Thousands
of Tommy Robinson supporters gather in central London
Anti-racism
counter-protesters and Justice for Chris Kaba campaigners also take to
capital’s streets
Guardian staff
Sat 26 Oct 2024 15.21 BST
Thousands of Tommy Robinson supporters have gathered in
central London for a protest which the political activist will miss after he
was remanded into custody by police.
The Metropolitan police had put a condition on Robinson’s
Unite the Kingdom rally that it could not begin its procession to Parliament
Square before 1pm.
However, it appears the crowds were so large that the
demonstration spilled out from its meeting point around Victoria Station and
the supporters were initially held by a line of police from marching down
Victoria Street.
There were sporadic shouts of “oh Tommy, Tommy” from the
mostly male, white and middle-aged crowd of demonstrators. Many carried union
flags. One held a placard reading “Peter Lynch RIP patriot”, a reference to a
riots prisoner who recently died in prison.
Police were dressed in public order overalls and carrying
long batons but none was carrying a helmet. The blue vans of the territorial
support group, a specialist public order unit, were also present.
By about 2pm, as a light drizzle fell, many people made
their way out of the rally. Thousands remained to watch a screening of
Robinson’s new documentary, Lawfare, which took the place of a stump speech by
the figurehead.
A counter-protest is taking place in the capital organised
by Stand Up to Racism, which has called on its supporters to “take to the
streets” in a “massive anti-fascist demonstration”.
Elsewhere in central London, the United Families and Friends
Campaign held its annual remembrance procession for relatives who have died in
police custody, which included a protest over the acquittal this week of the
firearms officer Martyn Blake who shot dead Chris Kaba.
Hundreds of people gathered in Trafalgar Square and marched
to Downing Street. Activists held signs reading “No justice”, “No one
forgotten, nothing forgiven” and “No to hatred, no to fascism”.
Five family members – including a relative of Kaba – arrived
at Downing Street dressed in black with a handwritten note addressed to Keir
Starmer. They knocked on the door and handed it to a security guard.
A speaker from the Justice for Chris Kaba campaign addressed
the crowd as it marched to Downing Street. She spoke of “collective grief”,
“devastation” and “disappointment”, adding: “We have each other. We are strong.
We are powerful.”
Robinson, 41, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is
accused of being in contempt of court after the airing of a film at a protest
in Trafalgar Square in July.
He attended Folkestone police station on Friday, where he
was remanded before a hearing at Woolwich crown court on Monday concerning
allegations that he breached a 2021 high court order barring him from repeating
libellous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him.
Robinson was separately charged on Friday with failing to
provide his mobile phone access code to police under schedule 7 of the
Terrorism Act 2000, Kent police said.
The Met and the British Transport police are being supported
by officers from other forces across the country for the protests and the Met
said there would be a “significant police presence” to ensure that the two
groups were kept apart.
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