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Antifascist marketing campaign group Hope Not Hate condemns speeches at Saturday’s rally in London as ‘extraordinarily disturbing’.
Britain will “by no means give up” to far-right protesters who use the nationwide flag as cowl for violence and intimidation, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer says after violent scenes at one of many nation’s largest far-right demonstrations in many years.
Greater than 110,000 folks marched by central London on Saturday in a protest towards immigration led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose actual title is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Some attending the Unite the Kingdom rally clashed with police. Twenty-six officers had been injured, and at the least 24 folks had been arrested, in response to the Metropolitan Police.
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In his first public feedback because the rally, Starmer mentioned on Sunday that peaceable protest was a elementary worth in Britain, however he condemned assaults on law enforcement officials and intimidation towards marginalised communities.
“Folks have a proper to peaceable protest. It’s core to our nation’s values,” he mentioned. “However we is not going to stand for assaults on law enforcement officials doing their job or for folks feeling intimidated on our streets due to their background or the color of their pores and skin.”
He added: “Britain is a nation proudly constructed on tolerance, variety and respect. Our flag represents our numerous nation, and we’ll by no means give up it to those who use it as an emblem of violence, worry and division.”
Islam is the ‘actual enemy’
Saturday’s protest was marked by nationalist symbols, scuffles and inflammatory speeches. Footage confirmed police on horseback pelted with bottles whereas baton costs had been used to push again Robinson supporters and permit about 5,000 counterdemonstrators to go away the Whitehall space of central London safely.
A stage was erected for speeches from a lineup of far-right figures. Main the cost was Robinson, who advised the gang: “It’s not simply Britain that’s being invaded. It’s not simply Britain that’s being raped.”
“Each single Western nation faces the identical drawback: An orchestrated, organised invasion and substitute of European residents is going on,” he added.
Worldwide audio system included French politician Eric Zemmour, who echoed the views put ahead by Robinson. “We’re each topic to the identical means of the nice substitute of our European peoples by peoples coming from the south and of Muslim tradition,” he mentioned, citing the nice substitute conspiracy idea that white Europeans are being intentionally changed by folks from different ethnicities.
“You and we’re being colonised by our former colonies,” Zemmour added.
Equally, Belgian far-right politician Filip Dewinter declared: “It needs to be clear that Islam is our actual enemy. We have now to do away with Islam. Islam doesn’t belong in Europe, and Islam doesn’t belong within the UK.”
Different audio system included Danish Folks’s Celebration chief Morten Messerschmidt, German Different for Germany MP Petr Bystron and Polish politician Dominik Tarczynski.
Tesla CEO and X Chairman Elon Musk additionally made an look by videolink, telling protesters the UK wanted an “pressing change in authorities” and warning them to “struggle again” or “die”.
Police, authorities and antifascist teams condemn violence
The rally got here amid a wave of far-right violence in current months, together with arson assaults on motels housing asylum seekers.
Consultants mentioned these incidents, fuelled by conspiracy theories, xenophobia and on-line disinformation, have intensified considerations over the rise of far-right actions throughout Britain and Europe, which frequently spill over into rioting and violence.
Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Matt Twist mentioned the violence directed at officers was “wholly unacceptable”. He added: “There isn’t any doubt that many got here to train their lawful proper to protest, however there have been many who got here intent on violence.”
British Residence Secretary Shabana Mahmood additionally condemned the violence, warning that anybody participating in legal acts would “face the total pressure of the legislation”.
Starmer’s remarks adopted calls from the antifascist group Hope Not Hate and several other MPs urging the federal government to behave towards the surge in far-right mobilisation. Hope Not Hate described the protest as “extraordinarily disturbing”.
“Whereas the turnout was considerably smaller than the tens of millions claimed by Lennon and his supporters, it seems to be the most important far-right demonstration ever seen in Britain,” the group mentioned.
“For anybody nervous in regards to the rise of far-right activism and the normalisation of viciously anti-migrant, anti-Muslim sentiment, it may very well be an indication of darkish instances to come back,” it added.
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