Tommy Robinson’s ‘Day of freedom’ attracted around 4,000 today, including an assortment of fascist and alt-right groups. Around 2,000 of these had joined the ‘Democratic Football Lads Alliance’ (DFLA) march from Hyde Park with UKIP leader Gerard Batten.
Some 400 anti-racists and anti-fascists came out onto the streets to oppose them.
Anti-fascists had to defend themselves twice from concerted attacks by Robinson’s supporters.
UKIP and For Britain were the main political force on the DFLA demonstration.
Gerard Batten talked about the need to get organised and to join UKIP, while Anne Marie Waters from For Britain warned against Islam and ‘cultural Marxism’.
At least one English Defence League (EDL) banner was at the rally.
Loud boos rang out at the mention of Sadiq Khan and cheers for Donald Trump.
The two speakers invited by Robinson, including Ali Dawah, a Muslim, were run off from the far right rally by members of the National Front and had to leave under heavy police protection.
Weyman Bennett from Stand Up To Racism said:
‘Robinson didn’t get the 10,000 turnout he claimed he would. And certainly not the ‘tens of thousands’ that he claimed from the platform of his rally.
“But Robinson clearly sees himself as pulling together the forces of the far right’.
It’s absolutely crucial that the anti-racist and trade union movement mobilises against Robinson’s project.”
Michael Bradley from Unite Against Fascism said:
“Today is a warning. We need bigger numbers to mobilise Against these forces. The next big step for the movement is Manchester where the Football Lads Alliance plan to march on 19 May’.
“We can’t allow these people to march through multi cultural Manchester unchallenged.”
