Two demonstrations are expected in Brighton on Saturday 22 August.
White Vanguard, a far-right group, says it will gather at Palace Pier at 1pm and march to Brighton town hall. Stand Up To Racism has called a counter-demonstration from 11.30am, describing the planned march as fascist and saying the city should respond accordingly.
What the Organisers Say
White Vanguard has titled its event “Stop the Rape of Britain” and says it is coming to Brighton because three rapes were reported in the city within a week and, in its words, there has been next to no coverage of them.
That claim is worth examining. Sussex Police issued statements on each investigation, and the cases have been reported locally, including in this publication’s sources. Two men have been charged and have appeared in court. Court reporting of live cases is restricted by law, which limits what any publication can say while proceedings are ongoing — a constraint that applies to every outlet equally and is not the same thing as silence.
Stand Up To Racism has responded in blunt terms, calling White Vanguard Nazis and fascists and saying Brighton should give them the traditional welcome this city reserves for such groups. The organisation has a long record of mobilising against far-right marches in Sussex. Its position is that the event is opportunistic, using a serious crime as cover for a demonstration about something else.
The uncomfortable part for Brighton is that the anger is real. Three reported rapes in a week in a city this size is frightening, and a group nobody here has time for has noticed that nobody else was going to march about it.
The Cases
Three separate investigations were opened in Brighton in early August. All are live and none has been tried.
On 5 August, police cordoned off a section of beach near the i360 while investigating a reported rape. Sussex Police confirmed a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape.
Hany Mohamed, 37, of no fixed address, has been charged with rape and common assault following a report of a rape in central Brighton between the evening of 29 July and 30 July. Police say the woman is being supported by specialist officers.
Akiyas Jameldeen, 51, from Crawley, appeared in court on 4 August charged with two counts of oral rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration, relating to a report from Black Rock beach on the morning of Sunday 2 August.
Both men are awaiting trial. Nothing has been proven and neither has entered a plea reported publicly. Complainants in sexual offence cases have lifetime anonymity under the law.
What Happens Next
Sussex Police have not yet published a policing plan for 22 August. For marches of this kind, forces can impose conditions on route, timing and assembly points under the Public Order Act, and typically confirm arrangements in the week beforehand.
Anyone in the city centre that Saturday should expect road closures around Old Steine, Grand Junction Road and the approaches to Bartholomew Square, and disruption to bus routes through the seafront and North Street. Both events are on the same afternoon and finish at points a few hundred metres apart.
