UPDATE: Yesterday, when posting about this story on social media, we made a mistake.

Our post, intended as a rhetorical question, was misinterpreted as in some way endorsing the protest, which is simply not the case – and we apologise for that. We got it wrong, we’re sorry.

These protests – and the conspiracy-fuelled views of Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) and others – are abhorrent and an afront to democracy and tolerance in the UK.

We would urge people not to participate in them. We are here to inform, and we felt it necessary to inform people of these plans, so appropriate action could be taken. Planning a protest is not illegal, no matter how much we may oppose it.

But we apologise for a post – which was changed as soon as we were made aware of the misunderstanding – that some took as somehow implying we ‘promoted’ it. We don’t, and never would.

Thank you.

FAR-right activist Tommy Robinson has told Yeovil to “rise up” ahead of a planned demonstration planned for later this month.

The controversial right-wing campaigner – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight an event planned in the Somerset town.

While the post contains little detail on the protest, it gives a title of ‘End two-tier policing’ – a conspiracy theory regarding the management of demonstrations by police and other authorities propagated by the far-right.

It comes as towns and cities across the UK face disruption from far-right agitators who have staged demonstrations in the wake of the tragic deaths of three young girls after an attack at a dance class in Southport.

In the wake of the horrific attack in Southport, misinformation circulated online regarding the identity of the attacker – including a false name and false details of his nationality and status.

Yaxley-Lennon, a former leader of the far-right protest group the English Defence League, is currently reported to be holidaying in Cyprus with his family.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people found to be have taken part in the violence this week are appearing in court.

Prime Minister Kier Starmer has condemned what he described as “far-right thuggery”, with hundreds of protestors arrested after a number of protests resulted in damage to property and injuries to police and members of the public.

He told ministers: “It is violent disorder and needs to be treated as such, as criminal activity.”

“When I went to Southport I spoke to police who described what it was like to attend the mass stabbing of little girls and then to be back on duty the next day in riot gear, having bricks thrown at them,” he added.

“This is something no one would have ever wanted to see and we need to be calling it out for what it is. It is not protest. It is violent disorder and needs to be treated as such, as criminal activity.

“99.9% of people across the country want their streets to be safe and to feel safe in their communities, and we will take all necessary action to bring the disorder to an end.”

Meanwhile, social media companies continue to come under the spotlight in the wake of the spread of misinformation, with technology minister Peter Kyle meeting bosses of the likes of Facebook and X.

Avon & Somerset Police Deputy Chief Constable Jon Reilly issued a statement in response to disorder in Bristol over the weekend.

He said: “The incidents of disorder we’ve seen take place across the country recently, including in Bristol on Saturday, are completely unacceptable.

These are not legitimate protests and we will not tolerate any behaviour which attempts to divide our communities.

We’re aware of posts circulating online calling for people to gather in Bristol tomorrow night and I want to reassure you we’ll have significant resources in place to maintain order and keep people safe.

Some of these posts claim we’ve issued a warning about a planned march along Stapleton Road.

This is not true.

We’ve not issued any warning and have no information to suggest any march will actually take place.

We’d never want to stifle legitimate protest, it’s a fundamental democratic right.

However, I urge people to let the police deal with those who want to cause unrest. I promise you we will take the strongest possible action against those who take part in criminality.

We won’t accept acts of violence, damage to property or offences which are motivated by hate.

Indeed, multiple people were arrested following the events in Bristol at the weekend and several of those have already been charged and appeared in court.

We’re aware many people remain concerned about the potential for disorder on Wednesday and in the days and weeks to come.

I want to reassure you we’ve hundreds of specialist officers and resources available and they will do everything they can to ensure our communities are not disrupted and can go about their lives as normal, without fear.

We’re working closely with colleagues in other emergency services and our local authorities – together reaching out to community and business leaders.

We’re committed to keeping people informed about what we know about future disruption and on any plans we subsequently put in place.

We’re extremely proud to serve the diverse communities of Avon and Somerset and we continue to be thankful for the public’s support during these troubling and unusual times.

Those who seek to cause unrest will not win.”