My elderly and disabled friend, the former Catholic Dean of Southampton, and his full-time carer live on Grosvenor Square.

Although I am currently 700 miles away in northern Spain I followed the planned anti-immigrant protests closely via the Daily Echo’s Live feed. 

Thank you! I used it to try and support them.

As a Catholic priest in and around Southampton since 1991 I would like to warmly thank the brave and good people of Southampton who last night faced down those who sought to divide and violate our community. This thanks includes the city council and police. 

The protesters rightly failed. Community cohesion and the Common Good won!

Hopefully, the immediate crisis has passed. But community and religious leaders and politicians must now step up and address underlying problems that our city and British society face.

Poor people, who live in deprived communities, must overcome ethnic and religious differences to rebuild their communities, especially through better education for all, but also taking pride in their areas and environment.

Come together as disadvantaged communities to challenge established powers, political, business, etc to demand investment, communal life, and the common good of all. 
Start small by cleaning the streets. Challenge anti-social behaviour from “neighbours”. Defy drug dealers and alcohol peddlers. 
Eject violent abusers of women, girls, and children from local communities. Real leadership of such communities is urgently needed to tackle real problems that communal poverty embeds.

Bro Ray Lyons
Spain