Britain First Supporters March in Manchester to Celebrate Saint George, Police Deploy From 9am

Hundreds of far-right “Britain First” supporters marched in the streets of Manchester to celebrate Saint George, in an event Al Jazeera described as happening “seemingly not realising the patron saint of England has a special connection to Palestine.”

“Toggle Play Why Britain’s far-right celebrates a saint revered in Palestine Hundreds of far-right “Britain First” supporters marched in the streets of Manchester to celebrate Saint George, seemingly not realising the patron saint of England has a special connection to Palestine”

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera’s segment features Nils Adler and Nida Ibrahim explaining the connection, and it was published on 19 Apr 2026.

Al Jazeera

A separate Al Jazeera short reposted the same framing, saying “Hundreds of far-right ‘Britain First’ supporters marched in the streets of Manchester to celebrate Saint George.”

In the same Manchester context, Searchlight Magazine said “Today was a very bad day for Britain First in Manchester – and an expensive blow to Paul Golding’s personal and political retirement fund,” linking the day’s events to Paul Golding.

Searchlight Magazine also placed anti-fascists gathering “beneath the Duke of Wellington statue near Piccadilly Gardens from 11am,” while police expected “up to 1,000 fascists” and deployed in “massive numbers from 9am.”

Searchlight Magazine described a tightly managed day in Manchester, saying police “had expected up to 1,000 fascists and deployed in massive numbers from 9am,” with “possibly up to 500 of them, including mounted officers.”

It said anti-fascists were “joined by the usual group of far-right so-called “auditors” – including Billy Moore and Lee Scheres – who tried their best to provoke a reaction.”

Searchlight Magazine

Searchlight Magazine claimed those provocations failed, stating “They failed miserably,” and it said “Those who didn’t drift off to Store Street, where the Britain First group was assembling, were quickly moved on by police.”

The same account said police removed a “deranged, long-haired fascist” who “tried to attack a well-known anti-fascist leader and was dragged away by police – for his own protection.”

It also described uncertainty about the rally location, stating “Despite official claims that the Britain First rally would be held in St Peter’s Square,” its team checked other squares because “the square did not seem to have been prepared for a rally – no stage, no speakers etc.”

Later, Searchlight Magazine said “around 1pm, a large crowd of around 500 anti-fascists pushed through a heavy police kettle and made their way to St Peter’s Square,” after officers on “Charlotte Street” confirmed the route.

The same source asserted that “Golding’s PA system and other vital equipment had been seized by police,” and it said Golding “had to use a temporary rostrum and small PA used to marshall troops during the rally.”

Searchlight Magazine portrayed the rally as dominated by anti-fascist sound and crowd pressure, writing that “Bella Ciao” was “blasting from the local antifa sound system” while the Manchester Palestine drum corps and activists with megaphones added noise.

“Today was a very bad day for Britain First in Manchester – and an expensive blow to Paul Golding’s personal and political retirement fund”

Searchlight Magazine

It said “a deafening wall of noise” reduced what Golding said “to a whisper,” and it described a chorus of “We can’t hear you” from Golding’s audience.

The same account said “Anti-fascists, by contrast, kept in close communication and were able to apply maximum pressure on the fascists’ weakest point: their gathering place,” and it claimed “By the time Britain First arrived, 1,000 of us were waiting.”

Searchlight Magazine also described a specific moment at the St Peter’s Square metrolink stop, saying “a dozen fascists, including ‘Vile’ Lee Scheres, the alleged domestic abuser, tried to walk through a large group of anti-fascists at St Peter’s Square metrolink stop.”

It added that “a large number of police saved them from a dire fate,” and it said “Lucky for them” the police intervened.

The source further claimed that “Several anti-fascists were batoned by police, and at least one was pepper-sprayed,” and it characterized police as “undoubtedly heavy-handed.”

It also asserted that official statements said officer numbers would match those deployed for a Manchester United vs Manchester City derby for “60,000 people,” while “Today, there were perhaps 350 fascists.”

Searchlight Magazine said the scale of the confrontation differed from expectations and described how transport and shopping were affected, writing that “It’s hard to gauge exact numbers, but Golding had considerably fewer supporters than expected.”

It claimed “We held two‑thirds of St Peter’s Square. They held a third – if that,” and it said Britain First supporters were “penned in behind trams, police vans, and a fully-equipped riot squad.”

Searchlight Magazine

The same account asserted that “Today, trams were cancelled. Buses delayed. Shoppers unable to move freely through the city centre,” and it described “Vast cost to the taxpayer.”

It also quoted a local political response, saying “Mayor Andy Burnham released a video message making it quite clear that our city rejects Britain First.”

Searchlight Magazine framed the day as a historical continuation, stating “Fascists not welcome” and referencing “Oswald Mosley at Belle Vue in 1934” and “his disastrous defeat in 1962 – when 40 of his thugs were chased off the streets by 5,000 workers.”

In contrast, Al Jazeera’s framing focused on the symbolism of Saint George and its “special connection to Palestine,” rather than on the tactical details of policing, routes, or equipment.

The Al Jazeera short and the Al Jazeera main segment both emphasized that the far-right marchers appeared unaware of the connection, while Searchlight Magazine emphasized police deployment, crowd management, and disruption.

Searchlight Magazine ended by arguing that the disruption and fear generated by “a few hundred of ‘Britain’s Worst’ must surely be stopped in future,” and it tied that plea to the scale of policing and the “vast cost to the taxpayer” it described earlier.

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It also stated “Fascists are not welcome,” and it described Manchester as “multiracial, diverse” with “a thriving Gay Village, a Chinese quarter, flourishing Muslim businesses, an ancient and long‑established Jewish community.”

Al Jazeera

The same source asserted that “Manchester has always been, and will remain” those things, and it used that framing to reject future far-right presence.

Al Jazeera’s segment, by contrast, positioned the event within a broader cultural-religious controversy by explaining why Britain’s far-right “celebrates a saint revered in Palestine,” with Nils Adler and Nida Ibrahim presenting the explanation.

The Al Jazeera short similarly kept the focus on the marchers celebrating Saint George while “seemingly not realising” the Palestine connection.

Because the provided sources do not include official post-event statements beyond the mention of Mayor Andy Burnham’s video message, the only explicit “next step” language in these articles comes from Searchlight Magazine’s call that the disruption “must surely be stopped in future.”

Even so, both outlets’ framing suggests the event’s significance is not limited to the day’s march, with Al Jazeera emphasizing the saint’s Palestine link and Searchlight Magazine emphasizing the city’s rejection of Britain First.