Around 50 members of Southampton Patriots gathered outside Highfield House Hotel in Portswood before marching towards the city centre, chanting “stop the boats, send them home.”
The group later blocked traffic along Brunswick Place, singing “Rule Britannia” and shouting “save our women” as dozens of officers lined the route.
At one point on the steps of the Guildhall, some members were seen putting on hijabs before tearing them off while shouting “free the face”.
One anti-immigration protester told the Echo: “We have homeless and veterans on our streets getting no support from local authorities.
“Our veterans get kicked to the kerb while illegal immigrants are made the priority.
“I want Reform in Westminster.”
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Meanwhile, roughly 100 counter-protesters from Southampton Stand Up To Racism assembled nearby in Portswood, chanting: “This is what community looks like.”
The two groups were kept apart by police as counter-demonstrators marched through the city. The counter demonstration far outnumbered the members of Southampton Patriots.
Labour councillor Toqeer Kataria addressed the crowd and spoke about the need for solidarity.
He told the Echo: “I have come down here today to show support for all the people who are standing up for love and not hate.
“It’s really important for us to come together in today’s march and show that Southampton will not tolerate any kind of racism Islamophobia or antisemitism.
“We are stronger united. Immigration makes up such a huge part of the local sectors we have in Southampton from nurses working at Southampton General to immigrants working at Southampton docks.
“We are city united and we won’t be divided by the far right.”
Glyn Oliver, branch secretary for Unite the Union, claimed his offices were “attacked” three weeks ago by members of Southampton Patriots.
He said: “Unite members could not get inside. Southampton City Council workers who were already inside were forced to vacate.
“They had horrific abuse chanted at them and were made to feel intimidated.
“We need to sweep these far-right rats back into the sewers.”
By mid-afternoon, both marches had dispersed, with officers remaining in the city centre as protesters left the scene.