A suspended Labour councillor accused of urging anti-fascist protesters to “cut the throats” of far-Right rioters has been remanded in custody.

Ricky Jones, 57, appeared in court on Friday charged with encouraging violent disorder at an anti-fascist demonstration on Wednesday.

He was arrested on Thursday and charged with encouraging violent disorder after a video emerged in which he appeared to call for far-Right protesters’ throats to be “cut” during a demonstration in Walthamstow, north-east London.

Although far-Right rioters have made up the majority of those appearing in court over the past few days, the first defendants to be sentenced on Friday were two Asian men from Leeds who, like Mr Jones, participated in counter-protests.

Sameer Ali, 21, and Adnan Ghafoor, 31, both from West Bank in Leeds, received sentences of 20 and 18 months respectively for their attack on “pro-EDL” protesters.

Meanwhile, in Birmingham, Habeeb Khan, 49, appeared in court accused of possessing an imitation AK-47 after a video circulated on social media.

Mr Jones was arrested on Thursday after footage of the alleged incident was shared online.

He had served as a Labour councillor in Dartford from 2019, before he was suspended by the party.

Mr Jones spoke in court only to confirm his name and date of birth. Members of his family were present.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram told Mr Jones: “In the midst of serious public disorder across the country, it is alleged that using a microphone, you addressed the crowd.

“You said: ‘We need to cut their throats and get rid of them.’”

Mr Jones, of Dartford, Kent, was remanded in custody ahead of a pre-trial and preparatory hearing at Inner London Crown Court on Sept 6.

Ali, 21, and Ghafoor, 31, admitted affray after they attacked “pro-EDL” rioters during a clash between opposing demonstrations in the city centre on Aug 3.

Ghafoor was also ordered to serve an additional 12 months for breaching an unrelated suspended sentence.

Attack ‘was moment of madness’

A judge warned that “severe sentences will follow” for anyone taking part in the violence.

Leeds Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of a group of Asian men kicking and punching a smaller group of four white men, one of whom was draped in a Union flag and wearing a Union flag mask, on Saturday afternoon on Great George Street in the city.

Graham O’Sullivan, representing Ali, said his client was provoked by “Islamophobic threats and abuse” from the group of white men, including comments such as “f— Allah” and the use of racial slurs.

Frances Pencheon, defending Ghafoor, said: “It was a short-lived moment of madness against a backdrop of what was said to him, and a backdrop of what was happening in town that day.”

Jailing the pair, Judge Guy Kearl KC, the Recorder of Leeds, said: “Given the nationwide context of the violence, and in order to provide punishment and deterrence in accordance with the overarching principles of sentencing, severe sentences will follow for those found to have participated in incidents of violence.”

Meanwhile, Mr Khan, 49, was remanded into custody at Birmingham magistrates’ court on Friday by District Judge David Wain after indicating a plea of not guilty to a charge of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear or violence.

Mr Khan, of Birmingham, also faces a charge of sending a communication threatening death or serious harm between Aug 5 and 6 and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress towards a police officer on Aug 7.

District Judge Wain said Mr Khan had appeared in a video “holding a realistic imitation assault rifle” and remanded him into custody. He will appear at Birmingham Crown Court on Aug 14.

Counter protests gather momentum in Belfast

On Friday night, about a thousand counter-protesters gathered at Belfast City Hall against a small anti-immigration demonstration.

A heavy police presence and barriers were in place to keep the two gatherings apart, with Donegall Square North closed to traffic.

The people at the anti-immigration protest were seen holding signs with slogans such as “Shankill Road says no to illegal immigration” and chanting “send them home”.

Trade union banners and signs with anti-racism messages were held aloft at the counter-protest, with chants of “when migrant lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back” and “Belfast is anti-fascist”.

Gerry Kelly and Caral Ni Chuilin, both Sinn Fein members in the Northern Ireland Assembly, were among the counter-protesters.

Police said there would be a “significant, visible” operation ahead of the protest and counter demonstration in Belfast city centre on Friday evening.

Queen’s University closed its campus and a number of businesses closed their offices as a precaution following violent scenes at an anti-immigration protest last Saturday.

There has been further disorder across Belfast during evenings since then, and 10 police officers injured.

Asst Chief Constable Melanie Jones said the police expected a very busy weekend across Northern Ireland with a risk of spontaneous protest as well as scheduled events such as the Apprentice Boys of Derry parade in Londonderry and the West Belfast Festival.

She also said that “officers may have additional powers to stop and search or require the removal of face coverings”.

“We will have a significant visible policing operation in place across Northern Ireland to ensure that everyone is kept safe,” she told media at a press conference at PSNI headquarters in east Belfast.

“We will be supporting the right to peaceful protest that is lawful, but this does not extend into intimidation, harassment or disorder.

“I encourage anyone who is planning to engage in protest to do so peacefully and within the law, and to engage with the police and follow our advice and instruction.”

Meanwhile in Crawley, West Sussex, hundreds of counter-protesters gathered outside a hotel and waved to the windows chanting “refugees are welcome here” as residents in the hotel, including a child, waved back.

Police guarded the hotel as police vans and two ice cream trucks surrounded the car park.

A sole opposing protester was seen outside the hotel earlier. Meanwhile counter-protesters sang “we stand together” and “hold strong, stop the deportations” in the sunshine on Friday evening.