Tommy Robinson’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ protest condemned

Tens of thousands of people have descended on the capital today for two rival marches, which has necessitated a £4.5 million police operation with 4,000 officers deployed.

Police have estimated about 50,000 people are set to attend the Unite the Kingdom march organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, while 30,000 are expected to go to the pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally.

Pro-Palestine rally forming up in Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London (Image: Izzie Addison/PA Wire)

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Armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones and helicopters will be deployed along with the officers on duty as the Met aims to avoid clashes between the two rallies.

Crowds have gathered for the Unite the Kingdom march, many waving Union flags, while protesters in South Kensington are carrying Palestine flags and signs reading “smash the far right” for the pro-Palestine rally.

People take part in Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march in central London (Image: Maja Smiejkowska)

Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury, released a statement condemning those marching.

He said: “I have spoken and written about my patriotism and love for my country before. Those marching in London today are not that Britain.”

Sharing a pre-written statement on social media platform X, he added: “It may sound odd coming from a politician of the left, but I love my country.

“Not loud nationalism. Not bedecking lampposts with flags. Not declaring love of a country as loudly as possible. Not pretending that our history is all good, or bad.

“The riots in the summer of 2024 were incredibly disturbing. And they didn’t come out of nowhere.

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“There are a lot of people who feel scared of what they see on their streets, or on the news. Or they feel like their country has let them down by not giving them the opportunity to thrive.

“I hear that and I accept it. However, I also know that we’ve seen this country at its best over recent years.

Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury (Image: River Learning Trust)

“We’ve had the Platinum Jubilee when we all cried at the Queen and Paddington. Street parties to celebrate VE day. But we’ve also seen people opening their homes to those fleeing war in Ukraine.

“We saw it during the pandemic, when everyone but particularly young people stayed at home, making huge sacrifices never asked of previous generations to keep other people safe.

“This is a patriotism that believes love of country is best expressed not in words, but in service.”

It comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a visited to the Met Police command centre on Friday that the Unite the Kingdom organisers were “peddling hatred and division, plain and simple”.

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Chants of “Keir Starmer’s a wanker” and “we want Starmer out” could be heard on Kingsway from the Unite the Kingdom march.

Some protesters at the front of the march were carrying wooden crosses and chanted “Christ is king”, while others threw beach balls and drank cans of alcohol as they waited for the protest to begin.

At the pro-Palestine march, a large group of protesters carrying banners and placards reading “Bristol stands with Palestine”, “Stop Trump, Stop Farage”, and “Free Palestinian Hostages” gathered with many wearing keffiyehs.