Hundreds turn out in Bedford's Queens Park - but 'far right' protest a no-show

Hundreds gathered in Ford End Road in Bedford ahead of a feared 'far-right' protestHundreds gathered in Ford End Road in Bedford ahead of a feared 'far-right' protest
Hundreds gathered in Ford End Road in Bedford ahead of a feared 'far-right' protest
Fears Bedford could become the latest target in a week of anti-immigration criminal violence across the country proved unfounded last night as protesters failed to show up.

Instead, hundreds of people gathered in Queens Park in a show of community solidarity.

More than 500 people took to the streets – some holding signs of support, while others served tea and samosas at the nearby gurdwara.

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And despite a heavy police presence, the night passed without incident, and with no sense of violence or aggression from the crowd. Police have confirmed no arrests were made.

Hundreds gathered in Bedford's Queens Park ahead of a feared 'far-right' protestHundreds gathered in Bedford's Queens Park ahead of a feared 'far-right' protest
Hundreds gathered in Bedford's Queens Park ahead of a feared 'far-right' protest

By around 9pm – an hour after the feared protest was due to start – the crowd started to gradually disperse.

But some voiced concerns that despite last night passing peacefully, there were still problems that need to be tackled.

"The real headline from the election isn't that Labour won. It's the vote share Reform got. There are deeper problems that need to be addressed,” one told us.

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Ahead of the feared protest, Bedfordshire Police and Bedford Borough Council had appealed for calm and spoken out about disinformation being shared.

A council statement said: “Bedford borough is a vibrant and diverse community, where people from all walks of life live and work together harmoniously. We celebrate our differences and are proud of the rich tapestry that makes up our borough. We will not tolerate any actions that threaten this unity or make any member of our community feel unsafe.”

Additional officers were deployed across Bedfordshire yesterday.

Detective Chief Superintendent Duncan Young said: “We’re pleased to confirm there were no reports of disorder across the county yesterday and no arrests were made.

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“Although there were some groups of people congregating around the Queens Park area, they acted in a lawful and peaceful manner and engaged with officers throughout the evening.

“We’d like to thank all of our communities for their support of our officers out and about yesterday evening and throughout the week. This is a brilliant example of how the police and the public can work together to reject those who seek to cause disorder in our communities, and I hope it provides reassurance to the people of Bedfordshire that we are committed to keeping them safe from harm.

“We’ll be continuing to work hard in coming days to disrupt any other possible violent activity and I’d like to remind people that anyone who takes part in, or incites, this kind of behaviour will be dealt with swiftly and robustly.”

John Tizard, police and crime commissioner said: “Good, effective, and responsive policing is vital to ensure our safety. Never has this been truer or needed as much as the last few weeks whilst communities across the country have been threatened by racist criminal thuggery. Even when there has been no physical unrest communities, families and businesses have been made to feel anxious and threatened. This is simply wrong.

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“Police officers have done some amazing work to keep people safe and to provide reassurance.

“We owe a huge thank you to police officers in Bedfordshire who have provided reassurance and protection to us through their actions and engagements with the public. And a thank you to all our partners and to the communities of Bedfordshire.

“Everyone in Bedfordshire wherever they live should know that Bedfordshire Police are always there for them.”

If you are aware of any planned disorder or violence, or witness anyone inciting hatred, call 101 or visit www.beds.police.uk. If an incident is in progress call 999.

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