Man arrested after allegedly displaying homophobic sign at anti-immigration protest
A 47-year-old man was arrested at a demonstration outside in Southampton. (Stock Image/Getty Images)
A 47-year-old man was arrested at a demonstration outside in Southampton. (Stock Image/Getty Images)
A protestor has been arrested for displaying a homophobic sign outside a hotel that houses asylum seekers.
The 47-year-old man was arrested on Friday (21 November) at a demonstration outside the Highfield House Hotel, in Southampton, which has been subjected to several anti-immigration protests in recent months, including one in September when an incident of arson was investigated by police.
Hampshire police said the man was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences, including possessing a Class B controlled drug. Video footage shared on social media showed him wearing a Union flag and holding a sign which read: “God hates f*gs.”
The phrase is similar to language used by the Westboro Baptist Church, a US religious group best-known for their protests and for picketing funerals of dead soldiers. They became notorious after turning up at the funeral of murdered gay teenager Matthew Shepard in October 1998.
“I am really concerned about the effect these anti-immigrant protests are having on the community,” Southampton city councillor Marie Finn said, according to the Southern Daily Echo. “I have local residents come to our surgeries and tell us about [facing] racist abuse.
“I am glad someone has been arrested. It is absolutely right that the police took action.”
A spokesperson for Hampshire police said: “Our teams initially sought to deal with this through the use of the dispersal order. However, he subsequently had to be arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug, failing to give a name or address and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
“He has been released on bail while our enquiries continue.
“During a protest, we utilise an evidence gathering team, who record footage which is then carefully reviewed to determine if any offences have been committed by anyone attending. Should any offences be identified, then we take appropriate action.”
