More than 100,000 join Tommy Robinson rally, as counter-protesters demonstrate

Daniel SandfordUK correspondent, central London,Nick Johnson andMaia DaviesAerial video exhibits scale of ‘Unite the Kingdom’ protestMore than 100,000 individuals have joined a march in central London organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, with a counter-protest by anti-racism campaigners additionally going down.The “Unite the Kingdom” rally gathered at Waterloo earlier than heading to Whitehall the place they heard speeches, together with from tech billionaire Elon Musk.Whereas the primary half of the day was largely peaceable, the Metropolitan Police later mentioned officers had confronted “unacceptable violence”, with projectiles thrown at them. 9 individuals have been arrested.In the meantime, about 5,000 individuals joined the close by counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR).Residence Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned “those that have attacked and injured cops”.”Anybody participating in legal exercise will face the complete power of the legislation,” she mentioned.Some 1,000 Met officers had been deployed forward of the protest and had been bolstered by an additional 500 officers from different police forces together with Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Devon and Cornwall.Round mid-afternoon, the 2 demonstrations had been divided on Whitehall by a line of cops.Whereas the vast majority of the group protested peacefully, the Met mentioned some officers had been attacked whereas attempting to maintain the 2 teams aside.”Officers are having to intervene in a number of areas to cease Unite the Kingdom protesters attempting to entry sterile areas, breach police cordons or get to opposing teams,” the Met mentioned on X.”A variety of officers have been assaulted.”PA MediaThe Met Police deployed additional officers with protecting tools in addition to police horses in central LondonInto the night additional riot police could possibly be seen speeding by means of the group to again up the horses and officers holding strains between the 2 teams.Projectiles had been thrown at officers from Unite the Kingdom protesters who had gathered close to Trafalgar Sq..”When officers moved in to cease them they confronted unacceptable violence,” the Met mentioned in an announcement. “They had been assaulted with kicks and punches. Bottles, flares and different projectiles had been thrown.”PA MediaThe Met Police estimated round 110,000 had been in Whitehall for the Tommy Robinson occasion and 5,000 for the counter-protestAt one level, a glass bottle appeared to smash towards a horse, inflicting the animal and rider to stagger backwards.Scuffles broke out as police used batons to try to push again Robinson supporters gathered on the highest of Whitehall and Trafalgar Sq..Robinson, whose actual identify is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, addressed the crowds on the “freedom of speech pageant” the place he criticised politicians for “parroting” his concepts.He additionally claimed UK courts had determined the rights of undocumented migrants outmoded these of the “area people”.Final month, the Courtroom of Attraction overturned an injunction blocking asylum seekers being housed at The Bell Resort in Epping, Essex.Earlier, enormous crowds massed close to Waterloo Station with individuals sporting and waving union flags and the St George crossMaking a shock look by way of videolink, Musk known as for a “change of presidency” within the UK.”You may’t – we do not have one other 4 years, or at any time when the subsequent election is, it is too lengthy,” Musk informed the group. “One thing’s acquired to be performed. There’s acquired to be a dissolution of Parliament and a brand new vote held.”TV presenter Katie Hopkins additionally spoke after earlier showing alongside Robinson, Lawrence Fox and Ant Middleton on the entrance of the march.EPAAt the Stand Up To Racism rally, unbiased MP Diane Abbott informed demonstrators: “We all know racism and violence and fascism will not be new. “However you already know what? We now have at all times defeated that racism and violence.”Forward of the march, the Met confirmed it could not be utilizing reside facial recognition – which captures individuals’s faces in real-time CCTV cameras – in its policing of the Unite the Kingdom march.It additionally mentioned there have been “specific considerations” amongst some in London’s Muslim communities forward of Robinson’s protest, citing a “document of anti-Muslim rhetoric and incidents of offensive chanting by a minority at earlier marches”.EPACounter protesters had been additionally set to march by means of central London, ending up close to Robinson’s demonstrationThe Met mentioned that it had ordered the Unite the Kingdom rally to finish by 18:00 and the counter-protest to finish by 16:00, in step with when the organisers informed the power they anticipated speeches to finish.Robinson was launched from jail earlier this yr after being jailed in October for ignoring an order to not repeat false claims a couple of Syrian refugee, who had efficiently sued him for libel.