Police arrested 43 people during two rival protests in London on Saturday, as Tommy Robinson's far-right 'unite the kingdom' rally drew significantly fewer attendees than organisers had hoped. The Metropolitan Police estimated the crowd at Robinson's march was around 60,000, less than half the 150,000 who attended a similar event last September.
Of those arrested, 20 were linked to the far-right march, including nine for alleged hate crimes. Twelve people were detained at a simultaneous pro-Palestinian march, with two arrests for hate crimes. A further 11 arrests were not attributed to either protest. Police said five officers were allegedly assaulted, though none required hospital treatment.
During the far-right rally, officers were subjected to alleged racial and homophobic abuse. One minority-ethnic officer was reportedly told to 'fuck off back home', while two others faced homophobic slurs. Another officer was allegedly told to 'take your religion and fuck off'. Two suspects already in custody allegedly used the N-word towards officers.
Other arrests included three people for holding placards with slogans such as 'fuck Islam' and 'Christ is king, fuck Islam'. A woman was detained near Whitehall for allegedly carrying a sword approximately one metre in length. At the pro-Palestinian march, one person was arrested for a sign reading 'Globalise the intifada', which police said could be a call for violence against Jews.
The Met placed tight conditions on both events, which passed off without significant incidents. The pro-Palestinian march, which included anti-racist counter-protesters, was estimated by police at 15,000 to 20,000, though organisers claimed 250,000 attended. The far-right rally featured Christian iconography and a recitation of the Lord's Prayer, which some attendees reportedly viewed sceptically.
