LONDON - Right-wing, anti-immigrant protesters and opposing anti-racism demonstrators began large rallies in London on Saturday, closely watched by a beefed-up police operation aimed at heading off any clashes between the rival gatherings.
A few thousand joined the “Unite the Kingdom” march organised by an anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim activist known by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson, with the march heading towards parliament, carrying English and British flags, and banners reading “When will the government act for the British public?”
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was not at the rally. He was taken into police custody on Friday before a court hearing on Monday, where he faces charges of repeatedly libelling a Syrian refugee.
On Friday, he was also charged under terrorism laws with failing to provide his mobile phone PIN code when he left Britain in July.
Meanwhile, a counter protest of anti-racism campaigners and trade unionists also gathered, carrying banners saying “refugees welcome” and “smash the far right”.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams, who is leading a policing operation that drafted in officers from around the country, said they were well prepared.
“We will have significant resources in place to respond to any incidents, to deal decisively with any offences, and to keep disruption to other members of the public and businesses to a minimum,” she said on Friday.
Britain saw days of rioting in towns and cities across the country at the end of July in the wake of the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport, after misinformation on social media wrongly identified the suspected killer as a Muslim migrant.
The unrest, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as racist and blamed on far-right thuggery, targeted hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques. It ended after police made more than 1,500 arrests and charged about 1,000 people.
The right-wing protesters describe themselves as “patriots”, who say Britain is under threat from migrants and Islamification. Their critics, including most lawmakers, say their number includes racists, far-right supporters and football hooligans bent on violence.
“Tomorrow we’re back, and won’t be ignored or silenced,” Robinson said on X on Friday.
“We do not care if you are black, brown, white or green, what we care about are shared values, our culture, and the direction of our nation,” the message continued.
Robinson, 41, was banned from Twitter in 2018 for breaching its rules on “hateful conduct”, and his accounts on Facebook and Instagram were suspended the following year for repeatedly breaking rules on hate speech.
For a few years his influence waned. But after Twitter, now called X, was bought by Elon Musk in 2022, Robinson’s account was reinstated. He now has more than 1 million followers, and a video he posted there called “Silenced” has had 55 million views.
The rallies in London come as official figures on Saturday showed the number of asylum seekers crossing the Channel this year from Europe in small boats — an issue that has angered many in Britain — hit 29,578, more than for the whole of 2023.
Anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson gestures before arriving at a police station in Folkestone, England on Friday. He will be in custody over the weekend pending a court appearance, and will miss the “Unite the Kingdom” rally he has been promoting. (Photo: Reuters)
A few thousand joined the “Unite the Kingdom” march organised by an anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim activist known by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson, with the march heading towards parliament, carrying English and British flags, and banners reading “When will the government act for the British public?”
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was not at the rally. He was taken into police custody on Friday before a court hearing on Monday, where he faces charges of repeatedly libelling a Syrian refugee.
On Friday, he was also charged under terrorism laws with failing to provide his mobile phone PIN code when he left Britain in July.
Meanwhile, a counter protest of anti-racism campaigners and trade unionists also gathered, carrying banners saying “refugees welcome” and “smash the far right”.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams, who is leading a policing operation that drafted in officers from around the country, said they were well prepared.
“We will have significant resources in place to respond to any incidents, to deal decisively with any offences, and to keep disruption to other members of the public and businesses to a minimum,” she said on Friday.
Britain saw days of rioting in towns and cities across the country at the end of July in the wake of the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport, after misinformation on social media wrongly identified the suspected killer as a Muslim migrant.
The unrest, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as racist and blamed on far-right thuggery, targeted hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques. It ended after police made more than 1,500 arrests and charged about 1,000 people.
The right-wing protesters describe themselves as “patriots”, who say Britain is under threat from migrants and Islamification. Their critics, including most lawmakers, say their number includes racists, far-right supporters and football hooligans bent on violence.
“Tomorrow we’re back, and won’t be ignored or silenced,” Robinson said on X on Friday.
“We do not care if you are black, brown, white or green, what we care about are shared values, our culture, and the direction of our nation,” the message continued.
Robinson, 41, was banned from Twitter in 2018 for breaching its rules on “hateful conduct”, and his accounts on Facebook and Instagram were suspended the following year for repeatedly breaking rules on hate speech.
For a few years his influence waned. But after Twitter, now called X, was bought by Elon Musk in 2022, Robinson’s account was reinstated. He now has more than 1 million followers, and a video he posted there called “Silenced” has had 55 million views.
The rallies in London come as official figures on Saturday showed the number of asylum seekers crossing the Channel this year from Europe in small boats — an issue that has angered many in Britain — hit 29,578, more than for the whole of 2023.
Anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson gestures before arriving at a police station in Folkestone, England on Friday. He will be in custody over the weekend pending a court appearance, and will miss the “Unite the Kingdom” rally he has been promoting. (Photo: Reuters)
