A CROWD of around 400 people gathered at Belfast City Hall on Saturday for a 'UK Freedom Rally' and counter protest.
Around 150 people from various far-right groups faced-off against 300 counter-protestors.
There was a heavy police presence around Royal Avenue and City Hall as things got underway around 2.30pm, with a barricade and 50ft buffer separating the opposing crowds.
Councillor Jolene Bunting joined protesters as they marched from Sandy Row to City Hall.
By 3.30pm, speeches on each side were well underway, with various figures from across the UK and Ireland’s far-right speaking, while simultaneous speeches were delivered by People before Profit, Worker’s Party and Alliance reps, among others.
Irish language group Cumann Ui Cheirigh were also in attendance on the counter protest side, chantings “Immigrants Welcome” and “Muslims In - Fascists Out” as Jolene Bunting spoke of the “fake news” media.
People before Profit Cllr Matt Collins said he was glad to see the crowd on his side of the barricade was much larger than the demonstrations across the barricade.
“Just look around, people in this city has a proud tradition fighting fascism and, as the crowd shows, it’s not what Belfast’s people want,” he added.
“Jolene Bunting and this far-right crowd don’t seem to get the irony of this kind of nonsense in front of City Hall - a building targeted by the Nazis in World War Two.”
Alliance Cllr David Armitage said people in Belfast shouldn’t have to protests against “dangerous ideologies”, but such ideas need to be “challenged” when they appear.
It was a relativity peaceful day at City Hall, with only a few far-right protests being escorted away from the protests by police for minor incidents of disorder.