Anti racism protest London: Over a hundred people gather for Stand Up To Racism counter-rally with 'refugees welcome' and 'oppose Tommy Robinson' placards
More than a hundred people have gathered outside Russell Square before the March Against Fascism counter-protest against far-right activist Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally.
Botha are currently being held in central London. People milled around with placards that said “refugees welcome” and “oppose Tommy Robinson”, and chants of “say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here” started at around 11.20am.
Meanwhile men carrying Union and St George’s cross flags were seen sitting outside central London pubs, while others carrying tins of alcohol walked towards the start point of Robinson’s march which will begin near Waterloo Bridge. Eight police vans – from Warwickshire Police, West Midlands Police and the Metropolitan Police – lined Woburn Street which runs alongside the square.
Hundreds of people were gathered outside Blackfriars station and lined along Blackfriars Bridge before Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally. Pockets of the crowd started chanting “f**k you Starmer” while many were wearing or holding England and Union flags.
London Underground trains heading towards the station were packed with people seemingly on the way to the demonstration. Police said they are not using live facial recognition in its policing of the “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration which is beginning on London’s south bank.
It said: “We’re using a mobile CCTV van to help monitor the build up of crowds. Officers have been asked if it’s using ‘live facial recognition’ – we can confirm it is not.” The live facial recognition technology – which captures people’s faces in real-time CCTV cameras – was used in the policing operation at the Notting Hill Carnival.