Activists opposed a far-right march called “worryingly large” by Hope Not Hate, where Robinson and others took an overtly Christian tone, alongside their usual Islamophobia

On Saturday, Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon) led a fascist march in London with an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people. Though falling far below his claims of 100,000, they outnumbered the few thousand counter-protesters and mark a significant increase from the 5,000 or so who rallied to him on June 3.

The rally included speakers such as Bishop Ceirion Dewar who claimed to be at war with “Muslims”, “woke ideology”, and “cancel culture” in an openly fascist speech. This was followed by the screening of a libellous film about a Syrian refugee, for which Lennon may face legal ramifications. During and after the march in which there were various racist and Islamophobic chants,at least nine of Robinson’s supporters were arrested for similar offences: Two were arrested under suspicion of assaulting a participant in the Stand Up to Racism counter-protest, one on suspicion of assaulting a steward at Trans Pride, one on suspicion of criminal damage and a racially aggravated public order offence, one on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and a racially aggravated public order offence, and four on suspicion of assaulting emergency workers.

The counter-protest featured a smorgasbord of left-wing parties, party-affiliated organisations, and unions including the Socialist Workers Party, Stand up to Racism, the Communist Party of Britain, the Socialist Party, Unite, and the UCU among many others. Yet despite their variety they remained heavily outnumbered by the fascist rally they were protesting against. Additionally, a ubiquitous police presence remained throughout the march, lining the route alongside the demonstrators throughout. With the police within a few metres of any marcher at all times, the counter-protest involved an unsurprising lack of property damage or arrests.

~ Gabriel Fonten