A girl was "kicked in the head" at a peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration, by a man who angrily stormed through the crowd.
Demonstrator Margaret Hancock who witnessed the incident outside Southport town hall on Saturday, June 13, said the event was otherwise peaceful, with people wearing face masks and observing social distancing rules.
Speaking of what happened, Margaret said the crowd was sat listening to a BLM speaker, when a man rushed through them shouting "All Lives Matter" before kicking an adolescent girl in the head, Lancs Live reports.
Margaret, who travelled from Leyland to take part, said there was also another group of people stood next to the cenotaph, near the town hall, with many of them shouting "All Lives Matter".
She said: "A man ran through and was really aggressive. He was running at people. We were all seated and he rushed through us angrily shouting 'All Lives Matter'.
"We were listening to a speaker at the time and she was trying to make herself heard.
"It was a bit shocking and next to me there was this family with a young girl. He ran straight through them and kicked her in the head as he tried to punch another protester.
"I don't think she was badly injured. There wasn't any blood or anything like that but it certainly shook up the poor girl and she was crying.
"It was such a strange thing as we weren't doing anything. We were just sat there listening. It came out of nowhere."
Margaret, who grew up in Southport, said it was the only incident in an otherwise peaceful event and heaped praised on the organisers for their hard work, enforcing social distancing and giving out free face coverings and hand sanitiser tho those who needed it.
She said: "It was the very first protest I have ever been to and it was incredible. It was so peaceful and we were all sitting and being socially distant.
"There were people of all different races and colours all mingling in with the same message.
"The speakers were wonderful. There were 13 and 14 year olds speaking about the racism they have experienced in Southport. The organisers did a wonderful job."
Southport’s Conservative MP Damien Moore had urged people to stay away from the Southport BLM protest.
He said due to the current coronavirus pandemic holding any large gathering is “not the right thing to do.”
