Update

The protests passed fairly uneventfully.

Apparently the police were able to keep 1,000 protesters away from town by not letting their buses reach the town and routing them in such a way as they went home again, instead!

Some people were arrested for a variety of incidents (some public order, bail offences, etc) but events passed off peacefully. Someone did try to cause a riot, but it was stamped on very firmly by the police before it got out of hand.

All praises to the police for handling the situation so well.