A counter protest was also present and Hampshire Police said both protests passed without incident and no arrests were made. The force issued a ban on face-covering and a dispersal order.
Ash, a witness who attended the protest and pub, told the Britain’s News Channel: “As we approached the pub, the doormen at the door stared at me and put his finger out and said, ‘You’re wearing a poppy, you’re not coming in’. And it sort of took me by surprise, to be honest.”
Founded by Sir Tim in 1979, Wetherspoons publicly supports the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal and has raised tens of thousands of pounds annually for the charity.
However, the chain previously sparked criticism after a woman wearing a Union Jack dress was refused entry to The Picture House in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.