Over 20,000 activists turned out in London last Saturday to confront the “Unite the Kingdom” protest by supporters of Tommy Robinson, the third major far right gathering in London since just before the riots in June.
The protest, part of a nationwide day of action, was called by Stand Up to Racism with the slogans “Stop Tommy Robinson – Stop the Far Right, unite against racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism”.
The march was backed by the TUC, 14 major trade unions, and many other organisations. Aslef leader Mick Whelan told the protestors at the start of the march in Piccadilly Circus “this is my London. This is who we are, what we stand for. Those people down the road do not speak for us”.
Originally billed as a triumphal appearance by Robinson in Trafalgar Square, the massively promoted and mis-named “Unite the Kingdom” march from Victoria to Parliament Square turned out to be a flop after he handed himself in at a police station in Folkestone last Friday. He had fled the UK the day before a High Court appearance in June and faces several charges.
His supporters waved Israeli flags and “Make America Great” banners, but their hour of glory completely failed to get off the ground. As the mass protests against the far right rioters in June showed, the anti-racist movement will always dwarf the far-right, which is only supported by a tiny minority of Britain’s people.
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