Greater than 100,000 individuals gathered in central London on Saturday for a rally led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, marking one in all Britain’s largest nationalist gatherings in a long time. Robinson — born Stephen Yaxley-Lennon known as for “Unite the Kingdom” march in a face-off to rival counter-protest organized by the Stand Up To Racism group below the banner of the “March In opposition to Fascism.” Authorities deployed over 1,000 officers to handle the dueling demonstrations, establishing buffer zones close to authorities buildings to stop clashes. The rally, which Robinson linked to the killing of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, featured high-profile right-wing figures from Britain, the US and Europe. Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, American commentator Joey Mannarino, and a lawmaker from Germany’s far-right AfD occasion had been listed as audio system. Robinson additionally invoked Kirk’s identify in on-line posts, urging supporters to march “in honour of freedom.”“In honour of @charliekirk11 & in honour of freedom on the thirteenth we march,” he wrote in a separate submit on X.The rally stretched from Large Ben, throughout the River Thames, and past Waterloo Station — spanning practically a kilometer. Individuals waved the Union Jack and St George’s Cross whereas chanting nationalist slogans equivalent to “we wish our nation again.” Many carried placards demanding a crackdown on unlawful migration with slogans like “cease the boats” and “ship them house.”The marches come at a time when the UK has been riven by debate over migrants crossing the English Channel in overcrowded inflatable boats.This summer season, UK noticed a number of anti-migrant protests exterior resorts housing asylum-seekers, a few of which turned violent. Tensions spiked after the conviction of an Ethiopian man for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old woman in suburban London, an incident that far-right teams seized upon to rally assist.
