Six thousand riot-trained police officers were on standby to respond to potential disorder wherever it happened on Wednesday night.
But while thousands of anti-racism campaigners turned out, the far-right was largely absent.
That was a key moment when the tide turned in this wave of public disorder, says Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, one of the UK’s most senior police officers.
But he stressed there was no room for complacency, with the police now “very focused on the weekend” with “many potential events still being advertised and circulated online”.
