Police launched a massive operation with drones, horses and helicopters, as thousands gathered in London for the Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march and the annual pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally
At least 4,000 police officers were called in to stop violence and hate speech on the streets of central London today, as two rival marches took place, resulting in at least 31 arrests.
The mammoth security operation, described as “unprecedented” in recent years, cost a staggering £4.5million and included more than 600 cops brought in from around the country to keep Tommy Robinson supporters and Nakba Day marchers apart. Specialist armed officers, large numbers of officers equipped with riot gear, including helmets and batons, along with police horses and dogs were all on standby to prevent major disorder.
At 4.30pm, a Met Police spokesperson said: “There have so far been 31 arrests across the whole operation. We will provide a more detailed breakdown at the conclusion. While this may seem high, to this point both protests have proceeded largely without significant incident.”
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They included one man arrested in connection with an incident in Birmingham where a man was run over and another wanted for a separate offence which involved encouraging people to attack a police officer. Armoured vehicles, not seen on the capital’s streets for 15 years, were on standby and police used live facial recognition technology for the first time while policing a protest.
Helicopters and drones also watched from the skies as an estimated crowd of up to 50,000 Unite the Kingdom protesters and up to 30,000 pro-Palestine supporters gathered. In a repeat of a similar event last September, protesters were heard singing songs in support of Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and derogatory ones about Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
But the number of people at the Robinson rally, dubbed a freedom of speech, national unity and Christian event, were far lower than the estimated 110,000 at the previous event. It came after police announced they would be taking a zero-tolerance approach to hate speech and 11 foreign far-right speakers booked by anti-Islam activist Robinson were blocked from entering Britain after the government ruled their attendance “would not be conducive to the public good”.
Robinson and a number of speakers, including actor Laurence Fox, were seen drinking at the Prince of Wales pub in Drury Lane ahead of the march. Robinson was surrounded by a phalanx of burly security guards while leaving the pub before being mobbed by supporters as he made his way onto the Strand.
One was heard remarking in surprise at how “tiny” Robinson looked in person, before a fellow supporter assured the man the campaigner’s height didn’t matter. He later led protesters in chants of support for Elon Musk from a stage in Parliament Square.
Many protesters wore ‘Make Britain Great Again’ caps and waved Israel, Union Jack and St George’s flags, including some emblazoned with the message ‘Stop the Boats’. One woman, who was wearing a Union Jack bikini top and a cowboy hat, held a homemade sign with the message “Get them out”, while others were seen wearing t-shirts with a range of anti-migrant slogans, including ‘Stop importing, start deporting’.
In Trafalgar Square, a man using a microphone and speaker system was heard making a number of offensive and inflammatory statements about Muslims and the prophet Muhammad, as some marchers laughed. Large numbers of men, including many walking while carrying cans and bottles of beer, were among the marchers, but there were also many women, as well as families.
A woman wearing a burqa unintentionally found herself in the middle of the crowds as the main march passed by Nelson’s Column. A lone female protester approached her and praised her bravery for attending the event. She was heard assuring her “we don’t hate you” before going on to explain to her that she is just against children being raped by gangs of men. Before going their separate ways, the protester asked the woman for a hug and they embraced.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was among marchers at the Nakba Day protest, held annually to mark the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948 around the founding of Israel. Labour MP Apsana Begum told pro-Palestine protesters gathered in Pall Mall that the movement will not be divided by the “far right”.
Speaking to demonstrators at the rally, Ms Begum said: “We know that the far right marches because our solidarity with the Palestinian people threatens their cause… the one which is based on intolerance, hatred, and division. But today, we march, Muslims, Jews, Christians, people of all faiths and none, from all ages, from all ethnic backgrounds, bound by our shared humanity and our just purpose. We will not be divided by the far right.”
Speaking ahead of the protests, Keir Starmer declared: “We’re in a fight for the soul of this country, and the Unite the Kingdom march this weekend is a stark reminder of exactly what we are up against. Its organisers are peddling hatred and division, plain and simple. We will block those coming into the UK who seek to incite hatred and violence. For anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone, you can expect to face the full force of the law”.
Police had also warned they would not tolerate hate speech at either event and protesters committing anti-Muslim hatred or chanting anti-Israel slogans such as “Death to the IDF” or “Globalise the Intifada” would face arrest. And the Crown Prosecution Service warned that new guidance had been put in place for prosecutors to advise on the use of offensive banners, slogans, chants, or symbols.
They also added lawyers would be working with police to ensure anyone found to have engaged in criminal activity would face swift charging decisions. The crackdown followed anti-Jewish attacks in London and the raising of the terror threat level to severe, as well as last September’s Unite The Kingdom event, which saw drunken far-right thugs bring chaos to the capital in repeated clashes with police.
Bottles, flares and projectiles – as well as kicks and punches – were aimed at officers trying to keep the peace and at one point a glass bottle was smashed against a horse. Officers also drew batons while trying to push back protesters in Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.
