A woman spent two nights in a police cell for refusing to remove her face covering when asked to by police officers.

Rosy Bennet, 25, was part of the counter-demonstration called in response to reports that ‘neo-Nazi’ group Patriotic Alternative planned to join Saturday’s anti-LTN march in central Oxford.

On Monday (February 20), Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard that she was one of a number of ‘anti-fascist’ demonstrators stopped by police officers in Ship Street.

Prosecutor Aamir Barrett told the justices that a chief inspector had earlier issued a ‘section 60 order’ requiring protesters to remove any face coverings.

On Ship Street, all but two of the ‘anti-fascist’ protesters refused to comply with police officers’ requests that they take off their masks.

Bennet was also said to have refused to tell the officers her name. Taken to Abingdon police station, she was said to have told a constable: “All I did was refuse to remove my face covering.”

The defendant, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to failing to remove a mask when required to do so by a uniformed officer – an offence Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. She had no previous convictions, Mr Barrett said.

In mitigation, Bennet was said to have told the police officers who had detained her and her fellow ‘anti-fascists’ that they would show them their faces – but were concerned about the ‘fascists’ seeing their faces.

Two days in the police station cell was ‘more than [enough] punishment for a minor offence’, the bench was told.

The magistrates imposed an absolute discharge, meaning that the defendant would not be punished for the offence but the charge would remain on her criminal record. She was ordered to pay £85 in costs.

Police said three other people had been arrested in connection with Saturday's protests. They are:

  • A London man, 37, was arrested in Turl Street for the same offence. He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.
  • Another woman, 25, of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour. She has been released with no further action.
  • A 63-year-old Luton man was arrested on suspicion of threatening behaviour. He was dealt with by way of a community resolution.

On Saturday, Ch Supt Colin Paine said: “The demonstrations proceeded peacefully and I would like to thank the people of Oxford, and those who visited our city, for largely abiding by the law and exercising their right to protest peacefully."