A GROUP of protesters gathered outside Newport Central Police Station today (Monday) in support of a woman arrested for placing stickers around the city.

As reported previously by the Argus, officers arrested the woman earlier this month "on suspicion of criminal damage and displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress".

Gwent Police said in a previous statement the force had "received several reports in relation to posters containing offensive material appearing in Newport between October and January".

The arrested woman was spotted by police "spraying stickers to two lampposts" on January 23. She was kept in custody for 13 hours before being released on conditional police bail. Officers later searched her home and confiscated some items, including more stickers. Police enquiries are ongoing and the investigation remains active.

At the demonstration, around 50 attendees waved flags and held signs with pro-feminist and anti-police messages.

MORE NEWS:

Although the reason for the demonstration was a response to the arrest of the 53-year-old woman, members of the protest were each given the opportunity to use the microphone, and some of them gave opinions on other matters: women's safety in the community, police funding of the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, classroom lessons on gender and transgender identity.

"It's not just the arrest," Kellie-Jay Keen, of the Standing for Women organisation, told us after the demonstration ended. "It's the fact somebody was put in a cell for stickers and her house was raided.

"I just don't understand in what capacity the police felt it was proportionate to search her house."

She added: "Police are quite disinterested in the serious things that happen to women, and at the same time very interested in policing women's thoughts."

Two other attendees, Cathy and Claire from the Women's Rights Network, said: "Women are gathering here today because we are concerned women's voices are being undermined.

"Women are not being permitted to speak up for our sex-based rights, our right to single-sex spaces in places like prisons, hospitals and sports."

The pair said they had been "branded all kinds of hateful things just for speaking up for women and girls" but "speaking up for women's rights is not a crime".

Two Gwent Police officers watched over the protest in Mariners Green.

The force said in a statement: "Our response to any public gathering will always be fair and proportionate.

"The right to lawful protest is a key part of any democracy, which UK police forces uphold and facilitate."