Police arrested 43 people during two separate marches in London on Saturday, including 20 at Tommy Robinson's 'unite the kingdom' rally and 12 at a pro-Palestinian demonstration, the Metropolitan Police said. Nine of those arrested at the far-right event were held on suspicion of hate crimes, while two were arrested for alleged hate crimes at the pro-Palestinian march. A further 11 arrests were not linked to either group.
The 'unite the kingdom' rally, led by Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), drew an estimated 60,000 people, according to police—far fewer than the 150,000 who attended a similar event in September. Organisers had hoped for a million or more. Robinson denied the movement was far-right, describing it as a 'cultural movement,' and the event featured Christian iconography and recitals of the Lord's Prayer.
Among the arrests at the Robinson march were several instances of alleged hateful insults directed at officers. One officer from a minority-ethnic background was allegedly told to 'fuck off back home,' two were subjected to homophobic abuse, and another was allegedly told 'take your religion and fuck off.' Two people already arrested for other offences allegedly used the N-word towards officers. A woman was also arrested for allegedly possessing a sword approximately 1 metre in length.
At the pro-Palestinian march, which police estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 (organisers claimed 250,000), one person was arrested for holding a sign reading 'Globalise the intifada,' which police said is a call for violence against Jews. Another was arrested for a sign supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action, and a third for a sign reading 'We will not surrender, victory or martyrdom.' Police are reviewing seven videos of slogans and chants for potential anti-Jewish hate speech.
Police said both events 'passed off without any significant incidents,' with five officers allegedly assaulted but none requiring hospital treatment. The far-right protest involved less hostility to police than in September, when more than 20 officers were allegedly assaulted. Separately, 22 arrests were made at the FA Cup final at Wembley.
