisocial behaviour”.
The force said eight people had been arrested.
In Blackpool, a man was arrested near the site of the planned protest, while in Middlesbrough another male was detained for not removing his face covering.
There were three arrests for public order offences in Northampton while two men were briefly detained in Walthamstow