Thousands protest against far-right groups in London

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in central London on Saturday for a large anti-far-right march. The event, organized by the Together Alliance, brought together approximately 500 groups representing various interests, including trade unions, antiracism campaigners, and Muslim representative bodies.

The march was attended by an estimated half a million people, according to organizers, although the Metropolitan Police put the figure at around 50,000. Counterprotesters with Israeli flags and Iran’s pre-1979 monarchical flag were also present.

Participants in the march expressed concerns about racism and Islamophobia, stating that these issues had become increasingly prominent in mainstream politics. Some attendees cited the recent rally organized by far-right agitator Tommy Robinson as a motivation to attend the event.

The atmosphere at the march was described as diverse, with participants from all backgrounds attending, including pensioners, children, and individuals from various professions. Several left-wing politicians joined the demonstration, including Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, Zack Polanski, Dianne Abbott, and Andy Burnham.

Organizers and rights groups hailed the event as a historic demonstration, emphasizing the need for a different vision of society that prioritizes dignity, compassion, and human rights. A separate march organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign converged with the main demonstration during the afternoon.

Eighteen people were arrested outside New Scotland Yard on Saturday after staging a protest in support of Palestine Action, a group that remains proscribed under the Terrorism Act despite a High Court ruling that the government’s decision to ban it was unlawful.

Source: Al Jazeera