Arrests made as police gain extra powers for three planned protests in Leeds City Centre

Police said they have made six arrests today as hundreds of protestors gathered in Leeds City Centre.

There has been a heavy police presence after officers were given extra powers as three of planned protests took place in the city.

Hundreds of officers managed three demonstrations in the city centre, organised by UKIP and the Yorkshire Patriots, Stand Up To Racism and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed this afternoon that six arrests have been made and said the protests have “concluded without any serious incident”.

Additional police powers were put in place during static protests in City Square and Victoria Gardens and marches around the city centre.

West Yorkshire Police said a total of six people were arrested, mainly on suspicion of breaching Section 14 of the Public Order Act in relation to the protest groups staying in an agreed location.

A spokesman said: “Those arrested remain in custody and enquiries are ongoing. There were no reports of any injuries or any incidents of disorder.”

Additional police powers have been put in place under Section 12 and Section 14 of the Public Order Act.

These measures which give officers extra powers to impose conditions on public processions - such as managing start and finish times, required routes for marches and static demonstrations.

Officers will also have power to require the removal or seizures of items used to conceal identity within the designated areas.

Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller, who led the operation, said: “Our main priority today was to keep people safe and balance the rights of those who wished to protest with the rights of those visiting, working or living in the city centre.

“That aim was successfully achieved through careful planning and preparation, alongside our partner agencies, and the strategic deployment of officers on the ground to manage the impact of these events throughout the day.

“Although there were a small number of arrests, this was completely in line with what we would expect for an event of this nature, and we hope the people of Leeds can be suitably reassured of our ability to deal effectively with events such as this, ensuring public safety and keeping disruption to a minimum.”