Thousands flood central London for Tommy Robinson ‘protest’ chanting ‘we want our country back’

The right-wing activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, said it would be ‘the biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever seen’.

Thousands of people have gathered in central London for a march led by Tommy Robinson.

Protesters wearing outfits and waving flags depicting the Union, English, Scottish and Welsh flags chanted ‘Rule Britannia’ and ‘We want our country back’.

The right-wing activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, said the protest would be ‘the biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever seen’.

Around 1,000 police officers have been deployed to the streets of the capital to ‘keep the peace’ amid an expected counter-demonstration by Stand Up To Racism and a Trans Pride march nearby.

The ‘Uniting The Kingdom’ event, which was billed as ‘the biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever see’ saw thousands gather on The Strand before marching to Trafalgar Square.

Robinson posted a video to X showing the crowds marching with him chanting his name, saying ‘we’re unifying the people’.

Actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox also joined the march.

Live-streaming on X, Fox told the camera with a smile: ‘This is our community.’

A counter-protest by Stand Up To Racism and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace & Justice Project is set to march from Russell Square and to a rally in Whitehall.

It is supported by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and 11 trade unions, as well as groups such as Stop the War Coalition, Peace & Justice Project and Unite Against Fascism.

A statement by Stand Up to Racism said the organisation was ‘proud to be supporting the Stop Tommy Robinson demonstration alongside a host of unions and organisations.’

They added that Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – ‘is a former member of the Nazi BNP and founder of the English Defence League, and is mobilising a significant number of far-right thugs onto the streets of London.’

After Robinson gathered over 5,000 individuals for an ‘extremely Islamophobic’ and ‘dangerous’ event on June 1, Stand Up to Racism said it was ‘imperative’ that they responded with a mass protest ‘to show that we will not tolerate fascism in our society.’

The police have already used powers under the Public Order Act to try to keep the opposing groups apart amid fears of serious disruption.

Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove, who is in charge of this weekend’s operation, warned that police will ‘intervene decisively’ to deal with protesters who break the strict conditions about when and where they are allowed to demonstrate.

He said: ‘Our first priority is to keep the peace to ensure that those exercising their right to lawful protest can do so safely.

‘We have proactively used our powers under the Public Order Act to manage the timings and routes of marches and assemblies, ensuring that the groups are kept apart.

‘Officers will intervene decisively to deal with any breaches of those conditions, prevent crime, and to respond to any other incidents.

‘Everyone has a right to feel safe and be safe in London.

‘Those who abuse the right to protest in an effort to unlawfully intimidate others or to use hate speech can expect to face police action.

‘The police presence will be very visible and I would urge anyone out and about in London, whether participating in these events or not, to speak to an officer if they feel unsafe or wish to report an incident.’

A Trans Pride event, which includes a march from Langham Place to Wellington Arch where speeches will take place, is also being held on Saturday.

No conditions have been imposed in advance of the Trans Pride event, the police said.

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