Hundreds on Newtown streets for illegal immigration protest and counter demo
Hundreds of people turned out for a protest against illegal immigration and a counter demonstration.
The protest took place in Newtown, with the main anti-illegal immigration protest organised by the Newtown Action Committee, while counter demonstrators set up in opposition to the event.
The immigration protest, which included hundreds of people, marched from the Town Hall Grounds, down Back Lane, Broad Street, and then past the opposing demonstrators who were based on High Street.
Many of the main protestors carried either Welsh flags or Union flags, with anthemic Welsh songs playing from one truck, including Dafydd Iwan's Welsh-language folk song 'Yma o Hyd'.
Some bore placards carrying the slogan 'free speech'.
Counter protestors set up on High Street playing music, with a number of Mid Wales politicians, including Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr Labour MP Steve Witherden present.
Mr Witherden, who addressed the counter demonstrators, later said: "The size of the counter demonstration assembled in Newtown today showed that the values of the people of Wales are unity and compassion, not division and intolerance.
"Living standards are not improving quickly enough. At the same time, an increasing number of people think they can get away with breaking the rules that everyone else signs up to.
"I want our shared rules to be enforced just as much as anyone else. They must be. But the problems we face together are still much bigger and much more complicated. They are problems that we can only solve if we stand united.
"I addressed that crowd today with real solutions to these common problems: properly taxing extreme wealth, reducing inequality, investing in affordable housing, ending child poverty, and bringing down NHS waiting times. I will continue to work every day to see these things realised."
Dyfed-Powys Police had put a no-fly zone in place for drones ahead of the protest, while Newtown's Mayor, Pete Lewington urged those in the town to observe the event peacefully.
It comes as a large Tommy Robinson-organised march has also been taking place in London.
