The Bristol Patriots march started at around 12:15 PM or 12:20 PM at the Cenotaph in Bristol. The group numbered around 40 people, and their route included Broadmead and Castle Park. According to police, they created a 50-yard buffer zone for the march.
Counter-protesters, who included a coalition of anti-racism and anti-fascism groups, unfurled a banner across the road. Police blocked Union Street with vans, lines of officers, and mounted units at about 12:30 PM. Protesters were penned in near the Tesco store for more than half an hour.
Scuffles occurred outside Primark, and the march was halted again on the Horsefair near Cabot Circus. Police reversed the Bristol Patriots march, sending them back along their original route. Police confirmed they had made 'multiple arrests', and six arrests were made during the protest.
Avon and Somerset Police activated special powers to disperse crowds if needed and order people to remove face coverings, according to Avon and Somerset Police. A force spokesperson said officers are being deployed to 'enable a peaceful protest and to ensure the safety of all in attendance and the general public', according to an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson. Police on horseback have been accused of wielding batons and using them to strike counter-protesters.
The police have also been accused of using brute force to push through down Haymarket, shoving counter protesters back with police horses. The exact nature or ideology of the 'Bristol Patriots' group, and why they were labeled as 'far-right' by some sources, is unclear. The official police response or justification for the use of batons and mounted units against counter-protesters has not been detailed.
What specific charges or reasons led to the arrests made during the protest remains unknown. The total number of counter-protesters present at the event is also not confirmed.