Police will increase their presence across the Capital this weekend as protests in support of and against Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is set to take place on Saturday.
A protest organised under the name ‘Stop the Isolation’ or ‘Unite the Kingdom’ is countering Robinson’s arrest, after he was sentenced to 18 months in prison in October for breaching a High Court injunction made in 2021.
He admitted 10 breaches of the order, which barred him from repeating libellous allegations against a Syrian refugee.
Meanwhile, Stand Up To Racism have organised a counter-demonstration. Co-convenor Weyman Bennett said: “We saw the power of mobilising against the far right in response to last summer’s racist riots.
“We must bring that anti-racist spirit onto the streets of London and reject the politics of hate.”
A protest organised under the name ‘Stop the Isolation’ or ‘Unite the Kingdom’, in support of Robinson, will form up in Sandell Street and Cornwall Road, off Waterloo Road outside Waterloo Station, from midday.
The march will continue to Whitehall via Westminster Bridge, where a static assembly will take place at Parliament Square.
Meanwhile, Stand Up To Racism have organised a counter-protest which will form up in St James’s Street, south of Piccadilly Circus, from 11.30am.
The march will also go to Whitehall, via Piccadilly Circus and Haymarket, assembling at the Trafalgar Square end of Whitehall.
Met Police will restrict access to the middle of Whitehall in order to keep both groups apart and have encouraged people not involved in the protests to seek alternative routes between Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square.
The restrictions intend to keep the clashing protests apart, as they will convene at opposite ends of Whitehall.
The Tommy Robinson march will end between the Cenotaph and Parliament Square, while the Stand Up To Racism demonstration will finish towards the northern end of Whitehall.
Met Police Commander Louise Puddefoot, who is in charge of the policing operation, said: “We have officers deployed in significant numbers to provide reassurance to the wider community, and to give us the capability to intervene swiftly and decisively if incidents of crime or disorder occur.
“Decisions on our policing style at protests, including the types of uniform worn by officers and the protective equipment available to them, are taken on a case by case basis. It allows us to be ready to respond quickly and decisively where we need to.
Ms Puddefoot continued that their assessment for the protests, based on the information available to the force, meant that an “additional level of preparedness is required.”
She said that officer uniforms and protective kit are there to “ensure all involved can exercise their right to protest peacefully, without causing serious disruption to the life of the wider community and without risking the disorder that could take place if groups with opposing views come together.”
