Met police arrest two males for GBH as protests flip violent
Two men have been arrested after an anti-racism protesters was attacked as counter-demonstrators marched through London against a thousands-strong Tommy Robinson rally.
The victim received a head injury was taken to hospital after the incident in Victoria Embankment Gardens this afternoon.
Police saying the pair – who are believed to have been part of the Tommy Robinson protest – had been taken into custody on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm (GBH).
It came as counter-protesters walked to Whitehall, close to the scene of a ‘patriotic rally’ organised by the former English Defence League leader, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
‘Uniting The Kingdom’ – described by organisers as ‘biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever seen’ – saw thousands of people march from the Royal Courts of Justice to Trafalgar Square, filling the air with cries of ‘England’ and ‘Rule Britannia’, while some anti-Islam chants were also heard.
Less than 400 metres away anti-racism demonstrators have protested the far-right rally at an event organised by Stand Up To Racism and trade unions, with police warning that anyone who breaches restrictions or acts up could be arrested.
Meanwhile there is also a Trans Pride march in central London at the same time, with hundreds of LGBTQ+ activists descending on Wellington Arch.
People hold signs which read ‘no to racism, no to hatred’ and ‘Free Palestine’ as they walk along Whitehall
Anti-racism campaigners hold trade union banners as they walk through central London today
Counter-demonstrators walk along Whitehall as they protest against the Tommy Robinson rally
The counter-rally was organised by Stand Up To Racism, trade unions and campaign groups such as Stop the War Coalition
British and English flags fly in the air as people at Trafalgar Square listen to a speech by Tommy Robinson
Thousands of people have gathered in Trafalgar Square waving British flags for the rally
The event, called ‘Uniting The Kingdom’ has been organised by former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson, pictured today
Among the crowd at the Tommy Robinson event is actor-turned-political activist Laurence Fox
St George’s and British flags wave in the air as people sit in Trafalgar Square this afternoon
Vast crowds of people gather in Trafalgar Square to listen to speeches at the ‘Uniting The Kingdom’ event
Tommy Robinson watches on as speeches are given in Trafalgar Square this afternoon
Anti-racism demonstrators hold a sign which reads ‘Refugees Welcome, Stop The Far Right’ as they march
A demonstrator holds a sign against the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge
Counter-demonstrators gather in Russell Square this afternoon ahead of a march to Whitehall
Organisers have billed the counter-demonstration as an ‘oppose Tommy Robinson’ event
People waving Palestinian flags and holding banners reading ‘Oppose Islamophobia’ and ‘Smash Fascism & Racism’
Jeremy Corbyn gives a speech to anti-racism campaigners in Russell Square before the march
A counter-demonstrator holds a sign reading ‘Stop Arming Israel’ at the Stand Up To Racism event
Anti-racism demonstrators sing and chant as they walk through central London on the way to Whitehall
Stand Up To Racism protesters march through London carrying banners and placards
The Met Police has also warned that the counter-protest will finish in Whitehall, not Trafalgar Square as some leaflets have suggested
The march by Stand Up To Racism departed Russell Square with rally-goers walking towards Whitehall
The Met Police revealed that two men have been arrested after an assault on an anti-racism protester in central London
The Metropolitan Police has flooded the centre of Britain’s biggest city with 1,000 police officers to keep the peace, with roads closed and heavy restrictions put in place on those attending two of the rallies.
The force says the vast majority of its officers on-duty today will be tasked with keeping the groups, some of whom have diametrically opposed views, apart from each other.
Police have warned that despite leaflets suggesting the counter-protest march will finish in Trafalgar Square, this is not the case and the rally must end in Whitehall instead.
Police have warned that they will keep members of both protests apart from each other and warned that leaflets claiming the counter-demonstration finishes in Trafalgar Square are incorrect.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, the Met wrote: ‘Some flyers online suggest the Stand Up To Racism march will finish in Trafalgar Square. This isn’t the case. There are conditions requiring it to finish in Whitehall.
‘We need to keep opposing groups apart to keep the peace. We’ll take action against any breaches of conditions.’
Before the march began protesters heard speeches from trade union officials and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
As marchers made their way to Whitehall there were chants of ‘We are the people. We won’t be silenced. Stop the fascists. Now, Now, Now, Now.’
The Met Police later confirmed that two people had been arrested after a member of the Stand Up To Racism march was attacked on the way to Whitehall.
They said: ‘Two men have been arrested on suspicion of GBH level assault following an incident in Victoria Embankment Gardens where a participant in the Stand Up To Racism protest was assaulted.
‘The victim sustained a head injury. He was given first aid by officers and will be taken to hospital to be checked. ‘We are aware of some suggestions on social media that the arrests were related to the carrying of a flag which is not the case.’
On their arrival the campaigners gathered outside Horse Guards Parade where they continued to sing songs, with cries of ‘There are many many more of us than you’ directed towards the Tommy Robinson event.
One man holding a Palestinian flag who walked past the Tommy Robinson-organised protest was escorted away by police officers as the crowd booed, with some attempting to chase him.
Meanwhile, there has also been a march in support of Trans Pride, with LGBTQ+ activists travelling from Langham Place to Wellington Arch.
A van with the Trans Pride flag and covered in signs moves along with the crowd towards Wellington Arch
A man wearing only pink shorts and boots, along with a set of wings, waves as the Trans Pride march goes down Regent Street
Trans Pride supporters gather at Langham Place ahead of their march to Wellington Arch
Two people hold up signs which read ‘Protect Trans Youth!’ and ‘Support Our Trans Sisters’
An LGBTQ+ activist holds a sign which reads ‘Trans Rights are Human Rights’ and ‘Trans Youth Are Loved’
A pair of LGBTQ+ activists dressed as Barbie and Ken from the hit move Barbie hold signs reading ‘This Barbie says Protect Trans Lives’ and ‘Trans are Kenough’
A St George’s flag with the words ‘stop the boats’ and ‘do it for our kids future’ is waved aloft in Trafalgar Square
A man waving a St George’s flag while wearing a Union Jack-themed top hat and waist coat stands in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square
People attending the event organised by Tommy Robinson gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice this morning
Many were seen waving British, English, Welsh and Scottish flags as they arrived outside the courts
A woman holds a placard which reads ‘Not Far Right, Just Right’ at the rally in Trafalgar Square
The ‘Uniting The Kingdom’ event, which has been billed as a ‘patriotic rally’ saw people gather on The Strand, before marching to Trafalgar Square.
There was a sea of British, English, Scottish and Welsh flags, as well as people waving symbols of Israel, the former Shah of Iran and the military heraldry.
One demonstrator could be seen climbing on top of a phone box on The Strand in central London.
Other protesters held placards that read ‘Not far right, just right’, while a red flare was let off.
The crowd, which includes actor-turned-political activist Laurence Fox, were seen chanting ‘England, England, England’, ‘England till I die’ as they set off on the march.
Speaking on a live-stream as thousands of people gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Robinson said a ‘line in the sand has been drawn’.
He said: ‘This is the biggest gathering of patriots Europe has seen, and it’s happening in Great Britain. Get your people organised, unify your countries.
‘Enough is enough, a line in the sand has been drawn. We’re being replaced no longer.’
There were also anti-Islamic chants from some marchers as they walked along The Strand to Trafalgar Square.
After reaching the historic venue they have heard speeches from Robinson and other members of his movement.
A demonstrator wearing Union Flag themed clothing waves an Israeli flag outside the Royal Courts of Justice
Marchers set off red flares outside the Royal Courts of Justice before the demonstration today
A man wearing only British flag-themed pants at Trafalgar Square
Three men chant songs as they arrive at the demonstration, which Robinson has said will be ‘biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever seen’
A woman with two British flags behind her smiles at the demonstration in central London today
A woman decked in British flag themed clothing including wearing sunglasses with the Union Flag on them gathers at the event
A British flag with the words ‘These Colours Don’t Run’ is held aloft at the rally in central London today
Tommy Robinson speaks down the camera while holding a microphone at this afternoon’s march
Talking to the crowd, Robinson criticised the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, calling it an ‘absolute disgrace’ and a ‘total attack on Christianity’ after it showed a parody of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper featuring a drag queen.
He also railed against Islamic grooming gangs, calling them a ‘stain’ on Britain’s history.
Robinson also showed the crowd his two-hour-long documentary, Silenced, which is about a libel case he lost in 2021.
After the screening he challenged the authorities to ‘take him to court’, according to The Telegraph.
Posting on his X account, he wrote: ‘I’ll be jailed for two years for showing the inconceivable truth.’
He is already due before the High Court on Tuesday accused of contempt for making the film.
Robinson screened it at the rally despite the injunction banning him from repeating the claims made in it.
As he brought the event to a close, Robinson added that he hoped he had ‘turned a corner’ with the Met.
Nick Lowles, of Left-wing group Hope not Hate, posted: ‘Tommy Robinson is currently screening the film Silenced in Trafalgar Square, just 48 hours before he appears in the High Court accused of breaking an injunction preventing him from releasing the film. He’s heading to jail.’
A man with a Tommy Robinson tattoo containing the face of the far-right leader and three lions with the words ‘Tommys Lions Roar’ at the march
Large crowds of people gather at the Royal Courts of Justice before the march set off this afternoon
People waving British, English and RAF flags pose for a photo in Trafalgar Square this morning
A topless man with a large tattoo that says ‘England’ on his back, with a St George’s flag wrapped around his waist, stands at Trafalgar Square for the rally
People waving British and Northern Irish flags gather at Trafalgar Square ahead of the march
People decked in ST George’s crosses and waving flags included those from Israel and Ukraine sit on the fountains at Trafalgar Square
A man holding a St George’s flag scales a lamppost outside the Royal Courts of Justice this afternoon
The rally, along with a counter protest, is set to bring central London to a standstill this afternoon
The Metropolitan Police is keeping a close eye on all three protests taking place in central London today
This morning Robinson tweeted an image of Trafalgar Square before the rally, which is set to last until 5.30pm, accompanied by the words ‘Today is the day, it’s going to be beautiful’, adding that it would be the ‘biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever seen’.
On Friday he reposted a video which talked about his protest being about a ‘strength in numbers’ showing the establishment that ‘we can organise and do not like the way the country is being run’.
The counter protest run by Stand Up To Racism with the support of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and 11 other trade unions, Stop the War Coalition, Peace & Justice Project and Unite Against Fascism will set off at 1.30pm.
Stand Up To Racism organisers said: ‘We are stressing the need to come together and build once again the kind of broad united movement that can drive back the threat as we have done before.’
Samuel Sweek, of the Peace & Justice Project, said: ‘The rise of the far-right and fascist politics in Britain and across Europe is a cause of great concern for us all.
Police officers walk down Whitehall from Trafalgar Square ahead of today’s protests, with metal barriers in the road to stop the demonstrations mixing
Three police vans sit in front of metal barriers on Whitehall before the rallies take place today
Tommy Robinson tweeted that today’s demonstration would be ‘beautiful’ alongside an image of Trafalgar Square
Police have put barriers around landmarks on Whitehall ahead of today’s demonstrations. Pictured: metal barriers and traffic cones place around The Women of World War II memorial on Whitehall
Metal barriers have also been placed around The Cenotaph in Whitehall ahead of the rallies today
A rally organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, will take place in central London today. Pictured: Robinson during a march to Parliament Square in London on June 1
There will also be a Trans Pride march at Wellington Arch less than two miles away on Saturday. Pictured: A person holding up a sign reading ‘Believe Trans Kids’ during a rally in Brighton on July 20
There is expected to be a large counter-demonstration organised by Stand Up To Racism and trade unions in central London at the same time. Pictured: A counter-demonstrator at a previous protest in London on June 1
Organisers of the counter-protest have billed it as a ‘Unite Against Tommy Robinson’ march. Pictured: A man handing out leaflets in Tolpuddle, Dorset, calling on people to join today’s march in London
‘The political establishment has allowed breathing space for hate and division in our communities, we must stand with those targeted by the likes of Tommy Robinson and his thugs.
‘We refuse to cede any ground to bigotry, racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia or any other form of hate they attempt to bring to our streets.
‘When the politicians fail, it is the people who must fight back.
‘That is why we will be marching on Saturday.’
Police have put a host of restrictions in place in a bid to keep attendees of these two events apart from each other, while roads across central London have been closed.
No conditions have been imposed on the Trans Pride protest.
The Met have warned that people who breach these conditions could be arrested or face police action.
Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove said: ‘This weekend sees a number of groups with opposing views assembling in central London.
The Tommy Robinson rally will set off from The Strand before moving into Trafalgar Square where there will be speeches
The counter-protest will see attendees gather in Russell Square before marching down Kingsway to Victoria, and then along Embankment before massing in Whitehall, less than 400 metres from the Tommy Robinson rally
The Met Police have closed roads in central London to accommodate the protests, with the areas shaded in purple, blue and green set to be particularly affected today
‘In response we are deploying a significant number of officers as part of a carefully planned operation.
‘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.’
