Organisers of a rally in central London against the far right claim half a million people attended, in what they describe as the largest demonstration of its kind. The Together Alliance coalition, which coordinated the march, estimated the turnout at 500,000, though the Metropolitan Police put the figure at around 50,000, citing the dispersal of marchers across the capital.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski addressed the crowd, saying 'the tide is turning' against the far right. He criticised Reform UK and Nigel Farage, as well as those who 'appease them'. The rally also featured members of UB40, the Birmingham reggae band, whose drummer Jimmy Brown said 'working people around the world have more in common with each other than they do with their elite'.
The Met Police reported 25 arrests during the event. Among those detained were 18 people who staged a protest in support of the banned group Palestine Action outside New Scotland Yard, and two individuals who climbed the columns of the National Gallery. A small group of counter-protesters displayed Israeli, American and Iranian lion and sun flags, while some on the main march carried flags of the current Iranian regime.
The Bishop of Croydon, Rosemarie Mallett, spoke at a church service before the demonstration, expressing solidarity with 'all people of goodwill who seek to build diverse and inclusive communities'. The march concluded by 5pm, in line with a police-imposed ban on rallies continuing beyond that time.
