In the town of Bolton in the United Kingdom, police were called to keep rival groups of protesters separate. According to reports from the BBC’s Phillip Norton, smoke bombs and fireworks were thrown from both sides during the incident. The two groups in question were made up of around 250 members of the Asian community on one side, and demonstrators waving England flags and slogans on the other.
The Asian community members reportedly chanted “Allahu Akbar” towards the England flag-waving group, leading to tensions and a heated atmosphere. Police were quickly on the scene to try and prevent any outbreak of violence and to keep the two groups apart. In addition to this, a dispersal notice was authorised in order to give officers increased powers to tackle any anti-social behaviour.
Dispersal notices are used as a means of ensuring that individuals leave an area promptly and do not return for a specified period. They are often used in situations where there is a high risk of anti-social behaviour, or where tensions are high and there is a risk of violence breaking out. In this situation, the police used the dispersal notice as a preventative measure, in the hope of reducing the risk of any further escalation of the conflict.
Overall, the situation in Bolton was tense and potentially dangerous, but police managed to keep the two groups apart and prevent any serious incidents from taking place. The use of the dispersal notice was an effective way of giving officers extra powers to maintain peace and order, and it is likely that similar measures will be taken in future situations where tensions are running high
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