UK riots: Crawley Borough Council leader 'incredibly proud' of town following protests

Hundreds of anti-fascist demonstrators took to the streets of Crawley last night, chanting ‘‘Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here’.

Following the horrific scenes around the country after the tragic events in Southport, there were fears we could see similar incidents in Sussex this week – with rumours of riots taking place in Hastings, Brighton and Crawley.

But, counter protestors outnumbered rioters in each demonstration.

Following last night’s demonstration in Crawley, Councillor Michael Jones, leader of Crawley Borough Council, said he was ‘incredibly proud of how Crawley has responded so calmly’ to the events.

"It is with great relief that the protests held yesterday in Crawley have passed without serious incident,” he said.

“Our town will not be intimidated by online extremists who try to target minority communities, nor will we tolerate racist disorder.

“I’m incredibly proud of how Crawley has responded so calmly, not only last night but during the week as rumours swirled and mis- and disinformation about the potential for civil unrest was peddled.

“Our diversity is our strength; Crawley is the most multi-cultural town in Sussex and home to people from all over the world.

“As a council and a town, we continue to stand together against any form of racism, discrimination and abuse.

“My thanks go to Sussex Police, our partners and our staff at Crawley Borough Council who have worked so hard over the past week.

"But the biggest thanks go to the people of Crawley, who said ‘no’ to hate.”