Sussex Police statement on Brighton Kill the Bill protest

An estimated 1,800 people gathered at The Level shortly before 5pm on Saturday to oppose the government's new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill.

The large crowd formed a procession and, led by two protesters carrying a banner with the message "silence is compliance", marched as one along Valley Gardens.

Kill the Bill protesters marched from The Level to Brighton Police Station in John Street on Saturday

They marched to Brighton Police Station, where protesters were met with a line of officers guarding the entrance to the building.

The group formed a semi-circle around them, chanting slogans including "Priti Patel is a fascist", "Whose streets? Our streets" and "kill the bill".

They also held placards above their heads with messages such as "those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable" and "ACAB", which stands for "all cops are b*******".

• READ MORE: Read our full report on the Brighton Kill the Bill protest

The group remained in front of the police station, on and off, for more than four hours, occasionally breaking off to march through the city centre and along the seafront.

Police escorts accompanied them throughout, with officers also remaining stationed at the front of the John Street site until about 9.30pm.

At one point, a video taken at the front of the police station showed a short spell of jostling between officers and protester, but any sign of violence quickly fizzled out.

Hundreds took to the streets of Brighton to take part in a Kill the Bill protest

Asked if any arrests were made during the protest, a Sussex Police spokeswoman said the event "caused some minor travel disruption" but otherwise "concluded without incident"

Detective Superintendent Juliet Parker, leading the operation, said: "This was initially a large gathering and the vast majority of people acted responsibly and engaged in peaceful demonstration.

"A smaller group of protesters remained in the city for several hours, congregating at times outside Brighton Police Station, and causing some traffic disruption.

"All of the officers policing the incident were specially trained and the event concluded without incident. We appreciate there was some disruption in the city and thank the local community for their patience and understanding."

• READ MORE: This is why thousands have taken part in Kill the Bill protests across the country

This comes after several Kill the Bill protests across the country on Friday and Saturday ended with arrests.

Footage from a demonstration in Bristol on Friday night showed tensions flare between police and protesters, with footage of a journalist appearing to be assaulted by police widely circulated on social media.

The widespread Kill the Bill protests come as a reaction to the controversial new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Court bill.

People held banners and chanted, with the protest lasting more than four hours

The bill would grant police additional powers to restrict protests by imposing start and finish times and setting noise limits. These limitations could be applied to a protest involving a single person.

It is these plans in particular that have sparked widespread criticism, with many claiming they represent an infringement on freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest.

The bill will also increase the maximum penalty for criminal damage of less than £5,000 to a memorial from three months to ten years’ imprisonment, the same maximum sentence for non-sexual child abuse.