Lucy Nichols reports on Saturday’s counter demonstration against the far right, and point to some of the ways the movement can go forward 

About 25,000 anti-fascists joined Stand Up to Racism in counter-protesting Tommy Robinson’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ hate march in Central London today. The fascists were outnumbered in a victory for the anti-racist movement, though worryingly, they still mobilised many thousands of people.

Trade Unions, students, Muslim and Jewish groups, and more marched from Piccadilly Circus to Whitehall, with speeches at both ends of the march. The national demonstration saw groups from all over the country come together against racism. In addition to the large trade-union presence, there was a dedicated Palestine bloc, although there was a heavy saturation of Palestine flags, placards and keffiyehs on the demonstration as a whole. Given that Tommy Robinson and the far right openly support Israel’s genocide and have posed themselves in direct opposition to the Palestine movement, it makes sense that people are making links between the Palestine movement and the anti-racist one.

In spite of, and perhaps spurred on by Tommy Robinson’s arrest and time in police custody, the far right also mobilised around 15,000 people from around the ‘kingdom’ (though mainly waving England flags). Importantly, they were significantly outnumbered by anti-racists.

Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, did not make an appearance on today’s hate march, and instead his documentary ‘Lawfare’ was screened to the many thousands of racists in central London and hundreds of thousands more watching the live stream on Twitter, apparently also including a performance from two burlesque dancers dressed in bedazzled union jacks.

After being outnumbered by Tommy Robinson’s demonstration in July, and the fascist riots shortly after, it is a win for our movement that they were outnumbered on the streets. Despite Tommy Robinson not being on the march, support for him remains strong on the right and he and his supporters represent a serious threat. Fascism must be stamped out in Britain and we cannot rely on the state to do this. If we want an end to fascism and racism, we must pose a serious challenge to the hateful ideas they espouse. 

This must mean taking to the streets as a mass, united movement whenever the far right announce their hate marches, and organising against Islamophobia head on. We should aim to repeat the mobilisation we saw today, and support Stand Up to Racism and anti-racist initiatives in local communities and at a national level. Furthermore, the Palestine movement has to be a central component of the anti-fascist movement.

Part of doing this must involve the recognition that Israel’s genocide in Gaza is a racist endeavour. The anti-racist movement in Britain cannot be neutral on it. 

There has to be recognition also in the Palestine movement that Tommy Robinson and the extreme right of politics that he represents is a danger to us all, but to the Palestine movement and Muslims specifically.

This is also true of the differences within the anti-racist movement too. While the Stand Up to Racism counter-protest was assembling, the United Friends and Family Campaign and Black Lives Matter held their own march – an annual event commemorating the victims of police brutality and demanding justice. However, when the SUTR march arrived at Whitehall, the UFFC/BLM protesters swiftly vacated and marched in the opposite direction – an unnecessary division that has to be avoided going forward.

The far right remains a threat and we mustn’t be complacent about fighting back against them. The huge mobilisations for Palestine prove the power of our movement, and we must make sure that we counter Tommy Robinson and his supporters whenever they march.