Anti Far-Right March Draws Thousands in London
Thousands of protesters assembled in central London for an anti far-right march organised by Together Alliance.
The crowds took to the capital's streets from 13:00 GMT on Saturday, carrying placards with messages such as "fight ignorance not immigrants" and "reject racist lies."
Several prominent figures supported the protest, including Sir Lenny Henry and Paloma Faith. Singer Billy Bragg was anticipated to attend, while Leigh-Anne Pinnock was scheduled to perform at a music event held in Trafalgar Square.
Background and Attendance Estimates
This march follows last year's Unite the Kingdom demonstration, organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, which attracted over 100,000 participants and was marked by several violent incidents.
Organisers of Saturday's event claimed attendance figures as high as 500,000. However, the Metropolitan Police estimated the number to be closer to 50,000, noting that precise counts were difficult due to the dispersed nature of the crowds.
Police Presence and Incidents
The Metropolitan Police had earlier announced an increased police presence in response to the protest, stating that officers would remain "alert to any behaviour that crosses the line from protest into criminality."
In an update on Saturday afternoon, the police reported that two protesters were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and causing a public nuisance after allegedly attempting to climb pillars near Trafalgar Square.
Joint Demonstration and Political Support
A separate march organised by the Palestine Coalition was scheduled to join the route, with both groups converging at Whitehall. There, a video message from London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was to be shown, alongside speeches including one by Green Party leader Zack Polanski.
Several other politicians attended the event, including Your Party MP Jeremy Corbyn and Labour's Diane Abbott.
Police imposed conditions restricting the joint demonstration from continuing beyond 17:00 GMT.
Voices from the March
Among the attendees was Steve Tribble, who travelled from Stroud with what he described as a "radical left-wing band" of musicians. He expressed his motivation for joining the demonstration as a response to growing concerns about the far-right.
"I understand that populism is spreading all over the world and that people are trying to look for scapegoats, they're angry," he said. "But we're worried, that's why we're here."
Another participant, Salvinder Dhillon, expressed confidence that the turnout would "more than match" last year's Unite the Kingdom rally. He emphasized that even if the numbers did not surpass the previous event, the unity and determination of the people would prevail.
"What we have, they don't have. We have the unity of the people, the fighting spirit of the people, and we're going to win."
About Together Alliance
Together Alliance, according to its website, is a coalition of civil society organisations including trade unionists, faith groups, and environmentalists, representing more than seven million people.
