Police thank communities as day 'passes peacefully' in Sunderland and Newcastle
Police have thanked communities and those they work with after a week passed relatively peacefully since the disorder in Sunderland.
Northumbria Police were prepared for the potential of more disorder, particularly on Wednesday and Saturday when more ‘protest activity’ had been planned.
Today, Saturday, August 10, saw communities join together to peacefully protest in Newcastle’s West End, while Sunderland saw no further activity, police said.
There were a number of arrests, but not for disorder of violent disorder offences, senior officers said.
In response to further protest intelligence, officers flooded the streets of Newcastle and the wider region to ‘safely facilitate any protest activity, protect the public, and send the message that residents could enjoy the city safely’.
The operation was supported by officers from other forces and droves of Northumbria Police officers, who had their had rest days cancelled.
After the successful completion of both operations, Chief Superintendent Steve Wykes, who has been in charge of the police response, thanked communities, partners and the officers who kept the streets safe.
He said: “Ensuring the safety of the public is our utmost priority and we had an increased presence in Newcastle city centre today, and across the region, to deliver a proportionate response to protest activity taking place.
“Thankfully, the activity was peaceful and passed without incident and we thank everyone who visited Newcastle today either to attend the football events, protest peacefully, or enjoy the city.
“There were no scenes of violence and disorder, although 14 people were arrested for a range of offences including possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a Class B drug and failure to comply with some of the orders which have been in place today.
“No individuals were arrested for disorder or violent offences.”
He added: “Our main aim today was to ensure that people coming into Newcastle could do so in a safe and enjoyable way. I’m pleased to say we’ve achieved that and I hope our communities will echo those sentiments.
“We will continue to have officers on duty throughout this afternoon and this evening. We’re expecting a busy Saturday night in Newcastle and, as ever, we’ll be there to keep you safe.
“This week, our region has spoken – we will not tolerate the disgraceful disorder seen over the last week by a minority whose only aim is create division.”
Total arrests
The arrests today mean the total number of arrests in connection with protest activity since the disorder in Sunderland on August 2 now stands at 41, with 14 charged and 11 already convicted at court.
A force spokesperson said: “Enquiries are still underway to identify individuals involved in any disorder.
“If anyone has any concerns or information to share, please send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media or use the live chat function and report forms on the website.
“Those who are unable to contact police in this way can call 101. In an emergency, or where a crime is taking place, always dial 999.”
‘Keeping our streets safe for everyone’
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth added her voice to the thanks.
“Thankfully, today’s protests passed largely without incident - this is an absolute credit to Newcastle and all its proudly diverse people,” she said.
“My thanks go to our hardworking police and partners who have been working tirelessly to protect our city and ensure protests can take place smoothly and peacefully.
“I extend my thanks to all our communities and to everyone who calls Newcastle home and has stood up to racism.
“The city’s passion to not tolerate hate or violence has been inspiring and my hope is for us to keep building on this.
“There remains a big job to do to bring our country together and to recover from recent events; there are still people afraid and there are still people wanting to preach hate.
“Hopefully, today has shown we are a step closer towards putting recent scenes of unacceptable violence and harmful division behind us and we can focus on the recovery and taking action to end racism for today and for future generations. In the meantime, our police will continue to be out in force to keep our streets safe for everyone.”