The London police announced that they arrested nine individuals on Saturday on suspicion of involvement in incidents that occurred during three demonstrations, one of which was attended by thousands in response to a call from far-right activist Tommy Robinson. The Metropolitan Police stated that four people, suspected of assaulting four police officers, were arrested outside a pub. They noted that "fortunately, no one was seriously injured."
These arrests followed the detainment of two men accused of assaulting a participant in a counter-demonstration against the far-right protest. The police detained this protester after accusing him of assaulting one of their officers. According to a medical source, the injured individual was taken to the hospital after police suspected him of committing hate crimes or public order offenses due to his attack on a Palestinian flag and his racist comments. The young man reportedly said, "We want to take our country back" and "not the far right," which were "completely legitimate" signs.
In a message posted on social media, the police indicated that a man was arrested on suspicion of committing hate crimes and public order offenses after he attacked a Palestinian flag and made a racist remark. Another person was arrested for assaulting a paramedic and disturbing public order due to committing racially motivated hate crimes after kicking one of the police officers.
The police deployed a thousand officers to maintain order in the British capital. They mentioned that the anti-racism counter-demonstration was organized by the group "Stand Up to Racism," which received support from several unions. During the demonstrations, signs were raised stating "No to Racism, No to Hate," along with banners "No to Tommy Robinson," "No to Fascism." Robinson founded this group in 2009, a far-right organization aimed at combating the "Islamic threat," which he led until 2013, and he has been convicted multiple times, notably for rioting, disorderly conduct, and assault, serving several months in prison.
