At least 14 street patrol groups have been set up in towns and cities across the UK, wearing hi-vis jackets and sometimes stab-proof vests and carrying handcuffs. They have received tens of thousands of pounds in public donations as well as political support; the deputy leader of Reform UK, Richard Tice, has called for more patrols. The groups say they aim to protect women, but some have used their patrols to profile and question men of colour, demanding identity documents.
One woman, identified as Lisa, said she began a relationship with a far-right activist when she was 16. He became controlling and physically abusive, eventually attacking her with a machete and leaving her with a black eye and broken toes. She says that despite police attending and arresting him, she never saw a conviction for the violence. Claire, another survivor, described lengthy abuse during her relationship with an anti-immigration activist, including verbal abuse while pregnant and aggressive behavior toward hospital staff after the birth of her first child. That abuse continued after the relationship ended.
All seven women chose to come forward to make public what they say are patterns of violence behind this new form of activism. The Guardian has been shown evidence that indicates the severity of the abuse, including restraining and non-molestation orders. One woman was forced to move towns with police support for her own safety. Lisa described her ex-partner as a "bully in every way" and said his activism gives him a sense of power and control. "There's nothing good about that man. He's a bully in every way," she said.