Right-wing, anti-immigrant protesters and opposing anti-racism demonstrators have all scheduled large rallies in London on Saturday. This large scale activity is to be closely monitored by beefed up police operatives to ward off any clashes between the rival gatherings.
A “Unite the Kingdom” march organised by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, popularly called Tommy Robinson (who was consequently arrested yesterday) is to meet at London’s Victoria train station before marching towards parliament.
Additionally, a counterprotest of anti-racism campaigners and trade unionists will assemble at the other end of Whitehall, the main thoroughfare towards parliament from the opposite direction where many government departments are situated.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Rachel Williams, who is leading a policing operation that will involve drafting in officers from around the country had said;
“We are well prepared for what is set to be a busy day in the centre of London.”
Towards the end of July, Britain saw days of rioting in towns and cities across the country after the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport. The riot had been fuelled by the misinformation on social media where the suspected killer was wrongly identified as a Muslim migrant.
The unrest targeted hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques and it only ended after a clampdown by the authorities that included over 1,500 arrests and about 1,000 people charged.
The right-wing protesters had labelled themselves as “patriots”, claiming that Britain was currently under threat from migrants and Islamification.
Lawmakers, who are their biggest critics, have said that these so-called patriots includes racists, far-right supporters and soccer hooligans hell bent on violence.
