CHAOTIC scenes saw dozens of protesters descend on Barnsley town centre on Thursday.
Fear surrounding the planned protest near Barnsley Town Hall swept the streets, with many businesses locking their doors and people opting to work from home to avoid any potential conflict.
The Chronicle understands that officers from the Met Police were brought to the town to support local officers throughout the day.
While people began to arrive outside the town hall at midday, things remained peaceful for a time, with two groups separated by officers chanting at one another.
However, chaos ensued when a group of masked youngsters rushed up Market Hill doing their best to avoid police – although they were quickly apprehended and dispersed.
This power to disperse came from Section 35 authorisation of the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, which was granted to officers on the day.
Section 60 and Section 60AA powers were also in place under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, giving officers enhanced powers to stop and search individuals and also the power to tell people to remove face coverings.
The flash of aggression ignited the crowd, who began shouting at officers and forcing police to surround the situation and close off the road.
A further arrest took place for having a banned breed of dog.
Thankfully, rain began to fall, with many opting to head home before things escalated further.
Tensions were high leading up to the event as a similar protest on Sunday – at the Holiday Inn Express at Manvers – quickly turned violent, with hundreds of masked rioters taking to the streets where they hurled missiles at police and smashed the hotel’s windows.
Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis said: “I will continue to work around the clock to ensure that everyone feels safe on both Barnsley’s streets and Britain’s streets.”
