Thousands of counter-protesters have rallied in cities and towns across England after a week of rioting and disorder.
Gatherings in locations where anti-immigration protests had been expected - including north London, Bristol and Newcastle - were largely peaceful, with counter-protesters chanting "refugees are welcome here" forming the bulk of the crowds.
Police had been braced for further violence, with thousands of officers deployed and more than 100 events anticipated.
Rioting was sparked by misinformation online that the suspect in the fatal stabbing of three little girls in Southport on 29 July was a Muslim asylum seeker.
Mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers were among places targeted during the disorder, with some shops burnt out and looted.
On Wednesday, on high streets across England, shop owners had boarded up windows and closed early in anticipation of further violence.
Immigration lawyers had been told by police to work from home after lists of solicitors’ firms and advice agencies were shared in chat groups as possible targets.
But only a handful of arrests were reported during the evening as demonstrations largely passed off peacefully.
More than 400 arrests have been made in relation to the riots, with more than 140 people charged, and some already convicted and sentenced.
Three men were given jail sentences for their parts in violent disorder in Southport and Liverpool.
Wednesday evening's largely peaceful scenes raise the question of whether those earlier arrests and custodial sentences, and the desire of others to take a stand against the violence, had an impact on anyone intending to begin new riots.
In Walthamstow, north London, thousands of people chanted "Whose streets? Our streets" and "refugees are welcome here", while one man beat his drum enthusiastically. Some people held signs that said "Smash the far right".
About 1,500 counter-protesters gathered in Bristol. The streets of the city were filled with trade unionists, anti-fascists and members of the black and Asian community.
In Brighton, eight protesters gathered outside a building they believed contained the office of a lawyer specialising in nationality and refugee law.
They were surrounded by 2,000 counter-protesters and forced to shelter against a building surrounded by a ring of police officers.
In Newcastle, about 1,000 counter-protesters, mostly Muslims, took over the pavement in front of the Beacon Centre, where an immigration service business had been on a list of expected targets.
The crowd chanted “refugees welcome” and “Geordies united will never be defeated”.
The local imam said they had been scared to come after the violence this week, but they wanted to show the real side of Newcastle and were reassured by the presence of so many people.
Most of the crowd had dispersed by 21:30 after achieving their stated aim - to reclaim the streets.
In Liverpool, hundreds of people gathered outside an asylum services office, whose windows had been boarded up as a precaution, to support refugees and immigrants.
Outside Accrington town hall in Lancashire, about 100 people gathered, with one man holding a megaphone saying everyone was welcome. One verified video on social media showed pubgoers embracing Muslims on the town's streets.
"It was a pure expression of solidarity and support," said Haddi Malik, 25, who lives in nearby Manchester and took the video.
In Southampton, between 300 and 400 people assembled at Grosvenor Square, chanting "racists go home" and "racism off our streets".
About 10 anti-immigration protesters also arrived in the area, with the two groups kept apart by police. One arrest was made.
A brief scuffle between protesters and counter-protesters was reported in Aldershot, prompting police officers to move in to separate the two sides.
In Portsmouth, about 200 anti-immigration protesters gathered outside a building used by the immigration service and repeatedly disrupted traffic by standing in the road. One person was arrested.
In Tamworth, about four miles from where a mob attacked a hotel housing asylum seekers on Sunday, 30 to 40 people gathered at a location listed as a place of possible protest.
One had a banner which read "Stop the Invasion". As of 20:30 the protest was peaceful, and there were no counter-protesters.
The anti-racism protest in North Finchley - an area with a sizeable Jewish population - did attract some criticism.
The local MP, Sarah Sackman, wrote on X that constituents had shared posts related to a group behind the counter-demonstration which she described as "clearly antisemitic". She said she had reported the posts to the police.
Ms Sackman added: "Whether it's the far-right or the far-left there can be zero tolerance for antisemitism, Islamophobia or racism in any form."
Disorder was reported in Croydon, which the Metropolitan Police said was not linked to protest, but with the “intention to cause disruption and fuel disorder”.
Around 50 people gathered, threw objects down the road and bottles at officers, police said. Eight arrests were made.
Police also came under attack in Belfast, where fires were lit and objects thrown at officers.
Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner visited the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, another hotel housing asylum seekers that was attacked by rioters on Sunday.
Rayner vowed those involved with riots "will be met with the law" and urged people to “stay away from it”.
Asked if protesters had legitimate concerns about immigration, she said: "Coming on the streets, throwing missiles at the police, attacking hotels like this one is not a legitimate grievance. It's not the way we do politics in this country. And nobody should be condoning that. This is thuggery. This is violence.“
Riot police are expected to stay on standby for the "foreseeable future" including through the weekend "and beyond", according to assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams.
King Charles is being kept updated daily about the public disorder around the country, according to Buckingham Palace, but is not expected to make any imminent interventions or visits to trouble spots.
