A second major protest is set to take place in Oxford later today.

Protesters gathered outside Carfax Tower in Cornmarket Street on Monday for a unity rally held by Oxford Stand Up To Racism amid anti-migrant demonstrations across the country.

Hundreds of left-wing protesters descended on Cornmarket Street holding aloft banners with messages such as “Refugees welcome here” and “Oppose Tommy Robinson”.

Another demonstration is set to take place at 7pm tonight (Wednesday, August 7) in Magdalen Road.

READ MORE: More Oxford protests planned this week

The protest on Monday took place in the city centre.The protest on Monday took place in the city centre. (Image: Newsquest)

Oxford Stand Up To Racism has listed the protest as ‘Defend Asylum Welcome from the far-right’ amid fears that similar scenes of violence seen across the UK could break out in the city.

Asylum Welcome is an organisation that provides advice and support to asylum seekers and refugees in the area.

Mark Goldring, director of Asylum Welcome, said: “Obviously we were very concerned but we were even more concerned about the events of last week and the weekend, both in Southport but also in asylum hotels and cities across England – so alarm levels were rising among our clients, volunteers and staff even before we knew of the specific targeting we learned of yesterday.”

The director has run the charity for five years and believes that the organisation has never seen threats like these before.

“Our bigger concern is that what we’ve seen this week is smaller numbers of clients actually coming to events and activities,” Mr Goldring added.

READ MORE: ‘Right-wing are having POGROMS’ say protesters in city centre

More protests will be held in Oxford this week.More protests will be held in Oxford this week. (Image: Newsquest)

“We don’t think this is because of specific threats – this is because of the broader fear in the environment and watching the news coverage across the country.

“Yesterday we had a football evening for young people, mostly young men and attendance fell off from 25 to half a dozen and we had a drop-in surgery, which happened yesterday – numbers were lowest that we’ve seen all year.

“So I think there’s a climate of concern of ‘I don’t want to go somewhere obvious or public if I don’t need to for the time being'.

“Obviously we will close well ahead of the possible protest tomorrow, many of our staff have refugee backgrounds themselves and so this will be shocking, traumatising, and worrying for some.”

READ MORE: Violent thugs ‘not welcome in our city’: Community defiant over protests

Leaders of Oxford City Council’s political parties including Susan Brown issued a joint statement ahead of the protest.

“Violence and harassment towards any part of our community will not be tolerated and has no place in our city. Racism and Islamophobia are never acceptable,” they said.

“As the political groups of Oxford City Council, we stand united in our unequivocal condemnation of the far-right extremism that we have seen across the UK.

"We stand in solidarity with Muslims and migrants who are at the heart of our city.

READ MORE: Thames Valley Police update on potential protest arrests

Pat Carmody at the protest in Oxford on Monday afternoon.Pat Carmody at the protest in Oxford on Monday afternoon. (Image: Newsquest)

“The violent scenes we have witnessed have left many members of our communities in fear.

“The use of intimidation and the targeting of people on the basis of their race or religion does not reflect the values of Oxford.

“This kind of aggression has no place in our society.

“Oxford is a place where we value diversity, inclusivity, and respect for others. That is our strength."

READ MORE: Communities angered as planning permission granted for new homes

Police officers were present at the protest on Monday.Police officers were present at the protest on Monday. (Image: Newsquest)

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