Street stand-off Masked 'patriots intent on fighting' outside city pub

A GROUP of people who turned up outside a Bristol pub wearing masks and waving flags seemed "intent on fighting", according to a witness.

- Molly SEAMAN

Police were called to a “disturbance” outside the Red Lion pub on Whitehall Road on Sunday afternoon, involving “about 50 people with differing views”.

A pub-goer who saw the group described seeing roughly “25 people fully masked up” and claimed some appeared to be “wearing pseudo stab vests” and were initiating violence.

The witness, who asked only to be named as Frankie, was in a neighbouring pub at the time of the group’s arrival.

Frankie said the group of self-proclaimed ‘patriots’ were shouting generic chants about “saving the country” but were heard making “direct threats of violence” to members of the community and customers at the Red Lion.

The pub had shared a post on social media promoting a fundraising gig that day, advertised as a “benefit for Bristol Antifascists”.

The organised event is believed to have been targeted by the ‘patriots’ in protest.