Around 4,000 police will take a ‘zero-tolerance approach’ during anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson’s hate-filled march, but the rally has already raised over £100,000 for refugees
Tommy Robinson’s march route has been transformed into a fundraiser for refugees and anti-racism organisations – and the more they walk, the more money the far right raise.
Already, well-over £100,000 has been pledged via a campaign called Tommy Chooses Love, which asks people to donate for every metre walked on Saturday. Donations have hit six figures and are expected to smash organisers’ £110,000 targets over the weekend thanks to the Unite The Kingdom rally, that aims to “bring London to a total standstill”.
During one of his various online rants, Robinson said he was hosting the march for those “who have had enough of migration and mass immigration and the oppression from a tyrannical government”.
But now every step will be support refugees, displaced people and anti-racism in the UK and the further they march, the higher the total. Fundraiser organisers Choose Love said: “Pledge as little as 1p for every metre they march, and we’ll turn their far right march into real support for refugees, displaced people and anti-racism in the UK.”
READ MORE: Far right and pro-Palestine groups to march in London this weekend – what you need to knowREAD MORE: Sharon Osbourne dropped by charity after supporting Tommy Robinson’s far-right rally
Unite the Kingdom, the second rally of its kind organised by the anti-Islam activist, begins on Kingsway and proceed to Aldwych, Strand, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, ending in Parliament Square. Speeches and music must be conclude by 5.30pm, officials have told protestors.
Seven ‘far-right agitators’ have already been blocked from entering Britain by the government ahead the central London rally on Saturday. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood deeming their presence not “conducive to the public good” with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying the government “will not allow people to come to the UK, threaten our communities and spread hate on our streets”.
Police are bracing for their most challenging day of the year so far with another 30,000 expected to march just miles away to mark Nakba Day, also known as the ‘Palestinian Catastrophe’. There will also be another 90,000 people at Wembley, north west London, for the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
The Met will deploy 4,000 officers in what has been described as one of the force’s largest public order operations of all time, with helicopters, drones, armed police and dog teams all on hand.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said fears within Jewish communities will be “particularly heightened” in a lengthy statement. He said: “Saturday which has the potential to be one of the busiest days for policing in London in recent years.
“Our plan involves the most assertive possible use of our powers including strict conditions. Thousands of officers will be deployed, taking a zero-tolerance approach supported by specialist resources including live facial recognition, helicopters, drones, dog units, police horses, armoured vehicles and dedicated investigative teams.“We’ll be policing two significant and potentially challenging protests in the centre of the city as well as the FA Cup Final which takes place at Wembley on the same day. We do so at a time of continued global instability which we know has the potential to fuel tension and play out on the streets of London.
“The terrorism threat level has been raised to severe and in recent weeks and months we have seen a terrorist attack and a sustained campaign of arsons targeting Jewish Londoners against a backdrop of increasing hate crime, in particular antisemitism.
“Fears in Jewish communities are particularly heightened, but we have also seen increased concerns more broadly, including in Muslim communities. “Taken together, these factors give us significant cause for concern heading into the weekend and require a policing plan that provides us with the most assertive grip on the movement of large groups and the potential for disorder and other criminality that arises as a result.
“The first of the two major protests is being held to mark Nakba Day. It is an annual protest organised by a coalition of groups including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War and others. This year they will be joined by Stand Up To Racism who are opposing the Unite the Kingdom march that I’ll move onto in a moment.
“The Nakba Day protest will form up in Exhibition Road in Kensington before heading to Waterloo Place via Brompton Road and Piccadilly. A rally with speeches will take place at the end point of the march.
“There have been more than 33 large protests organised by the groups that make up the Palestine Coalition since October 2023. They typically involve a very broad range of people whose specific motives and allegiances differ greatly.”
View the fundraiser here.
