Tommy Robinson supporters chant ‘We need Tommy out!’ as their figurehead is held in a police cell – whereas police conflict with protesters on either side and violent demonstrators are arrested

Tens of thousands of Tommy Robinson supporters packed into central London on Saturday and threw their arms in the air while chanting ‘we want Tommy out’, as police arrested four people amid skirmishes with protesters on both sides.

The English Defence League founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was not able to attend his own planned ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march after he was remanded into custody yesterday.

Far-right crowds decked out in Union Jacks and St George’s flags chanted ‘oh Tommy Tommy’ and ‘we want Starmer out’ as they blasted Keir Starmer and called for the release of their leader.

When the Prime Minister’s face was put on a screen during a recorded video message from Robinson, screams of ‘traitor’, boos and graphic swearing echoed across Whitehall.

It proved an exceptionally busy day for police with officers drafted in from across the country to keep order, as three separate demonstrations marched through the city. 

Footage from the Unite the Kingdom march show throngs of officers mobilising towards the thousands-strong crowd and forming a human barrier to keep demonstrators away from the counter protest. 

Two people were arrested from the far-right march – one for a racially aggravated public order offence and a second for breach of the Public Order Act conditions.

A further pair were collared from the Stand Up To Racism counter protest. 

One woman was arrested for common assault following a ‘brief period of pushing and shoving’ where officers had to intervene. 

Just after 4pm today, Met Police said she had been ‘de-arrested’, having agreed to provide her details. Police said an investigation will now follow. 

A second was arrested after an officer was assaulted when a group tried to push through a cordon at the end of the Mall.

Today, London saw: 

• Tommy Robinson supporters marching from Victoria station to the southern end of Whitehall in a ‘day of patriotism’ 
• Stand Up to Racism counter-protesters marching from Regent Street to the north end of Whitehall as they urge their supporters to ‘take to the streets’ in a ‘massive anti-fascist demonstration’  
• The United Families and Friends’ 25th annual rally, which will meet at Trafalgar Square and be joined by the family of killed gang member Chris Kaba, after Sergeant Martyn Blake was found not guilty of murder for his death. 

Tensions are high across the city, with one protester suggesting they ‘burst through’ the police line, Metro reports, and Laurence Fox avoiding the rally over fears it could ‘descend into chaos’.
Counter protesters organised by Stand Up to Racism also packed London with yellow signs, while elsewhere in the city demonstrators marched with Chris Kaba‘s family, remembering people killed by police officers.

Pictures of London this morning showed key landmarks close to the routes ringed with metal barriers – including the Cenotaph and the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square.

It comes just months after violent thugs surrounded the monuments as mobs threw flares and chanted ‘we want our country back’ in a wave of riots following the tragic Southport stabbings. 

Demonstrators waved Union and England flags above their heads as they walked through London today – with several Make America Great Again flags in support of Donald Trump also in the crowd.

Others carried banners covered with Robinson’s face, begging for his release and calling him a ‘political prisoner’. 

One even dressed up pretending to be the far-right leader as if he was Gladiator star Marcus Aurelius. Emblazoned across his chest, he had the butchered phrase: ‘Father to my children, husband to my wife and loyal to a true government’.

Demonstrators at the front of the march carried a sign with ‘Two tier Keir fueled the riots’ written on it. The Prime Minister came into office just weeks before disorder sparked in Britain’s streets, before accelerating courts to process hundreds of arrests.

‘Bring back Rwanda’ and ‘Stop the Boats’ placards were also hoisted by demonstrators – some of whom were drinking cans and glasses of alcohol.

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. Others carried flags with ‘RIP Peter Lynch. Political prisoner’ written on them.

A recorded video by Robinson, complaining about so-called two-tier policing and Ulez charges, were played out to crowds packing the streets of Whitehall as the sticky stench of cannabis wafted above their heads.

The Met said there would be a ‘significant police presence’ to ensure the two sides of the protest were kept apart, with officers from forces across the country being shipped in to keep order.

The protest marched from Victoria station to the southern end of Whitehall, while the counter-protest began at Regent Street St James’s and finished at the north end of Whitehall. The Met said static rallies were expected at the end of both marches.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams, who was leading the policing operation, said: ‘We are well prepared for what is set to be a busy day in the centre of London.

‘Our role is to ensure that those attending the various events can do so safely and that they can exercise their right to lawful protest.

‘We will have significant resources in place to respond to any incidents, to deal decisively with any offences, and to keep disruption to other members of the public and businesses to a minimum.

‘We know that when groups with opposing views come together it can lead to conflict and disorder, and a key part of our role is ensuring that does not happen.

‘We have used Public Order Act conditions to ensure that those involved stick to routes and assembly areas that are sufficiently far apart. Officers will be monitoring closely to ensure that conditions are adhered to.’

Robinson is accused of being in contempt of court after the airing of a film at a protest in Trafalgar Square in July.

He attended Folkestone police station on Friday where he was separately charged with failing to provide his mobile phone access code to police under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, Kent Police said.

Robinson is due to appear at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday for a two-day hearing concerning allegations that he breached a 2021 High Court order barring him from repeating libellous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him.

The far-right firebrand was met by crowds of supporters at the police station who embraced him.

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

Ahead of today’s demonstration, his account said: ‘Demo day has arrived, sadly without Tommy in attendance, however we’d like to reiterate his message, to stay calm, don’t react to provocation, we’re here not only for him, but most importantly to pay respects to Peter Lynch, and support the families of the political prisoners. 

‘No face coverings, we want to see those smiles, flags, noise and a day of patriotism.’

Britain saw days of rioting in towns and cities across the country at the end of July in the wake of the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport, after misinformation on social media wrongly identified the suspected killer as a Muslim migrant.

The unrest, which targeted hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques, ended after a clampdown by the authorities that included more than 1,500 arrests and about 1,000 people charged.

The right-wing protesters describe themselves as ‘patriots’, who say Britain is under threat from migrants and Islamification. Their critics, including most lawmakers, say their number includes racists, far-right supporters and soccer hooligans bent on violence.

‘Tomorrow we’re back, and won’t be ignored or silenced,’ Yaxley-Lennon said on X on Friday.

Ex-actor turned far-right mouthpiece Laurence Fox said he would be avoiding the march yesterday because he did not know any of the speakers and his fears that the march will ‘descend into chaos’.

He said: ‘Having been involved in the planning and funding of the previous marches and having some understanding of the huge efforts required to make these events pass peacefully, I am concerned that the current climate makes our task even more onerous. 

‘I’m not sufficiently reassured that the preparations which have been put in place to ensure the first marches passed so peacefully is sufficiently robust to make sure this one does the same. I am sincerely looking forward to being proved wrong.’

He 46-year old continued: ‘Tensions are running high. Peter Lynch took his life in prison this week as a result of an appalling and biased judiciary. I am not reassured as to how the commemoration of that atrocity which has been raised in discussions is going to be handled. 

‘Again I appeal for those who do attend tomorrow to be calm. Nothing would please the regime more than this gathering to descend into chaos.’

Mr Lynch, described as a ‘conspiracy theorist’ at his court hearing, was locked up for 32 months for being part of a mob which gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorks, in August. 

The grandfather, 61, is believed to have taken his own life on Saturday night at HMP Moorland, near Doncaster in South Yorkshire.

Stand Up to Racism gathered at 11.30am in Picadilly Circus, before marching against Robinson’s crowd.

Posting on social media, they said: ‘Today is the day. Time to stand up against racism and the far right. Be there.’

Demonstrators on both marches had to disperse by 6pm. 

The United Families and Friends 25th annual rally met at Trafalgar Square, with hundreds protesting for ‘justice’ for people who have been killed by police.

They were joined by the family of Chris Kaba, who was shot through the windscreen of an Audi Q8 as he tried to ram his way past police cars in Streatham, South London.

Some held signs reading ‘No justice’, ‘no one forgotten, nothing forgiven’ and ‘no to hatred, no to fascism’ – and others also held images of people they say died in custody. 

More activists were seen holding signs reading ‘no more deaths in custody’ and ‘No justice. No peace’. Some wore face coverings and Palestine badges.

Sergeant Martyn Blake was found not guilty of his murder at the Old Bailey on Monday.

Following the verdict, it was revealed on Tuesday that 24-year-old Mr Kaba was a ‘core member’ of one of London’s most dangerous criminal gangs and was allegedly directly linked to two shootings in the six days before he was shot dead by police.

Sergeant Blake is now living in hiding, fearing for his life and his family after a £10,000 bounty was offered in revenge for Mr Kaba’s death to anyone prepared to kill him.

A speaker from the Justice for Chris Kaba campaign addressed the crowd as it marched to Downing Street.

She spoke of ‘collective grief’, ‘devastation’ and ‘disappointment’, adding: ‘We have each other. We are strong. We are powerful.’

The speaker finished by leading a chant of ‘we believe that we will win’ and ‘the people united will never be defeated’.

An activist stressed to the crowd and press in central London that they were not there ‘just for the Kaba family’, but for all ‘grieving’ families who are ‘bereaved at the hands of the state’.

It is understood that Robinson will be held in custody in Folkestone until his court hearing on Monday.

He was released on unconditional bail in July and subsequently left the country, with Adam Payter, representing the Solicitor General, telling the High Court there ‘was nothing to prevent him from doing so’.

Mr Justice Johnson issued a warrant for Robinson’s arrest but ordered that it not be carried out ‘until early October’ to allow Robinson time to indicate that he would attend the next hearing voluntarily or to apply to ‘set aside’ the warrant.

Robinson posted a video of himself arriving at Luton Airport on October 20 and said he was surprised he had not been arrested.

He applied to set aside the warrant but his application was dismissed by Mr Justice Johnson on Friday.

Kent Police said Robinson was separately charged with an offence under the Terrorism Act, and he was bailed in relation to that matter.

It follows his arrest in July at a port in Kent where he was accused of ‘frustration’ of police counter-terrorism powers.

He has been charged under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 after allegedly failing to provide his mobile phone access code to officers at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone.

Under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, police are allowed to stop anyone passing through a UK port ‘to determine whether they may be involved or concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism’.

The person who is detained can be held for up to six hours, is legally obliged to answer questions and must provide the password or access number for electronic devices, or be held to have committed a criminal offence if they refuse.

Robinson said he objected to a request from police for the number to his phone because there was privileged information on the device relating to an ongoing High Court case.