‘Patriots’ gather to make biggest rally London has ever seen
Date
7/28/2024 7:16:18 AM
(MENAFN) Thousands gathered in London on Saturday for a significant demonstration orchestrated by right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, resulting in multiple arrests amid clashes between protesters, police, and counter-demonstrators. Billed as the largest patriotic rally in United Kingdom history, Robinson's 'Uniting the Kingdom' march drew a crowd adorned in Union Jacks, commencing from the Royal Courts of Justice, where Robinson had previously been arrested, to Trafalgar Square, the venue for speeches by Robinson and fellow activists.
While the majority of attendees voiced patriotic sentiments like "England 'till I die," a segment chanted provocative anti-Islam slogans such as "Who the f**k is Allah?" and "You can stick your f**king Islam up your arse." Robinson focused his address on anti-immigrant and anti-Islam rhetoric, decrying the presence of Pakistani 'grooming gangs' in the UK as a stain on the nation's history.
Robinson asserted that the rally attracted 100,000 participants, though this claim remains unverified. The event also saw a contingent of left-wing protesters gathering at Whitehall, where police managed to maintain separation between the opposing groups but reported some scuffles. Authorities arrested individuals on both sides, including two men for allegedly assaulting a leftist demonstrator and two others for racially aggravated public order offenses. Additionally, four individuals associated with the left-wing protesters were detained at a Whitehall pub for allegedly assaulting police officers.
London's Metropolitan Police responded with a statement promising to investigate instances of "racist and anti-Muslim" language used during the event, reflecting ongoing tensions surrounding issues of race, immigration, and ideological divisions within the United Kingdom.
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