Newcastle protests: Warning to those planning 'serious disorder'

Police formed a barrier between the BLM demonstration and counter-protesters

Protesters coming to Newcastle wanting to cause "serious disorder" are being warned they are not welcome.

Nineteen people have been arrested since counter-protesters confronted Black Lives Matter demonstrators in the city on Saturday.

Further protests are expected this weekend.

But emergency service, business, council and transport leaders have issued an open letter calling for people not to gather in large numbers.

They said in the letter they supported the right to peaceful protest but "the disorder seen last Saturday from a small minority has no place here or anywhere else".

Its signatories reminded protesters gatherings of more than six people were banned and asked them to "think twice" about coming to the city.

They also pointed out the city centre would be busy on the first weekend of shops reopening.

Northumbria Police called Saturday's behaviour "completely unacceptable"

The letter said people owed it to "the care workers, paramedics, doctors and nurses who have toiled under great pressure for months to save lives" to maintain social distancing.

The Newcastle Black Lives Matters group has relocated an anti-racism protest planned for Grey's Monument this weekend to Times Square in the hope of avoiding more violence, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A counter-protest group, the Defenders of Newcastle, said their supporters would still make a "major show of presence" at the Monument.

The open letter was signed by Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes, the council's chief executive Pat Ritchie, Northumbria Police assistant chief constable Helen McMillan, Northumbria police and crime commissioner Kim McGuinness, North East Ambulance Service deputy chief executive Paul Liversidge, the chief operating officer of Metro operators Nexus, Martin Kearney, and the chief executive of business group NE1, Adrian Waddell.