Police arrest 43 at London far-right and pro-Palestine marches

Tommy Robinson’s “unite the kingdom” rally drew fewer than half the attendees of a similar event last year, police said, as 43 arrests were made during the far-right demonstration and a separate pro-Palestinian march in London on Saturday.

The Metropolitan Police said 20 people were arrested at the far-right rally, including nine for alleged hate crimes, while 12 were detained at the pro-Palestinian march, among them two for alleged hate crimes. Another 11 arrests were not linked to either group.

In September, a march led by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, attracted an estimated 150,000 people. Police estimated Saturday’s event drew 60,000, well short of the million or more organizers had hoped for.

Speaking from the stage, Robinson denied the movement was far-right, saying, “We are a cultural movement.”

Robinson has said he converted to Christianity after a spell in prison last year. The event featured Christian iconography, including crosses, and the crowd was invited to recite the Lord’s Prayer.

Nick Lowles of the anti-racism organization Hope Not Hate said the emphasis on Christianity may partly explain the drop in attendance. “Some of the crowd do not buy the Christian stuff, most of them are not religious,” he said. “There were grumblings in the crowd. It was like he was trying to appeal to a US audience.”

Lowles also noted that last September’s march was heavily promoted by Elon Musk, who did not do so to the same extent this time. Last year’s larger event followed a summer of agitation and radicalization after protests over asylum seekers being placed in hotels.

Police said the number of arrests at both events was relatively low given the crowd sizes, and both “passed off without any significant incidents.”

Among those arrested at the “unite the kingdom” rally were several instances of alleged hateful insults directed at officers.

One officer from a minority-ethnic background is alleged to have been told to “fuck off back home,” two were allegedly subjected to homophobic abuse, and another officer was allegedly told “take your religion and fuck off.”

Two people already arrested on suspicion of other offences also allegedly racially abused officers by directing the N-word at them.

One man was arrested for alleged actual bodily harm after getting on a coach about to take pro-Palestinian protesters home and allegedly punching someone in the face after being told to leave.

Other arrests included three for holding placards, including ones that said “fuck Islam” and “Christ is king, fuck Islam.” Earlier, the crowd had been led in a chant of “Christ is king” from the stage.

A woman was arrested near the King Charles I roundabout in Whitehall for allegedly possessing an offensive weapon, namely a sword approximately 1 metre in length.

The Met said five officers had allegedly been assaulted but none required hospital treatment.

Saturday’s far-right protest involved much less hostility toward police than the previous one in September, when more than 20 officers were allegedly assaulted and more than 50 suspects are still being sought for various allegations.

Also taking place on Saturday was the FA Cup final at Wembley, where 22 arrests were made.

At the pro-Palestinian march, one person was arrested for holding a sign reading: “Globalise the intifada.” Police allege the phrase is a call for violence against Jews.

Another person was arrested for a sign pledging support for the proscribed group Palestine Action, and another for a sign reading: “We will not surrender, victory or martyrdom.”

Police are studying a further seven videos of written slogans and chants in case they cross the criminal threshold of anti-Jewish hate speech, amid claims police are stifling legitimate protest.

The Met said the pro-Palestinian march, which included anti-racist counterprotesters to the Robinson-led march, numbered 15,000 to 20,000. March organizers claim 250,000 attended.

Police placed tight conditions on both events, with speeches from their stages watched for any potential offences.

A stunt on the UTK stage, in which three people appeared in burqas, bemusing the crowd before revealing themselves to be white women, has been judged not to be a criminal offence.

The Met deployed 4,000 officers in total, with some brought in from other forces, in what it said was one of its largest operations in recent years.