Thousands attend central London protest organised by Tommy Robinson
Speeches were given by Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, Reclaim leader Laurence Fox and political commentator Carl Benjamin.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of people gathered in Parliament Square on Saturday for a protest organised by Tommy Robinson.
Speeches were given by Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, Reclaim leader Laurence Fox and political commentator Carl Benjamin.
Roughly 300 counter-protesters, organised by Stand Up To Racism, were set up on the other side of the Cenotaph and separated from the crowd by a large police cordon.
According to the Metropolitan Police, two people were arrested in the vicinity of Parliament Square. One arrest was for drunk and disorderly and assaulting an emergency worker, while the other relates to an incident where a woman was subjected to racial abuse.
The protest set off from London Victoria Station at around 1pm and ended up in Parliament Square.
There, a crowd gathered before a large TV screen which showed the speeches and a film.
As Mr Robinson took to the stage, a large cheer came from the audience. He told them: “Looking at the crowd today I feel like I am winning”.
Mr Robinson went on to criticise the “corrupt” Metropolitan Police and accused them of “two-tiered policing”.
While the event was ongoing, Mr Robinson posted on social media calling for the removal of Police Commissioner Mark Rowley.
He then welcomed to the stage a series of speakers, including Laurence Fox.
The crowd cheered as the Reclaim Party leader appeared and booed in support of his criticism of both Pride Month and Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Pointing to the Houses of Parliament, he said: “In one month we will be asked to vote again for these people… This is our home, we have nowhere else to go. If you want to put the Great back in Great Britain, it won’t be the politicians. It’s down to you and me and everyone else”.
Mr Fox then urged supporters to avoid any crowd trouble, telling them: “Don’t give (police) an opportunity to paint us as what we are not.”
The audience was then shown a series of video montages, with supporters jeering and shouting derogatory language at images of small boat crossings, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.
Several hundred metres away in Whitehall, a static counter-demonstration had been set up by Stand Up To Racism.
Speaker Zak Cochrane led chants of “Nazi scum off our streets” and “say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here”.
Others held placards reading “oppose Tommy Robinson” and “stop fascists and the far-right”.
A third protest, smaller in size and unrelated to the above events, saw nine members of Youth Demand arrested for breaching a Public Order Act.
The Metropolitan Police said on social media that protesters went on to York Road, attempting to cause serious disruption by blocking traffic.
They were already subject to conditions not to leave the pavement and these members were arrested for breaching those conditions, the force added.
More than 2,000 police officers were on duty on Saturday, policing the protests as well as the Champions League Final at Wembley and related fan events, the Metropolitan Police said.
Fans of finalists Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid appeared to be confused at what was happening in Parliament Square, with some appearing to gather under the impression that it was a fan zone.
The Champions League Final, between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, kicks off at Wembley at 8pm.