Hundreds attend national protests in Plymouth, Exeter and Truro
Police said it has been a "tense, challenging and sensitive" day with anti-government protests and counter protests taking place across Devon and Cornwall.Hundreds of people have gathered in Plymouth, Exeter, and Truro as part of the Great British National Strike.Organisers said there would be peaceful demonstrations from about 12:00 BST asking the government to "uphold the policies it was elected on in every city of the UK".At the Sundial on Armada Way, Plymouth, about 200 people were protesting with a similar number counter protesting, said BBC reporter Hattie McCann.
In Exeter, on the Cathedral Green, BBC reporter Claire Manning said the atmosphere was "quite tense", adding there was about 200 people attending. By about 13:30 BST the protesters had dispersed. There were about 30 anti-fascist protesters wearing masks in Truro, according to our reporter at the scene.They said opposing them were about 100 people wearing and waving union jacks.Devon and Cornwall Police said a total of 40 public order officers and evidence gathering teams were involved across the three cities, adding it had been a "tense, challenging and sensitive" day.Force incident manager Rob Bolt said officers had dealt with a "few incidents with isolated individuals", but most protestors were adhering to police advice.
Devon and Cornwall Police said on Friday that officers were aware of the planned events due to take place and were keen to engage with the organisers. Ch Insp Graham Thomas said: "We uphold the right to protest, while balancing it with the rights of others, including the general public and business communities across our towns and cities."We continue to review any information and will have a presence in each location to keep our communities safe."
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