What happened during the rival London protests?

Police officers from across the country were sent to London as supporters of Tommy Robinson, and counter-protesters, marched through the capital on Saturday.

Stand up to Racism and Tommy Robinson demonstrations in central London on 27/10/2024.
Barriers and lines of police officers kept the two rival protest groups apart amid fears of disorder. (Getty Images)

A number of arrests were made on Saturday as thousands of protesters – both supporters of far right activist Tommy Robinson and anti-racism demonstrators – marched through central London.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was charged with contempt of court and an offence under the Terrorism Act on Friday and remanded in custody one day before the protests began.

Police officers from across the country were brought in to support the Metropolitan Police on Saturday amid fears the two rival demonstrations could spill over into disorder.

Meanwhile a smaller group of protesters, including the family of Chris Kaba, gathered in Trafalgar Square and marched to Downing Street over deaths at the hands of police.

Here, Yahoo News UK explains why people were marching and what happened in the capital.

Saturday's protest organised on behalf of Robinson, under the name Uniting the Kingdom, marched from Victoria station to the southern end of Whitehall.

Demonstrators, some of whom were drinking cans and glasses of alcohol, carried placards reading “Two tier Keir fuelled the riots”, “Bring back Rwanda” and “Stop the Boats”.

A stage was put up on Parliament Street as protesters calling for Robinson's release chanted, "We want Tommy Out". Supporters watched a screening of Robinson's new documentary instead of a speech by the activist.

Some demonstrators wore “I am Peter Lynch” badges, in reference to a 61-year-old man who died in prison after being jailed for screaming abuse at riot police outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Two arrests were made at the demonstration, one on suspicion of a breach of the Public Order Act conditions in place and an alleged breach of the peace, and one on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence, the Metropolitan Police said.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 2024/10/26: Protestors gather during the demonstration. The Far Right descended on Central London despite their leader Tommy Robinson being absent due to being remanded by the Police. Fuelled by the recent suicide of Peter Lynch while in custody for violent disorder, the demonstration congregated outside Downing Street under the banner of 'Uniting the Kingdom'. (Photo by Lab Ky Mo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Tommy Robinson's supporters marching through London. (Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 2024/10/26: Police officers arrest a man near Trafalgar Square as thousands of protesters march in Central London in solidarity with far-right figure Tommy Robinson, who was arrested under the Terrorism Act. (Photo by Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Police officers arrest a man near Trafalgar Square. (Getty Images)

The counter protest organised by Stand Up To Racism marched from Regent Street St James’s to the north end of Whitehall. Barriers and lines of police officers were set up to keep the rival groups apart.

Meanwhile Winston Churchill's statue in Parliament Square was protected by steel barriers, while the Cenotaph in Whitehall was also sealed-off.

The “massive anti-fascist demonstration” heard from speakers including Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott plus trade union general secretaries.

The Met Police said there was a "brief period of pushing and shoving in Whitehall" when officers "intervened near the Stand Up To Racism stage to arrest a woman for common assault". The woman was later de-arrested, the force said.

A further arrest was made after an officer was assaulted as a group from the Stand Up To Racism march tried to push through a cordon at the end of The Mall.

People join civil society groups led by Stand Up To Racism during a counter-protest against a Pro-UK rally endorsed by Tommy Robinson in central London. Picture date: Saturday October 26, 2024. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images)
Organisers called on people to "take to the streets" in a “massive anti-fascist demonstration”. (Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 2024/10/26: A placard that says
Counter-demonstrators feared a repeat of the violent far-right disorder of July. (Getty Images)

One arrest was made on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after a racist remark was allegedly directed at an officer, with the Met saying it had not been confirmed which protest the person was attending.

Under police conditions, neither march was allowed to start until 1pm, but at the organisers' request, the Met later said it allowed the Uniting the Kingdom march to start half an hour earlier. Both groups had to follow the force's designated routes and followed orders to disperse by 6pm.

Separately, a few hundred people gathered on the corner of Trafalgar Square for the United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC) march to Downing Street, where a letter was handed in for Sir Keir Starmer, in a protest over deaths "at the hands of the state".

Activists held signs reading “No justice”, “no-one forgotten, nothing forgiven” and “no to hatred, no to fascism”, while others carried images of people they say died in custody.

The family of Chris Kaba, who was fatally shot by police marksman Martyn Blake – who was cleared of murder on Monday, attended the UFFC march.

Robinson previously led a march in the capital on 27 July, two days before the Southport stabbings happened. The tragedy was followed by far-right riots across the UK.

In an X post on 9 September, Robinson said Saturday's protest would be held in response to the government's approach to the disorder, which he claimed was "tyrannical".

"We have no choice, any of us, but to come out in our tens and hundreds of thousands, outside 10 Downing Street to send [Sir Keir Starmer] a message: 'You will not intimidate us into silence'."

Thousands turned out at the Stand Up To Racism march to oppose the Tommy Robinson right wing march and rally on the 27th of July 2024, London, United Kingdom. The Stand Up To Racism march and rally was supported by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and 11 other trade unions, as well as groups such as Stop the War Coalition, Peace & Justice Project and Unite Against Fascism. The marchers called for hope not hate and to oppose Tommy Robinson, racism and fascism. (photo by Kristian Buus/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Stand Up To Racism counter-protesters oppose Tommy Robinson's march in London in July. (Getty Images)

He claimed he would be telling the "truth" about the riots.

Stand up to Racism, which organised the "Stop Tommy Robinson" counter-protest, said: "In July, he marched with 20,000 others, chanting Islamophobic and racist chants. The following week saw far-right riots across the country.

"Stand Up to Racism has called a unity demonstration against Robinson to show that we will not let the far-right take over our streets. Our message is clear: stop the far-right, unity over division."

Thousands of people gathered in the capital for Robinson's march on 27 July - which was also met with a counter-protest.

About 1,000 police officers were deployed to the streets of the capital to “keep the peace”, with nine protest or event-related arrests made. They included two men who were held on suspicion of “GBH (grievous bodily harm)-level assault” after an assault on a counter-protester, the Met said.

Robinson is currently facing jail after he was issued with a contempt of court claim against him following the airing of a film at the protest.

He is alleged to have breached a 2021 High Court order barring him from repeating libellous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him.

Tommy Robinson outside Folkestone police station on Friday. (PA)
Tommy Robinson outside Folkestone police station on Friday. (PA)

It is understood the airing of a film, titled Silenced, at the demonstration in Trafalgar Square is one of six actions claimed to have breached the injunction between June and July this year.

The film is also pinned to the top of his X account.

One day before the march, Robinson was 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.

He was photographed arriving at Folkestone Police Station to hand himself in. It is understood he will be held in custody following a direction by the High Court.

The charge relates to an incident in Folkestone on 28 July in which Robinson allegedly refused to give the pin number to is mobile phone when stopped under the Terrorism Act.

He is due to appear at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday for a two-day hearing in relation to the alleged contempt of court.

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