Thousand Attend Tommy Robinson Rally and Counter-Protest in Central London
Approximately 1,000 police officers have been deployed amidst the opposing protests.
Thousands took to the streets of central London on Saturday in a “Unite the Kingdom” rally organized by anti-Islamist activist Tommy Robinson, while former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke at a counter protest.
The Metropolitan Police approved separate routes to keep the two groups apart and dispatched around 1,000 officers to oversee the two rallies as well as a trans pride event.
Mr. Robinson’s march commenced at the Royal Courts of Justice at midday and continued with a rally in Trafalgar Square.
Supporters proudly displayed flags representing the Union, England, Scotland, and Wales.
The crowd echoed chants of “Rule Britannia,” “We want our country back,” and Mr. Robinson’s name.
One protester was spotted waving an English flag atop a phone box, while others carried placards with the message “Not far right, just right.”
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Meanwhile, a counter-protest by Stand Up To Racism and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace & Justice Project marched from Russell Square to a rally in Whitehall.
Supported by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and 11 trade unions, as well as groups like Stop the War Coalition, Peace & Justice Project, and Unite Against Fascism.
Demonstrators carried placards reading “no to racism, no to hatred” and shouted “we won’t be silent.”
The afternoon proceeded mostly without incident. At 3:48, The Met announced that two men had been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm level assault after an incident at the Stand Up To Racism protest.
The victim sustained a head injury and was taken to the hospital for examination, with no further details provided about the incident by the police.
The force refuted claims on social media suggesting the arrests were linked to the display of a flag.
In a pre-event post shared on social media, Mr. Robinson, also known as Stephen Yaxley Lennon, expressed that the protest would mark “the biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever seen.”
In a separate video, the founder and former leader of the English Defence League urged supporters to conduct themselves in a respectable manner to ensure a “fun-packed celebration of being British” while conveying “strong messages” to the establishment, emphasizing that frontline police officers are “not the enemy.”
PA Media contributed to this report.
